Part 4

The dawning of Wednesday morning was saluted by ringing of bells; while, from the barges on the Severn, decorated with laurels and flags, which were suspended from their yard-arms and top-masts, the bellowing of cannon was incessantly heard. Shops were closed, and business seemed suspended. At eleven, the mayor and corporation, preceded by their officers, and the wardens and many members of every company of tradesmen, accompanied by their flags and streamers, walked in procession to the church of St. Chad, the band playing God save the King. The sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Nunn, from the 11th Nehemiah, 3d verse, “Let the king live for ever;” and the service concluded by singing “God save the King.” Sermons were also delivered to crowded congregations at every place of worship in the town. The doors of many of the principal in habitants were ornamented with laurel; at night, fire-works were exhibited from the gardens of Benyon, Esq. and Dr. Evans, and bonfires distinctly descried on the remote eminences of the Wrekin, Haughmond Hill, Grinshill, &c.

We shall conclude by repeating the sentiment, that the future historian, dwelling upon the character of HIS MAJESTY, will, by this day, be released from the trouble of much prolixity. The character of George the Third has been drawn by his people in this spontaneous expression of their sentiments. After a reign of half a century, they rose with one accordant voice, and desired with prayer and praise, with thanks and rejoicings, with deeds of benevolence and charity to all their fellow subjects, to express their gratitude to GOD for having given them so good a King, and for having spared his life so long.

One remark will surely occur to every person who reads this and other accounts of the universal spirit that has pervaded the bosoms of Englishmen on this occasion:—If the strength of a state center in the virtue of its people; the virtue of a people in affection for their sovereign, and a reciprocal love, link both together, then is England powerful indeed! ‘What shall subdue this spirit?’

Description of the Town.

PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

IN entering on our general description of the town, its public buildings naturally claim the first share of attention. They will be found classed under the heads of Public, Religious, and Charitable erections, and noticed under that order: and whether we consider them in the accommodation which they present for the transaction of the business respectively carried on in them, for the antiquity of some, or for the elegance of their erection, they will no doubt prove sources of recreation to, and well worthy the inspection of, the stranger.

The Castle

Is supposed to have been founded by Roger de Montgomery, about the year 1068. It continued in his family until the reign of Henry I, when by the rebellion of earl Robert de Belesme it was forfeited to the king, who committed the care of it to a constable, usually the sheriff, it being then extremely useful for the defence of the adjacent country.

This ancient fortress is built of red stone, on the N.E. part of the isthmus on which the town stands, and being erected on a commanding eminence, was admirably calculated to “roll back the tide of war” and to defend Shrewsbury from the frequent incursions of the neighbouring Welsh, who were continually devastating the surrounding country. When the incorporation of the principality with the English dominions took place, it ceased to enjoy the importance which its situation on the Welsh border had previously given to it; and after experiencing a variety of changes in its masters, it was granted by Charles II. to lord Newport, afterwards earl of Bradford; since which period it became the property of the late venerable sir William Pulteney, bart. who greatly repaired and rendered it a comfortable residence. Sir William at his death bequeathed it to the right honourable the earl of Darlington, its present possessor.

The history of the Town and the Castle are so intimately connected, that we shall content ourselves with giving a brief description of its ancient and present appearance. According to Leland, it was fast hastening to decay in the reign of Henry VIII. and indeed it has suffered so much from the ravages of time, rather than from those of war, that it is doubtful what idea to form of its original size; but it is at least probable, when its importance as a border fortress is considered, that it occupied a much larger space than that marked out by its existing walls.

The only buildings remaining are the keep, the walls of the inner court, and the great arch of the interior gate; they are built of red stone, and the former has been converted into a commodious and pleasant dwelling, and is at present occupied by J. C. Pelham, esq. It consists of two round towers of equal diameter, embattled and pierced, connected by a square building about 100 feet in length and about the same in height, in which are many spacious and excellent rooms. At the entrance, which opens on a newly-erected grand staircase, is a statue of Roger de Montgomery. The arch of the gateway is about 18 feet high, semicircular, and with plain round facings. Its walls appear to have sustained a tower, from whence hung the portcullis. The area of the court has latterly been cleared of its buildings, and is now formed into a beautiful garden. On the circular grass-plot in front of the castle, the newly-elected knights of the shire are girt with their swords by the sheriff, which, as it is an ancient custom, is still permitted, although the castle and its grounds are private property.

In the south corner of this court is a lofty mount, on which is erected a watch tower, now converted into a pleasant summer room, from which is commanded a grand and diversified prospect of uncommon richness and beauty. The mount, rising abruptly from the margin of the Severn, crowned with its venerable tower, its bold and abrupt bank being richly clothed with the foliage of various species of trees and skirled by the majestic stream which rolls at its base, has also, when viewed from a distance, a beautiful and picturesque appearance. Shrewsbury, though the most important station on the Welsh border, and though frequently thrown into possession of its enemies, never sustained more than two sieges. Its natural and artificial strength might probably deter an adverse army from investing it in a regular way, for it was protected not only by its castle, but by

Walls,

fenced with towers which completely surrounded it.

The first stone rampart extended only across the isthmus to the river on each side, and was raised by Robert de Belesme. In the reign of Henry III. the inhabitants of this place having suffered greatly during the rebellion of the earl of Pembroke, were exhorted to secure themselves by building a wall entirely round the town, which, by the aid of the royal bounty, was accomplished in 32 years. An additional rampart, by order of Oliver Cromwell, was constructed, as it is said, from the materials of Shrawardine castle, and extended from the wall of earl Robert at the river’s brink to the Welsh bridge: though now ruinous it forms a tolerable connecting path between the northern and western ends of the town.—Of the old ramparts, those on the northern and eastern sides of the town have long since disappeared; their foundations, which are easy to be traced, form the groundwork of modern houses. On the south, a considerable portion remains, and part of it is kept in repair as a public walk; but it retains little of its original appearance, having been considerably lowered, and entirely stripped of its battlements. The towers have been all taken down except one, which stands on this wall, between the bottom of Swan Hill and Belmont. It is square and embattled, and has two stories, the entrance of the higher being from the top of the wall, through a small pointed arch, which does not appear of older date than the time of Henry IV. The town, according to Leland, who beheld its fortifications entire, was more than a mile in compass; which extent may probably be a third more in modern computation. There were formerly three principal

Gates

to Shrewsbury; one near the Castle called the North Gate, and one on each of the bridges; that on the east called the Abbey Gate, and that on the west the Welsh Gate. A part of the southern tower of the north gate is the only remain of these once formidable fortifications.

The Town Hall

Is situated in High Street, and was erected in 1785 from a design by Mr. Haycock of this town, at an expense of £11,000, which was raised by a county rate.

It is an elegant structure of free stone, presenting a handsome front to the street. On the front of the pediment, which is supported by four lofty columns of the Ionic order, is a fine figure of Justice in _bas relief_, seated on a rock, beneath which, over the centre door, are the arms of the town handsomely ornamented with appropriate emblems.

The ground floor consists of a vestibule and two courts, in which the assizes for the county are held. Under the one appropriated to the crown bar, is a cell, for the reception of prisoners. A beautiful spiral stone staircase leads to the higher story, where is a large room intended for county meetings, one for the use of the grand jury of the county, with record and other offices for the use of the county and town.

The grand jury room is decorated with portraits of George I. given by Mr. Edward Elisha; of George II. given by Thomas Wingfield, esq.; of George III. and queen Charlotte, given by sir Thomas Jones, bart.; and one of the gallant and celebrated admiral Benbow, given by his sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Hind.

Immediately adjoining is

The Market House.

From an inscription over the northern arch it appears that

“The XVth day of June was this building begun, William Jones and Thomas Charlton, Gent. then Bailiffs, and was erected and covered in their time 1595.”

It is built entirely of free stone, and is one of the largest of similar erections in the kingdom. In the centre of the principal front, which faces the west, is a spacious portal, over which are the arms of queen Elizabeth in high relief. Attached to the imposts of the great arch are pillars, supporting each the figure of a lion bearing a shield on its breast. Above are two stories, with large square mullioned windows. On each side this portal is an open arcade, consisting of three spacious round arches, which form the main building, over which is a range of square windows with mullions, and a very rich parapet, consisting of a series of embrazures carved like the Ionic volute, between which at alternate distances, are a kind of grotesque pinnacles in the same style. At the north and south ends are large open arches, the whole edifice being finished above by sharp pointed gables.

The ground floor of this building is appropriated to the corn market, and is 105 feet long by 24 feet wide. A room over of similar size was formerly rented by the company of drapers, and used by them for a flannel market on Thursdays; but the sale of that staple article of Welsh manufacture having been removed to Welsh Pool, it has been rented of late as an ironmonger’s warehouse. Over the northern arch is placed the statue of Richard duke of York, removed hence from the old bridge in 1791, as appears by the inscription at his right hand: on his left are the arms of the town finely sculptured in relief.

Its spacious area is a useful promenade for the inhabitants in bad weather, and its architecture is a fine specimen of the fantastic style of the 16th century.

Lord Hill’s Column.

The splendid achievements of the British army in Spain and Portugal from 1808 to 1814, together with the disastrous retreat of Napoleon from his Russian campaign, and the subsequent occupation of France by the allied troops, having produced a general peace, a proposition appeared in the Shrewsbury Chronicle of December the 17th, 1813, by the Proprietor of that paper, to erect some suitable memorial of the prominent part lord Hill had acted throughout the whole of those eventful campaigns.—At a meeting in the News Room on the following day, nearly £400 was subscribed to carry this intention into effect. Subsequently, however, it was determined to extend the original plan, a meeting of the inhabitants of the town was called, and it was resolved to solicit subscriptions generally from all who participated in the triumphs of their country, or who felt any respect for the brilliant and varied services of the gallant general.

After a variety of plans had been proposed it was at length determined to erect the column now under notice. The first stone was laid on the 27th of December, 1814, agreeably to masonic rule, by Richard Phillips, esq. master of the Salopian Lodge, and at that time mayor of Shrewsbury. The foundation stone, which weighed four tons and a half, is of the following dimensions, viz: length 11 feet 3 inches, breadth 3 feet, and 2 feet thick. In a cavity underneath, a bottle was deposited, containing gold and silver coins of George III. accompanied with the SHREWSBURY CHRONICLE of the preceding Friday. Over the cavity was a plate bearing the following

_INSCRIPTION_

Of this Column, intended to be erected to commemorate the brilliant achievements of Lieutenant-General ROWLAND LORD HILL, Knight of the Bath, and Knight of the Tower and Sword.

The first Stone was laid by RICHARD PHILLIPS, Esquire, Mayor of Shrewsbury, and Matter of the Salopian Lodge of free and accepted Masons, assisted by the Chaplain, Wardens, the Brethren of this and Deputies from other Lodges, upon the 27th Day of December, in the year of our Lord, 1814, and in the year of Masonry—5814, being the _Festival of St. John_. The funds for this beautiful Memorial, in honour of splendid talent and private worth, were furnished by a public Subscription, raised chiefly by the inhabitants of the town and county of Salop.

The column is situated on a rising ground, at the entrance of this town from the London and Bath roads. From its insulated and lofty situation, it is seen from many parts of the town, and is conspicuous at a considerable distance in the country.

_FT._ _IN._ The height of the pedestal is 13 0 shaft and capital 91 6 pedestal supporting the statue 11 6 statue 16 0 The whole height 132 6

Solidity and durability have been particularly attended to in its construction, the stones with which it has been built, being as large as could conveniently be raised, from an excellent quarry at Grinshill, in the neighbourhood of Shrewsbury.

The pedestal is square, standing upon two steps, having a large pier or buttress at each angle, upon which are placed Lions couchant. The piers are formed of three stones in each, the top one of each on which the lions are placed, being 10 feet 6 inches long, 4 feet 3 inches wide, and 3 feet 3 inches deep, and their weight 10 tons. The lower diameter of the column is 15 feet, and the masonry 2 feet 3 inches in thickness; the top diameter 10 feet 6 inches, by 1 foot 6 inches in thickness. Each course of stones is 3 feet high, six stones form the course. There are 326 stones in the whole structure, and the top stone immediately under the statue, weighs two and a half tons. There are 17,993 cubic feet in the whole, and its weight is 1120 tons. There is a beautiful staircase up the shaft, the view of the surrounding country from the top, being most extensive. The expense was about £5,500.

The proportion of this column is half a diameter higher than those in the portico of the celebrated Parthenon at Athens, and is THE LARGEST GREEK DORIC COLUMN IN THE WORLD. The figure is designed and executed by Messrs. Coade and Sealy, of London, in their artificial stone, which is so well calculated to resist the action of the weather. The lions are worked in Grinshill stone, by Mr. Carline of this place. The contractors were the late Mr. Simpson, and Mr. Lawrence: owing to the death of the former the contract devolved upon his successor Mr. Straphen. The original design is by Mr. Edward Haycock, architect, of this town, with some alterations in the pedestal by Mr. Harrison, of Chester.

The Town & County Goal.

This building, a pleasant and admirably constructed brick edifice, was finished in 1793, at the expense of about £30,000, on a plan furnished by Mr. Haycock, architect, of this town. It was erected in consequence of the light diffused on the subject of prisons by the later philanthropic Mr. Howard, the old gaol being (says Mr. Howard) “both wretched in its accommodations, and a complete school of vice.”

The prison is situate on the banks of the river, on a dry gravelly soil on the south-east side of the town, in the immediate vicinity of the castle, and is spacious, airy, well supplied with water, and as comfortable as these abodes of human misfortune and depravity possibly can be.

The entrance is through a free stone gateway, having a lodge on each side, over the arch of which is a fine bust of Howard, presented by the late Rowland Hunt, and Thomas Knight, esquires, two county magistrates. There are reception cells in the lodges for the examination of the persons by the surgeon previous to their being lodged in the different apartments; during their continuance in the prison, criminals wear a woollen jacket, waistcoat and cap, composed of blue and yellow stripes before conviction, after which the dress is changed for one of brown and yellow. All executions take place on the flat roof of the northern lodge, when all the criminals are brought into the area before the governor’s house to witness the awful scene. This house, in which is an apartment for the magistrates, faces the entrance gate, in the centre of the west front of the prison. The chapel, which is a neat octagonal structure, well calculated for the important purposes of its erection, stands in the centre of the whole building, and is so arranged that every class of prisoners is separated and hid from each other, though all may see the officiating clergyman. The prison, the boundary wall of which encloses two acres of ground, and is 16 feet high, is divided into four principal courts, besides smaller ones, and not only are the sexes separated, but each description of prisoners are subdivided, into classes, which have each their respective courts and day rooms. The debtor’s rooms are airy and comfortable, commanding many pleasing views of the adjacent country. At the eastern extremity is the infirmary, near which the under keeper resides, who has constantly for sale various articles manufactured by the prisoners, the profits of which are applied for their benefit.

Closely allied to the superior construction of the prison are the excellent and judicious regulations for its internal management, which, whilst they tend to ameliorate the condition of the unhappy sufferers, are calculated to reclaim their vicious habits; and should they return to the bosom of society, stimulate them to atone for their depredations on their fellow-creatures, by their honest and exemplary deportment in future. Prayers are read every Thursday, and a sermon preached every Sunday by the chaplain, and the justices appointed at the quarter sessions visit the different apartments of the prison when they please, and have the power of making any alteration in the mode of treating the criminals which to them may appear judicious.

Convinced that the design of punishment is to prevent the commission of crimes, and to repair the injury that has thereby been done to society or the individual, and that it is the duty of every good government to _reform_ rather than _exterminate_ offenders, the exertions of the late Rowland Hunt, esq. were directed to the formation of the following excellent plan, which was instituted in 1797.

_First_—To enable debtors to gain a livelihood while in confinement; to reward their industry and good behaviour while there; and to furnish them with some implements or materials on quitting prison, the better to support themselves and their families on their return to society.

_Secondly_—To encourage industry, penitence, and orderly behaviour in criminal prisoners; and to furnish with clothes and implements those who on quitting prison receive a certificate of good behaviour.

_Thirdly_—To provide all those who are dismissed, with a small sum for immediate maintenance, to prevent the great temptation of committing a crime for that purpose.

This praiseworthy charity, the subscriptions to which from the county at large amount to about £80 yearly; also distributes bibles and prayer books to the wretched objects of its bounty, and thus endeavours to impress on the minds of these outcasts of society, the sacred lessons of divine wisdom. The benevolent stranger will perceive in the large outer gate of the prison, two small apertures, and on the other side two boxes are affixed, into one of which he may drop his mite, “to prisoners in a state of reformation,” and in the other “to debtors in a state of industry.”

The Military Depot,

Is a very handsome brick edifice, erected by government in the year 1806, from a design by Mr. Wyatt, at an expense of about £10,000. It stands in a piece of ground near St. Giles’s Church, at the east end of the Abbeyforegate.

The principal building is 135 feet by 39, in two stories, and is capable of containing 25,000 stand of arms. Within the enclosure are two magazines for ammunition, and a small neat house at each angle for the storekeeper, armourer, and subalterns’ guard.—It was intended for the reception of the arms of the volunteer corps of Shropshire and the adjoining counties, but until lately very few arms of any description have been deposited here—in fact it has been a complete sinecure. Mr. Linton is the present governor.

The English, or East Bridge,

Called also the Stone Bridge, which connects the suburb of Abbey-foregate with the town, was finished in 1774, from a plan produced by Mr. Gwyn, at an expense of £16,000 raised by public subscription. This bridge, which is 400 feet in length, is built of Grinshill free stone, on seven semicircular arches, and crowned with a fine balustrade. The central arch is 60 feet in width, and 40 in height from the bed of the river, the two arches at the extremities being 35 feet wide and 20 high. The breadth between the balustrades is 20 feet.—On the northern front is the head of Sabrina in bas relief and the date of its erection. Its ornaments are tasteful, and it may justly be classed among the most elegant modern erections in the empire. Some persons, probably, may conceive that the elevation of the centre is too great, but when they are informed that in the memorable flood of 1795, even the great arch was not more than capacious enough to admit the torrent, they will no doubt be inclined to praise rather than censure the artist, who was actuated by a desire to blend the useful with the ornamental.

The Welsh Bridge,

Built in the opposite direction to the before named structure, and which received its name as being the grand route into Wales, was finished in 1795, from a design by Messrs. Tilly and Carline of this place. It consists of five spacious arches with balustrades above, and is 266 feet in length, with a driving road 20 feet wide, and paved on each side, for the convenience of foot passengers, 5 feet. It is a plain though neat erection, and has a remarkably solid and substantial appearance.

Public Subscription Library,