teenpence to be distributed in alms for the good of his soul; two shillings a piece to six priests for several successive days, for the performance of his obsequies, and a penny a piece each day to the clerks; three shillings and fourpence to the bells of Oakham church; and twelvepence to the Guilds of All Saints and St. Mary's, both in this town.

The Dowager Lady Harrington, in the reign of James I. purchased a rent charge of 1001. per annum, out of the Manor of Cotesmore. This she settled upon certain trustees for various pious uses; and, amongst others, ordered that 321. per annum should be distributed by the vicar and overseers of the parish, among such of the poor as should be tenants, or undertenants, of that part of the manor, then her property.

In 1683, the sum of 501. was left to the poor, by Endymion Canning, an old cavalier, and a captain of horse, during the unhappy wars of Charles's reign.

In 1662, Mrs Parthenia Lowman, widow, of London, gave 1001. for a perpetual stock to the town of Oakham; and ordered that ten shillings should be annually appropriated for a sermon in the parish church on Ash-wednesday, and the remainder of the interest to be given to the poor and sick; three-fourths of it to those of the Lord's hold, and one-fourth to those of the Dean's hold.

Ten pounds per annum were also given by Henry Foster, Esq. of Thistleton, to the poor of Oakham, for the purpose of apprenticing their children; to be paid out of his manors of Swinshead and Buckminster, in Lincolnshire *.

Connected with the Church, and the Charitable Concerns of this parish, was an ancient custom before the Reformation, for the pious and devout to go on a Pilgrimage to our Lady's Well, which is a fine spring, still in existence, and preserving the same VOL. XII.

E

name,

This seems to have been the benevolent gentleman, whose name is not otherwise mentioned, and who gave the sixty pounds per annum amongst six various parishes.

name, about a quarter of a mile from the town.

The foundations of houses were existing about a century ago; but of what kind, or for what specific purpose erected, there is no record. It is detailed, indeed, in a record in the First Fruits Office, that many of the profits and advantages of the Vicarage of Oakham arose from the Obventions, and Pilgrimages which took place to this well, in honour of the Virgin Mary, and St. Michael the Archangel. This holy juggling, however, has long been at an end, and with it have ceased the pilgrimages, offerings, &c. &c.

Amongst the few Public buildings which remain to be noticed, is the COUNTY GAOL, which stands near the ancient boundaries of the castle, and is a modern brick and stone building, airily situated, and constructed of an octagonal shape, upon the modern Bridewell plan. When the benevolent Howard visited the Old Gaol some years ago, he found it thatched, and twice he found it empty! Its custody seems at that period to have been in some measure hereditary, for the then gaoler's father, grandfather, and great grandfather, had held the office; and we believe that this, certainly not very desirable, place is still in the same family. When visited last year its unfortunate inmates were few in number; a circumstance resulting no doubt from the county being princi pally agricultural, and not a manufacturing district. It is also the Town Gaol and County Bridewell.

At the eastern limit of the town there is an old seat of Colonel Noel; it stands low, but has a very good view of Burley hill and Park, and might be rendered a very handsome and commodious habitation.

Near it is a large Riding house with stables, originally intended by Colonel Noel for the service of his Majesty; and on the opposite side of the road there is a neat and pleasant Bowling Green.

The POPULATION of this town, in 1801, consisted of 1056, in the Lord's Hold, occupying 225 houses, and containing 491 males, and 565 females, of whom 156 were engaged in trade, and in manufactures. The returns from the Dean's Hold included

cluded the hamlets of Brooke and Barleythorpe, and were estimated at 557 in 132 houses, being 283 males, and 274 females, of whom 74 were occupied in manufactures and trade.

The returns of POOR'S RATES, in 1803, were as high as 6s. 6d. in the pound, amounting for the whole rate to 7051.; though in 1776 they had only been 1751, 12s. 4d. The persons relieved out amounted to 27; those in the workhouse to 23: the expenditure for the out-poor amounting to 3521. 14s. 4d. ; and for those in the house to 3221. No materials for industry were supplied except in the house; they cost 81. 15s. 6d. and the earnings amounted to 221. 19s.

Out of these rates, the Law Expenses amounted to fifteen guineas; and 451. 15s. 2d. were paid for various charges on behalf of the county.

At that period there were four Friendly Societies in Oakham, containing 269 members; and there were thirty children in the Schools of Industry.

In the reign of Henry III. by that monarch's grant, there were two MARKETS, on Monday and Saturday; also two FAIRS, on St. John the Baptist, August the 29th, and Holy Cross, 3d May. But the Monday market and the Holy Cross Fair are become obsolete, being in disuse ever since the time of Henry VI. At present the market is on Saturday, and is very well attended. Its site is commodious; the market cross being covered with an octagonal roof, and serving for a market house. The shambles also are roomy, clean, and neat.

The Fairs are now, on the 16th of March for horned cattle and sheep; 6th of May for the same, and a show of stallions; 9th of September for horned cattle, sheep, and swine. There are also some Meetings lately established for sale of cattle; these are on the 25th of January, 13th of February, 14th of April, 14th of June, 3d of July, 18th of August, 19th of November, 15th of December; and if any of these fall on a Sunday, they are to be held on the following day.

Though Oakham cannot be said to have improved, yet it is evi

dent that it is improving; partly from the increased intercourse arising from these agricultural meetings, and partly from its new line of water communication. Much, however, remains yet to be done, and Mr. Parkinson, in his Survey, says, with great justice, that it would derive great advantages from a complete inclosure of all the lands in the parish and vicinity, being a market town, having the convenience of a navigation, " and being the most improvable Lordship I ever viewed; the land being not only superior to every other parish in the county, but perhaps to any in the kingdom, and would certainly double its present rental, having not only some of the best tillage land, but some as fine fattening land as shall be found in any district."

We have already noticed several of the ancient Families of this place, to which we may add, that the family of Flore, or Flower, was an ancient and eminent name, and had a seat in this town, together with a very handsome freehold estate, consisting of ten messuages, an hundred acres of land, ten acres of meadow, and all their appurtenances, held of the lord of the manor by fealty only. Roger Flore, son-in-law of William Dalby already mentioned, was of this family, and was of great note in the town. His will forms a singular memorial of ancient customs, and in it he bequeaths his body to the parish church, giving his best animal to the vicar for a mortuary, together with ten shillings for forgotten tythes. To the chaplain he gives two shillings, and one shilling to every other chaplain inhabiting the town. There were three guilds, (resembling our Friendly Societies) in Oakham in his time, and to each of these, Holy Trinity, Blessed Virgin, and St. Michael, he gives forty shillings; and to every order of friars at Stamford, the Carthusians at Coventry, the Abbey of Westminster, and the Prior of Laund, the sum of six marks, for which they were to pray for the souls of Catharine his late wife, of William his father, of Ellen his mother, and of Edmund Duke of York. He next gives forty pounds to a certain number of chaplains, whom his executors were to nominate, in order thaț they might pray (for point d' Argent, point de Suisse, was the

order of the day) as an additional force, for his own soul, the soul of King Henry V. and all the souls already provided for. Besides these legacies, he gave to the poor, who should assist in praying at his obsequies, the sum of fifty marks; to the alms-house, or hospital, fifty shillings for the repair of the chapel, and for ornaments to the altar, besides fourpence to every poor man in the house; fifty shillings for the repair of the high roads, bridges, and causeways; and a gown of Coventry frieze, and a new shirt, to each of twenty poor people of the town.

It appears this very pious and charitable gentleman had farmed the impropriate tythes of the parish under the Abbot of Westminster; he left a shilling to every monk of that abbey who was in priest's orders, and eightpence to those who were not. To the Great Guild at Coventry, he bequeathed forty shillings; to the Prior and Canons of Brooke, thirteen shillings and fourpence; the same sum to the nuns of Langley, and of Huntingdon, and to the Prior and Canons of Newstead, near Stamford. To the master of the chauntry at Manton, whom he appointed one of his executors, he bequeathed his own pair of beads, with ten Aves of silver, and a gilt Paternoster, praying him to be mindful of him when he went through "our Lady's Psalter" with them. To his second wife, who survived him, he left two manors in Lincolnshire, but that was on condition of her taking on her the Mantle ana Ring, and vowing Chastity; this perhaps was the most difficult condition prescribed in his will; she had borne him five sons and one daughter.

The family of Browne seems also to have been of ancient repute in this town and county. Sir John Brown, who was Lord Mayor of London, in the reign of Edward IV. (1481) was son of John Brown of this place. He died in 1497, and his son Sir William Brown was Lord Mayor in each of the reigns of the two successive Henrys.

But the most remarkable character in the Biography of this place was Jeffery Hudson, whom Fuller, not inaptly, calls the least man of the least county in England. Mr. Wright, who