1752.

REMARKS on the POORS BILL

fay is to be further confidered during the recefs of parliament.

It would certainly prove a most laudable undertaking, if county hofpitals were fet on foot, and fupported by voluntary fubfcriptions and other charities of the well-difpofed of opulent fortunes, or easy circumstances; and no doubt but this is A a proper time to put fuch undertakings forward, the age being remarkably well inclined to charities of that fort; and fo far the heads of the bill you gave us, page 153, of last month, are unexceptionable: But I doubt the 3d. and 6d. in the pound, to be affeffed by way of pound rate, will have numerous opponents, as in many of the inland county divifions, and hundreds,

B

the latter fum is near fufficient to main-
tain their own poor, and they will think
it hard to contribute to the maintenance
of the poor of the manufacturing, mari-
tim, and other market towns, as they
may with reafon fay, it is but just that
thofe places who have advantage by peo-
ple when in health, fhould take care of
them when fick, or paft their labour, or
at least be at the expence to pass them to
their proper fettlements, where they muft
be taken care of-For the 3d. towards
building the hofpital there is lefs objec-
tion, as it must be productive of much
good, yet railing that by a county flock
would certainly be the better way; but
instead of any pound rate (as those rates D
are never much relished by the many, on
pretence of mifapplication) might not this
end be better anfwered, by appropriating
fome of the very great furplus of wafte
that there is in almost every county, to
the use of an hofpital; and fuppofe but
five acres in every one hundred of the
grofs? After which (and proper places
built) let the townships, hundreds, &c.
that have poor they must take care of,
have liberty to fend them there on paying

E

per week, according to the circumftances of health, age, &c. in the perfon fent thither (if objects of charity) to be decently provided for; but if vagrants, idle, or debauched young huffies, to be kept to hard labour, and not fuffer- F ed to fit idling their time in tea-drinking, as is the cafe in many places now, tho' thofe that contribute towards it are obliged to go without it themfelves.--Such as have had an opportunity of obferving the very extenfive waftes in the northern and western counties, will readily grant much more than 5 acres in 100 may be G fet apart for the foregoing purpofe; and the great improvement in agriculture, and high price of corn and flax, will induce farmers to inclose and improve on a long

203

leafe, from 3s. to 5 or 6s. per acre, with out expence of building, if the places be properly chofen, fo as that they may be laid to old farms. The poor always clamour most when waste is inclofed, on which account no other method can be fo proper as taking what they think their right, and applying it to their own ufe.

I did intend to fay fomething about the legacies, that might probably be left fufficient in time for a fund, for the support of the youth of both fexes, until fit to go to fervice; as alío 5 per cent. in the manner of the collateral tax in Holland, which, with a tax on old bachelors, would be well applied (together with their own labour) in fupport of thofe crouds of wretches walking the freets, and corrupting the unthinking youth in London, and whofe miferable life (notwithstanding their affected gaiety) is a burthen to themselves, but might be made useful hands in fome of the various branches of our manufactures, when properly placed, and conducted in their respective county hofpitals; but I find I have much exceeded the length I at first intended.

I am, &c.

J. M.

A Defcription of the Torun of SHREWS-
BURY: With a beautiful REPRESEN
TATION of its South-West Profpet.

HREWSBURY is the chief town

Sof Shropshire, or of the county of

Salop, and is fometimes itself called Salop. It is 124 computed, and 157 meafured miles N. W. from London; and is delightfully fituate on an eminence in a kind of peninfula formed by the Severn, which encompasses it, except at the opening or neck of land where the caftle ftands, much in the shape of a horfe-fhoe. It has two bridges over the river, and was a well-built and well-frequented place fo long ago as the Norman conqueft. At prefent it is one of the finest and largest towns in England, is very populous and wealthy, being the common mart be

twixt England and Wales. It has markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays for corn, cattle and provifions, and every Thurfday is the market for Welsh cottons, freezes, and flannels; of which here are fold as much as comes to 1000l. a week, one with another. They all speak English in the town, tho' it is inhabited both by English and Welth; but on the Thurfday's market the chief language is Welsh. The streets are large, and the houses well-built, and the earl of Bradford's and fome others have hanging gardens down

to

204

A Defcription of SHREWSBURY.

to the river. It is faid, that K. Charles II.
would have erected this town into a city,
and that the townfmen valuing themselves
upon being, as they faid, the first town
in England, refufed this honour, upon
which they were called the proud Salopians.
However that be, it is certain, that this
is a common expreffion to this day. It A
was formerly walled all round. The
caftle is now ruinaus, but the walls built
foon after the conqueft, on that fide of
the town which is not inclofed by the Se-
vern, are yet standing, tho' pretty much
neglected. Here are five churches, in-
cluding St. Giles's parifh, united to that
of Holy-Crofs, or Abbey-Forgate, the
jurifdiction of which was granted to the B

C

corporation on the diffolution of the ab-
beys, it being no part of the ancient bo-
rough of Shrewsbury, or the suburbs
thereof. The four parish churches within
the walls are St. Chad's, St. Mary's, St.
Alkman's, and St. Julian's; the two first
of which were formerly collegiate church-
es, and the college belonging to St. Chad's
is ftill ftanding. Here is one of the largest
free-fchools in England, which was firft
founded and endowed by K. Edward VI.
by the name of the free grammar-school :
Q. Elizabeth rebuilt it from the ground,
and endowed it more largely. It is a fine
ftately fabrick, with a very good library,
a chapel, and spacious buildings, not in-
ferior to many colleges in Oxford and D
Cambridge; in which laft university se-
veral fcholarships are founded in its fa-
vour. Roger de Montgomery was earl of
Shrewsbury in the time of the Conqueror ;
he built the castle, and founded an abbey
here, whofe abbot was mitred, and fate
in parliament: This was the abbey of
St. Giles, or the Holy-Crofs. After the E
Montgomeries, the town gave title of
earl to the Talbots from the time of Hen-
ry VI. of whom earl Charles, in the reign
of K. James II. went to Holland to
join the prince of Orange, with whom
he returned to England, and was by king
William created marquifs and duke of
Shrewsbury, which titles ceafed by his
death without iffue male; but the earl- F

dom reverted to a defcendant of his un-
cle, and is now enjoyed by a branch of
the family, who is the first earl in Eng-
land. Shrewsbury is a very antient borough,
and appears to have been incorporated in
Henry Ift's time: At prefent it is govern-
ed by a mayor, recorder, fteward, town-
clerk, 24 aldermen, and 48 common-G
council men, who have their sword-bear-
er, 3 ferjeants at mace, and other inferi-
or officers. It fends two members to
parliament, chofe by the burgeffes, who
are about 450. The prefent members are

May

Sir Richard Corbet, Bart. and Thomas Hill, Efq; Here are 12 trading com. panies, who repair on the Monday fortnight after Whitfuntide to a place called Kingland, on the south fide of the town, but on the oppofite bank of the Severn, where they entertain the mayor and corporation, in arbours or bowers, erected for the purpose, and diftinguished by fome mottos, or devices, alluding to their arts and crafts. There is fuch a plenty of provifions of all forts at Shrewsbury, efpecially falmon and other good fish, both from the Severn and the Dee, and the place itfelf is fo pleasant, that it is full of gentry who have affemblies and balls here, once a week, all the year round;

it being a town reckoned not inferior to St. Edmundbury, or Durham, for mirth and gallantry, but is much bigger than both together; and it is obferved, that more gentlemens coaches are kept here than in any town in the north-west part of the kingdom, except Chefter. One great ornament of this town, is that called the Quarry, from stones having been dug there formerly; but fince converted into one of the finest walks in England: It takes in at least 20 acres, on the south and fouth-weft fides of the town, bes tween its walls and the Severn, is shaded with a double row of lime-trees, and has a fine double alcove in the center, with feats on one fide facing the town,

and the other the river. There is a very noble gate upon the Welsh bridge, over the arch of which is the ftatue of Llewellin, the idol of the Welsh, and their laft prince, this being the town where the antient princes of Powisland, fór North-Wales, used to refide. Here is an infirmary for 60 patients, which was opened in 1747. There is a good town houfe here, and many publick houses round it, which they call coffee-houses. The antient Roman way, call'd Watlingftreet, comes hither from London, and goes on to the utmoft coast of Wales: It is raifed very high above the foil, and fo ftrait, that upon an eminence it may be feen 10 or 15 miles before and behind, over many hill-tops, answering one ano ther like a vifta of trees.

204

to the river would hav

and that th upon being in Englan which they However 1 is a comm was form castle is no

foon after the town' vern, are neglected. cluding St of Holyjurifdictio corporatio beys, it l rough of thereof. the walls Alkman't of which es, and t

is ftill ita free-fcha founded by the n Q. Eliza and end stately f a chapel ferior te Cambrid

veral fc vour. Shrewsb

he built here, w in parli St. Gile Montge earl to t ry VI. c of K. join the

he retu Willian

Shrewf

death

dom re

cle, ar

the fan land. S

and ap Henry ed by a

clerk, counci er, 31 or offi parlian are abc

1

JOURNAL of the PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES in the POLITICAL CLUB, continued from p. 168.

A by this gentleman to the orders C highly deferved for his dangerous