queathed some property for the purpose of clothing and educating eight boys. Various benefactions have since occurred for the same benevolent purpose, and fifty-one boys are now charitably instructed and clothed. A new school-room was built for the use of this institution in the year 1811, in pursuance of the will of a widow named Wyatt, who moved in a very low sphere of life, but who by parsimonious habits had accumulated the sum of 7001.* The new building is desirably commodious, and is, in some degree, ornamental to the parish.

A school for Girls was established in the year 1778, principally at the instance of Mr. George Stanbridge, who afterwards bequeathed the sum of 1000l. to the institution. Many benefactors have since occurred, and upwards of 50 girls are now educated and clothed. The school is at present organising on the plan of the National Society, and will probably be much enlarged.

Adjoining the churchyard is a low, but neat, range of almshouses, founded by Thomas Styles, who died in 1679. John Wilde, who died in 1662, built three almshouses near the same spot, which he endowed, by will, with four pounds per

annum.

There are three fairs annually held within the parish of Edmonton. Two of these, termed Beggar's-bush fairs, arise from a grant made by King James I. when he laid a part of Enfield Chase into Theobald's Park. Both are very thinly attended. The third is called Edmonton statute-fair, and was formerly held for the hiring of servants. The statute is still preserved by the nominal interchange of an engagement between a mas ter and a servant, but the fair is perverted to the use of holi

day

• This woman having determined to dispose of her property in a charitable way, for the use of the poor of Edmonton, requested the attendance of the worthy vicar of the parish, who advised her to bequeath 3001. for the above very laudable purpose; 100l. to keep the building in repair; and 100%, for The benefit of the Girls' Charity School.

day people, chiefly of the lower ranks;* and, in common with similar celebrations of idleness in the vicinity of the me tropolis, is a source of great moral injury.

We have already noticed the "Merry Devil of Edmonton." This place has also produced a Witch of considerable noteriety:

"The Town of Edmonton has lent the stage

A Devil and a Witch-both in an age."t

The wretched and persecuted woman alluded to in the above, lines was named Sawyer; and many particulars concerning her may be seen in a quarto pamphlet, published in 1621, under the title of "The wonderfull discoverie of Elizabeth Sawyer, a witch, late of Edmonton; her conviction, her condemnation, and death; together with the relation of the Divel's accesse to her, and their conference together. Written by Henry Goodcole, minister of the Word of God, and her continual visitor in the Gaole of Newgate." A play, now very rare, was founded on the adventures of this unhappy female, which is curious and rather valuable, as it contains many passages in some measure elucidative of ancient customs.

Nor must we quit Edmonton without reminding the reader of the poem intituled the story of John Gilpin, the ludicrous offspring of one of the few cheerful hours in the life of Cowper. The Bell Inn, at which Mrs. Gilpin and family anxiously awaited the arrival of the unpractised horseman, still exists, and the landlord has added to his sign a painted representation of Gilpin travelling towards Ware with undesirable speed.

Dr. Brook Taylor was a native of this place, at which he was baptized on the 24th of August, 1685. He was honoured

with

• This fair immediately succeeds that of St. Bartholomew, and it is supposed that in favourable weather not less than 30,000 people are assembled. ↑ Prologue to the drama intituled the Witch of Edmonton.”

Vide Brand's Popular Antiquities, Vol. II. p. 60.

with the intimate friendship of Sir Isaac Newton, and was for several years Secretary to the Royal Society. His Treatise on Linear Perspective is a well-known and valuable work.

ENFIELD.

This parish has considerable claims on the notice of the Topographer. It formerly contained a royal seat, which was often favoured with the presence of Queen Elizabeth; and the annals of the neighbourhood are connected with many other personages distinguished in the general history of the country.

The name of this place is written Enefelde in the record termed Domesday. That record presents the earliest materials for the history of the parish, and it is there said that in the time of King Edward the Confessor the manor was held by Asgar, master of the horse to the King, who was, likewise, lord of the neighbouring manor of Edmonton. At the date of the survey this manorial district was possessed by Geoffry de Mandevile. It answered for thirty hides, and there was land to twenty-four ploughs, together with an equal quantity of meadow. A priest had one virgate. There was a mill of ten shillings, and there were fish-ponds, valued at eight shillings. After enumerating the villanes, bordars, &c. the record proceeds to state that there was pasture for the cattle of the village, and pannage for two thousand hogs. There was a Park here, and the whole value was estimated at fifty pounds; when received twenty pounds; in King Edward's time fifty pounds.

We have already noticed Geoffry de Mandevile as one of the most potent followers of William the Conqueror. From the family of this enriched Norman the manor descended to Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford. Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester, was daughter and coheir of the last Earl of Hereford of the Bobun family; and, on her death in 1399, this manor was inherited by her sister, Mary, wife of Henry Duke

of

of Lancaster, afterwards King Henry IV. The principal manor of Enfield thus became vested in the crown, and was shortly annexed to the Duchy of Lancaster. By King Richard III. it was granted to the Duke of Buckingham, in 1483; but, in the following year, it reverted to the crown, in consequence of the attainder of that nobleman. In the reign of Henry VIII. this manor was leased to Lady Bridget Winkfield ; and King Edward VI. granted it for life to the Princess Elizabeth, afterwards Queen. The manor still remains annexed to the duchy of Lancaster, but the manor-house and demesne lands were granted away several ages back. A lease of the manor was obtained by the late Duke of Chandos, in the year 1778,.and is now possessed by the Marquis of Buckingham, in right of his wife, the daughter and sole heir of that nobleman.*

The parish of Enfield comprises about 6430 acres of land, exclusive of the Chase, and is separated from the county of Essex by the river Lea. In other directions it meets the parishes of Edmonton, East Barnet, Hadley (or Monken-Hadley,) South Mims, Northaw, and Cheshunt. This district is

abundantly watered. The New River winds through the south-eastern parts of the parish, in a course unusually desultory and tortuous, while a stream which forms Enfield-wash, and is subject to occasional overflows detrimental to the traffic of the high Cambridge road, takes its rise on the Chase, and falls into the river Lea. A water-course, termed the mill-river, on which two mills were worked, was farmed by the family of Wroth in the 16th and 17th centuries.

This parish is subject to three divisions, each of which has its separate church-warden and overseer. These are termed the Town Quarter, which contains the buildings in the neighbourhood of the church and on the side of the Chase, together with those of Baker Street, Forty Hill, and Clay Hill: Green Street

See many further particulars concerning this manor in Lysons's Environs of London; Dugdale's Barouage; and Bawdwen's Translation of Domesday for Middlesex,

Street Quarter, comprising the houses of Green Street, Ponder's-end, South Street, Enfield-highway, Enfield-wash, and Tuckey Street: Bull's Cross Quarter, containing Bull's Cross, Bullsmore-lane, and White Webbs.

The town of Enfield, or that part of the parish nearest to the church, is distant from London about ten miles on the north-east. King Edward I. by charter bearing date 1304 granted to Humphrey de Bohun, and Elizabeth his wife, (daughter of the King) a licence to hold a weekly market at this place on Mondays. King James I. conferred on the inhabitants a fresh charter, empowering them to hold a weekly market on the Saturday, the profits of which were appropriated to the poor of the town. This market has long since fallen into disuse, but an unsuccessful attempt to revive it was made in the year 1778. When Edward I. granted a weekly market, he likewise allowed the inhabitants the privilege of two annual fairs, which are still held, but are of a trifling character, and are meetings for the purpose of amusement rather than of business.

An exemption from toll, with various attached privileges, was granted by King Richard II. and has been confirmed by many succeeding monarchs, including the late King and his present Majesty. In the annals of the town it is recorded that an extensive and very calamitous fire occurred on the 3rd of September, 1657. The sufferers solicited charitable assistance by means of a brief.

In common with many districts bordering on the metropolis, the buildings of this parish must be noticed by the Topogra pher, as forming several villages within one parochial boun dary. We proceed to mention such houses, and vestiges of domestic structures, as possess prominent interest; reserving our notice of the church, and of many statistical circumstances Concerning the parish at large, to the conclusion of the article.

The site of the ancient manor-house of Enfield has afforded a subject