WIT Mr. URBAN, Towcester, Jan. 1. WITH this I send a view of the Church and Parsonage of Barton Segrave, in Huxlow Hundred, co. Northampton (see Plate I.), which I have selected from a collection of drawings, by myself, of all the Churches in the County, out of respect to the memory of Mr. Bridges the Historian, who lies buried within its walls. How much the County of Northampton is indebted to him, his valuable History evinces, though he did not survive the completion of his labours; and much also is the County obliged to the Committee who superintended the publication of the Work; among whom Sir T. Cave, bart. Sir G. Robinson, bart. Sir W. Dolben, bart. and Rev. Peter Whalley, should particularly be noticed. A slight sketch of the early history of this parish, as given by Bridges, may sulfice. The village is situate on a gentle ascent, and bounded by Warkton on the North, on the West by Kettering, from which it is divided by the rivulet Ise, on the South by Burton Latimer, and on the East by Cranford. In Bridges's time it contained 19 families; but before the inclosure, which was early in the seventeenth century, the town was considerably larger. The village derived its additional name from the family of Segrave, the most eminent member of which was Nicholas de Segrave, who 1 Edward IV. was Marshal of Eng · 1. land, and obtained license to make a castle of his manor-house at Barton. At the time Mr. Bridges wrote his History, he held this manor, with a considerable estate here, which his father had purchased about 1665. The Duke of Montague was then lord paramount. "The Church, dedicated to St. Botolph, consists of a body and South aile leaded, and chancel covered with slate. At the upper end of the South aile is the burial-place of the Bridges family. Between the church and chancel is a low broad embattled tower (built on four spacious Saxon arches) in which are four bells. The Church and Chancel, including the Tower, are 314 feet long, the body and aile 148 feet broad. The tower and body of the Church, except the upper part, which by the difference of the stone appears to have been raised, are very old. The South aile is more mo dern. The window of the North side has been apparently altered, to answer the window of the South aile. To the South are plain marks of a cross aile.” The Porch was rebuilt in 1804, un- et quædam de Patriis Antiquitatibus in pulverem et terram diruere, ubi omnia ista pereunt. rerumque reconditarum indagatoris studiosissimi, Matrem sortitus est ex antiquâ de Hart stirpe, in hoc vico rustico sedes collocavit. Patri vix semianno supersces. Nam eodem anno febre correptus acutâ, (si hodierna exoptanda esset vita) quippe qui propter pectoris integritatem, et placidissimum ingenii obsequium, et ab omnibus desideratus obiit In memoriam charissimi conjugis, 3. M. S. Near this tablet, under the initial letters of their names, lie buried Catherine and Jane, daughter They both died in the month of March, which appearing in various shapes, to the whole family, till its progress was effectually stopt. by the hand of God alone. In thankfull remembrance of so great a mercy, and to the memory of his dear children, this stone is inscribed by their affectionate father. Jeffery Ekins, the Father, having been almost 50 years, Rector of this church, died Aug. 26, 1773, and lyes buried near the remains of his children. Susannah Ekins, Widow, died June 15, 1790, aged 89. Interred at G. Berksd, Hants. 4. In memory of the Rev. Joshua Stephenson, A. M. 24 years Rector of this parish, who died on Easter Sunday, April 8, 1798, 5. In the same grave daughter of Sir John Robinson, The worthy Historian, John Bridges, esq. was buried March 25, 1724. He left 101. to the poor of this parish. Mr. Wilcox left a legacy, by will, to the poor of Barton, to continue for 12 years from his death: the last payment was made in 1806. A legacy of 17. 10s. left by Capt. Ekins to the poor of Barton, is paid to the rector, for their use, by Mr. Morer, of Twywell. A Friendly A Friendly Society, instituted here in 1800, consists of 30 members. The mansion, formerly the residence of Mr. Bridges, is now in the possession of Charles Tibbitts, esq. The other proprietors are, Lord Sondes, Joseph Sibley, esq. &c. The South side of the Parsonage, and new offices, were rebuilt by the present rector in 1806. In 1811 there were 38 houses, and 39 families (37 of which were employed in agriculture); consisting of 100 males and 101 females: total 201. Yours, &c. GILBERT FLESHER. Mr. URBAN, Feb. 1. IN N September last, on a visit to Leicester, I found the famous Roman Miliary (which the Corporation in 1803, to preserve from the rude hands of modern Goths and Vandals, removed, and placed as a pillar on the Belgrave Gate) disregarded, and over its inscription-[methinks, Mr. Urban, could the memorial of antient days speak, it might exclaim, Ubi lapsus? quid feci?] IMP. CASE. & c. was pasted a vile lottery-bill!!! In the republication of the interesting "Battle of Bosworth Field," I find an error of Mr. Hutton's uncorrected, viz. that the name of the Jane at the corner of which the house now stands, in Leicester, where Richard the Third slept the night before the Battle, is now corrupted from Blue Boar to Blubber-lane; whereas, from time immemorial, it has been, and now is, always called and known by the proper appellation of Blue Boar-lane only. I Mr. URBAN, VIATOR. Feb. 8. It AM a zealous friend to our excellent Church Establishment. has often grieved me to think how many children of all ranks, in London, have been, without any necessity, christened at private houses. The Clergymen who perform the ceremony have frequently, in an extensive parish, to go from one end to the other, because their parishioners are too idle to bring their children to the Church. And the respect due to the Clergy is greatly weakened by this improper compliance with a bad custom. Besides, it is not fitting that the Sacred Ceremony should intervene between the jollity of a christening, in a room dedicated in the evening to eards, or perhaps a dance. While I am on a subject connected with the Establishment, I beg to mention that there is a district in Upper Canada, at least half the size of England, in which I am given to understand there is not one Clergymau of the Church of England. A LAYMAN. Mr. URBAN, Feb. 9. of the people termed Wreckers having been pointed out in The Shrewsbury Chronicle, it has called forth the interference of the benevolent Bishop of St. David's, who has issued the following circular letter; which you will probably think worth inserting. HUMANUS. OME inhuman conduct on the part “REV. SIR,―The disgraceful transactions which have lately taken place on the coast of Cardiganshire and Pembrokeshire, induce me to request you to write to all the Clergy of your Deanery, whose parishes lie on the sea-coast, and to inform them, that it is my warmest wish and injunction, that they will lose no time in representing to their congregations, in terms sharper than any two-edged sword,' the cruel and unchristianlike enormity of plundering wrecks; and that for the future they will preach to them on this subject once a quarter, or at least twice every year, and press strongly on their consciences the flagrant criminality of this inhuman practice, so disgraceful to them as Britons and Christians, to the enlightened country of which they are natives, and more especially to the neighbourhood which they inhabit; and wholly repugnant to every principle, spiritual and practical, of the benevolent religion they profess. I am, Reverend Sir,your faithful and affectionate friend, T. ST. DAVID'S." HE extreme distress which during the whole of last year prevailed among the manufacturing classes of this parish and the neighbouring populous district, SO engaged my thoughts and my time, as to preclude me from giving that information concerning an individual instance of suffering, to which the publick, by its prompt and compassionate liberality, is so justly entitled. I allude to the generous subscriptions which followed a brief statement given by me, some |