EXETER, a city and county (of itself), locally in the hundred of Wonford, county of DEVON, of which it is the chief town, 10 miles (N. N.W.) from Exmouth, 44 (N. E.) from Plymouth, and 176 (W. by S.) from London, containing 23,479 inhabitants. Geoffrey of Monmouth affirms that Exeter was a British city prior to its establishment as a Roman station, and various circumstances concur to prove the fact. It was hy the Britons called Cner-Hlsc, i.e. city of the water; also Cuer Rydh, or the red city, from the colour of the adjacent soil. After its capture by the Romans, who made it a. stipendiary town, it was denominated hca, with the addition of Danmoniorum, to distinguish it from Isca (now Usk), in Monmouthshire. That it was once occupied by the Romans is evident from the numerous coins and other relics which have been dug up at different times, and more particularly in July, 1778, when small statues of Mercury, Mars, Ceres, and Apollo, the largest not exceeding four inches and a half in height, evidently the Penates, or household gods, of that people, together with fragments of urns, tiles, and tesselated pavement, were discovered. The city is said to have been honoured at one time with the name of Augusta, from the circumstance of its having been occupied by the second Augustan legion, commanded by Vespasian, the conqueror of Britannia Prima, which included Danmonium. It was for a considerable time the capital of the West Saxon kingdom, and was afterwards occupied by the Danes, after the violation of a solemn treaty made with Alfred, the Saxon monarch. Alfred, however, invested the city, and compelled the enemy to capitulate, with a promise of evacuating all their holds within the West Saxon territory; it was afterwards attacked by the Danish marauders in 894, and was again relieved by Alfred, Exeter was at a very early period distinguished for its religious establishments, and contained so many monastic foundations that the Cornish Britons and Saxon paana are reported to have called it in derision " Monk-town." On the accession of Athelstau, however, the Britons and Saxons who had not embraced Christianity, and who til] now had formed a considerable portion of its population were expelled, and the number of its religious institutions was augmented by the foundation of a Benedictine monastery, dedicated to St. Peter, which may be regarded as the origin of the present cathedral. The town is greatly indebted for its early importance to Athelstan, who is said to have established two mints in it, and to have regularly fortified it with towers and a wall of hewn stone, from which circumstance, most probably, it was denominated l.xun-vrastrv, or Exavttstre, i.e. the castellated city of the Exe, frum which its present name is derived. In 9oX King Edgar restored the monastery founded by his predecessor, Athelstau, which had been destroyed by the Dunes, and appointed Sydemann to the abbacy. At this time the West Saxon see of Sherborne, of which,prior to 94,Tawton, near Barnstaple, was the head, having been sub-divided into several, Crediton became the seat of the Devonshire diocese, and Sydernann was ultimately raised to the bishoprick. In 1003, Sweyn, King of Denmark, landed on the western coast with a formidable force, to avenge the slaughter of his countrymen, and laid siege to Exeter, which, after a vigorous resistance for two months, was treacherously given up by its governor, and, with its inhabitants, devoted to merciless destruction. The monastery of St. Peter shared in the common ruin; nor did the city recover from its devastation till the accession of Canute, when it began to resume its former importance, and the monks of St. Peter their former privileges. In the reign of Edward the Confessor, Exeter had attained to such magnitude, wealth, and security, that the sees of Creditou and St. Germans (Cornwall) were united under one bishop, and Exeter was made the head of the diocese. The cvrenumies attendant on this change were commensurate with its importance; and the church of the abbey of St. Peter was erected into the cathedral church, in the presence of Edward, whose chaplain, Leofrie, was installed first bishop of the united see. The monks were now removed to Westminster abbey, and twenty-four secular canons were appointed by the new bishop to perform the service of the Cathedral. The citizens, instigated by Githa, mother of Harold, refused to receive a Norman garrison, and having recourse to arms, were joined by the neighbouring inhabitants of Cornwall and Devonshire. On the approach of William to punish their revolt, sensible of the unequal contest, they submitted to his authority, and delivered hostages for their obedience. This agreement having been broken by a meeting of the populace, the Conqueror appeared before the walls of the city, and ordering the eyes of one of the hostages to be put out, the inhabitants surrendered at discretion. The principal persons in the city, consequently, went, forth in procession to acknowledge the supremacy of the Norman conqueror, who qualified his severities by some acts of favour; enforcing the payment of " a grievous fine," but renewing all their privileges, and merely altering the gates la commemoration of his triumph. Githa escaped with her treasures, and took refuge in Flanders. To prevent a revolt in future, William erected a citadel in Exeter, the government of which he entrusted to Baldwin de Brioniis, who, being elevated to the great barony of Oakhampton, was, by virtue of his office, Earl of Devon, and sheriff for the county. The castle having been garrisoned in 1136 by the partizans of the Empress Matilda, held out against Stephen for three months, but was compelled to surrender from want of water. Stephen, however, acted with clemency, and Henry II. subsequently rewarded the loyalty of the citizens by a grant of additional privileges. In 1284, Hugh Courtenay, then Earl of Devon, greatly injured the trading interests of Exeter, by obstructing the navigation of the river Exe, hitherto navigable for vessels of considerable burden. The alleged occasion of this is curious: in the market-place were three pots of fish, and the earl's caterer wanted the whole; the bishop's was equally unreasonable; and the dispute being referred to the mayor, he allotted one to the earl, a second to the bishop, and the third to the use of the town generally. This, and other equally unimportant matters, so offended the earl that he erected a large dam, or wen, across the Exe at Topsham, where he built a quay, and considerably curtailed the trade of the port. In 1286 Edward I. held a parliament at Exeter, augmented the privileges of the borough, and gave it a new common seal. The Black Prince remained here several days with his royal prisoner of France, and subsequently visited the city in 1371. In 1469, the Duchess of Clarence, with others of the royal adherents, took refuge in Exeter, which was besieged by Sir William Courtenay, one of Edward's generals; the siege, however, was raised at the mediation of the clergy. In 1470, Edward IV. arrived in pursuit of the Duke of Clarence and the Earl of Warwick; and sometime after the battle of Tewkesbury, that prince, with his queen and infant son, were entertained here for several days. Richard the Third's visit to Exeter is alluded to by Shakspeare. In 1488, Edward Courtenay, Earl of Devon, was made free of the city, being the first honorary freeman on. record. In 1497, Exeter sustained a violent assault from Perkin Warbeck, the pretended Richard of York, and claimant of the crown: the inhabitants, however, successfully resisted the impostor till the arrival of the Earl of Devon, when Perkin retreated to Taunton. The loyalty of the citizens was afterwards rewarded by Henry VII., who presented them with his sword. In 1501, Catherine of Arragon remained here several days, on her way from Plymouth to London. On the 2nd of July, 1549, Exeter was invested by a strong body of the popish adherents; the citizens withstood the attack till the 5th of August, when John, Lord Russell, having defeated the rebels at Clist heath, dispersed the assailants. The privations endured by the inhabitants during the siege were of the severest kind, and such was their gratitude for deliverance, that the day of Lord Russell's entry into the city (August 6th) was consecrated an annual festival. Exeter is distinguished for numerous proofs of loyal attachment, which has been extended even to the unfortunate among foreign monarchs, as in the case of Don Antonio, the deprived King of Portugal. So sensible was Queen Elizabeth of the loyalty of the Exonians, that, with other more substantial proofs of her favour, she presented the corporation with the honourable motto Semper Fidelis. During the parliamentary war, Exeter continued firm to the royal cause; but the lord lieutenant of the county, who was of the opposite party, disarmed the citizens, and garrisoned the castle with parliamentarian troops. It was, however, subsequently taken by Prince Maurice and Sir John Berkeley, the latter of whom was appointed governor. The city was now regarded as a place of great security, and the queen, being near the time of her confinement, took refuge within its walls. Her accouchement took place in Bedford House, where she was delivered of the Princess Henrietta Maria, afterwards baptized in the cathedral. Charles I. visited Exeter on his way to and return from Cornwall, and the infant princess remained here till the surrender of the city, after a vigorous blockade of more than two months, to General Fairfax, in April, 1646. During the stay of the parliamentary forces, the cathedral was shamefully defaced, and divided into places of worship for Presbyterians and Independents. The palace, with other buildings adjoining, was turned into barracks, and the chapter-house converted into a stable. During the Protectorate of Cromwell, two zealous royalists, who had attempted to restore Charles II., were by Cromwell's order beheaded in the city. On the restoration of Charles II., the city again testified its loyalty with much enthusiasm; and the king, on his visit in 1671, presented the corporation with a portrait of his sister Henrietta, then Duchess of Orleans. On the appearance of the Prince of Orange, in November 1688, the inhabitants submitted to him, and that monarch established a mint here. In August, 1787, George III., with his queen and three of the princesses, visited Exeter. Pestilential diseases have formerly raged here, as in most other towns, with destructive effect: the plague is said to have been fatal to a great, number in 1569. In 1586 one of the judges of assize, several of the grand jury, and others, fell victims to the gaol distemper. The plague was again prevalent in 1603 and 1625; and in 1777> no less than two hundred and eighty-five persons died of the small pox. This city, which has been denominated " The Capital of the West," occupies the flat summit and the declivities of a hill, rising gradually from the eastern bank of the river Exe, but abruptly steep on the western side, in the midst of a fertile and undulating country, surrounded on all sides by scenes of beauty, or spots of interest. Its salubrious air, cleanliness, good market, and proximity to several delightful watering-places, tend greatly to enhance its eligibility as a place of residence. That portion of it which is within the walls is an oblong quadrangle, about two thousand six hundred and seventy yards in compass, divided by two spacious principal, and intersected by two inferior, streets: the four divisions thus produced are denominated the North, South, East, and West wards. Fore-street, occupying the acclivity, and High-street, the summit of the hill, together form a noble thoroughfare, running in a northeasterly direction from the river, which makes a curve round the lower end of the city, on the south-west. Exeter, with its suburbs, contains many handsome rows of modern houses, particularly in the eastern part of the town, in which are situated the cathedral, Bedford Circus, Southernhay Place, and Northernhay Place in front of which are enclosed pleasure grounds, and the public baths, erected in 1821, having a handsome exterior of classical design, and internally replete with every accommodation. The town is well paved, partly lighted with gas by a company established in 1816, and supplied with water from the river, by water-works erected in 1694, at its western extremity. At the western entrance is a handsome stone bridge over the river Exe, erected, after repeated failures caused by the rapidity of the current, in 1778, at an expense of £ 20,000, a little above the site of an ancient bridge of twelve arches, originally erected in 1250. To the north of the city are the cavalry barracks, and at some distance to the south-west the artillery barracks, both comprising extensive ranges of buildings. The Devon and Exeter Institution, for the general promotion of science, &c., was established in 1813. On the ground floor are two spacious rooms forming the library, which at present contains ten thousand volumes, under the care of a resident librarian, with numerous natural and artificial curiosities, a model of the cathedral in wood, and miniature representations of Mont Blanc, the Simplon, &c., besides some good paintings; it is supported by two hundred and thirty proprietors, who pay a premium of £40, and £2 annually. The affairs of the institution are managed by a committee, consisting of a president, vice-president, a treasurer, and twenty-one of the proprietors. In Fore-street is a public subscription library, founded in 1807, an-d containing two thousand five hundred volumes. The tradesmen and mechanics institution, formed in 1825, now consists of two hundred members, and is attended by masters in the mathematics, architecture, and the French language; it contains a good library, reading-rooms, &c., and in the winter season public lectures are delivered. The freemasons grand provincial lodges, 53d, 98th, 178th, and the East Devon Military lodge, 272nd, are held here. In a handsome modern building near the Northern Hay walk are the public rooms, erected by subscription, in 1820: the ball-room, measuring eighty feet by forty, is superbly fitted up, and lighted by a handsome dome. The theatre is a neat modern structure, erected on the site of a former one destroyed by fire; its scenic arrangements are good, and the decorations appropriate: it is frequently visited by the London performers. The races generally take place in July or August, on Haldon, or Hall down, an excellent race-course in the vicinity. The port of Exeter extends from the coast near Lyme-Regis, to the Ness Point at Teignmouth. A little above Topsham the tide is arrested by the " Lower Weir," there being another between this and the city. Leland alludes to the intention of the citizens to remedy the inconvenience, but we do not hear of its completion till 15SO, after which, lighters of sixteen tons burden were enabled to come from Topsham to the city quay. In 16Q9, a canal was cut nearly to Topsham, navigable for vessels of one hundred and fifty tons; it was completed at an expense of £20,000, communicating with the river about three miles from the city. On the 14th of September, 1827, this canal was re-opened with great pomp, its line having been extended about two miles and a half farther to the south, for the admission of vessels of larger tonnage. On the quay are the custom-house and wharfinger's office; and near it are extensive iron-foundries, fulling-mills, timber wharfs, &c. A large basin is in progress of excavation opposite the quay, where vessels of considerable burden may float and discharge their cargoes. There are now about twenty-five vessels, of from seventy to one hundred tons burden, trading between this and London, three to Liverpool, five to Bristol, ten to PlyT mouth, and one to Falmouth and Penzance. The principal exports are woollen goods and manganese; the imports, wine, hemp, tallow, grocery, &c. The trade of Exeter, at a very early period, was chiefly in the article of wool, the market for this commodity having been removed hither from Crediton, in 1538. Fulling- mills existed here in the time of Edward I.: the weavers and fullers were united to the merchant adT venturers, and incorporated by Elizabeth. It formerly exported woollen cloth to Italy, Turkey, &c.: and it is said that before the year 1700, eight out of ten of the citizens were engaged in that trade, which decreased during the American war. The cotton-works,. and manufactories for kerseymere and shawls, have also declined; though there is some probability of the latter being revived. The manufacture at present., consists chiefly of coarse cloth. The governors of the Bank of England have recently established a branch bank here. The West of England Fire and Life Insurance Company, which was formed in 1807, with a capital of £600,000, has agents in all the principal towns in England. The markets are held by prescription; the principal market day is Friday; there is, however, a daily sale for butcher's meat, fish, and, vegetables; besides a market for pork, poultry, butter, &c., on Tuesday and Friday, on which latter day. is also a market for corn, cattle, and serges. The fairs are on the third Wednesday in February, third Wednesday in May, last Wednesday in July, and the second Wednesday in December: there is a great market on the second Friday in every month. The city was anciently held in demesne by the crown: its earliest charter was granted by Henry L> and confirmed by Henry II. and Richard I. It is supposed to .have been first governed by a mayor in the reign of John, in the year 1200, at which time the mayor's office was held for life. In 1312, the mayor and bailiffs were made jus- tices of the peace. Henry VII. confirmed their privileges, and Henry VIII. constituted Exeter a county of itself. Extended privileges were granted by Charles I., and in 1684, a new charter of incorporation was obtained from Charles II., but never enrolled. In 1770, George III. renewed and confirmed the charter, by which the government is vested in a mayor, recorder, eight aldermen, fourteen common council-men, assisted by a town clerk and deputy, and subordinate officers. The mayor is elected annually from two previously nominated and approved by the twenty-four, and he and the recorder and aldermen are justices of the peace, the latter holding office for life. The remaining officers are, the mayor's chaplain, chamberlain, under sheriff, surveyor, sword-bearer, coroner for the city and county of Exeter, bailiff, four Serjeants at mace, constables for the four wards of the city, others for those of the county of the city, and additional constables for the whole city and county, &c. The corporation hold a court of assize for the city and county of the city twice a year at the guildhall: the assizes for the county of Devon are held in the sessions house within the castle: a court of quarter sessions is also held in both places. The Devon county court, for the recovery of debts under 40s., is held every fourth Tuesday in the castle, where there is also an insolvent debtors court three times a year; and there is a debtors' court at the guildhall, where also the mayor's court, for the decision of petty offences, is held every Monday and Saturday. The court of requests, for the recovery of debts under 40s., by an act passed in the 13th of George HI., is held every fortnight. The court of provosty of the city of Exeter, or Provost's court, is held every Saturday throughout the year, for the recovery of debts to any amount above 40s.: it is held by prescription, traced by roll to the 14th of Edward I., in the year 1286; the officers constituting the court are the receiver, and three other stewards, also called provosts, or bailiffs, two of whom form a quorum, and are assisted by the town clerk, who is the prothonotary of the court, and the processes are executed by four Serjeants at mace. Attendance is given at the guildhall by the magistrates every morning at eleven oclock, to hear complaints, &c.; and in the castle the magistrates for the hundred hold petty sessions every Friday: a general court day is held by the corporation of the poor, on the first Tuesday in every month. Exeter has sent two members to parliament ever since the reign of Edward I.; the right of election is vested in the freeholders and freemen generally, the number of whom is about one thousand two hundred: the sheriff is the returning officer. The guildhall was formerly fronted by a chapel dedicated to St. George, which was demolished in 1592; the present facade projects into the street, and is a curious specimen of ancient English and Italian architecture: the common hall is spacious, and has an arched roof, supported by grotesque figures: it contains portraits of Charles I., his daughter the Princess Henrietta, General Monk, and others. The sessions house, within the walls of Rougemont castle, was erected in 1773: it exhibits a neat stone front, and is complete in its internal arrangement. The new city prison, erected in 1819, is a large brick building for felons and debtors; in the front is a house for the governor. The county gaol, a short distance north of the city, erected in 1796, is very Spacious, and judiciously planned for the classification of prisoners; in the centre is the governor's house, with a chapel attached; on each side are wings, two stories in height. The bridewell, erected in 1809, near the same spot, consists of three detached .buildings diverging from the area around the keeper's house: each wing contains two distinct wards, with a spacious airingyard to each ward. The chapel, in the keeper's house, is so divided that the different classes of prisoners do "not see each other. The buildings include also spacious work-shops, a masons yard, and a treadmill. The sheriffs debtors ward, south-west of the city, was erected in 1818. Exeter was, in the reign of Edward the Confessor, erected into a see, the jurisdiction of which extends over the counties of Devon and Cornwall, with the exception of the deanery of St. Burian, in the latter county: the authority of rural dean is exercised in this diocese. The ecclesiastical establish- ment consists of a bishop, dean, sub-dean, precentor, chancellor, treasurer, four archdeacons, and twenty-four prebendaries, of whom nine are residentiary canons. Antiquaries are at variance concerning the character and magnitude of the cathedral, as it existed at the time of the union of the sees of Devon and Cornwall. According to an old record at Oxford, a new church was commenced by Bishop Warlewast, in 1112, and continued by his successors till completed by Bishop Marshall, who died in 1206. It is also said to have been finished according to the original plan of Warlewast; consequently the entire building must have corresponded in character with its two massive Norman towers. On the accession of Bishop Quivil, in 1280, the cathedral, with the exception of the towers, was rebuilt in the early style of English architecture, and is justly regarded as one of the most superb ecclesiastical structures in the kingdom. Among the successors of Quivil who contributed towards the completion of his design, Bishops Stapleton and Grandison were distinguished by their munificence. Under the episcopacy of the latter, the nave was lengthened and the roof vaulted; the west front was probably erected in the time of his successor, Brantingham; and in 1420, tinder the superintendence of Bishop Lacey, the whole as it now appears was completed. The west front is splendidly decorated with a profusion of canopied niches, statuary, and elegant tracery: the principal entrance is in the centre of an elaborately carved screen, divided, by projecting and highly enriched buttresses, into compartments, in which are two series of arches, of which the lower, surmounted by an open battlement, contains statues, in a sitting posture, of several of the kings arrayed in their robes, and of others in armour; in the upper stories and on the buttresses are several statues of monarchs in an erect posture, and in the central niche is one of a king sitting with his foot on a globe, holding in one hand a book, and in the other a sceptre; below which are the arms of the see quartered with those of the ancient Saxon monarchs, in a shield supported by kneeling angels. Above the screen is a noble window of nine lights, with elegant tracery. On the north and south sides of the cathedral are the massive Norman towers, of which the lower parts, opening into the nave, form the transepts. The interior exhibits a striking combination of majestic grandeur and graceful simplicity; the nave is separated from the aisles by massive clustered :columns, but of elegant proportion, and above the finely pointed arches which support the vaulted roof, are a triforium of singular beauty, and a noble range of clerestory windows filled with rich tracery: the choir, which is separated from the nave by a screen of exquisite design, is of similar style and of equal elevation, and has a continuation of the triforium and clerestory, the windows of which, as well as those of the cathedral in general, exhibit the finest specimens of tracery in the decorated style to be found in the kingdom. On the south side of the choir are some stalls of exquisite beauty, and the bishop's throne, reaching to the clerestory windows at an elevation of sixty feet, i< a specimen of tabernacle - work of unequalled magnificence. To the north and south of the lady chapel are those of St. Mary Magdalene and St. Gabriel, and in various parts of the cathedral are others richly adorned with sculpture, in one of which, dedicated to St. Edmund, is held the cousistorial eourt on every Friday during term. In the north aisle of the choir are the splendid monuments of Sir Richard and Bisfaup Stapleton; and among many others equally deserving attention, is the tomb of Bishop Stanford, of beautiful design and elaborate execution. The length of the cathedral is three hundred and ninety feet, from east to west, and one hundred and forty from the extremities of the transepts. The chapter-house is a beautiful edifice, partly in the early, and partly in the later style of English architecture; the roof is of oak, carved in panels on the slope, and the intervals above the beams are filled with tabernacle-work. The episcopal palace is an ancient structure, containing several noble apartments, and a chapel. The deanery is celebrated as having been honoured by the visits of Charles II., William III., and George III. The city comprises the parishes of All Hallows, All Hallows on the Walls, St. Edmund, St. George, St. John, St. Kerrian, St. Lawrence, St. Martin, St. Mary Arches, St. Mary Major, St. Mary Steps, St. Olave, St. Pancras, St. Paul, St. Petrock, St. Sidwell, St. Stephen, and Holy Trinity, the parochial chapelries of St. David and St. Sidwell, and the extra-parochial precincts of the Cathedral Close, Bedford, and Bradniuch, all in the archdeaconry and diocese of Exeter. The living of All Hallows is a discharged rectory, rated in the king's books at £6. 4. 7., endowed with £800 royal bounty, and in the patronage of the Rector of St. Stephen's. The living of All Hallows on the Walls is a discharged rectory, rated in the king's books at £5. 4. 9., and in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter; the church having been demolished, the service was transferred to that of St. Mary Steps in 1805. The living of St. Edmund's is a discharged rectory, rated hi the king's books at £10. 16. 8., endowed with £400 private benefaction, £400 royal bounty, and £400 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of the Mayor and Corporation. The living of St. George's is a discharged rectory, rated in the king's books at £9. 13. S., endowed with £400 royal bounty, and £1400 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of the Crown. The living of St. John's is a rectory not in charge, endowed with £ 400 private benefaction, £ 700 royal bounty, and £ 1200 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of the Crown. The living of St. Kerrian's is a discharged rectory united to that of St. Petrock's, the former rated in the king's books at £5. 18.6., the latter at £ 14. 10. 2., endowed with £200 private benefaction, and £ 1200 royal bounty, and in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter. The living of the pari.sh of St. Lawrence in a discharged rectory, endowed with £400 private benefaction, and £600 royal bounty, and in the patronage of the Crown. The living of St. Martin's is a discharged rectory united with that of St. Pancras, the former rated in the king's books at £8. 14. 6., and the latter at £4. 13. 4., endowed with £200 private benefaction, £W)0 royal bounty, tiatl .€200 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter. The living of the parish of St. Mury Arches is a discharged rectory, rated in the king's books at £10 endowed with £600 private hem-faction, £«00 royal bounty, and £1000 parliamentary grant, and iu the patronage of the Bishop. The In ing of St. Alary Major's is a discharged rectory, rated in the king's books at £15. 14.9:-., endowed with £200 private benefaction £300 royal bounty, and £1000 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter. The living of the parish of St. Mary Steps is a discharged rectory, rated in the king's books at £H. t». H., endowed with £400 private benefaction, £ I200 royal bounty, and £1600 parliamentary grant. The Rev. William Carwitheu was patron in lt>2.">. The living of St. Olave's is a discharged rectory, rated iu the king's books at £7. IS. 4., endowed with £400 royal bounty, and £400 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of the Crown. The living of St. Paul's is a discharged rectory, rated in the king's bonks at £8. 2. 6., endowed with £200 private benefaction, £200 royal bounty, and £400 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter. The living of St. Stephen's is a discharged rectory, rated in the king's books at £7 17. 3%., endowed with £000 royal bounty, and in the patronage of the Bishop, The living of the Holy Trinity parish is a discharged rectory, rated in the king's books at £11. 16. 4., endowed with £200 private benefaction, £200 royal bounty, and ££00 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter. The living of the parochitd chapelry of St. David is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the Vicar of Heavitree; the chapel was rebuilt in 1H16, on the site of the ancient edifice. That of St. Sidwdl's ia also a perpetual curacy, endowed with £ 1400 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of the Vicar of Heavitree; the chapel, rebuilt in 1B12, is a spacious and handsome structure in the later style of English architecture, with a lofty square tower, surmounted by an octangular spire. On an eminence to the south -west of the city is the cemetery of St. Bartholomew, which was consecrated in 1639 Owing to the increase of population, chapels of ease are about to be built in some of the above parishes. There are places of worship for Baptists, the Society of Friends, Independents, Wesleyan and other Methodists, and Unitarians, a Roman Catholic chapel, and a Synagogue. The free grammar school was founded by the citizens, before the date of the charter of Charles I., and in 1633 the corporation instituted certain ordinances for its better government: it is open to the sons of freemen gratuitously. There are fifteen exhibitions, to either Cambridge or Oxford, belonging to this seminary; viz., six of £36 each, of which two are for boys of the county of Devon, two for boys of the county of Cornwall, and two for the sons of freemen of the city; three of £20 each ,for boys of any county, educated here; and eight of £8. The school-room forms part of the Imilding called St. John's hospital, a convent of Augustine friars, founded in 1239, the revenue of which at the dissolution was £102 12. 9.; the present income, arising from various endowments, is nearly £800 per annum. Adjoining it is the mayor's chapel; and beneath the school-room and library there is a large open hall, for the sale of cloths, &c.: there are four masters, the first of them residing rent-free upon the spot. Within St. John's hospital is the Blue-coat school, founded by Hugh Crossing and others, in the year 1661; twenty-five boys, admitted from seven to ten years of age, are maintained, clothed, and educated, till they attain the age of fourteen, when they are dismissed with £6, as an apprentice fee; they are appointed by the governors, " from the city and county of Exeter, with the exception of those for whom a specific mode of nomination is appointed by the donors." The College school, at Mount Radford, is pleasantly situated, with extensive grounds attached, and was established in 1826, for the purpose of general instruction: it is supported by a number of shareholders, and managed by a body of directors; the principal is resident, together with one director, and the several masters receive boarders. The Blue Maids school, for the instruction, clothing, and maintenance of seven poor girls, who, on leaving school, receive an apprentice fee of £4, was founded in 1672, by Sir John Maynard and Mrs. Elizabeth Stirt, and endowed with lands producing more than £ 100 per annum. St. Mary Arches parochial school was founded in 1686, by W. Wootton, for the instruction, on Dr. Bell's system, of forty-four boys, of whom thirty are clothed. The episcopal charity schools, originating with Bishop Blackall, in 1709, and supported by subscriptions, are open to all children of the parishes in Exeter, and the out-parish of St. Thomas; one hundred and seventy-six boys, and one hundred and thirty girls, are clothed and educated. The Ladies school, in which fifty poor girls are educated, was established in 1804, and is supported by subscription. The Devon and Exeter Central school, " for promoting the education of the poor in the principles of the established church," was founded in 1811, and is supported by subscription: about four hundred and thirty boys, and two hundred and seventy girls, are taught to read and write, on the Madras system. The Exeter British school was established in 1807, for the instruction of children, without regard to sect or party; there are about one hundred and thirty boys, and as many girls in it. The Devon and Exeter infant school was established in 1825; there is a second school of the same kind, called " The West of England," &c. The dissenters charity school, in St. Sidwell's parish, was established in 1780; the house had previously been used as an academy for dissenting ministers, and had a valuable library attached to it, but failing to obtain support, it was closed in 1772; the present school is supported by benefactions, subscriptions, Sac., for clothing and educating about fifty male and female children. Between seven hundred and eight hundred children attend the Exeter Episcopal Sunday schools; there are also Sunday schools attached to most of the dissenting places of worship. The Devon and Exeter hospital was opened for patients in 1743, and the present number of beds exceeds two hun- -dred: it is supported by subscription, and has a considerable income arising from funded property: the affairs of the hospital are under the direction of a president, vice- presi dents, and eighteen members, elected from the subscribers and benefactors; four physicians, four surgeons, and an apothecary, are attached to the institution. The Exeter dispensary is similarly supported. The Lunatic asylum, founded in 1795, is supported by aa income aris- ing from benefactions and legacies, and the payments received for the board of private patients: it is managed by a president, treasurer, two physicians, a surgeon, apothecary, matron, &c. An eye infirmary, and an institution for the instruction of the deaf and dumb, have been established, the latter of which is open to the poor of the counties of Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, and Somerset. A Female penitentiary was established in 1819. Here are also a Humane society; a society for the relief of clergymen, their widows, and orphans; a society for supplying the poor with clothing, coal, baby-linen, and medicine; and a lying-in charity. The Exeter workhouse is situated on the London road, a short distance from the city, and is of great extent; it was finished under an act of parliament, in 1707, and forms a large quadrangle, with a chapel in the centre: there are a house for the governor, spacious committee-rooms, and sufficient accommodation for several hundreds of the poor; the average number of inmates is about two hundred and forty. The Devon and Exeter savings bank was established in 1815. The Magdalene hospital is said to have been founded before the Crusades, for persons afflicted with leprosy; and, in 1244, the government of it was vested in the corporation, under whose management it still remains: since the extinction of the leprosy, it has been open to six poor scrofulous persons: the income is about £65 per annum; the ancient chapel is in rums. St. Catherine's almshouse was founded in 1457, for thirteen aged people, by John Stevens, who gave 17s. 4d. per annum to each of the pensioners; to which other benefactions have been added, making a total income of £32. Wynard's hospital was established in I486, for providing lodging and subsistence to twelve infirm and elderly men, who are appointed by the corporation, and by Mr. Kennaway, who has the nomination of four of the inmates; the chapel attached to this institution is a handsome structure, the officiating minister of which is appointed by Mr. Kennaway. Grendon's, or the Ten Cells almshouses, were founded in 1406, by S. Grendon, Esq., for ten unmarried men or women: they have an income of about £50 per annum, and are inhabited by ten widows. In 1479, John Palmer founded an almshouse for four poor women; it is managed by the corporation, who also nominate the three occupants of Moore's almshouse, founded in 1514. Hurst's almshouses were founded in 1568, for twelve poor tradesmen, or their widows, and are endowed with nearly £100 per annum. There is also in the parish of St. Mary Arches, an almshouse for two married couple, and two single persons, among whom the sum of 7s. Sd. is distributed weekly. Flaye's almshouses, consisting of six tenements, for the widows of poor clergymen and decayed tradesmen, were founded in 1634, the corporation being appointed trustees of the charity: the income is about £100 per annum. Six poor parishioners of St. Mary Arches are appointed by the corporation to the almshouse founded in 1669, by Christopher Lethbridge, Esq., which Sir Thomas Lethbridge endowed with £15. 12. per annum, to be divided equally among the pensioners. In St. John's parish is an endowed almshouse for six poor persons, founded by Alice Brooking. The city almshouses, for twelve aged people, rebuilt in 1764, with funds originating in a bequest by Richard Lant, in 1675, have an income of £ 170 per annum. AtwiU's almshouses were founded and endowed by the corporation, with the arrears of Mr. Atwill's charity, in 1771, for fifteen aged woollen. manufacturers, appointed by the corporation: the annual income of this charity amounts to about £ 320. In St. Sid-well's parish are the ancient chapel and eight almshouses of St. Anne; the former has been lately repaired, and is open for divine service every Wednesday; the pensioners, who are appointed by the Dean and Chapter, receive each a quarterly allowance from, the almshouse, find a weekly one from the Dean and Chapter: there was formerly an hermitage annexed to the chapel. There are also an old chapel and almshouses in the adjoining parish of Heavitree; besides which in this parish is an almshouse for four poor women, founded in 1676, by Mr. John. Webb, the rental of the land belonging to which is about £30. A singular benefaction was made by one Griffin Ameridith, who bequeathed in trust to the corporation the annual proceeds of his lands at Sidbury, to be laid out in the purchase of shrouds and coffins for the bodies of malefactors executed at this place. The incorporated company of weavers and fullers meet twice a year in Tucker's hall; viz., in the months of August and November, for the purpose of, arranging several charitable affairs with which they are entrusted: they give away twenty suits of clothes annually 5 and to such of the freemen's sons as have been educated in the school attached to this foundation, £5 each towards an apprentice fee. In addition to the above, there are various lands in the possession of the different parishes, the proceeds of which are applicable to general purposes of charity, and numerous individual bequests and donations. Exeter still retains some proud vestiges of its ancient institutions and mural fortifications. In the vicinity are several ancient encampments, among which may be particularized that at Stoke Hill; it is semi-circular, and more than two hundred and fifty paces in diameter. The north, south, and east gates were taken down for the improvement of the city; but the walls in some places exhibit the original elevation, and may be correctly traced throughout. On the highest ground in the city, the north-west angle, stand the venerable remains of the Norman castle, supposed to occupy the site of that founded by Athelstan; it was denominated Rougemont castle from having been erected on a mound -of red earth. A collegiate chapel was founded within its walls, by Avenell, the grandson of Baldwin de Brioniis, to which were attached four prebends; it served for the purpose of the assize chapel after the Reformation, but was taken down in 1782; its principal gate- way, a lofty and picturesque object, still remains, as does also the greater part of the outer walls, from the summit of which is a delightful prospect over the city, on the south-east. The Benedictine priory of St. Nicholas is said to have been founded by William the Conqueror, and was at first subordinate to the abbey of Battle, in Sussex; it afterwards obtained from the parent house a renunciation of superior authority, the presentation remaining with the Abbot of Battle. At the dissolution, the revenue was £154. 12., when it was conveyed to the corporation, who demolished the buildings for the sake of the materials, and subsequently sold the property in lots. The walls may be traced to a con- siderable extent; and in Mint-lane are the remains of the crypt, with its massive Norman arches, &c. On the site of the ancient church stands the Roman Catholic chapel, opened in 1? 92. Here were also Franciscan and Dominican convents; the latter was converted, after its suppression, into a mansion belonging to the Bedford family; the site is now occupied by Bedford Crescent. In the neighbourhood are some remains of Polleshoo priory, founded in the reign of Richard I., of which, at the dissolution, the revenue was £170. 2. 3. AtCowick, in the parish of St. Thomas, there was also a monastery. Among the most distinguished natives of this city, may be enumerated Josephus Iscanus, or Joseph of Exeter, a Latin poet of the twelfth century; his contemporary, Baldwin, Archbishop of Canterbury} John Hooker, who wrote a history of Exeter, in the sixteenth century; Sir Thomas Bodley, founder of the Bodleian library at Oxford; Dr. John Barcham, an eminent writer on heraldry, born in 1572; Matthew Lock, a composer of music in the seventeenth century; Lord Chancellor King, a distinguished lawyer and theological writer; the Rev. Thomas Yalden, a poet of eminence; Simon Ockley, a learned Orientalist; Dr. James Foster, a non-conformist divine, and theological writer of celebrity; William Jackson, an ingenious musical composer; Andrew Brice, author of a topographical dictionary; and the late Chief Justices Gibbs and Gifford. Exeter gives the titles of earl and marquis to the family of Cecil.