ST. ALBANS, (Hertfordshire) 21 mm. from London; owes its name to Alban, the first martyr of Gr. Britain, who suffered in
the persecution under Dioclesian. He was canonized by the Roman Ch. and buried on a hill in the neighbourhood of this T.
where a mon. was erected, and dedicated to him by K. Offa. A synod was held here an. 429, against the Pelagian heresy; and
two Bps. sent for from France, preached against it in a chapel here, which is since converted into a barn. K. Edw. I.
erected a stately cross in this T. in memory of Q. Eleanor. K. Edw. VI. gave this bor. a charter, incorporating it by the
name of a mayor, and ten burgesses, with a steward and chamberlain, and appointing the mayor and burgesses to hold a court
of record before the Steward every W. and that the mayor and Steward should be the only justices of peace here. Its
jurisdiction extends to Rickmansworth, Watford, Barnet, Langley-Abbots, Elstree, Bushy, &c. whose gaol is at St. Albans,
where is a gaol-delivery four times a year, viz. on the first Th. after the quarter-fess. at Hartford. There are four
wards here, in each of which are a constable, and two church-wardens. Here are three chs. besides that called St. Alban's.
St. Andrew's, the ancient p. ch. being demolished, the corp. bought the cathedral that bel. to the mon. of K. Edw. VI. for
400l. and having made it their p. ch. called it St. Alban's. There are many curious medals and coins to be seen in this
ch. that have been dug out of the ruins of Old-Verulam, that stood on the other side of the r. Ver, or Moore, S.W. of the
T. In this Ch. also are the funeral monuments and effigies of K. Offa, its founder, on his throne, St. Alban the martyr,
and Humphry (brother to K. Hen. V.) commonly called the Good Duke of Gloucester. In digging a grave, bet. 30 and 40 years
ago, the stairs were discovered that lead down to the vault where his leaden coffin was found, with the body preserved
entire, by the pickle it lay in, except the legs, from which the flesh is wasted, the pickle at that end, being dried up.
This Town has given the title of Vis. E. and D. to several of our Nobility; but last, to the family of Beauclercs, the
first D. whereof was so created by K. Ch. II. Here are two ch. s. one for boys, the other for girls. Some alms-houses were
also built at the entrance of the T. by the late John D. of Marlborough, who also created a seat here, called Holloway-
house, on the r. above-mentioned, which runs through the gardens. There is a fort near this T. which is, by the common
people, called the Oyster-hills, and is supposed to have been the camp of Ostonus, the Roman propraetor. It is one of the
best Mts. for wheat in England. Its Fairs are Mar. 25, June 22, Uugust 15, and Sept. 29. Mt. on S.