*BOSTON, (Lincolnshire) 90 cm. 114 mm. from London, is an abbreviation of Botolph's T. from Botolph, a Saxon, who had a
mon. here, and is supposed to have been its founder, 'Tis built on the r. Witham, which is navigable from Lincoln, and
after having passed under a high wooden bridge here, soon falls into the sea. About the latter end of the R. of Henry I.
it was set on fire by a gang of rogues, who came to its fair in the disguise of monks and priests; but soon recover'd, and
became a staple for wool, by which it was much inriched, and the merchants of the Hans-Ts. came and fixed their guild
here. It has long been a famous, flourishing T. is pleasant and well-built, and has considerable merchants for foreign
trade, besides a good inland trade, and others of the inh. apply much to grazing. It has Mts on W. and S. and besides its
Fairs on Apr. 23, and July 25, has one Nov. 30, that holds nine days for cattle and all merchandize; and is called a mart,
which is an ancient name, only used for this T. and Gainsborough in Lincolnshire, for Lyn-Regis in Norfolk, and for
Beverley and Heydon in Yorkshire. Its ch. is reckoned the largest parochial ch. without cross iles in the universe, being
300 feet long within the walls, and 100 foot wide. 'Tis cicled with English oak, supported by tall slender pillars. It has
365 steps, 52, windows, and 12 pillars, answerable to the days, weeks, and months. of the year. Its tower, which was begun
to be built an. 1309, is 282 feet high. It has a beautiful octagon-lanthorn at the top, which is the guide of mariners as
they enter the dangerous chanels of Lynn-deeps and Boston-deeps, as well as the wonder of travellers, who see it 40 m.
round. K. Henry VIII. is said to have first incorporated this T. and Q. Eliz. gave the corp. a court of admiralty over all
the neighbouring sea-coasts. 'Tis governed by a mayor, who is chief clerk of the Mt. and admiral, a recorder, deputy-
recorder, 12 aldermen, a town-clerk, 18 common council, a judge, and marshal of the admiralty, a coroner, 2 serjeants at
mace, &c. It has a commodious, well-frequented haven. It had formerly, besides St. Botolph's mon. a priory, 4 friaries,
and 3 colleges, whose lands K. Henry VIII. gave to the T. and it has now 2 ch. scs. The T. is supplied with fresh water by
pipes, from a pond in the great common called the West-fen, where a water-house and mill were erected in the R. of Q.
Anne, by act of Pt. All the neighbouring county is marsh-lands, which are very rich, and feed vast numbers of large sheep
and oxen. This T. gives title of Viscount to the E. of Grantham, and was the birth-place of John Fox the martyrologist.