*PLYMOUTH, (Devon) 173 cm. 215 mm. from London, stands bet. the Plym and Tamar, just before their influx into the British-
Channel, and from a meer fishing-T. is become the biggest in the Co. contains near as many souls as Exeter; and is one of
the chief magazines in the Km. owing to its port, or rather two harbours, the safest in England, and capable of containing
1000 sail. It is defended by several forts mounted with near 300 guns, particularly by a royal citadel erected in the R.
of Charles II. opposite to St. Nicholas-Island, which is within the circuit of its walls (that is at least 2 acres)
contains a large storehouse and 5 regular bastions. In war time the outwardbound convoys generally rendezvous here; and
homeward-bound ships generally put in here, to provide pilots up the Channel, as men-of-war do to wait for a wind. About 2
m. up the mouth of the Tamar (which inlet of the sea is called Ham-Ooze, as the mouth of the other is Catwater, and
commanded by the castle on St. Nicholas-Island) are 2 docks, built in the R. of Will. III. one wet, the other dry, with a
bason of 200 foot square before it, which has all conveniences for building or repairing ships, is hewn out of a mine of
slate, and lined with Portland stone. This T. has a good pilchard fishing, drives a considerable trade to the Streights
and West-Indies, and has a custom-house and 2 Chs. which, tho' here are several meetinghouses, have each so large a cure
of souls, that the p.-clerks were, till very lately, in deacon's orders, to enable them to perform all the sacerdotal
functions. The profits of the pews go to the poor. The choice of the lecturers, every 3 years, is vested in the corp.
which was constituted in the R. of Hen. VI. to consist of a mayor, 12 ald. and 24 C. C. The mayor is elected by a jury of
36 persons, chosen by 4 others, of whom the mayor and ald. chuse 2, and the C.C. the other 2. Here is also a recorder, and
a T.-clerk, whose place is very profitable. The T. is divided into 4 parts, which, till they had a mayor, were governed by
as many captains, who had each 3 constables under him, It is well supplied with fresh water, which was first brought
hither, from a place 7 m. off, at the cost of Sir Fran. Drake, who was born here. Its Mts. are M. Th. and S. and its Fairs
Oct. 18 and the Th. after St. Luke's. The toll of the Mts. and of the corn, yarn, &c. with the profit of the mill, which
is very considerable, bel. to the corp. as do the revenues of the shambles, which are farmed out at 160 l. a year, for the
mayor's kitchen. Here is a ch. sc. 4 hosps. and a work-house, in all which 100 poor children are cloathed, fed, and
taught; and here are 2 printing-houses. To one of the hos. colonel Jory gave a charity for 12 poor widows, as he did a
mace, worth 120 l. to be carried before the mayor; and 6 good bells, valued at 500 l. to Charles-Ch. so called from our
Ks. in whose Rs. it was begun and finished. This T. gives the title of E. to Ld. Windsor. In the entrance of the bay lies
the Edystone-Rock, which is covered at high-water, and on which the ingenious Mr. Winstanley built a lighthouse, that was
blown down in the terrible hurricane of Novem. 27, 1703, and himself, with others that were with him in it, never more
heard of. However another was erected in the room of it, by the corp. of the trinity-house, in pursuance of an act of the
5th of Q. Ann. In the R. of Edw. III. the French landed and burnt part of the T. but were soon repulsed by Hugh Courtney,
E. of Devonshire In the R. of Henry IV. the French landed here again, and burnt 600 houses. Part of it bel. anciently to
the priory of Plympton; and in the R. of Henry VI. the mayor and commonalty contracted to pay it 41 l. a year. Bet. this
T. and the sea is a hill, called the Haw, which has a delightful plain on the top, having a pleasant prospect all round
it, and a curious compass for the use of mariners. The list of Pt.-men for this Bor. formerly divided into two parts, by
the names of Sutton-Valtert and Sutton-Prior, commences the 26th of Edw. I. and continues to the 14th of Edw. III. after
which we find no return made for it, till the 20th of Hen. VI. when the privilege was renewed. It should be observed, that
this T. made so obstinate a resistance in the civil war against the army of K. Cha. I. as obliged it, after many months
siege, to raise it; and that K. Cha. II. being thereby convinced of the great importance of this place, built a fort on
the brow of a hill, called the Haw, which at once awes the T. and defends the harbour. Here is a ferry over the Tamar,
called Crumwell or Crimble-Passage, the W. side of which is called West-Stone-House, and is in Devonshire, though most of
the p. wherein it stands, is in Cornwall.