SHERBORN, (Dorset) 14 m from Shaftsbury, on the b. of White-Hart-Forest, 100 cm. 118 mm. from London, is an ancient T. in
both the coach and post-road to Exeter, divided by the r. Parrel into two parts, called Sherborn and the Castle-Town; in
which latter are a Ch. and a Mt. The see of a Bp. was fixed here, in 704, by Ina K. of the West Saxons; in which there
sate 25 Bps. successively, till the 11th century, when, after being united with the Bpk. of Sunning, it was removed to
Sarum; whereupon this Co. was made a part of that diocese, till Hen. VIII. erected a new sea at Bristol, to whose diocese
it has bel. ever since. Soon after the translation of the see, the cathedral was converted into an abbey; the Ch. whereof,
a most magnificent structure both within and without, being the best in the Co. and so much prized by the inh. at the Ref.
that it is said they bought it, and pulled down 3 Chs. and 4 chapels about the T. to save it. A quarrel happened in the R.
of Hen. VI. bet. the townsmen and the monks, when a great part of it was burnt, which the former were forced, to repair.
At the entrance of it lie Ethelbald and Ethelbert, 2 of our Saxon Ks. and in one of its ayles is a sumptuous monument of
John Digby, E. of Bristol (who died in 1698) which is reported to have cost 1500 l. In the tower are 6 bells, so big that
they require near 20 men to ring them. This T. was once the retiring place of Will. the Conq. and it bel. to some of his
successors several centuries. Roger, the 3d Bp. of Salisbury, built a castle here, in that part ever since called Castle-
Town; but K. Stephen, incensed at the Bp's pride, seized it, and his successors kept it till 1350, when it was recovered
from the crown by Rob. Wyvil, a Bp. of more courage than learning. This was the first castle that was formally besieged in
the civil wars, and the last that held out for the K. This T. gave title of baron to John Digby, E. of Bristol, so created
in the R. of Ja. I. The Mts. here, which are plentifully supplied with all necessaries, are T. and S. Fairs July 7, Aug.
10, and Sept, 21. There are computed to be at least 20,000 souls here, which is more than in any other T. in the Co. The
inh. had formerly a good trade in the medley-cloth; but now buttons, bonelace, and haberdashery wares are their chief mfs.
with which they supply all the West. Here is a fr. sc. founded by Edw. VI. a fine almsh. by Rich. Beauchamp, Bp. of Sarum,
a ch. sc. and in the neighbourhood are many gentlemen's seats. Though it never had representatives in Pt. yet it sent
Will. Turpin and 2 other deputies to a council at Westminster, in the 11th of Edw. III. and it will ever be famous for the
Pr. of Orange's being met here by Pr. George of Denmark, the Ds. of Ormond, Grafton, Marlborough, and many others of the
prime nobility, on their deserting K. Ja. II. at Salisbury, and thereby restoring the constitution of Great-Britain
without bloodshed.