EPWORTH, a market-town and parish in the
western division of the wapentake of MANLEY, parts of
LINDSEY, county of LINCOLN, SSf-miles (N. W. byN.) from
Lincoln, and 157 (N. by W.) from London, containing
1763 inhabitants. This place, which is the principal
town in the Isle of Axholme, a district occupying the
north-west part of the county, was anciently the
residence of the Howard family, who had a castellated
mansion, of which there are no remains except the site,
where within the last half century were dug up some of
the cannon belonging to the fortifications. The town is
of considerable extent, but irregularly built; the adjacent
lands are flat, and, previously to the introduction of a
more efficient method of draining, were subject to
frequent inundation. The principal branch of trade is
the dressing of flax and hemp, a great quantity of which
grows in the neighbourhood; and the manufacture of
sacking and canvas is carried on to a considerable extent.
The market is on Tuesday; the fairs are on the
first Thursday after May 1st, and September 29th, for
cattle, hemp, and flax. A court leet is held twice in the
year by the lord of the manor, in a building erected for
that purpose in the market-place. The living is a
rectory, in the archdeaconry of Stow, and diocese of
Lincoln, rated in the king's books at £28. 16. 8., and
in the patronage of the Crown. The church is dedicated
to St. Andrew. There are places of worship for
Baptists, the Society of Friends, the Old and the New
Connexion of Methodists, and Primitive Methodists. A
school for the instruction of children of this parish was
founded in 1711, and endowed with a house and a small
portion of land by subscription: there are some charitable
bequests for the relief of the poor. A Carthusian
monastery was founded here in the reign of Richard II.,
by Thomas Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham, and Earl
Marshal of England, the revenue of which at the
dissolution was £290. 11. 7. j the remains have been
converted into a private mansion. The Rev. John
Wesley, founder of the sect of Methodists, was born in
this parish, in 1703, during the incumbency of his father,
who was .rector for fifty-nine years; and Mr. Alexander
Kilham, founder of a class of seceders from that sect,
called Kilhamites, was also a native of this place.