EVESHAM, (Worcestershire) or EVESHOLM, commonly called Esam, is 77 cm. 95 mm. from London, has a stone-bridge over the Avon, and a harbour for barges. 'Tis an old Bor. reckon'd the 2d in the Co. and had formerly an abbey with a mitred abbot. It was governed by a bailiff, till K. James I. at the request of his son Prince Henry, gave it a charter for a mayor, 7 ald. 12 capital burgesses, a recorder and chamberlain, who are all of the C.C. with 24 other burgesses called assistants. Four of the ald. and the mayor for the time being, are justices of the peace, and of oyer and terminer, and of gaol delivery, for all offences in the corp. except high-treason; and the corp. has power to try and execute felons within the Bor. Here are 2 parish Chs. but the bells of both have been removed to a tower built here by one of the abbots. Its chief mf. is woollen-stockings. At the bridge-foot, in the p. of Bengworth, which is included in its jurisdiction, was a castle, which, in 1157, was demolished. Here are corn-mills, a grammar sc. and a ch. sc. the latter maintained by 1000 l. legacy left by one of its members, the late Mr. Deacle, woollen-draper in London. This T. is noted for the great victory obtained by Prince Edward, afterwards K. Edw. I. over Simon Montfort, the great Earl of Leicester, who was killed in the battle and was honoured with giving title of Baron to the Ld. Chan. Somers. There is an open prospect from hence of that spacious valley called the Vale of Esam, which so abounds with the best corn, as well as pasture for sheep, that it is reckoned the granary of all these parts, and runs all along the banks of the Avon, from Tewksbury to Pershore, and to Stratford in Warwickshire, and the r. is so far navigable. Its Mts. are M. and F. and its Fairs on Feb. 2, M. after Low-Sunday, Whitsun-Monday, and Sept. 10.