*SOUTHAMPTON, (Hampshire) 62 cm. 78 mm. from London, is the Co. T. bet. the Alre or Itching r. on the E. and the Tefe or
Anton on the W. that here fall into that arm of the sea called Southampton-water, which runs up to it for some miles, and
is so deep, that ships have been built here of 500 ton. Both rs. are navigable for some way up the country, from whence,
especially from the New-Forest, vast quantities of timber are brought down, which lye on the shore here sometimes for 2 m.
in length, and are fetched by the ship-builders at Portsmouth dock, few ships being of late built at Southampton. This T.
after being yielded by the Romans to the Saxons, was taken and sadly harrassed by the Danes, in 980, and here it was that
their K. Canute, after he had become sole monarch of England, being flattered by his courtiers, that he had power to check
the tide, in order to convince them of the contrary, seated himself, at low-water, in his regalibus, and commanded it not
to touch his foot-stool, but it did approach, and wetting his royal robes, obliged him to retreat, to the great
mortification of his parasites, and he would never suffer the crown to be placed on his head more, but caused it to be set
on Christ's statue at Winchester, This T. was then called Hantun, and it has since been termed South-Hanton, or Hampton,
to distinguish it from Hampton, Northampton, and others of that name. In the R. of Edward III. this old T. was plundered
and burnt by the French, after they had slaughtered the men, and ravished the women; but another soon sprung up in a more
commodious situation, fortified with double ditches, walls, watch-towers, and battlements, to which K. Richard II. added a
strong castle on a high mount, for defence of its harbour. The wall is formed of a very hard sort of stone, resembling
those little white shells, like honeycombs, that grow on the back of oysters. It seems to have been gathered near the
beach of the sea, which encompasses near half of the T. Here it was that K. Henry V. mustered his army, when he made his
first expedition to France; and the Earl of Cambridge, Ld. Scroop, and Sir Tho. Gray, whom he caused to be beheaded here,
upon information that they intended to betray him, were buried in that called the Chapel of God's House, which is an hos.
that is one of the principal ornaments of the T. and was founded by Philippa, wife to Edward III. for the maintenance of
poor men and women and scholars, with a warden. K. Henry VII. also founded a mon. here. Cha. V. emperor, embarked here on
board the English fleet for Spain; and K. Philip of Spain landed here, when he came to marry Q. Mary. 'Tis said, that
formerly all the canary that came to England was obliged to be landed here first; which brought great trade and treasure
to this T. but the London merchants finding an inconvenience, by the delay of the wine before it came to their hands, gave
money to the corp. for the privilege, and had it brought directly to their port. In Camden's time, this place was noted
for the great resort of merchants to it, for the number and neatness of its buildings, and for the wealth of its inh. but
it has lost much of its trade and people too, by the late wars with France and Spain, and other accidents. There are some
merchants here who carry on the French and Port wine trades; but their greatest dealings are with Jersey and Guernsey.
There are others, indeed, who trade to Newfoundland for fish, which they carry to the Streights, &c. K. Henry VI. made
this Bor. (which had been incorporated by K. Hen. II. and K. John) a Co. of itself, so that 'tis independent on the Ld.
lieutenant of the shire. There is a fort near the quay, called the Tower, which was erected by K. Hen. VIII. in 1542.
There is one of the broadest streets here in England, 'tis also three quarters of a m. long, well paved, and ends at the
quay, or dock, in which ships of considerable burden may ride. Here are no less than 5 Chs. for the natives, besides one
for the French, and the chapel above mentioned. According to its last charter granted by K. Cha. I. the corp. consists of
a mayor, 9 justices, a sheriff, 2 bailiffs, and 24 C. C. and as many burgesses; and here is a collector, with other
subordinate officers of the customs. The mayor is admiral of the liberties from South-sea-Castle to that of Hurst. After
it had given title of Earl to several families, K. Charles II. raised it to a dukedom, in favour of his natural son by the
Duchess of Cleveland, and his son is therefore stiled D. of Cleveland, and D. and Earl of Southampton. Besides a fr. sc.
founded by Edward VI. a ch. sc. was opened here, in 1713, and a subscription compleated of above 80 l. a year, for 30
boys, who are both taught and cloathed. The Mts. are Tu. Th. and S. their Fairs on Shrovetide, the T. before Trinity-M.
St. Mark's-day, and the T. after St. Andrews. At St. Mary's hamlet, a little to the E. stood the old Roman T. called
Clausentum; the ruins reached on one side as far as the haven, and on the other beyond the r. Itching; and the trenches of
a castle half a m. in com. supposed to have been one of the forts erected by the Romans, to keep out the Saxons, are still
visible in St. Mary's-field; and divers Roman coins have been dug up here. At the W. quay there is a bath. The T. is
supplied with good fresh water, which is conveyed in pipes from some distant springs into 4 publick conduits. In the
summer a stage-coach runs quite through every day bet. this T. and London. As Southampton claims the prerogative of a
court of judicature for all criminal cases, an assize of oyer and terminer is generally held here once in 3 years, when
the judge takes it in his progress from Winchester to Sarum.