namented with crockets on the angles, and at three several distances, encircled with windows, having triangular heads. The height of the tower, to the battlements, is 135 feet, and thence to the top of the weathercock 138, making together 279 feet. The nave, or choir, as it is called, including the chancel and side ailes, measures in length, inside, one hundred and sixteen feet, and eighty feet in breadth Within the church are several handsome monuments to the memory of different families of distinction. One to Sir Thomas Bury, Knight, Lord chief Baron of the Exchequer in the time of George the First. ⠀⠀ A sumptuous marble monument, with the figure of justice, and a medallion representing Lord Chief Jus tice Ryder, who died May 5th, 1756, a day before the patent could pass by a warrant issued for the purposes of creating ́ him Baron Harrowby. A magnificent monument, consisting of a pyramid of blue marble, and a sarcophagus of white, and a bust ornamented with various naval trophies, with the arms of Cust, to the memory of William Cust, Esq. "a brave and judicious sea officer, who having signalized himself in a series of dangerous and successful enterprizes, was unfortunately killed by a canon ball, March 8th, 1747; erected by his uncle, the late Right Honourable Viscount Tyrconnel." 1 The font in this church is a handsome specimen of ancient sculpture. It stands upon a pedestal of two steps. The shape is octangular. The base of the shaft is ornamented with heads and alternate roses. On the shaft are statues of various saints placed in niches; and round the font, under crocketted canopies, many figures in basso relievo. These are intended to represent the seven sacraments. The vestry has been fitted up to receive a large number of books, which were left by the will of the late Rev. John Newcome, D. D. Master of St. John's College, Cambridge. He was a native of Grantham, and bequeathed them as a public library, for the use of the inhabitants in the town and neighbourhood. In the church of Grantham were founded two vicarages, distinguished by the names of North and South Grantham, to the former of which were annexed the livings of North Gunnerby and Londonthorpe, and to the latter South Gunnerby and Braceby. These are in the patronage of two prebendaries, who bear the same names in the cathedral church of Salisbury; and were granted to that church by a charter of Bishop Osmund, dated the 5th of April, 1091, at Hastings; where it was confirmed by William Rufus, in the fourth year of his reign. The want of houses for the residence of the vicars was supplied by the pious bequest of Bishop Saunderson, and the two vicarages, with their profits, were consolidated in 1714, under the name of “the united vicarage of Grantham;" from which time the two prebendaries were to have the alternate right of presentation. Grantham was first incorporated under a charter granted by King Edward the Fourth, A. D. 1463. The jurisdiction of the corporation extends over the whole soke, and "the general sessions of the peace for the town and soke, are held by warrant of the alderman, directed to the bailiff of the liberties, who acts as sheriff of the town and soke, the sheriff of the county having no authority within the soke and district thereof." The guild-hall was rebuilt under an act obtained for the purpose in the year 1787, by a rate levied upon the soke; in addition to which the Duke of Rutland and Lord Brownlow gave each 3001. to erect a large apartment for the occasional accommodation of the corporation, and to serve as an assembly-room for the use of the town. A free school was founded here by Richard Fox, Bishop of Winchester, and further endowed by King Edward the Sixth with the possessions of two dissolved chantries. The schoolhouse of stone attracts attention, from the circumstance of its having been a place of education, to that astonishing genius, Sir Isaac Newton, who here studied the classics for several years. Grantham *Turnor's Collections for the History of the Town, &c. Grantham sends two members to the British senate, has a weekly market on Saturdays, and five annual fairs. From the returus under the population act, the number of houses is 651, occupied by 3,303 inhabitants. Without Spittlegate, at what is termed Grantham Spaw, a salutary spring rises out of sandy ground, the water of which is a mild chalybeate, contains a small portion of ærated iron, and is specifically lighter than common spring water. A Canal has lately been cut from Grantham to the river Trent, an extent of twenty-five miles. It is supplied with water by means of large reservoirs made for the purpose. The level line from Grantham to Woolsthorpe Point is supplied by a reservoir, which covers twenty-seven acres of land, in the parishes of Denton and Harlaxton. This is fed by the flood waters of Denton rivulet. The other part of the line, from Woolsthorpe Point to the Trent, has a fall of one hundred and forty feet, and is sup plied by a reservoir, comprising fifty-two acres, at Knipton. In 1798 the sum of 114,7341. had been expended on the undertaking; at which time the tonnage amounted to 43811. since that period it has annually averaged more. The chief articles conveyed by this navigation are corn and coals. # BELTON HOUSE, two miles north of Grantham, the residence of Lord Brownlow, is situated on a beautiful lawn, in a finely wooded valley, through which flows the river. Witham. The reversion of the manor and estate of Belton, after the death of Sir Henry Pakenham and Jane his wife, was purchased by Richard Brownlow, chief prothonotary in the court of common pleas, in the year 1620. The present mansion house was begun by Sir John Brownlow, Bart. in the year 1685, from designs, it is conjectured, of Sir Christopher Wren, and finished in 1689. The form of the building, like many houses of the same period, is that of the letter H; which, though not approved of by modern architects, possesses considerable advantages in point of convenience and utility. The house, built of stone, presents four uniform uniform elevations, without any architectural decorations. The apartments are numerous, lofty, and well-proportioned. Several are ornamented with excellent carving by Gibbons, and the chapel is wainscotted with cedar. ༄",ས་། In the year 1776, the late Lord Brownlow employed that distinguished architect, James Wyatt, Esq. to make improvements in the building. By his direction a cupola and balustrade were removed from the roof; the drawing-room, which measures forty feet by twenty-seven, was raised to the height of twenty-two feet, and a new entrance was added at the south front. In several of the apartments are many good pictures by eminent masters, of the Flemish and Italian schools, with numerous family portraits by Lely, Kneller, Reynolds, Romney, and others. Amongst them is á peculiarly fine one of Sir JOHN CUST, Bart. Speaker of the House of Commons, in his robes, by Sir Joshua Reynolds; a half length copy of which by Ruyssen, a present of the late Lord Brownlow, is in the state apartments of the Speaker of the House of Commons. The founder of this stately fabric had the honour of a visit from King William the Third, who, on his progress through the northern countries, was entertained at Belton housé the 29th of October, 1695. Previous to that event he had obtained, in 1690, a licence of the king and queen, to form a park of his lands in Belton, Londonthorpe, and Telthorpe, whieli he enclosed with a wall five miles in circumference, and at the same time he made numerous plantations; the trees of which, now become large timber, are highly ornamental to the place. His nephew, Sir John Brownlow, K. B. created 1718 Viscount Tyr'connel, fitted up the library with a choice and valuable collection of books, and formed gardens of great extent and magnificence in the prevailing taste of that age; these have since been modernized and laid out in a style more congenial with rural scenery. The church at Belton is a small ancient structuré*. The tower * The arches of the nave and the font are probably of the 11th century. The manor and advowson were, at the dissolution of monasteries, in the possession of St. Mary's Abbey in the City of York. tower has on it the date 1637, at which time it was re-built by Richard Brownlow, Esq. The chancel also was re-built by Dame Alicia Brownlow, who died 1721. The church is kept extremely neat, and in the south window are six pieces of modern stained glass, representing parts of scripture history. Within the nave and chancel are many fine monuments to the memory of the fa→ milies of Brownlow and Cust. At the village of DENTON, anciently spelt DENTUNE, was discovered in the year 1727, a mosaic pavement. It lay about eighteen inches beneath the surface, and was composed of white, red, and blue tessellæ ; forming a pattern, which consisted of squares and lozenges. The lozenges were ornamented with chequer work, and the squares with gordian knots; it measured about thirty feet square. This formed the floor of a room, which Dr. Stukeley, who examined the place, supposed was the site of a Roman villa. A view of this pavement has been engraved by Mr. Fowler, who discovered part of another pavement, eight feet square, composed of similar colours, but of a richer pattern: this is also engraved in his " collection of Roman pavements." Near this place passes a Roman vicinal way, called Salter's road. On the Denton estate is a spring of very pure water, similar to that of Malvern Wells in Worcestershire. The spring is much frequented, and many medical virtues are ascribed to its waters, The church is a small structure, and contains some monuments to the Williams's, the Welby's, and the Cholmley's. An almshouse was erected and endowed by William Welby, Esq. in the year 1653, for six poor persons, who have a weekly allowance in money, and an annual allowance for coals. Eastward of the church is a school-house, which is endowed for twenty-four poor children. Formerly there were three families of distinction in this parish, the Thorold's, the Williams's, and the Welby's. Some remains of houses belonging to the former are still standing in the village. The Welby's came from Gedney, in the division of Holland, |