situated at the north-west end of the market-place; the upper rooms of it are used for the quarter sessions, the courts leet and baron, the court of requests, and the court of sewers. The under part of the building is let out for shops, conformably to the will of the founder, and the rents appropriated to the use of the poor. A small company of comedians was accustomed to perform, at one season of the year, in the upper rooms; but for their better accommodation, a small theatre has been erected near the marketplace: and an assembly and card-rooms fitted up, adjoining the town-hall. 66 Spalding, since the river Welland was made navigable to the town, has enjoyed a good carrying and coasting trade. It is registered, in the book of rates at the custom-house, a member of the port of Boston." The river is navigable for barges of about forty tons burthen to the centre of the town, where are good quays with spacious store-houses; but vessels that require a large draught of water can come no further than Boston Scalp, distant about nine miles. Various attempts have been unsuccessfully made to introduce manufactures into Spalding; the town derives its principal support at present from agriculture, and the many extensive grazing concerns carried on in the vicinity. Wool consequently forms a very prominent feature in its trade; more especially since allowance has been given, under certain restrictions, to carry the article coastwise. The neighbourhood supplies the manufacturing towns of Yorkshire and Norfolk with long wool, which is here deposited and packed, and carried to the respective places. Spalding has a flourishing market weekly on Tuesdays; five fairs annually, and two statutes for hiring servants. By the returns under the late act, the number of houses was 737; of inhabitants 3,296. The establishment of the society of antiquaries at London, in the begining of the last century, gave rise to several minor establishments in different provincial towns. Literary societies were established at Peterborough, Doncaster, and Stamford; but the one formed here, under the auspices of Maurice Johnson, flourished for many years, and was composed of several gentlemen, eminent eminent for literary talents. The minutes or records of the meetings contain many valuable hints and discoveries: in the style of corporate antiquity, they modestly assumed, for their house of meeting, the denomination of " a Cell to that of London:" to which society transcripts of their minutes were regularly sent for upwards of forty years. The above named MAURICE JOHNSON, a native of this place, and son of Maurice Johnson, Esq. steward of the courts, was educated under that eminent scholar Dr. Jurin. He afterwards studied at the Inner Temple, London; was appointed steward of the Soke, or manor of Spalding, then belonging to the Duke of Buccleugh; and also of Kirkton, the property of the Earl of Exeter. An early member of the society of antiquaries, he displayed, through the whole of his life, an ardent love of science and literature. He was the intimate friend of Stukeley, Gale, and others, who were celebrated for antiquarian research; and was the founder of the Spalding society, so congenial to his own taste; which, by his zeal and attention, continued to flourish till his death, on the sixth of February, in the year 1755". At PINCHBECK, about three miles north of Spalding, are some considerable remains of an ancient mansion, which formerly bore the name of Pinchbeck Hall, from a family of that name. Being afterwards possessed by the Otway family, it then acquired the appellation of Otway Hall. It appears to have been originally a large building, and was erected about the time of Henry the Eighth. It was moated round, and a few of the windows have pointed lights, with square heads. The chimnies are singularly lofty, and the gable ends have at the sides and centre spire-shaped ornaments, each crowned with an ornamental ball. In the gardens of this mansion was discovered, in the year 1742, a large brass coin of Commodus; on the reverse, a woman sitting on a globe, * An eulogium of his character, written by his friend Dr. Stukeley, is preserved in the minutes of the society of antiquaries. globe, with her right hand extended, 'and 'in her left, a victory. In the following year several pipes of baked earth were found here. The house has lately been purchased by a farmer, who resides in it. About eight miles south of Spalding is CROYLAND, OR CROWLAND, A town of very remote antiquity, and peculiarly interesting to the antiquary, from the ruins of its once splendid and extensive abbey, and its singular triangularly-shaped bridge. Some writers, particularly Dr. Stukeley, have supposed that the Romans had a settlement here, from the various ancient remains of that people, which have been discovered in the vicinity; but this is not very probable. The situation was not adapted for a military station, nor would it be selected for a villa. Early in the Anglo Saxon dynasty it was however occupied; and we are informed that Ethelbald, King of Mercia, founded a monastery here, and dedicated it “to the honour of St. Mary, St. Bartholomew, and St. Guthlac*” The history of Croyland is involved in that of its monastery, which constitutes the chief and almost only prominent artificial object of interest or curiosity. It appears from the charter of Ethelbald, that the lands belonging to the abbey, comprehended "the whole island of Croyland, formed by the four waters of Shepishee on the east; Nene on the west; Southee on the south; and Asendyk on the north; in length four leagues, in breadth three, VOL. IX. with 3 B This Saint was the son of a Mercian nobleman, named Perwald, and his mother's name was Tetha. At an early period of life he distinguished himself in the army; but having completed his twenty-fourth year, he renounced the world; and became a monk under the Abbess Elfrida, in the monastery of Repton. “By divine guidance he came in a boat to one of those solitary desart islands, called Crulande, on St. Bartholomew's day; and in an hollow, on the side of an heap of turf, built himself a hut in the days of Conrad, King of Mercia; when the Britons gave their inveterate enemies, the Saxons, all the trouble they could." Gough's Hist. and Antiq. of Croyland. with the marshes adjoining on both sides the Weland, part of which to the north, called Goggisland, is two leagues long from Croyland bridge to Aspath, and one league broad from the Weland south to Apenhall, and another part of the marsh south of the Weland, two leagues long, from Croyland bridge to Southlake; and two leagues broad from the Weland to Fynset, with fishery in the waters of Nene and Weland." The charter is dated A. D. 716, and witnessed by Brithwald, Archbishop of Canterbury; Winfred, Archbishop of the Mercians; Ingwald, Bishop of London; Aldwin, Bishop of Litchfield; Tobias, Bishop of Rochester; Ethelred, Abbot of Bardney; Egbert, Abbot of Medeshamsted; Egga, Earl of Lincoln; Lurie, Earl of Leicester, &c. The monarch further gave towards the building of the monastery, 300 pounds in silver, and 100 pounds a year for ten years to come; he also authorised the monks to build, or inclose a town for their own use, with a right of common for themselves and their servants. The foundation being in a marshy soil, the builders were obliged to drive piles of oak and ash, before they began to raise the edifice; indeed this appears to have been first constructed with time ber, for Ingulphus says, that the wooden oratory of Guthlac was succeeded by a church, and house of stone, in which dwelt a succession of religious persons. "Nunc exercet ibi se munificentia regis Et magnum templum, magno molimine condet *." After the massacre of the monks at this place, and destruction of the abbey by the Danes, A. D. 870, King Ethelred, to gratify his favourite and Chancellor Turketyl, or Turketule, restored the alienated lands about the year 948; and encouraged him to rebuild the abbey; which was began, but not completed, till the succeeding Gough's History and Antiquities of Croyland Abbey. The original charter in Saxon characters, the initial letters and crosses gilt, was shewn to the Society of Antiquaries by Mr. Lethieuller, in the year succeeding reign. In the year 1091, a most calamitous event befel the monastery, which Ingulphus in his history pathetically describes. This was a desolating fire, which was occasioned by the carelessness of a Plumber," whereby was cruelly laid waste the habitations of the servants of God." In the year 1112, under the auspices of its Abbot Joffred, it was again rebuilt; and the account of the manner in which it was accomplished, tends to illustrate the spirit of the times. The relation of Peter Blesensis demonstratively proves, that however different the acceptation of the terms may be, superstition and enthusiasm are intimately allied; and that the former is the base, while the latter is the superstruc ture. The abbot obtained of the archbishops and bishops remis sion of a third part of the penance injoined for sins, to all who would assist in the pious undertaking. Under this commission Joffred dispatched the monks, as preaching mendicants, in every direction, to solicit alms for the purpose; and having procured by these, and other means, a tolerable fund, he appointed the festival of St. Perpetua and Felicitas, for the ceremony of laying the foundation stone. Numbers of the nobility, clergy, and commonalty assembled on the occasion. After the service of mass was ended, the abbot laid the first stone, at the eastern end; then the nobles, and others, a stone in turn; and upon the respective stones were laid sums of money, grants of lands, institu tions to churches, rectorial and vicarial tithes, &c. Others contributed stone, labour, &c. according to their means and situation in life. On all these benefactors the abbot, when he had finished the discourse, which he addressed to them, while the stones were laying, bestowed a share in the prayers and services of the church, with the before recited episcopal indulgences; and after pronouncing his blessing, the whole were invited to a sumptuous repast. It is related that more than five thousand persons were present at this solemnity. The monastery from this period rapidly rose in fame, and the celebrity of its monks, for their learning and piety, procured for it most ample benefactions, and it progressively increased in wealth and splendour. At the dissolution, |