more highly favoured with deeds of benevolence; which, like its refreshing river Slæð, turn and twist themselves into every form and shape, watering and reviving every barren and dreary waste.

The Right Honourable Frederick William, Earl of Bristol, is lord of the manor,a and chief proprietor of this parish, having obtained his possessions here by the marriage of his great grandfather, John Hervey, the first Earl of Bristol, with Isabel, the daughter, heiress, and last surviving branch of the family of Sir Robert Carre, baronet, whose residence was at Sleaford.

Four principal streets, almost rectangular from their common centre, the market-place, and pointing nearly with the four winds, form almost the whole of the town. These streets are distinguished by the addition of gate to the quarter to which they lead, as "Southgate," &c. This is a very ancient mode of distinguishing streets, having its origin from the circumstance of gates being placed, before enclosures were so general, at the extremity of each street leading to the common, to prevent the cattle from straying into the town.

The market-place is spacious, and bounded on the east by the beautiful west front of the church, and had formerly a crossb standing therein; which cross we find mentioned in the

a A Fee Farm rent of fifty pounds a year is paid to the crown by the earl of Bristol, for the manor of Sleaford.

b "Many crosses were placed as marks of the boundaries of districts, which remain at this day. Many of these stones were demolished by the Christians, when they supposed them to have been dedicated to idolatrous purposes, and then their ancient names were soon forgotten, which may be the reason why so many broken crosses are called Stump crosses, uay even the hills and roads adjoining went by this name. [We have an instance of this in Quarrington Field, a part of the road leading to Silk Willoughby, being called in ancient writings," Stump-cross road.] Sometimes they were crected where the corpse of any

Conference referred to at page 43, in one part of which work it says, that "the quaker's books were publicly burnt at the market-cross at Sleeford." This cross stood in front of the church, nearly opposite to the north door, and was removed within the memory of several persons now living, in consequence of its dilapidated state, into the church, where the basement stone still remains in a recess, on the north side of the middle aisle, at the entrance thereof. A whipping post and pair of stocks, also stood near the said cross, the former of which was taken up by the late Mr. John Lord, carpenter, and made use of by him as a gate-post. A bull-ring still remains in the centre of the market-place, but, to the credit of the inhabitants, it has not been applied to its savage purpose, for a very considerable time, scarcely within the memory of man.

The market is held on Monday, a day to which numerous objections might be urged in a religious point of view, and which, it is hoped, will, ere long, be changed by the means of those seriously disposed representatives of the nation, who have already taken the subject of monday markets into consideration. May their endeavours be speedily crowned with success! It is abundantly supplied with excellent meat, poultry, and fish, not so well with vegetables; but the prices are considered to be higher than those at either Lincoln or Boston. Of what are called the five fair days, annually held

great person had rested as it was carried to be buried, and very often in churchyards to remind the people of the benefits vouchsafed to us by the cross of Christ; and in early times at most places of public concourse, or at the meeting of three or four roads or highways. At these crosses the corpse, in carrying to church, was set down, that the people attending might pray for the soul of the departed. It was customary for mendicants to station themselves at crosses, for the purpose of soliciting alms for Christ's sake, and it was a common saying of old, he begged like a cripple at the cross'."

here, we consider the first three in the year; viz. Plough Monday, Easter Monday, and Whit Monday, to be but so many larger markets; and that the twelfth of August, and the twentieth of October, both cattle fairs, the former a very inconsiderable one, to be the only true fair days. The cheese mart on the first of October, scarcely deserves to be noticed as a fair day. The fair now held on the twentieth of October, new style, being the ninth of old style, or St. Denys, was fixed, no doubt, in commemoration of the dedication-day of the parish church to St. Dennis or Dionysius, a custom commonly prevailing in England, as a slight observation of fairs and village feasts, and a reference to the saints to whom their respective churches are dedicated, will clearly shew.

Like most other towns of a corresponding population, Sleaford has its Quarter Sessions, and its weekly attendance of magistrates, which is a vast convenience to the public. The sessions which are rather adjourned, than regular quarter sessions, succeed those held at Bourn and Folkingham on the first Mondays after the Epiphany,-Easter,-St. Thomas a Becket, and St. Michael,-uniformly on the following Thursdays. A mail coach daily from London at eleven o'clock, A. M., and from the north at four o'clock, P. M.; besides a second daily coach, equal to the other with regard to regularity and security, are sources of great comfort, economy, and convenience to the inhabitants here.

A most respectable Banking house was opened here in the year 1792, and, from the just and unshaken confidence placed in its security, has proved of great utility to this place and neighbourhood. A Saving's bank also, on the well known principle of such institutions, for receiving small and weekly deposits from servants, labourers, and little mechanics, being considered a desirable foundation with an increasing population here, and in the heart, as it were, of a great assemblage

of populous villages and hamlets, was first established in the year 1818, since which time the fund has been gradually increasing, and has fully answered the expectations of those with whom the institution, in this place, originated.

There are in Sleaford, beside the established church, three congregations of protestant dissenters; viz. Independents, Methodists, and those called Lady Huntingdon's Connection. There was formerly a chapel, belonging to the Presbyterians, standing at the back of the house now occupied by Mr. Tidd, saddler, near the bridge in Southgate. This chapel was taken down fifty-two years ago.

ZION CHAPEL,

which is situated at the extremity of Hen Lane, was built in the year 1776. In the year 1819, this chapel was unroofed, the walls raised, and galleries erected; so that it is now a very comfortable and commodious place of worship, being capable of seating about five hundred persons: it has always been supplied with preachers in the connection of the late Countess of Huntingdon.

THE METHODIST CHAPEL

is situated in Westgate, and is a particularly neat looking building; it was erected in 1823, and was opened on the sixth of July in that year. This chapel is well fitted up within, containing pews and galleries, and will seat a congregation of nearly six hundred and fifty persons. The first Methodist chapel in Sleaford was opened on the fourteenth of February, 1802, and stood but a few yards north of the present building; on the erection of which it was taken down,

PROVIDENCE CHAPEL

stands in the parish of Old Sleaford, near the entrance of the town from the Boston road, and was built in the year 1808; it was opened for divine worship, by the late Rev. William Huntington, on Sunday, July the tenth, of the same year, The congregation assembling in this chapel are called Independents.

Within the distance of eight miles of Sleaford, there are no less than fifty-three villages and hamlets; from the number and populousness of which, it might be expected that the advantage of those excellent establishments called Benefit or Friendly Societies, would be duly appreciated, and that numbers would enrol their names under their fostering banners. In Sleaford, therefore, congregate eight of these well regulated companies, of which one is a female society: the Wednesday in Whitsun week is their gay anniversary; on which day, after attending, in regular order, divine service, they return with great order and decorum to their respective inns, where a plentiful dinner, in the true English style, cements if possible more firmly, that union of hearts and interests, so essential for the support and continuance of such societies.