SURRY, an inland English county on the banks of the Thames, by which, on its northern side, it is separated from Middlesex. On the west it is bounded by Berkshire and Hampshire; on the south by Sussex; and on the east by Kent. Its shape is an oblong, of moderate regularity, except on its northern side, where considerable indentations are formed by the curvatures of the Thames. Its length, from east to west, is about thirty-seven miles; and its breadth, from north to south, about twenty-five. The area is 758 square miles, or 485,120 statute acres.
By the census of 1821, the houses were found to be 64,790, inhabited by 88,806 families; of whom 14,944 were chiefly employed in agriculture; 46,811 in trade, manufactures, or handicraft; and 27,051 were comprehended in neither of those classes. The number of persons was 398,658; of whom 189,871 were males, and 208,787 females. From its vicinity to the metropolis, more than two-thirds of the inhabitants may be included in the numerical population of London. Southwark, one of the suburbs to the capital, and the hundred of Brixton, adjoining to it, contain 267,994 inhabitants; and the other portions of the county are more thinly peopled than most parts of England. The divisions are thirteen hundreds; and the boroughs of Southwark and Guildford, comprising 146 parishes; all of which are within the diocese of Winchester.
The face of the country exhibits great varieties. On the north, by the banks of the Thames, from Lambeth to Egham, the richness of the highly improved country, the abundance of trees, the verdure of the meadows, the undulation of the hills, with the numerous elegant private houses, all display the most pleasing marks of taste, wealth, and comfort. The centre of the county is a range of chalk hills, much covered with thick underwood, intermixed with arable fields badly cultivated, and utterly destitute of water. The south part, at the foot of this range of hills, is a flat clayey country, nearly impassable in the winter; but covered with some of the best and largest oak trees that are to be found in the island. The north-western part exhibits a considerable tract of the most sterile black heaths that can exist; whilst, on the south-west, near Farnham, is some of the most productive land in England.
The productions of agriculture are various; and, at a distance from the capital, scarcely differ from those of other districts in similar circumstances. A greater proportion of clover and of sainfoin is cultivated on the hills, where there are no natural meadows, than in most other parts of the kingdom. Woad is also grown in the same districts very extensively. It is commonly sowed with turnips, which are to be fed with sheep who will not touch
that plant. It is generally harvested before the corn crops are ready for the sickle. Near London, the garden ground extends over several thousand acres. The growing of plants, for the use of the druggists and perfumers, engages much attention; and those gardens supply peppermint, lavender, wormwood, chamomile, anniseed, liquorice, poppy, and other similar articles. Hops are extensively cultivated near Farnham, and are sold for higher prices than those of any other districts.
There are no minerals now raised in the county; Minerals and for, though iron is known to exist, and was formerly worked with charcoal, the improvements in chemistry have fixed that operation to the coal districts. The fossil riches are valuable, especially fuller's earth, which is of the best quality, and in abundance, and supplies the cloth manufacturers both in the west and north of England. Limestone is plentiful; and that, as well as chalk, is converted into lime, upon a great scale, for the use of the builders of the metropolis. The quarries of Mersham produce an excellent firestone; and the sand near Dorking and Ryegate is in great request for making glass, hour-glasses, writing, and other purposes.
The manufactures are various and extensive; but, Manufactures being almost exclusively near the metropolis, may more properly be considered as belonging to London than to the county of Surry. The principal of those are breweries and distilleries on a magnificent scale. The tanners, rope and sail makers, glass-makers, starch and hair-powder makers, and the preparers of vinegar and raisin wines, carry on large trades. A few miles farther from London, chiefly on the banks of the river Wandle, the calico printers and bleachers have large establishments.
All the rivers of this county empty themselves into the Thames; the only navigable river, besides the Wey, on which barges pass above Guildford into the Basingstoke canal. The Mole is a beautiful small stream, celebrated for sinking into the ground, and at some few miles lower again emerging; it runs to the Thames. The Wandle is of short course, but of great value, from the vast quantity of mill machinery which it keeps in motion, and the employment it thus affords to several thousand persons. It rises in one spring near Croydon, turns a large mill within a few yards of its source, and runs nine miles before it joins the Thames. The Medway rises in Surry; but is a very small stream till it enters the county of Kent. The Loddon, a small river on the western border, is chiefly valuable for the supply of water it affords to the Basingstoke canal. That canal was one of the first executed in this part of the king-
dom, having been finished in 1796. The Croydon canal only reaches that town from the Thames; and the little success attending it has put a stop to its being carried farther, as was originally intended. The Surry canal runs parallel to the Thames; but, by avoiding the sinuities of that river and the whole of the metropolis, is expected to be beneficial to the inhabitants on the upper banks, by conveying coals and other heavy commodities to them, from ships, at a cheap rate. Its entrance, from the Thames below London Bridge, has a fine basin, capable of containing 100 sail of square-rigged vessels. Rail-roads have been constructed from Merstham to the Thames; but the project has not repaid the persons who have advanced the capital a sufficient interest to induce any farther attempts.
Among the Roman antiquities of this county are the Ermine way, which traversed it, and the remains of which may still be traced near Dorking. The piles are still standing in the river Thames at Walton, which were placed there by the ancient Britons, to impede the passage of Julius Caesar. The vestiges of the encampments of the Romans may be distinctly traced at Bottlehill, at Waltonhill, and some other spots. Among the antiquities of later date, are the Palace of Lambeth, belonging to the see of Canterbury; that of Farnham, belonging to the see of Winchester; the remains of the Abbey at Croydon; the Castle of Guildford; Waverley Abbey, and some other Saxon edifices. The meadow of Runnymede, St Anne's Hill, the seat of the late Mr Fox, the park of Richmond, and the terrace there, with the palace and gardens of Kew, are all objects that excite a high degree of interest.
The titles derived from this county are, Duke of Richmond, and Earls of Surry, Guildford, and Onslow: Two members are returned to the House of Commons from the county, and two each from the boroughs of Southwark, Guildford, Gatton, Ryegate, and Haselmere. It is difficult to say which is the county town. The elections are held at Guildford, and the assizes once in the year; the other assizes are held alternately at Kingston and at Croydon. The gaol is in the borough of Southwark, and county meetings are generally convened at Epsom.
The number of seats belonging to noblemen and gentlemen in this county is so great, as to forbid the noticing of even all those which in any other county would be deemed highly worthy of notice. The most remarkable are, his Majesty's palace of Kew; Claremont, Prince Leopold; Clandon Place, Earl of Onslow; Pepper Harrow, Lord Middleton; Oatlands, Duke of York; Painshill, Lord Carhampton; Ockham Park, Lord King; Busbridge, H. H. Townsend, Esq.; Addington Palace, Archbishop of Canterbury; Rooknyst, C. H. Turner, Esq.; Nonsuch Park, S. Farmer, Esq.; Gatton, Sir Mark Wood; Nork House, Lord Arden; Betchworth, Right Honourable H. Goulbourne; Norbury Park, Joseph Dennison, Esq.
The chief towns and their population are, Southwark, 85,905; Croydon, 9254; Richmond, 5994; Chertsey, 4279; Godalming, 4098; Kingston, 4908; Dorking, 3812; Farnham, 3132; Guildford, 3161; Ryegate, 2961.
See Manning and Bray's History of Surry; Salmon's Antiquities of Surry; Stevenson's View of the Agriculture of Surry; Lyson's Environns of London. (w. w.)