GLOCESTER, the capital of Gloucestershire in England, 101 miles from London. It is an ancient city; and by Antoninus is called Clevum, or Glevum, which Camden thinks was formed from the British Caer-Glowe, signifying "a fair city." It was one of the 28 cities built by the Britons before the arrival of the Romans, who made it one of their colonies, and in the eighth century it was esteemed one of the noblest cities in the kingdom. It has suffered considerably by fire at different periods. It stands upon a hill; and from the middle of the city, where the four principal streets meet, there is a descent every way, which makes it not only clean and healthy, but adds to the beauty of the place. Forging of iron seems to have been its manufacture so early as the time of William the Conqueror. King Henry VIII. made it the see of a bishop, with a dean and six prebends. Its castle which was erected in the time of William the Conqueror, is very much decayed; part of it is leased out by the crown; and the rest serves for a prison, one of the best in England. In its cathedral, which is an ancient but magnificent fabric, and has a tower reckoned
Gloceſter. one of the moſt curious pieces of architecture in Eng-
land, are the tombs of Robert duke of Normandy,
ſon to William the Conqueror, and of Edward II. and
there is a whiſpering place like to that of St Paul's
at London. In the chapter houſe lies Strongbow
who conquered Ireland. There are 12 chapels in it,
with the arms and monuments of many great per-
ſons. King John made it a borough to be go-
vern'd by two bailiffs. Henry III. who was crowned
here, made it a corporation. By its preſent charter
from Charles I. it is governed by a ſteward, who is ge-
nerally a nobleman; a mayor; a recorder; 12 aldermen,
out of whom the mayor is choſen; a town clerk; two
ſheriffs, choſen yearly out of 26 common counſillmen;
a ſword-bearer; and four ſerjeants at mace. Here are
12 incorporated trading companies, whose maſters at-
tend the mayor on all public occaſions, &c. Beſides
the cathedral, there are five pariſh churches in this
city; which is likewiſe well provided with hoſpitals,
particularly an infirmary upon the plan of thoſe at
London, Wincheſter, Bath, &c. Here is a good ſtone
bridge over the river Severn, with a quay, wharf, and
cuſtomhouſe; but moſt of its buſineſs is engroſſed by
Briſtol. King Edward I. held a parliament here in
1272, wherein ſome good laws were made, now called
the Statutes of Gloceſter; and he erected a gate on the
ſouth ſide of the abbey, ſtill called by his name, though
almoſt demolished in the civil wars. King Richard II.
alſo held a parliament here; and King Richard III. in
conſideration of his having (before his acceſſion to the
crown) borne the title of Duke of Gloceſter, added the
two adjacent hundreds of Dudſton and King's Barton
to it, gave it his ſword and cap of maintenance, and
made it a county of itſelf by the name of the county
of the city of Gloceſter. But after the Reſtoration the
hundreds were taken away by act of parliament, and
the walls pulled down; becauſe the city ſhut the gates
againſt Charles I. when he beſieged it in 1643; by
which, though the ſiege was raſed by the earl of Ef-
ſex, it had ſuffered 20,000. damage, having 241
houſes destroyed, which reduced it ſo much that it
has ſcarce recovered its former ſize and grandeur. Be-
fore that time it had 11 pariſh churches, but ſix of
them were then demolished. Here are abundance of
croſſes, and ſtatues of the Engliſh kings, ſome of whom
kept their Christmas here; ſeveral market houſes ſup-
ported with pillars; and large remains of monaſteries,
which were once ſo numerous, that it gave occaſion to
the monkilh proverb, As ſure as God is in Gloceſter.
Here is a barley market; and a hall for the aſſizes, cal-
led the Booth Hall. Its chief manufacture is pins. Un-
der the bridge is a water engine to ſupply the town,
and it is ſerved with it alſo from Robin Hood's well,
to which is a fine walk from the city. Camden ſays,
that the famous Roman way, called Ermin Street,
which begins at St David's in Pembrokeshire, and
reaches to Southampton, paſſes through this city. Sad-
mead in the neighbourhood is noted for horſe races.
Here is a charity ſchool for above 80 children, of
whom above 70 are alſo clothed; and a well endow-
ed blue coat ſchool. The city ſends two members to
parliament.
GLOCESTER is alſo the name of two counties and
of ſeveral towns in America; ſuch as the county of
Gloceſter in New Jerſey, bounded on the north by
VOL. IX. Part II.
Burlington, on the ſouth by Salem and Cumberland,
on the eaſt by the Atlantic ocean, and on the weſt by
the river Delaware. It contains 13,172 inhabitants,
beſides 191 ſlaves. Gloceſter in Virginia is a well culti-
vated and fruitful county, about 55 miles long and 30
broad, with a population of 13,498 ſouls, among whom
are included 7063 ſlaves.