a market and borough town in the hundred of Coombs-ditch, and county of Dorset, 103 miles from London. It is one of the most handsome towns in the west of England, and is situated on a bend of the river Stour, which flows on its south and west sides. The church and town-hall are elegant buildings. This town has frequently been destroyed by fire, but has always risen with increased beauty. The inhabitants are principally employed in making shirt-buttons, a manufacture that has long formed the staple commodity of the place, and been the source of its prosperity. Market-day, Saturday. Pop. (1851) 3948.