who being expelled by King EDGAR, he inftituted Beredictine Monks in their Stead; and it was frequently repaired and augmented, 'till OLIVER KING began the prefent Pile in 1495, which was occafioned by a Dream, or Vifion of his, as related by Sir JOHN HARRINGTON:-The Bishop (fays he) having been at Bath, imagined, as he one Night lay me-ditating in Bed, that he faw the holy Trinity, with Angels afcending and defcending by a Ladder, near to which there was a fair Olive Tree fupporting a Crown: The Impreffion was fo ftrong, that the Bishop thought he heard a Voice which faid, "let an Olive establish the Crown, and let a King reftore the Church." This had fuch an Effect upon the good Prelate, that he inftantly formed a Defign to rebuild the Church of St. PETER; accordingly he fet the Work immediately in Hand, and, as Sir JOHN concludes, caused his Vifion to be reprefented on the Outfide of it, under the Title of De furfum eft; "it is from on high." The pious Bishop was prevented from compleating this Work, by Death, and upon the Diffolution of the Religious Houfes, this Church coming into the King's Hands, and the Townsmen refusing to purchase it of the King's Commisfioners for 500 Marks, it was entirely ftripped of the Lead, Glafs, Iron, Timber, and other Materials; in which Condition, with only the bare Walls ftanding, it remained for upwards of 100 Years, 'till 1606, when it was restored to its prefent State by the pious Benefactions of Dr. JAMES MONTAGUE, then Bishop of this Diocese, and other generous Benefactors, and made Parochial. The Weft Front of this elegant Structure is enriched with feveral Statues, befides a Reprefentation of the Vifion of OLIVER KING, as above related. This noble Fabric contains many curious Monuments, (feveral of which have been erected within thefe twenty Years) an handfome Altar Piece given in the Year 1725, by General WADE, who was many Years one of the Reprefentatives in Parliament for this City, likewife an excellent Organ, thought by very good Judges to be one of the beft in Europe. This Church may be justly called the Lanthorn of England, for its Lightfomenefs, Statelinefs, and Elegance of Structure, and is reckoned by all Judges who have feen it, to yield the curious Stranger as much Speculation as perhaps can be met with in any Paro chial chial Church of the fame Standing in the World. The Eaft and Weft Windows are prodigious large, and the Tower (which is 162 Feet high) has an excellent Peal of eight Bells. The Length, from East to Weft, is 210 Feet, and from North to South 126; the Breadth of the Body and Side Isles is 72 Feet, and the Windows are 52 in Number. Here is Divine Service twice every Day, at Eleven in the Forenoon and Four in the Afternoon.-The feveral Parishes in Bath are a Rectory, in the Gift of the Corporation, to which the Vicarage of Lyncomb and Widcomb are alfo annexed. St. JAMES'S Church has been often repaired and enlarged, and the Tower having been entirely rebuilt, was finished in the Year 1726, after which the old Bells were new caft, and augmented to eight in Number, which are very mufical; and the whole was done at the Charge of the Parish. The chief Part of the Service is provided for by a voluntary Subfcription of the Inhabitants. Here is Divine Service Sundays; and Prayers Wednesdays and Fridays, at Eleven in the Morning, and Four in the Afternoon on Saturdays; and Morning Prayers at Eleven on Saints Days. The Church dedicated to St. MICHAEL, was begun to be rebuilt on the faine Spot of Ground where the old one stood, about the Year 1734; and was finished in the Year 1742, partly at the Expence of the Inhabitants, by a voluntary Subfcription in fome, and by a Rate upon the whole, except a few private Benefactions; General Wade likewife gave a confiderable Sum towards rebuilding it; but the Tower was not compleated 'till the Year 1755, when a Subfcription was raised amongst the Inhabitants of the Parish; and now it is quite finished in the Doric Order, with a fine Doom. It is a very neat Church in the Infide; and on each Side the Altar Piece are two very fine Paintings of our SAAIOUR and MOSES; the first was done by Mr. HOARE of this City, and the other by Mr. ROBINSON of London: It has now likewife a Mufical Peal of eight Bells; here is Divine Service as often as at St. JAMES'S. The Chapel, which is fituated near the South-west Corner of Queen's-Square, is dedicated to the bleffed Virgin MARY; it was built by the late Mr. WOOD, Architect, (by a Subfcription of feveral Gentlemen, who are the Proprietors of the faid Chapel) for the Ufe of the Inhabitants of the New Buildings, at the North-weft Corner of the City. The Infide of this Chapel is of the Ionic Order, and is 57 Feet in Length, 48 in Breadth, and 36 in Height: The Outfide is of the Doric Order. It was opened for Divine Service with great Solemnity, upon the 25th Day of December, 1734; on which Occafion there was a grand Concert of Vocal and Intrumental Mulic performed in it. The new Buildings having been much encreafed in that Part within these ten Years, the Proprietors thought it neceffary to erect Gallerics, that the Congregation may have commodious Places to fit in during Divine Service; fo that the Chapel is now able to contain almoft twice the Number of People it did before : Here is Divine Service twice every Day, at Eleven in the Forenoon and Four in the Afternoon. The Chapel dedicated to St. MICHAEL, is fituated near the Hot and Crofs Baths; was rebuilt in Purfuance of the Decree made by Sir JOHN TREVOR, Knt. Matter of the Kolls, on the 13th Day of February, 1716-17. Near it is an Hofpital, or Alms-Houfe, dedicated to St. JOHN the Baptift, (to which the faid Chapel is annexed) for the Support of fix poor Men and fix poor Women of this City, who are aged, and have not wherewith to fupport themselves. Thefe poor People have a very comfortable Subfiftance, and each has a feparate Room to live and lodge in: This charitable Donation was founded in the Reign of King Henry II. by REGINALD FITZ JOCELAINE, Bifhep of this See.This Alms-Houfe was taken down about the Year 1728, and rebuilt by his Grace the Duke of Chandois, in Confideration of fome Advantages he received, when he erected the contiguous Buildings now called Chandois Court. The faid Hofpital is under the Direction of a Master, who must be a Clergymen, and perform Divine Service twice a Day in the faid Chapel. This Place is in the Gift of the Corporation, and by the great Increase of the Value of its Eftates is now one of the belt Charities in England, and the Mafter's living is fuperior in Point of Profit to most other Ecciefiaftical Benefits. The Chapel dedicated to St. MARY MAGDALEN, is a little Edifice fituated under Beechen-Clift, but for many Years paft has been fhut up, and not the leaft Notice taken of it; but now it is under the Direction of the Rector of Bath, who who repaired it in the Year 1760. Here is Divine Service every other Sunday, at Two o'Clock in the Afternoon, when there is no Service at Widcombe. Adjoining is an Hofpital belonging to it, for Idiots, which was rebuilt likewife in the Year 1761 by the Rev. Mr. TAYLOR, Rector of this City, and Mafter of the faid Hofpital. The Mafter is appointed by the Lord Chancellor. From the Chapels we now come to the other Places of Di vine Worship; the first of which is the Prefbyterian MeetingHoufe, fituated in Frog-Lane. The Quaker's MeetingHouse is at the upper End of Marchant's-Court, in the Market Place. There is likewife a Meeting for the Anabaptists in Horfe-Street, built by Mr. ROBERT PARSONS; and a Methodist Tabernacle lately built in Avon-Street. Also another Place of religious Worthip, known by the Name of the Bell-Tree Houle, (fituate in Bell-Tree Lane) for thofe Perfons who are Members of the Church of Rome. The General Hofpital in this City, for the Reception of the fick Poor from all Parts of the Kingdom, next deferves our Notice, as 'tis fo worthy and laudable a Defign; the firft Stone of it was laid the 8th Day of July, 1738, at the NorthEast Corner of the Building, by the Right Hon. WILLIAM PULTNEY, Efq. afterwards Earl of Bath, with the following Infcription on it. This Stone Is the first which was In the Foundation of the GOD Preferve the Undertaking! and 90 Feet in It was built where the old Play-Houfe ftood, and is a very elegant Pile of Building, 100 Feet in Breadth, Depth. The late RALPH ALLEN, Efq. was a confiderable Benefactor, for he he gave all the Free Stone (ready wrought) Wall Stone, Paving Stone, and Lime Stone ufed in building it. This Hofpital was opened for the Reception of Patients in the Year 1742; and the Governors, by the generous Benefactions of the Public from the Year 1750 'till 1757, were B 3 enabled enabled to admit as many Patients into the Houfe, as it would conveniently hold: But the Benefactions being much less than usual, and the conftant Number of Patients in the Hofpital above 100, the annual Expence reduced the Capital near One Thoufand Pounds in two Years: Therefore the Governors limited the Number of Patients to 70; and the Money received each Year bearing pretty near an equal Proportion to the Year's Expences, they have thought it not advifeable to increafe the Number; but hope, by the Continuance of charitable Benefactions, again to extend this ufeful Charity, to as many Patients as the Hofpital will hold, which is One Hundred and Ten. The following is a total Account of Patients relieved, admitted and difcharged, from the Foundation in the Year 1742, to the Firft of May, 1763. |