The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-02-04 00:00:00

RAILROAD TO PORTLAND.

To the Editor of the Doreet County Expreee and
Agricultura/ Gazette.

him —My attention has frequently been drawn of
late to • series of letters published in several of our
local journals, concerning a railroad to Portland. I
allude to "Verse," • "Argue," " Looker On,"
"Observer," "John Jenkins Rolls," &c., who have
advanced opinions on the proposed railroad, and
more especially the probably serious loss entailed on
Weymouth, thereby rendering many of its borough
financial schemes a positive failure. A vast amount
of nonsense has been brought to bear upon the new
projected railway scheme, with a view of rendering
its formation of non-effect, by arguments evidently
in favour of the future prosperity of Weymouth and
adverse to the interests- of Portland. I ask, then,
What have we to do with the welfare of Weymouth?
"its harbour," "its pile pier," "Its market-house,"
"it. old-established coal trade," "its storehouses,"
end" its town crier." Let the town of Weymouth
bear its own burthen of taxation, and we, as free
Inhabitants of Portland, will do the same. We do
not object to any improvements calculated to increase
the prosperity of Weymouth, and why place
obetacles in the way of our progress? Why en-
deavour to destroy the future prospects of a remote
place like the island of Portland, which is grog.
gling bard " Intinst wind and tide" to win a place in
the chart of enlightened and progressive localities.
The atearn.beat traffic between Weymouth and
Portland, together with the tolls of the Weymouth
Pile Pier, are among the greatest impositions of the
present age; they deserve a plate with the faithful
records which compose the Doomsday Book, or in
some lasting memento illustrative of the rise and
fall of a poor and penniless borough now laying in a
state of insolvency.
It has been clearly stated that serious consequences
TAB, arise out of a railway to Portland, thereby
*jilting the trade of Weymouth to a great extent;
'provisions and goods of all kinds would then be
bought from inland places at a cheaper rate than we
Imate there at present. So much then, for a railway
to Portland. We sincerely recommend the leading
inhabitants of Portland to convene a public meeting,
as early as possible, to petition Parliament in support
of the proposed railway bill which will shortly be
brought before the House, Persevere, and the
laurels of victory shall henceforth be entwined
around your standards of freedom and progress.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
VOX POPULL

AGNES WILLOUGUBT—MES. WINDHAIL—A Dublin
oerrepondent to the Belfast News Letter furnishes a
graphic sketch of Mrs. Windham nee Agnes
Willoughby. He writes—Although that cause eelebre—
she Windh4 lunacy inquiry—has occupied 60 much of
the attention of the public, I have not, as yet, seen
the feet mentioned in any of our journals chit the
heroine of the "romance" gait is most inappropriately
tinned by the London papers—was a constant attendant
"girths Theatre Royal, Dublin, during the series of
'esperistie performances, at the close of the month of
‘-tnber last, in which Signor Giuglini and Madame
Thiele were the "particular stare." I have read no
'deseription of the syren who bewitched the owner of
Felbrigg Hall. I would fain supply, by • hasty peri-
led-ink sketch, the want of the photograph whieh the
jury Were fortunate enough to see. 'Twas Saturday
night; %Whetse was crowded from the pit, the region
of make:- WA** gallery, "the abode of the happy
finds." itrifetiFtletlatea creation of Verdi's genies' Un
Bane afirsofbera. In the Wooed set, daring the
singing nt voiced terzetto, Conesnehni 0
Signore, the attention of the fashienables in the boxes'
was attracted ley the entrance of a. party into the right-
hand sew box on the " first tier." A young lade, •
decided Monde, with deep blue eyes, and a profusion of
bright, fair, wavy heir, simply but elegantly arranged,
advanced to the frobt It the box with • rather preironed
air. She was of middle4re and her features were
intelligent—piquante tty rather than handsome.
• She stood for a moment at the boa front, and as her
eyes "of heaven's own tint" --Saint-Kevin would
probably think" of most unholy bltie"—glarreed confi-
dently round the hoese, sit attendant removed from
her shoulders II black velvet mantle trimmed with
magnificent sables, which even a Russian millionaire
might have envied. Iler fan and bonquet—of choieept!
Sowers —being duly deposited on the cushion, sbn.
turned round, ere she took her seat, and displayed to
the best advantage, certainly one of the most equisitel,p
fitting dresses I have over seen. Her figure is re
vlberkably good, and shown by her dress of rich white
isillt-inade a to Raffaele, and enit square, rather low,
and but half eoneealing a very fair, well shaped hut,
',and revealing a beautifully-rounded ann. Confining her
hair, which she were in • plain, full, broad braid or
band, was it coronet of sky bled velvet, ornamented
with diamond stars. Her necklace, earings, brooch,
and bracelets were of diamonds, with • radiance so
Inilliant is almost to light up. her graceful figure. These
were, doubtless, 60030 of the rivets purchased at the coat
41t14,000 for the enchantress by lirmdhain the witless.
Many were the inquiries, "Who lithe lady in the stage
limit" By and by it was whispered round the hoUse,
Her name is Windham • she is very wealthy, is a
frequent denizen of the stage-box during the present
engagement, and oherishes a penchant for a celebrated
Italian tenor."
rir ,
Ayriquttiss Oll'ic AYIttOTITIL

ST. MART'S CHURCH.
(Continued from our last.)
The chapel, of.which "remade mention in ourlast, appewe,
to have been dediasted, at leant roe aisle of it, to the
and the other part to the Holy Trinity.
It is probable, however, that the building was only a
ebeilterohapid—for the 4 were frequently erected in
Meariliime towns—for the convenience of fishermen going
to prayers, who during thew ages of superstition, never
I ,ptdi to sea, without first offering at the shrine of their
patron saint, their Aye Marisa and Pater Nester,
which Were generally aecompeniell by sawmill votive
offering. This is the mere likely, as various of the
monatitie establishments in the county, held at different
times certain portions of Led in Malcoinbe. ' In 1293,
five years before the chapel of which we have already
notices as being consecrated, the Prior of Frampton
held some lands here, which Wee* valued at 61. Bd. And
at the dissolution of the Monasteries, it was ssoertained
that !several burgages, cellars, end tenements., Were .in
the possession of the Abbeys ot Biadon, Milton, Abbots-
bury, Wilton, and Netley. Probably they might ka,ve
bean-used merely for the purpose for granaries for cord
or *hie the Newfoundland trade was prosecuted here,
Might serve for the depositories of fob, prior to being
=lto the respective nionaisteries, where the
athers indulged themselves in these and °thee
Maim morsels. There- has been found a curious
manuscript, undated, but from the diction it seems to
have been written before the dissolution. It was
amongst numerous manuscript/I in the Chapter House
Ist Westudnater. It shows the state of pride, lewdness,
and other, vices that 'flourished under the hot-bed 'of
the holy fraternity of monks. It refers to the Abbot
411 Abbotsbury. whose revenues at the dissolution
-amounted to £414. h It is written by one of the Monks,
.who is showing up his Abbot, and runs in the following
wianner :—" Of the tdonasterye of Alibutsbnrie and of
Abe saide Abbot thereof, of the missemsyrige of hym-
_wife. Whereas he doth breke the Kings fowndaeons
end the injuneyons of the same. Whereas we have
'benefactors who bath gyven lands auto the Monasterye
and to the said brothers of the same, to have mass and • •
diridge and dole (charity) to be distributed to poore
folkes sad wyth certain pittance to the Convents.
Whereas many of them bee not obeervyd and kepih.
Whereas the Abbot takyt to hys own use and bath
weds greet waste of woad salys (wood Wei, the use of
rieal being then unknO4o) wrongfully solde from hys
brothers andfrom hys tenants and also bathe sent ovrt
of the tresury sertin jeullis mor than. half whereas
,bathe
we cannotMge trii,v4ow of the same, and
the solyd by t. and at another tyMe'sfter that sent owl
the tresury a crosee and a . . , IMO*,to putt the
fifgerament on, and al thys ye sold, 04 • ton,. He bath
aboniypable rule wyth kipyng of Wyman uott with
it, or M. butt wyth tnabie mor than I dot 'wtyte off,
eta also no milieu he kepyth Mir by de y nether bye
,nyglit (the monks were accustomed to prof by nhght)
;nether to no firother else. (nor to his brethren.) and Yft
•any off bye britheren speket it not. hymfist any thyng
,bsakyin; hys toondloons he with (sai4 thus " Mye I
unman gysteth mee' to take ytt as Ytt p tdr mee," and .
bath putt owt oerten. . . . growne to "ti *other in
law mai marryed wyth hyt own syster, and whereas
he might bail • Felt hae for kyt, he psi hyth await
'tor nothynge, and when he ray& had IXVie: yllid.
of yerelye rente, he bath- putt yte owe for ICIIe. a yere
and bath sent owl; of the Tresury the evidens
of the men of Bkildst whereas we cannot till lbw they.
. .' and mite off hys boldhesse yt open Muter
Strangereaiae (Strangeways) yt bent to hold up the -
Abbat in hys doysges wyth long Bali, of reversyons.
Written bye Mee, Day. Will. Grey, Manoke of Abbate-
' bnrie.
ft eppearethet-the Bay of Weymouth produced the
pilcher for the Holy Fraternity of Benedictine Monks
,of AhbOtsbury, who, like all other Monks had no
diMded, eilestion to .goOd living; add as i fine fresh
ealinpu. or ,eirlrot was peculiarly, ateeptithie to the
Palates Of theist' aiste. Ye' tM Salf-dbiting brotherhood,
he fishermen on the estate were obliged furbish the
iiifitiestary with' the"' first °aright-fiat, every Morning,
'ldt irtaltit they were tre inhaled, first, it benediction for
their goals' health, and then an adeqttate .sum-for their
.fish; WWII sum wa, to, be regslated by theitspirit6ol-
- mutniasters, But, ides though the fraternity
botintiful blosWrs and Ave,
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