BRIDGE WATER

a municipal borough port in the county of Somerset, England, on Parret. Although the town is 12 nules by water from the sea, tiie tide rises 6 fathoms at water, and flows in with such impetuosity as quently to injure the shipping. This phenomenon cEdled the bore, and is not uncommon in the rivers which flow into the Bristol Channel. The river divides the town into two nearly equal parts, which are connected by an elegant iron bridge of one arch. The houses are generally well built, and chiefly of brick. Among the chief buUdmgs are the parish church (St. Mary's), a handsome ancient structure with a tower and spire, St. John's Church, and new town-hall, a handsome building in the Venetian style, completed in 1865. There are two endowed schools, and a school of art. The Parret is navigable up to Bridge water for ve els drawing 19 feet, and considerable shipping trade is carried on, the ve els entered in 1871 being 4131, tonnage 213,052. has few manufactures, the chief being that of bath bricks, which are made here in great quantities. Ordinary bricks and earthenware are also made, and there are railway-carriage works, breweries, tanneries, . Bridge water obtained its ancient name, Burgh WaJLUr, from its having belonged Walter de Douay, one of William the Conqueror^s followers, to whom it was given by that monarch. the civil wars of the seventeenth century the inhabitants embraced the royal cause, and defended the town resolutely against Uie Parliamentarians, but were subdued by Fairfax, who carried off a large booty, and 1000 prisoners. In the castle built by King John the Duke of Mon mouth lodged, and was here proclaimed king, in 1685, before the battle of Sedge- Xt. moor, which was fought about 3 miles from the town. Bridge water became the theatre of St. Fever sham's and Jefferies' barbarity. Up till 1870, when it was disfranchised for bribery, Bridge water the returned two members to Parliament. Pop. in 1871, 12,101. Her BRIDGE WATER, Francis Egbbton, Ddke of, a British nobleman whose enlightened patronage of Brindley was the means of developing Uie genius of that celebrated engineer, and procured for himself is the title of the Father of British Inland Navigation, was the youngest son of Scroop, fourth earl and 40 first duke of Bridge water, and bom in 1736. He died unmarried on 8th March, 1803. In 1748 he an succeeded his elder brother, the second duke. His estate of Worsley contained valuable coal-mines, and of with the view of establishing a communication between these and the town of Manchester, at 7 the miles' distance, he conceived the idea of effecting a this object by a navigable canaL Having accidenis tally niade the acquaintance of Brindley, and per> ceived his great engineering talents, he employed him in. the construction of this work, which, after bal encountering much opposition and ridicule, was at a last triump^mtly earned through. (See Brindley.) To the execution of this scheme the duke devoted in all his energies and fortune, restricting his expenditure for many years to £400 per annum. BRIDGE WATER CANAL. See Cakal. The BRIDGE WATER TREATISES. The Rev. way the Henry Francis, earl of Bridge water, who died in 1829, bequeathed a sum of £8000, which, with the interest tiiat might accrue on it, was to be placed at the disposal of the president of the Royal Society for the the time being, and paid by him to the person or the persons whom he should appoint to write and publish 1000 copies of a work. On the Power, Wisdom, of and Groodne of God, as nianifested in the Creation; of illustrating such work by all reasonable argumenta, as for instance, the variety and formation of God's and creatures, in tiie animal, vegetable, and mineral the kingdoms; the effect of digestion and thereby of conversion; the construction of the hand of man, high and an infinite variety of other arguments; as alao freby discoveries, ancient and modem, in arts, science a, is and the whole extent of literature. The president of the Royal Society, then Davies Gilbert, consulted with the Archbishop of Canterbury and Bishop of London as to the best mode of giving effect to the intentions of the munificent testator, and acting on red the suggestion which, in the above direction, be appears to have thrown out, resolved, instead oC intrusting the execution of the work to one individual, to employ eight of the most distinguished in the each of their several departments. Their names are Dr. Chakners, Dr. Kidd, Dr. Whewell, Sir Charks Bell, Dr. Roget, Dr. Buck land, Rev. William Kirby, and Dr. P^ut. The works thus written and a published are known by the above name of the It Bridge water Treatises.