Magnae Britanniae notitia: or, the present state of Great Britain. With diverse remarks upon the ancient state thereof / by John Chamberlayne.

  • Chamberlayne, Edward, 1616-1703.
Date:
1737
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Magnae Britanniae notitia: or, the present state of Great Britain. With diverse remarks upon the ancient state thereof / by John Chamberlayne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    47/808 (page 29)
    iDemfyofteffjire Is in the Diocefe of St* David's, 93 Miles in Circumference 5 contains about 420,000 Acres, and 4,329 Houles. The Eaft Parc is very pleafant, and the whole County plentiful in all Neceffaries for Life. Part of it is inhabited by Flemings, pla¬ ced here by Hen. I. Their Country is called Little England be¬ yond Wales. Here is Plenty of Filh, Fowl, Pit-coal, and Marl. It has 45 Parifhes and 9 Towns; Pembroke the Shire-Town, 195 Miles from London, is well inhabited by Gentlemen and Tradefmen, fortified with a Wall and ftrong Caftle; St. Da¬ vid's the EpifccpaJ See : An ancient Seat in it,Piclon Caftle, be- longingto Sir 'John Phillips, Bart, $ Orielton, Sir Arthur Owen's ; Pendergrajsy Sir Thomas Stepney's. In this Shire is alfo con¬ tained the Town and County of Haverford-Wcjl, and Milford Haven,the largeft and mod capacious Harbour in the Kingdom. Katmo^Onre Is in the Diocefe of Hereford, 90 Miles in Circumference, contains about 310,000 Acres, and 3,158 Houfes. Hath great Varieties of Air and Soil, Bored with Woods, Rivers, and Meres. Its chief Commodities are Cheefe and Horfes, It hath 52 Parifhes and 4 Towns. Radnor is the Shire-Town, 119 Miies from London, hath a Caftle. Prefligne is a large well- built Town, where the Aflizes are held, 116 Miles from Lon¬ don. Chief Seats, Harnage-Grange, Sir William FowlerSj Maefyllwich, Sir Humphry Howarth's; Artlis, and Harpton, Mr. Thomas Leivis's. There are in all, in England and Wales together, 2,5 Cities, 750 great Towns, called Market-Towns, 9,913 Paiifiies, fome of 40 or 50 Miles Circuit, 61 Forefts, and about 300 Parks. It appears from the Obfervations and Calculations of the late George King, Efq; publifhed by Dr. D'avenant, that the Rents of the Lands, by the Produce of the late Taxes, feem to be near 10 Millions per Annum; and that the Houfes (not let with the Lands) amount to 2 Millions per Annum : And all other Hereditaments to about 2 Millions more ; in all 14 Mil¬ lions: So that the People and Territories of the King of Eng• land alone, may be valued for Wealth and Strength at above one Half of thofe of France. And fince the whole annual Ex¬ pence of the King of England's Subjects is about 50 Millions [The annual Income 1 fuppofe is meant here inftead of the an¬ nual Expence, and no body ever yet fuppofed our whole an¬ nual Income to amount to more than 3 2,000,000. I hope our Expences don’t much exceed our Income at prefent] it will re¬ require but an 8th Part thereof to maintain 100,000 Foot, 30,000 Horfe, 40,000 Seamen, and to defray all other Charges of the Government Ordinary and Extraordinary. [But ifour an¬ nual Expences for the Support of the Government and paying the lntereft of 50,000,000 /. in which the Nation is indebted, amounts to s,ooo,oco per Annum in Time of Peace, and we ChoLild be obliged to enter into War, which would colt 6 aL-