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LANGPORT

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Originally appearing in Volume V16, Page 177 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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LANGPORT , a See also:

market See also:town in the eastern See also:parliamentary See also:division of See also:Somersetshire, See also:England, 131 M. E. of See also:Taunton by the See also:Great Western railway. Pop. (1901) 890. It lies on the right (See also:east) See also:bank of the See also:river Parret, near the point where that river debouches from the hills on to the See also:plain through which it flows to the See also:Bristol Channel. The See also:main See also:street leads up a slope from the river to the See also:fine Perpendicular See also:church of All See also:Saints. See also:Close to this an archway crosses the road, bearing a Perpendicular See also:building known as the See also:hanging See also:chapel. After serving this purpose it housed first the See also:grammar-school (founded 1675), then the Quekett museum, named after See also:John See also:Thomas Quekett (1815—1861) the histologist, a native of the town, whose See also:father was See also:master of the school. The hanging chapel afterwards became a masonic See also:hall. Not far distant is the church of Huish Episcopi, with one of the finest of the Perpendicular towers for which Somersetshire is noted. Langport has a considerable See also:general and agricultural See also:trade. Langport (Llongborth, Langeberga, Langeport) owed its origin to its defensible position on a See also:hill, and its growth to its facilities for tradeon the See also:chief river of See also:Somerset.

It occupies the site of the See also:

British town of Llongborth, and was important during the See also:Roman occupation. It was a royal See also:borough in Saxon times, and in io86 had 34 See also:resident burgesses. The first See also:charter, given by See also:Elizabeth in 1562, recognized that Langport was a borough of great antiquity, which had enjoyed considerable privileges, being governed by a portreve. It was incorporated by See also:James I. in 1617, but the See also:corporation was abolished in 1883. Langport was represented in See also:parliament in 1304 and 1306. The charter of 1562 granted three See also:annual fairs to Langport, on the 28th of See also:June, the 11th of See also:November and the second See also:Monday in See also:Lent. One See also:fair only is now held, on the 3rd of See also:September, which is a See also:horse and See also:cattle fair. A Saturday market was held under the See also:grant of 1562, but in the 19th See also:century the market See also:day was changed to Tuesday.

End of Article: LANGPORT

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