Old Hampshire Mapped
Cobbett's Hampshire
Transcription (95)Eling
Southampton Water
Weston Grove
Southampton
post
Itchen, River
Town Hill Common
Ashdown, Lord
French Family
It was night-fall when we arrived at Eling, that is to say, at the head of the Southampton Water. Our horses were very hungry. We stopped to bait them and set off just about dusk to come to this place (Weston Grove), stopping at Southampton on our way and leaving a letter to come to London. Between Southampton and this place, we cross a bridge over the Itchen river, and, coming up a hill into a common, which is called Town-hill Common, we passed lying on our right, a little park and house, occupied by the Irish Bible-man, LORD ASHDOWN, I think they call him, whose real name is FRENCH, and whose family are so very well known in the most unfortunate sister-kingdom. Just at the back of his house, in another sort of paddock-place, lives a man, whose name I forget, who was, I believe, a coach-maker in the East Indies, and whose father, or uncle, kept a turnpike gate at Chelsea, a few years ago. See the effects of 'industry and enterprize'! ...
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