Maidstone.—parl. and mun. bor., par., and co. town
of Kent, on river Medway, 39 miles SE. of London by
rail—par., 4576 ac., pop. 29,647; bor., 4008 ac., pop.
29,623 ; 2 Banks, 6 newspapers. Market-days, Thurs-
day and Saturday. Antiquaries affirm that there can
be no doubt that this town had ancient British and
Roman associations. During the Saxon era its name was
Medwegeston, and in Domesday Book it appears as
Medestane. In more modem times the town has his-
torical associations with the revolts of Wat Tyler (1381),
Jack Cade (1450), and Sir Thomas AVyatt (1554). For
its share in the last-mentioned rising it was dis-
franchised by Queen Mary, but received a new in-
corporation from Queen Elizabeth. In 1648 Maidstone
having declared for the King, was stormed and captured
by the Parliamentarians under Fairfax. All Saints
Church (probably of 14th century), 227 ft. by 91 ft., is
one of the largest parish churches in the kingdom. In
the district are various well-known paper mills ; other
leading occupations being the mfr. of oil, brewing,
malting, iron founding, tanning, coachmaking, and the
mfr. of agricultural implements. The principal trade,
however, is in hops, Maidstone being the centre of a
great hop district. The river is from 12 to 15 ft. deep
at Maidstone, and is navigable for heavy barges. Andrew
Broughton, mayor of the town, read the death sentence
to King Charles I. Maidstone returns 1 member to
Parliament; it returned 2 members from Edward VI.
until 1885, when its parl. limits were reduced by the
exclusion of the Hamlet of Loddington.—2. Maidstone,
hundred, Aylesford lathe, Kent, 14,413 ac., pop. 6826;
contains 6 pars., and excludes Maidstone bor.

Maidstone Barracks, ry. sta., Maidstone, Kent.

Maidwell, par., vil., and seat, Northamptonshire, 7
miles S. of Market Harborough, 1650 ac., pop. 293 ; P.O.

Malgue, river, co. Limerick; flows 28 miles N. to
the river Shannon, 3 miles E. of Pallaskenry; chief
affluents are the Morning Star and the Commogue.

Mailscot, place, formerly extra-parochial, now in
English Bicknor par., Gloucestershire.

Main, seat, in co. and 1| mile SW. of Elgin.

Main, river, co. Antrim; rises in bar. Kilconway, and
flows 25 miles W. and S. to Lough Neagh below Ran-
dalstown ; abounds in salmon.

Main Benck Cliff, SAV. coast Isle of AAYglit, 3 miles
AV. of Freshwater Bay, near Sun Corner.

Main Down, eminence, Somerset, nearAViveliscombe.

Maindee, eccl. dist., Christchurch par., Monmouth-
shire, on NE. side of Newport, pop. 5483; P.O., T.o.;
contains Maindee Park, seat.

MaindiiT Court, seat, Monmouthshire ; post-town,
Abergavenny.

Maine. — river, co. Kerry; rises in the E. of bar.
Trughanacmy, and flows 24 miles W. past Castleisland
to Castlemaine Harbour in Dingle Bay. — 2. Maine.
See Mayne.

Maincs Honse, in par. and 1 mile E. of Chirnside,
Berwickshire.

Mainham, par., N. co. Kildare, 5 miles N. of Sallins,
2823 ac., pop. 564.

Mainhill, cottage, Hoddam par., Dumfriesshire, 3
miles NW. of Ecclefechan ; was from 1814 to 1826 the
home of Thomas Carlyle.

Mainhouse, seat, Eckford par., Roxburghshire, 34
miles SE. of Kelso.

Mainland. — the largest of the Shetland islands.
See Shetland. — 2. Mainland (or Pomona), the
largest of the Orkney islands. See Orkney.

Mains Castle, ruined baronial castle, in par. and
NAV. vicinity of East Kilbride, Lanarkshire.

Mains Crossing, ry. sta., in co. and 4 miles NW. of
AVigtown.

Mains House, seat, New Kilpatrick par., Dumbar-
tonshire, 1% mile AV. of Milngavie.

Mains and Strathmartine, par., Forfarshire, 6301
ac., pop. 3490; contains Downfield, 2 miles NW. of
Dundee.

Mainsborougli, hundred, Hants, 5665 ac., pop. 491;

contains 2 pars.

Malnsbridge, hundred, Hants, 23,260ac., pop. 16,733;
contains 8 pars, and part of another.

Mainsforth, township, Bishop Middleham par., Dur-
ham, on river Little Skerne, 74 miles E. of Bishop
Auckland, 653 ac., pop. 114; contains Mainsforth
Hall, seat, and an ancient camp.

Mainsriddle, vil., on border of Kirkbean and Col-
vend pars., Kirkcudbright, 10 miles SE. of Dalbeattie.

Mainstone, par., Shropshire and Montgomeryshire,
on Offa’s Dyke, 74 miles SE. of Montgomery, 6263 ac.,
pop. 353.

Mainstone Court, seat, 4 miles NW. of Ledbury,
Herefordshire, near Ashperton sta.

Maisetnore, par. and vil., in co. and 2 miles NAV, of
Gloucester, on river Severn, 1930 ac., pop. 491; P.O.;
in vicinity of vil. is Maisciuore Lodge, seat.

Gazetteer of the British Isles, Statistical and Topographical, by John Bartholomew, F.R.G.S.

Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black, 1887. Public domain image from Gedcomindex.com