SOUTHAMPTON, a municipal and parliamentary borough, important sea-port: and county of itself, in the s. of llampshire, 78 in. s.w. of London by the London and South western riiihVay. It occupies a peninsula at the head of Southampton Water. and bet ween the estuary of the Test or Anton on the w. and s., and the mouth of the 1:chen on the east. The High street, which is the principal thoroughfare, extends from the water side to the Berg,ate, and thence to the outsPirts of the town. Crossing the high street at right anodes are many important streets, and handsome lines of new houses are found in the northern and western suburbs. Southampton is furnished with the usual Et:Mcip:t and other institutions common to all thriving towns. St. Miehael's church, the eldest the contains Norman tower arches, and several of the private houses are of Norman architecture. The Dei, or God's house. dates from the end of the 12th c., and is one of the earliest hospitals in England. The docks can float the largest steamers, and have been greatly extended and improved; the revenue of the Dock com peey is 1875 was L103,426. Southampton is the place of departure and arrival of the "Weie Iedia and Brazil, the Mediterranente East Indian, China, and Australian, and the South African mail steam-packets. There is considerable traffic between Southampton ead the'Channel islands and French coast., and also a large cattle-trade with Spain and Per.aeel. Its harbor is perhaps the most motley and picturesque iu England, being fre
crowded with Lascars, Creoles, Arabs, etc., and, on the arrival of mail-steamers, with mLan and American planters, East ludian nabobs, foreign dignitaries, naval oflieers, and other British and foreign officials in every variety of costume. In 1875, 1738 vessels of 697, 255 tons entered, and 1045 of 588,479 tons cleared the port. Incht and ship building and engine-making are actively carried on, and there extensive general trade. Southampton is also a fashionable resort in summer. It retures two members to the house of commons. Pop. '71, 54,741.
Southampton supplanted the ancient Muse/dem, which stood one m. to the n.e., and its foundation is ascribed to the,Ane.:10-Saxon. It is called llamtune and Stith-1 lemma in the Saxon Chronicle. After the conquest Southampton, front which there was ready transit to Normandy, began to prosper rapidly, and in early limes it traded with Veniec and Bayonne, Bordeaux and Rochelle, Cordova and Tunis. A great part t.f it teas burned by the combined French, Spanish, and Genoese fleets in 1333, and in the fol lowing year its defenses were strengthened. Southampton is the birthplace of L,aaa Watts (to whom a monument has been erected in the West park), and of Themes llibdin.