TAUNTON, Tone-ton, so named from being built on the banks of the river Tone, is situated in the extensive and beautiful valley of Taunton Dean, or vale of Taunton, in the county of Somerset, 44 m. s.w. of Bristol by railway. It communicates by railway with the Bristol and English channels. The streets are wide, well-paved, and lighted; the shops are modern and capacious, but the woolen and silk factories which were once extensive here have almost wholly departed. Assizes are held here twice yearly. Taunton is the headquarters of the Somerset archaeological and natural history society, in connection with which there is an extensive museum, placed in the ruins of the Nor man castle—rich especially in fossils from the Devonian strata, and the bones of mam malia of the cave period from Mendip and the Somersetshire gravels—and a well con ducted reading-room. There is a collegiate school founded by bishop Fox, 1522, two dissenting colleges, several other good schools, and many charitable and other institu tions. Taunton, which is a parliamentary borough, returns two members to the house of commons. Pop. '71, 15,466. Ina, king of the West-Saxons, built a castle in Taunton
about 700 A.D. This was soon after destroyed, but another fortress was built on the site soon after the conquest, at which period the town had a mint. In 1127, Giffard, bishop of Winchester, built and endowed a priory for the canons of St. Augustine; and in 1322 we find a house of Carmelite friars. The church of St. Mary is a magnificent specimen of perpendicular architecture, and is famous for its graceful and delicately ornamented tower. That of St. .James was the conventual church of Taunton priory. The shire hall and the literary institution are handsome modern buildings. To Taun ton castle, Perkin Warbeck fled when he failed in storming Exeter. During the civil wars between Charles and the parliament, the town was twice besieged by Goring and twice successfully defended by col. Blake. In Taunton, Monmouth received the heartiest welcome, and judge Jeffreys exercised his unbounded cruelty.