HALSTEAD, a town of England in the county of Essex, is agreeably situated on the acclivity of a gravelly emi nence, at the foot of which passes the river Collie. The streets of the town are broad and airy, but many of the houses are old and inelegant. The church dedicated to St Andrew is an old building. It consists of a nave, chancel, and side aisles, and has a tower and spire at the west end. The spire is of wood, and is the third that has been erected, the other two having been destroyed by lightning. The grammar school was founded in the year 1594, by Dame Mary Ramsay, for 40 poor children of Halstead and Colne Engaine. The direction of it is vested in the governors, Sze. of Christ's Hospital, London. The Bridewell is an an cient building. There is a Greek inscription on a house in the parish, which was brought from a village near Smyrna, where it had been erected in honour of Crato a musician, about 150 years before Christ. Halstead former ly carried on a considerable trade in baize and serges, but it has of late much declined. In 1802, 1654 were returned
as employed in manufactures, whereas in 1811 only 1170 were returned. In 1811, there were in the town and parish of Halstead, See Morant's History of Essex, and the Beauties of Eng land and Wales, vol. v. p. 254.
HAM, or HAmm, in Latin Hammona, a town of West phalia, and capital of the county of the same name, is situ ated near the place where the Asse throws itself into the Lippe. Its principal public buildings are its parish church and Calvinistic academy with three professors, and it has excellent establishments for the support of the poor. Ham was formerly one of the Hanseatic towns. It has long been celebrated for its excellent hams, which are called hammen in Holland, and for its fishery. Great quantities of linen are bleached here ; and it is famous for a kind of beer call ed reut, which is sold to a considerable extent in the neigh bourhood. Distance from Munster 6 leagues S. E, and from Cologne 18 leagues N. E.