BRIGHTON, or more properly BRIGHTHELMSTONE, a celebrated bathing place in the hundred of Whales bone, and county of Sussex, 8,1 miles from Lewes, and 55 from London. It was formerly an inconsiderable town, inhabited chiefly by fishermen, and it was only within these few years since it became a fashionable place of resort for sea-bathing, that it was enlarged with many new streets, and ornamented with some elegant buildings. It stands chiefly on an eminence, and slopes gently on the east towards the Steyne, a beautiful lawn, where the company generally promenade ; and it is well sheltered from the north and north-east winds by the South Downs, which furnish its visitors with excellent mutton. The streets nearly intersect each other at right angles, and arc very neat, clean, and uniform. The Steyne and Crescent are handsomely built, and consist chiefly of lodging-houses, which are considered even superior to those of Bath ; and North-street furnishes shops of every description equal to Bond-st•eet. On the north-west of the Stvyne stands the Marine Pavi lion, the occasional residence of dm Prince of Wales. It has a handsome sea-front, extentin.g 2 0 feet, and in the centre a circular building, with a lolty dome raised on pillars. Two wings were lately added, and the whole is fitted up with the greatest taste and magnificence. Adjoining is a handsome family mansion of the duke of .Marlborough. Brighton has a convenient little theatre, public libraries, and two assembly rooms, that may 1 ie in elegance with any in the kingdom, and which are open every night during the season. The church is an ancient structure, with a square tower, and stands on a hill at a small distance from the town ; but, from the increase of population, a chapel royal has been lately erected sufficient to accommodate 1000 persons. Be sides these, there are a Quaker, an Independent, a Me thodist, and a Baptist meeting, a Roman Catholic cha pel, and a Jewish synagogue. The baths are situated near the Stcyne, and were first erected in 1789. They are elegantly fitted up, and consist of hot, cold, vapour, and salt water baths ; also air-pump water baths for those who are affected with the gout, or violent. scorbu tic affections. About a mile west from the town is a valuable chalybcate spring, which is much frequented, and which has been found very serviceable in several cases of debility and indigestion. It was first inclosed
by Dr Richard Russel, and the proprietors have since erected a handsome lodge over it.
From its vicinity to the metropolis, the pleasantness of its beach, and its other accommodations, Brighton is in general preferred to every other fashionable water ing place. This town was formerly fortified with a flint wall three feet thick, towards the sea, and a block house for ammunition. These, however, were completely un dermined by the violent storms of 1703 and 1705, which also destroyed 113 tenements, and a good deal of the ad jacent lands. Since that time, great depredations have been made on this shore by the encroaching waves. In 1786, one of the batteries was thrown down by a high tide, and several of the guns washed into the sea ; and considerable sums have been expended by the inhabi tants irr raising artificial barriers to counteract its ra vages. The chief support of Brighton are its baths and fishery ; and this last employs about 100 boats, carry ing from three to five men each. The mackerel fishing commences in April, and that for herrings in October ; and they are said sometimes to produce nearly 10,0001. per annum. This town has no corporation ; but, by an act passed about thirty years ago, thirty-six of the inha bitants, as commissioners, were empowered to erect a market, pave, light, and clean the streets, and execute other necessary matters. Its market day is on Thurs day, and it has two fairs, on Holy Thursday and the 4th of September. It is the station for packets between the Sussex coast and Dieppe ; and, in time of peace, many travellers prefer this passage to that of Dover, as the rout by land is much shorter from Dieppe, by way of Rouen, to Paris, than from Calais. The races are usu ally on the first week of August, and last for four or five days. It contains 1424 houses, and 7339 inhabitants. Of these 3274 are males, and 4065 females ; and, in 1801, 3050 were returned as employed in trade and manufac tures. This number, however, cannot be called the ac tual population, as above a fourth of them remain only during the summer, as visitants, shop keepers, atten dants, Ste. W. Long. 11' 55", N. Lat. 49' 32'. See Lee's History of Lewes and Brighthelmstone ; and Guide to the Plarev.