Yorkshire in York County England History and Geography

YORKSHIRE, a maritime county, and by far the largest in England, bounded on the south by the Humber and the counties of Lincoln, Nottingham, and Derby; on the south-west, for a short distance, by that of Chester; on the west by Lancashire; on the north-west by Westmorland; on the north by Durham; and on the north-east and east by the North Sea. It extends from 53? 19' to 54? 40' (N. Lat.), and from 10' (E. Lon.) to 2?40' (W. Lon.), and includes an area of three million eight hundred and fifteen thousand and forty statute acres, or nearly five thousand nine hundred and sixty-one square miles. The population, in 1821, was 1,173,500.

The ancient British inhabitants of this territory were the Brigantes, the most numerous and powerful of all the tribes that shared in the possession of Britain before its Conquest by the Romans. The latter succeeded in subjugating them, about the year 71, after defeating them in several sanguinary battles, and ravaging the whole of their country. The Romans then fixed their principal station in the north at Eboracum, now York, which held the rank of a municipium, or free city, and from which central point their cohorts, dispersed in every direction, retained the surrounding country in obedience, though the territory at present included within the limits of this county suffered repeatedly during this period from the incursions of the northern barbarians. The Caledonians having overrun a great part of the country to the north of the Humber, the Emperor Adrian arrived in Britain, in the year 120, to oppose them in person, and fixed his residence at Eboracum: on his approach the invaders retired, and the emperor, having made provisions for the future security of the province, soon returned to Rome. But no sooner had he departed than the Caledonians renewed their predatory inroads, which became more frequent and extensive, until, in the reign of Antoninus Pius, the Brigantes having at the same time attempted to throw off the Roman yoke, that emperor sent Lollius Urbicus with strong reinforcements to suppress these commotions: this commander having first reduced the revolted Brigantes, drove the Caledonians northward into the highlands of Scotland, and thus restored tranquillity. This people, however, having renewed their irruptions, in the year 207, the Emperor Severus came over with a numerous army, and immediately advanced to York, whence, having rejected all overtures for peace, he marched northward and expelled them, leaving to his son Caracalla the command of the army, and the care of repairing Adrian's rampart. Severus, labouring under indisposition, retired, in the year 211, to York, where he expired, and his obsequies and apotheosis were solemnized with great magnificence. Constantius Chlorus, Emperor of the West, resided for a long time at York, where he also died, in 307: he was succeeded by his son Constantius, who was saluted emperor by the Roman soldiery in that city, and who soon after collected a powerful army, composed chiefly of native Britons, and departed for the continent. The barbarians of the north again renewed their incursions, about the year 364, but were at length repelled by the Roman General Theodosius, in 368. In the later period of the Roman empire in Britain, the territory at present contained in Yorkshire was included in the division called Maxima C?sariensis. After the accession of Honorius, one of the sons of Theodosius, to the empire of the West, in 393, the invasions of the Picts and Scots became incessant, and their progress was every where marked with desolation; and when the Romans, about the year 410, abandoned Britain, in order to defend their continental dominions, the Romanized Britons fell into a state of anarchy, amidst which it is only known of Yorkshire, that it formed the greater part of a British kingdom, named Deifyr, or Deira, the conquest of which by the Saxon chieftains was not achieved until after a lapse of one hundred and eleven years from the first arrival of Hengist in Kent. Bernicia, situated to the north of the Roman wall, having been subjugated by Ida, about the year 547, Ella, another Saxon leader, about the year 560, penetrated southward from that territory, and effected the conquest of Deira: these two kingdoms, afterwards united into one sovereignty by Ethelfrith of Bernicia, derived, from their situation to the north of the Humber, the name of Northumberland, or Northumbria. It was in the year 628, during the reign of Edwin, the next Northumbrian monarch, who had married a Christian Princess, named Ethelburga, sister of Ethelbald, King of Kent, that Christianity was first introduced into this part of Britain. In 633, Penda, King of Mercia, having entered into a league with Cadwallo, King of North Wales, against Edwin of Northumbria, the united forces of these confederate princes invaded the dominions of the latter, who opposed them at Hatfield, in the West riding, about seven miles to the east of Doncaster, where a desperate battle ensued, in which the Northumbrian monarch, together with one of his sons and the greater part of his army, perished: the victors then ravaged Northumbria with merciless cruelty, and this powerful kingdom became once more divided into two separate sovereignties; Osric, nephew of Edwin, succeeding to the precarious throne of Deira, and restoring paganism in his dominions, while Eanfrid, son of Ethelfrith, ascended that of Bernicia. Osric, having besieged Cadwallo in York, was killed and his army totally routed, in attempting to repulse the Welch prince, who had made a vigorous sortie; and, during the space of a year, Cadwallo remained master of York, desolating the whole country of Deira: he also put to death Eanfrid, King of Bernicia, but, in 634, was defeated and slain, with the flower of his army, by Oswald, brother of Eanfrid, who thereupon succeeding without opposition to the throne of Northumbria, fixed his residence at York, restored Christianity, and completed the building of the church, which Edwin had left unfinished.

Penda, King of Mercia, preparing to invade Northumbria, Oswald hastily entered his dominions; but was defeated and slain in Shropshire, in 642, and Penda ravaged his territory: the Bernicians placed Oswy, the brother of Oswald, on the throne of their kingdom; and in the following year Oswin, the grandson of Edwin, was elected and crowned king of Deira. Oswy soon asserted his claim to the throne of York; and Oswin, being of a religious and unsuspecting, rather than of a martial, disposition, was betrayed into the hands of Oswy, who inhumanly put him to death. The people of Deira immediately elected Adelwald, nephew of Oswin, for their king; and this monarch, having been induced to enter into a league with the kings of Mercia and East Anglia, against the sovereign of Bernicia, the confederated forces encountered those of Oswy, on the northern bank of the Aire, near Leeds, in 655. But Adelwald, seeing that the victory of either party would be equally dangerous to him, took no part in the action which ensued; and though the Mercian king Penda attacked the Bernicians with great impetuosity, not doubting of success, yet his soldiers, as soon as they perceived Adelwald withdrawing his forces, suspecting treachery, began to give way; and though the kings of Mercia and East Anglia made great efforts to rally their troops, both of them were slain, and their army was routed with terrible slaughter. On the peaceful death of Adelwald, Oswy succeeded to the entire dominion of Northumbria, but his affection for his natural son Alfred induced him to make him king of Deira; and on the death of Oswy, in 670, his son Egfrid succeeded him in the kingdom of Bernicia; the Deirians, however, revolted against Alfred, and put themselves under the dominion of Egfrid, on whose death, after an active reign of fifteen years, Alfred was recalled to assume the sway over Northumbria, the dominion of which was never again divided. A few of the succeeding reigns, though short, were marked by no act of peculiar violence; but the instances of ferocity, treason, and rebellion, which disfigure the annals of this northern kingdom, from the close of the reign of Eadbert to the commencement of the ninth century, present one of the most disgusting pictures to be found in the history of any age or country: within the short space of fifty years eight kings were successively hurled from this blood-stained throne by expulsion or assassination. A region of civil discord was ill prepared to resist the victorious arms of King Egbert, who, from the conquest of Mercia, advanced to that of Northumbria: the reigning prince, Eanred, submitted without an appeal to arms, and accepted the same terms that had been granted to East Anglia and Mercia, according to which Northumbria was to remain a distinct, but tributary, kingdom.

About the middle of the ninth century, Ragnar Lodbrog, a celebrated Danish pirate, was wrecked, with two vessels of a size unusually large at that period, on the coast of Northumbria, in which country fresh disputes for the throne had arisen; and having succeeded in landing, he moved forward to plunder and ravage, regardless of his fate; but was soon opposed by Ella, one of the rival kings, with the whole of his forces, and a fierce, though unequal, conflict ensued, in which, after seeing most of his followers fall around him, Ragnar was at last overpowered and made prisoner, and soon after cruelly put to death. A more powerful force than had ever before sailed from Denmark soon after approached the English coasts, under command of Inguar and Ubba, two sons of Ragnar, and, in 867, after having wintered on the coast of East Anglia, entered the Humber and ravaged Holderness, slaughtering such of the inhabitants as were unable to save themselves by flight. Advancing with insatiable avidity and ruthless vengeance, they destroyed with fire and sword all the country near the northern shores of the Humber, and near York defeated Osbert, the rival of Ella in the sovereignty of Northumbria, who was slain in the action, together with great numbers of his men. The Danes then entered York, to which city Ella was advancing in aid of his rival, and near which he was met by the North-men, who slew him, and routed his army with great slaughter. Northumbria now, from an Anglo-Saxon, became a Danish, kingdom, of which this county formed by far the largest and most important part. Inguar established his throne at York, which city was colonized by his followers, and extended his sway over the whole country from the Humber to the Tyne. The Danes, no longer fighting only for plunder, but for dominion, in 868, moved southward into Mercia, and returned the following year with a rich booty. In the spring of 870, several large bodies of their army again marched into the more southern provinces; and the storm which had been gathering at York, and in its vicinity, extended its direful effects over the whole of them. In the year 878, the Northumbrian Danes acknowledged the paramount sovereignty of the Saxon king, Alfred, but were, notwithstanding, governed by their own chieftains, one of whom bore the title of king, and had his principal residence at York. In 910, hostilities having arisen between the Danes and the Saxons, Edward the Elder ravaged a great part of Northumbria, and totally routed the Danes, slaying two of their kings, Halfden and Eowils, together with many of their great officers, and several thousand of their soldiers. Athelstan, who ascended the Anglo-Saxon throne in 924, with a large army expelled the Danish chieftains, and made himself master of all Northumbria. Anlaf, one of the expelled princes, having entered into alliance with different chieftains of Ireland and Wales, and with Constantine, King of Scotland, soon after entered the Humber with a fleet of six hundred and fifteen ships, filled with warriors: these troops being disembarked, the Saxons abandoned the stations that were weakly fortified; but the stronger fortresses, being well garrisoned, resisted the attacks of the invaders, and gave time for Athelstan to prepare for the contest. Both parties having concentrated their forces, a sanguinary and decisive conflict took place, in which the confederates were totally defeated; and the king of Scotland, and six Welch and Irish kings, with twelve of their earls and general officers, and a vast number of their followers, were slain. The issue left the Anglo-Saxon monarch master of all Northumbria, which (its population being chiefly Danish) he held in subjection by numerous garrisons, and totally destroyed the castle of York. Some time afterwards, Eric, King of Norway, being expelled by his subjects, was kindly received by Athelstan, who placed him on the throne of Northumbria, as a vassal of the Anglo-Saxon crown: Eric fixed his habitation at York, which thus again became a royal residence. On the death of Athelstan, Anlaf, having obtained assistance from Olaus, King of Norway, once more entered this principality, and, appearing before the gates of York, was admitted by the citizens, whose example was followed in most of the other towns, the English garrisons being either expelled or slaughtered by the inhabitants, who were for the most part Danish: Anlaf then extended his conquests into Mercia, and, by a treaty with Edmund, the successor of Athelstan on the Anglo-Saxon throne, was confirmed in his title to the kingdom of Northumbria.

From this period to the final subjugation of the Northumbrian kingdom by Edred, in 951, its imperfect history is very confused: after that event it was governed by a succession of earls, or viceroys, who, like the ancient kings, had their residence at York. In 993, Sweyn, King of Denmark, entered the Humber with a large fleet and army, and ravaged Holderness, which district also suffered from similar Danish descents in 1013 and 1060. Tostig, brother of Harold, afterwards King of England, who was appointed Earl of Northumberland, in 1055, having been expelled by the people for his tyrannical conduct, was prompted to disturb his brother in the possession of the crown of England, to which he acceded in January 1066. Being assisted by his father-in-law, Baldwin, Earl of Flanders, with about fifty vessels, he infested the English coast, in the beginning of that year, and, entering the Humber, made a descent on the Yorkshire side, and committed the most horrible ravages, but soon crossed over to the southern shores of that ?stuary, where he was defeated and compelled to flee to his ships by Edwin, Earl of Chester, and Earl Morcar, who had succeeded Tostig in the government of Northumbria. Later in the same year he re-entered the Humber, accompanied by Harold Harfager, King of Norway, with a fleet of five hundred ships: they advanced up the Ouse, landed their army at Riccall, about ten miles below York, and at Fulford, near that city, defeated the inferior forces of the Earls Edwin and Morcar: they then laid siege to York, which city speedily surrendered. On the approach of Harold, King of England, with the powerful army which he had collected to oppose the expected attack from William of Normandy, the Norwegian army withdrew from York, and encamped at Stamford-Bridge, about seven miles eastward of that city, where, on September 23rd, it received from the English that signal and sanguinary defeat in which the King of Norway and Earl Tostig perished, and after which twenty of their ships were sufficient to carry back to Norway their few remaining forces. On the evening after the battle the victorious Harold returned to York, through which city he had passed in his advance to oppose the North-men, and where he shortly afterwards received intelligence of the landing of the Duke of Normandy, whom he immediately marched southward to oppose.

The strenuous resistance which the Conqueror experienced from the inhabitants of the northern parts of England is well known: after he had partially subdued them, and received the submissions of Edwin, Earl of Chester, and Morcar, Earl of Northumberland, these lords, apprehensive of being involved in the same ruin with the rest of the Anglo-Saxon nobility, raised an army in the north, which was increased by a considerable reinforcement of Welch troops, and the city of York, where William had established a sort of advanced post, declared in their favour. On the Conqueror's sudden approach, the Earls and the people of York, aware of their incapacity for effectual resistance, threw themselves upon his mercy: William received their submission, but compelled the inhabitants to pay a heavy fine, at the same time erecting a strong castle in their city, to keep them in awe. The Northumbrians bore the galling yoke of the Norman with the greatest impatience, and at length called Sweyn, King of Denmark, to their assistance. In 1069, the Danish fleet, under Osbern, brother of the king of Denmark, appeared in the Humber: the whole of Northumbria declared against the Conqueror, and the Danish general, having landed his troops, was joined by great numbers of the English, among whom was Edgar Atheling (whom the insurgents recognised as king), Gospatric, and other fugitive noblemen. Osbern marched without opposition to York, where he put to the sword the Norman garrison, which had fired the suburbs. Earl Waltheof, with a strong garrison of English, was left in that city while the Danish general retired to a strong position at the confluence of two rivers in its vicinity. Entering Yorkshire, William began to inflict vengeance for this invasion and revolt by the most destructive ravages: he laid close siege to York, which, after a vigorous defence, he took and razed to the ground; and then so completely desolated the surrounding country, that such of the inhabitants as escaped slaughter perished by famine; the dead bodies lay putrifying in the houses, streets, and highways, none being left alive to cover them with earth, and during the space of nine years the country lay totally uncultivated, presenting one vast wilderness, the retreat of wild beasts and robbers, and the terror of travellers: in this state, indeed, the entire district between York and Durham continued for at least sixty years after. In the reign of Stephen, in the year 1138, David, King of Scotland, entered England with a powerful army, and ravaged this county, as far as York: Thurstan, the archbishop, who acted as Stephen's lieutenant in the north, summoned the neighbouring barons, each of whom mustered his forces, and the whole having placed themselves under the command of Ralph, Bishop of the Orkney Islands, Walter L'Espec, and William de Albemarle, advanced to North Allerton, where they fought and won the famous battle of the Standard, under the banners of St. Peter of York and St. John of Beverley.

During the inauspicious reign of Edward II., Piers Gaveston, that monarch's favourite, was besieged and taken prisoner in Scarborough Castle by the Earls of Pembroke and Warren. In 1318, Douglas, the Scottish leader, ravaging the north of England, burned the towns of North Allerton, Boroughbridge, Scarborough, and Skipton, pillaged Ripon and several other places in the county, and returned northward, carrying with him a vast quantity of plunder and a great number of prisoners. In the following year, the Scots, under the Earl of Murray, again desolated the northern parts of the county, as far as the gates of York, where they set fire to the suburbs: the Archbishop of York, indignant at this insult, hastily mustered about ten thousand men, and, accompanied by the Bishop of Ely, pursued the Scots, and overtook them at Myton, a village on the Swale, distant about twelve miles from York: in the battle which there ensued the English were totally routed, after a feeble resistance, and the fugitives made a precipitate retreat to the city: from the great number of clergymen that were killed in it, this conflict was for many years after called the 'White Battle.' In 1321, Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, who headed the barons against his nephew, Edward II., was defeated and taken prisoner at Boroughbridge, and, together with several other noblemen of his party, beheaded a few days after at Ponte-fract. While Edward III., in 1347, was engaged in his memorable continental wars, David Bruce, the Scottish monarch, invaded England, and destroyed the whole country with fire and sword as far south as York: Queen Philippa, whom Edward had appointed regent of the kingdom, and who then kept her court at York, having collected troops in the city and its neigh-bourhood, marched with them in person against the enemy, who was brought to action and totally defeated in the battle of Nevill's Cross, near Durham. In 1399, Henry of Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford, afterwards Henry IV., landed at Ravenspur (a port formerly situated near the mouth of the Humber, in Holderness, but long since swallowed up by encroachments either of that arm of the sea, or of the ocean itself), and was immediately joined by the Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland, and other northern barons: being refused admittance into Hull, he proceeded on his march, with increasing forces, by way of Doncaster. Richard II., after his deposition, was confined successively in the castles of Leeds, Knaresborough, and Pontefract. In 1405, Henry IV. being then established on the throne, Richard Scroop, Archbishop of York, whose brother that monarch had beheaded; Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland; Thomas Mowbray, Earl Marshal; the lords Fauconbridge, Bardolph, Hastings, and several others, having entered into a conspiracy for his deposition, levied a considerable number of troops, which they led to York, the place appointed for the general rendezvous: Henry immediately sent Ralph Nevill, Earl of Westmorland, with a formidable body of troops, to oppose the insurgents; and he, by his artful policy, having succeeded in drawing the archbishop and the earl marshal to a conference, took them prisoners, thus throwing the confederates into such consternation, that the Earl of Northumberland, who was then in York, finding it impossible to keep his army together, retired northward to Berwick: the archbishop, the earl marshal, and several others, were executed near York. In 1408, the Earl of Northumberland again appearing in arms, was defeated and slain at Bramham Moor, by Sir Thomas Rokesby, sheriff of Yorkshire.

This county was the scene of various important events during the wars of the Roses. In 1460, Richard, Duke of York, was defeated and slain by the superior forces of Queen Margaret, in the battle of Wakefield. Shortly after, his son, having assumed the title of Edward IV., commenced his march northward to oppose the Lancastrians, whose forces now amounted to about sixty thousand. Edward, having arrived at Pontefract, sent two of his officers to secure the passage of the Aire, at Ferrybridge, which they easily effected, and posted their detachment on the north side of the river. Henry VI. and his queen, having given the command of their army to the Duke of Somerset, awaited at York the issue of the approaching conflict; and that nobleman commenced his operations by sending Lord Clifford to dislodge the Yorkists from their post on the northern bank of the Aire, in which he was so successful, that they were driven across the river with great slaughter. Edward then sent William Nevill, Lord Fauconbridge, to pass the Aire at Castleford, between three and four miles above Ferrybridge, which he did unobserved by the enemy, and, marching along the northern side of the river, suddenly attacked a body of horse under Lord Clifford, which was completely routed, and Clifford himself slain. Edward then crossed the Aire with his whole army, consisting of forty-eight thousand six hundred and sixty men, and, advancing towards Tadcaster, encountered the enemy on a ridge of high ground between the villages of Towton and Saxton, where, on Palm-Sunday, March 29th, 1461, was fought the decisive battle of Towton, the most sanguinary of all that occurred in the course of those exterminating wars: the fugitive Lancastrians took their way towards Tadcaster bridge, but despairing to reach it, on account of the close pursuit of their enemies, they turned aside, in order to pass the small river Cock, which movement was performed in such confusion and hurry, that the river was immediately full of those precipitated into it and drowned, whose bodies served as a bridge for their companions: the total number slain is stated at thirty-six thousand seven hundred and seventy-six, among whom were found the Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland, the Lords Dacre and Wells, Sir John Nevill, and Sir Andrew Trollope; the Earl of Devonshire was taken prisoner, and afterwards suffered death on the scaffold; Henry and Margaret fled into Scotland; and the victorious Edward took possession of York. The same prince, after his flight to Flanders, landed, in 1471, at Ravenspur, with a force of two thousand men, and thence, without opposition, marched immediately to York, pretending to claim only his patrimonial inheritance as Duke of York: having left a strong garrison in that city, he proceeded on his march towards London, and meeting the Earl of Warwick at Barnet, won the battle which placed him on the throne. In 1489, during the reign of Henry VII., the people of Yorkshire and Durham refused to pay a land-tax imposed to defray the expenses of the army; and, supposing the Earl of Northumberland to be one of the chief advisers of that measure, they assailed his house at Topcliffe, near Thirsk, and slew him with many of his servants. The populace then openly raised the standard of rebellion, and chose for their leaders Sir John Egremont and a man of mean extraction, called John ? Chambre; but their chief force was shortly afterwards defeated by the Earl of Surrey, who took John ? Chambre and several others prisoners: the rest of the insurgents fled to York, but, fearing to stand a siege, they dispersed in different directions, and Sir John Egremont escaped to Flanders; John ? Chambre was executed at York, with a number of his chief adherents, and the tax was levied with the utmost rigour.

In 1536, the 27th of Henry VIII., the suppression of monasteries, and the other religious changes, excited great commotions in the northern counties, and in Yorkshire caused a formidable insurrection, headed by Robert Aske, a gentleman of considerable fortune, courage, and capacity, with whom were associated the Lord D'Arcy, Sir Robert Constable, Sir Thomas Percy, brother to the Earl of Northumberland, and different other persons of influence. Professing to take up arms for the cause of religion, they called their march 'The Pilgrimage of Grace,' and painted on their banners a crucifix, with the five wounds, and a chalice: a number of priests marched at their head, carrying crosses in their hands, and every one wore on his sleeve an emblem of the five wounds of Christ, with the name of Jesus wrought in the middle. Aske, though unsuccessful in an attack upon Scarborough castle, made himself master of that of Pontefract, and afterwards of York and Hull; and either persuaded or compelled most of the nobility and gentry of the county to join his standard. The insurgents then advanced southward, as far as Doncaster, where the Duke of Norfolk was posted with a force of only five thousand men; but the river Don being swollen by heavy rains, they were unable to effect their passage over it, and a negociation being in consequence commenced, a general pardon was granted, and they immediately dispersed. Some of their leaders, however, endeavouring to excite new commotions, were afterwards taken and executed; and Aske, their commander-in-chief, was hanged in chains on one of the towers of York. In 1537, a less considerable rebellion broke out in the neighbourhood of Scarborough, Malton, &c., and the insurgents made a hasty march towards Hull, with the intention of taking that town by surprise; but Sir John Constable and Sir Ralph Ellerker being informed of their intention, hastily collected a few forces, and threw themselves into it, where they stood a siege of several days, and at last compelled the assailants to retire, at the same time sallying out upon their rear, and killing and taking prisoners a considerable number of them. Sir Robert Constable, and others of the insurgent leaders, however, at last made themselves masters of Hull by a stratagem, and held it for the space of a month, when, their partizans in the country being all either killed, taken prisoners, or dispersed by the king's forces, they were attacked by the inhabitants of the town during the night, and quite overpowered, many of them being taken prisoners, and amongst the rest their chief leader, Sir Robert Constable: these were afterwards hanged and quartered. In 1548, a third insurrection, for a like religious purpose, commenced at the village of Seamer, near Scarborough, and in its vicinity, one of the principal leaders of which was Thomas Dale, the parish clerk of Seamer. The beacon at Staxton having been lighted, collected a tumultuous crowd of about three thousand persons, who committed some barbarous excesses; but the lord president of the North, the seat of whose jurisdiction was at York, having sent from that city a detachment to oppose them, bearing a general pardon to those who should immediately return to their duty, most of the insurgents dispersed, though Dale and eight other ringleaders, refusing the proffered mercy, were soon after taken and executed at York. In 1553, at the time of Wyat's rebellion in the south of England, Thomas Stafford, second son of Lord Stafford, seized Scarborough castle by a stratagem, but retained possession of it only for three days, when it was retaken by the Earl of Westmorland, with a strong force; and Stafford and Captain Saunders, together with three other leaders of this insurrectionary movement, being made prisoners, paid the forfeit of their lives.

Early in the year 1642, the breach between Charles I. and his parliament widening daily, the former, with his son, Prince Charles, the prince elector, and several noblemen, departed from London, and, on the 18th of March, arrived at York, whither most of the nobility and gentry of the North of England, and many from the southern provinces, resorted to offer their services to him. On the 23rd of April, the king, attended by two or three hundred of his servants, and many gentlemen of the county, left York, and about noon reached Hull, which, by order of the parliament, had been garrisoned by troops under the command of Sir John Hotham, who steadily refused to admit the king, and the latter returned in disappointment to York. Having mustered about three thousand foot and nearly eight hundred horse, and having procured arms, &c., from Holland, Charles determined to commence the war by an attempt on Hull, and, with that view, left York for Beverley, where he summoned the trained bands of the neighbouring districts. By cutting the banks of the Humber, thus covering with a considerable depth of water the meadows and pastures to the distance of two miles on every side of Hull, Sir John Hotham for some time prevented all access to the town, the garrison of which, about the middle of July, received powerful reinforcement by sea, and, at the end of the same month, in a vigorous sally, defeated the beleaguering forces, and compelled them to raise the siege. The king, after a stay of five months at York, departed from that city to erect his standard at Nottingham; but, before his departure, as danger was apprehended from the garrison of Hull, the citizens entreated His Majesty to constitute the Earl of Cumberland military commander of the county, and to appoint Sir Thomas Glemham governor of the city, which was readily granted. Sir Thomas Fairfax and Captain Hotham, son of the governor of Hull, advanced so far from that town towards York as to fortify Tadcaster and Wetherby, and twice repulsed Sir Thomas Glemham in two vigorous assaults which he made upon the last-mentioned place. The success of the parliamentarians induced the royalist gentry of Yorkshire to solicit succours from the Earl of Newcastle, who had raised a considerable force in the north, and who immediately marched to their assistance, entering York on the 30th of November, with six thousand men and ten pieces of artillery. The Earl of Cumberland then resigned his commission to the Earl of Newcastle, who, with four thousand of his men, drove the enemy from Tadcaster, while his lieutenant-general, the Earl of Newport, with two thousand men, took Wetherby. In 1643, on January 16th, Colonel Slingsby, with a force of about six hundred royalists, defeated Sir Hugh Cholmley and his troops at Guisborough. On the 23rd of the same month, Sir Thomas Fairfax, with a strong force, took the town of Leeds by assault; and the same commander, having led reinforcements into Bradford, was there besieged by the Earl of Newcastle, who made unsuccessful attempts to storm the town in several places: Sir Thomas having, however, exhausted his ammunition, offered to capitulate, but his terms being refused, he made his escape by cutting his way through their lines with fifty horse. On the 22d of February, Queen Henrietta Maria landed at Bridlington quay, with a considerable quantity of artillery and small arms, and was thence escorted to York by the lord general, the Earl of Newcastle: after remaining there for three months, she proceeded to meet the king, under the escort of the same nobleman, who, for this service, was created a marquis. This commander having driven Sir Thomas Fairfax out of Beverley with great slaughter, appeared with his whole force before Hull, on the 2d of September, and immediately commenced an arduous siege, which, as well as the defence, was conducted with all the military skill of that age, and with the most determined resolution: it continued nearly six weeks, and many were slain on both sides: the parliamentarians, however, being masters of the sea, and having a squadron on the Humber, the town received ample supplies by water, which rendered its reduction by famine impossible; and the Marquis of Newcastle, after sustaining a grand sortie, made on the 11th of October, was obliged to raise the siege.

In 1644, almost every part of Yorkshire was a scene of war and devastation. Early in this year, Sir Thomas Fairfax, having gained a considerable victory over the royal forces near Selby, was joined by the Scottish general, the Earl of Leven, and on April 19th their united forces commenced the siege of York, in which they were shortly assisted by the Earl of Manchester, with his troops and twelve field-pieces. These three generals, having collectively a force of forty thousand men, pressed the siege with great vigour, and the suburbs were fired by the besieged: numerous sanguinary conflicts took place, until, on the 30th of June, the parliamentarian generals receiving intelligence that Prince Rupert, with an army of twenty thousand men, was advancing, and would quarter that night at Borough-bridge and Knaresborough, they raised the siege and marched to Marston Moor, where they arrayed their army for battle, expecting that the Prince would take that road to York, which city, however, he reached by another route. Prince Rupert, contrary to the advice of the Marquis of Newcastle, but alleging that he had positive orders from the king to bring the enemy to action, marched his whole army out of York, on the 2d of July, and encountered the enemy near the position which they had taken up a few days before: there was fought the celebrated battle of Marston Moor, in which the parliamentarians were completely victorious, after a sanguinary conflict, and which cast the balance between the king and the parliament, entirely overthrowing the power of the former in the north. The loss on each side in this encounter is variously stated, but the peasants employed in burying the dead reported that they interred four thousand one hundred and fifty bodies, and of these it was generally believed that three thousand were royalists: the parliamentarians took prisoners above one hundred officers and one thousand five hundred soldiers, and gained possession of the Prince's train of artillery and military stores: the royalist army having fled into York, soon left that city for Lancashire; and the Marquis of Newcastle, with many other distinguished persons of the same party, embarked at Scarborough for the continent. The siege of York was immediately resumed, and that city surrendered on July 11th, after having, since its commencement, sustained twenty-two assaults, and after between four and five thousand parliamentarians had perished before its walls. Soon after these events, Tickhill castle was taken by Colonel Lilburn; Sheffield castle, on August 10th, by Major General Crawford; and Knaresborough town and castle, and Helmsley castle, towards the close of the year, by Lord Fairfax, who also, in December, made himself master of the town of Pontefract, and besieged the castle, which was, however, relieved in January following by Sir Marmaduke Langdale. Meantime, on the 18th of February, 1644, the parliamentarian officer, Sir John Meldrum, took the town of Scarborough by assault, and commenced a vigorous siege of the castle, which was obstinately defended by Sir Hugh Cholmley, who had declared on behalf of the king. On May 17th, 1645, the parliamentarians made a general assault on the castle, but were repulsed with great loss, their commanding officer receiving a mortal wound, when he was succeeded by Sir Matthew Boynton, who at length compelled this fortress to surrender, on July 22d. March 21st, 1645, the parliamentarians regained possession of the town of Pontefract, and besieged the castle, which surrendered on June 20th. In October, Great Sandall castle surrendered, after a siege of three weeks, to a parliamentarian force under Colonel Overton; Bolton castle surrendered to the parliamentarian troops on November 5th; as also did Skipton castle, on December 20th. On June 6th, 1648, a small party of royalists, headed by Colonel Morrice, seized Pontefract castle for the king, by surprise; and in the month of October commenced the third siege of this celebrated fortress, which was at first conducted by Cromwell in person, and afterwards by General Lambert, to whom it surrendered on March 25th, 1649. Colonel Boynton, governor of Scarborough castle, having declared for the king, that fortress was again besieged by the parliamentarians, about the middle of September 1648, and, the garrison becoming mutinous, surrendered on the 19th of December following.

The year 1663 was marked in this county by an insurrection in the West riding, the leaders of which were conventicle preachers and old parliamentarian soldiers: great numbers of misguided people assembled in arms at Farnley Wood, near Otley, where they were attacked by a body of regular troops, with some of the county militia, and several of them seized: twenty-one of their leaders were tried and executed at York under a special commission. At the period of the rebellion in 1745, Herring, Archbishop of York, projected an association of the nobility, gentry, and other inhabitants of the county, which was entered into at the castle of York, on the 24th of September; the sum of £31,420 was subscribed, which, together with the sums raised in a similar manner from the city and ainsty of York, was expended in raising, clothing, and paying four companies of foot, for the defence of the established government, and of the county in particular. In 1757, several riots occurred in different parts of the county, in consequence of the new regulations then introduced with regard to the levying of the militia. In 1812, serious disturbances broke out in the manufacturing districts of the West riding, chiefly owing to distress occasioned by the depressed state of trade at that time; and in 1819 the same part of the county shared in the ferment which then agitated the manufacturing districts of the kingdom generally, and especially those of Lancashire.

This county is in the diocese of York, excepting only a western portion of the North riding, which is in that of Chester: the whole is in the province of York, and forms the three archdeaconries of York (or of the West riding), the East riding, and Cleveland, in the diocese of York, and part of that of Richmond, in the diocese of Chester: the archdeaconry of York is subdivided into the deaneries of the city and ainsty of York, Craven, Doncaster, and Pontefract; that of the East riding into those of Buckrose, Dickering, Harthill and Hull, and Holderness; and that of Cleveland into those of Bulmer, Cleveland, Ryedale, and Ripon; while that of Richmond comprises, in this county, those of Boroughbridge, Catterick, Richmond, and part of Lonsdale: the total number of parishes is six hundred and four, of which one hundred and eighty-nine are rectories, two hundred and ninety-two vicarages, and one hundred and twenty-three perpetual curacies.

The grand civil and military division of Yorkshire is into three ridings,'West, North, and East, (the term riding being corrupted from trithing, a third part), independent of which is the ainsty, or county of the city of York: the West riding is subdivided into the nine wapentakes of Agbrigg (Upper and Lower), Barkston-Ash (Upper and Lower), Claro (Upper and Lower), Morley, Osgoldcross (Upper and Lower), Skyrack (Upper and Lower), Staincliffe and Ewcross (East and West), Staincross, and Strafforth and Tickhill (North and South), with the liberty of Ripon and soke of Doncaster; the North riding into the eight wapentakes of Allertonshire, Birdforth, Bulmer, Gilling (East and West), Hallikeld, Hang (East and West), Langbaurgh (East and West), and Ryedale, Pickering Lythe, and the liberty of Whitby-Strand; and the East riding into the six wapentakes of Buckrose, Dickering, Harthill (Bainton-Beacon, Holme-Beacon, Hunsley-Beacon, and Wilton-Beacon, divisions), Holderness (Middle, North, and South), Howdenshire, and Ouze and Derwent, besides which it comprehends within its limits the liberty of St. Peter of York, the ainsty of the city of York, the borough and liberties of Beverley, and the county of the town of Kingston upon Hull, which comprises a few parishes in the neighbourhood of that place. Yorkshire contains the city of York; the borough, market, and sea-port towns of Hull and Scarborough; the borough and market towns of Beverley, Boroughbridge, Doncaster, Hedon, Knaresborough, Malton, North Allerton, Pontefract, Richmond, Ripon, and Thirsk; the borough of Aldborough; the great manufacturing and market towns of Halifax, Leeds, and Sheffield; the market and sea-port towns of Bridlington and Whitby; and the market towns of Askrigg, Barnesley, Bawtry, Bedale, Bingley, Bradford, Dewsbury, Guisborough, Hawes, Helmslcy, Howden, Huddersfield, Keighley, Kirkby-Moorside, Leyburn, Masham, Otley, Patrington, Penistone, Pickering, Pocklington, Reeth, Rotherham, Sedbergh, Selby, Settle, Sherburn, Skipton, South Cave, Stokesley, Tadcaster, Thorne, Market-Weighton, Wetherby, and Yarm. The Cornish borough of Grampound having been recently disfranchised, on the ground of corruption, the right of electing two additional members was granted to this large and populous county, which accordingly sends four representatives to parliament; two citizens are also returned for the city of York, and two burgesses for each of the boroughs: the county members are elected at York. This shire is included in the Northern circuit: the assizes are held at York, where is the county gaol. The quarter sessions for the West riding are held as follows: the Easter sessions at Pontefract; the Midsummer quarter sessions at Skipton, whence they are adjourned to Bradford, and thence to Rotherham; the Michaelmas quarter sessions begin at Knaresborough, whence they are adjourned to Leeds, and thence to Sheffield; the Christmas quarter sessions commence at Wetherby, and are adjourned to Wakefield, and thence to Doncaster: on the termination of each session there is an adjournment to Wakefield, for the purpose of inspecting the prison, which generally takes place within a month or six weeks after that time. In pursuance of an act passed in the year 1704, the office for the registration of deeds, conveyances, and wills, relating to property within the West riding, was established at Wakefield, where also are kept the records of the sessions. The quarter sessions for the North and East ridings are held respectively at North Allerton and Beverley, in each of which towns are also offices for the registration of all deeds relating to landed property within those ridings. There are two hundred and fifty-one acting magistrates. The rates raised in the county for the year ending March 25th, 1827, amounted to £611,411. 8., and the expenditure to £605,372. 9., of which, £470,677. 18. was applied to the relief of the poor.

One of the most remarkable peculiarities in the civil and military jurisdiction of Yorkshire is, that each of its ridings has a distinct lord-lieutenant. The ainsty of York was formerly a wapentake of the West riding; but, in the 27th of Henry VI., it was annexed to the city, and placed under its immediate jurisdiction: in returning to parliament the knights of the shire, the freeholders in the ainsty vote in common with those in other parts of the county. The liberty of St. Peter comprehends all those parts of the city and county of York that belong to the cathedral church of St. Peter at York: the jurisdiction is separate and exclusive, and it has its own magistrates, steward, bailiff, coroners, and constables: amongst its privileges, the inhabitants are exempt from the payment of all manner of tolls throughout England, Wales, and Ireland, on the production of a certificate from the under-steward. Quarter sessions are held for this liberty at the sessions-house in the Minster yard at York; and a court is held in the hall every three weeks, where pleas in actions of debt, trespass, replevin, &c., to any amount whatever, arising within the liberty, are heard. There is also a court leet and view of frankpledge for the whole liberty, held twice a year, viz., on the Wednesday in Easter week, and on the first Wednesday after New Michaelmas-day. Sessions for the Archbishop of York's liberty of Cawood, Wistow, and Otley, are held at Otley, in January and April, and at Cawood, in April and October.

The West riding, which, whether considered with regard to its extent and population, or to its trade and manufactures, is by far the most important, is bounded on the north by the North riding; on the east, by the ainsty, and the river Ouse, to its junction with the Trent; and on the south and west, by the arbitrary limits of the county: its greatest length, from east to west, is ninety-five miles; its extreme breadth, from north to south, forty-eight miles; and its circumference about three hundred and twenty miles, including an area of two thousand four hundred and fifty square miles, or one million five hundred and sixty-eight thousand statute acres: its population, in 1821, was 799,357. The surface of this portion of Yorkshire is much diversified, but may be divided into three large districts, gradually varying from a level and marshy, to a rocky and mountainous, region. The flat and marshy district, forming part of the extensive Vale of York, lies along the borders of the Ouse, and in most places extends westward as far as within three or four miles of an imaginary line drawn from Doncaster to Sherburn: the general level is broken only by low sandy hills, which occur in the vicinities of Snaith, Thorne, and Doncaster, and the altitude of which is seldom more than fifty feet above the level of the sea; so that the great rivers Ousc, Aire, and Don, which traverse this extensive tract, have often changed their channels. The middle parts of the riding, as far westward as Sheffield, Bradford, and Otley, contain a variety of beautiful scenery, formed chiefly by noble hills of gentle ascent; but further westward the county becomes rugged and mountainous, scarcely any thing being seen beyond Sheffield, in that direction, but high black moors, which, running north-westward, join the lofty hills of Blackstone Edge, on the borders of Lancashire. The north-western part of the riding, forming the western part of the district of Craven, presents a confused heap of rocks and mountains, among which Pennygant, Wharnside, and Ingleborough, are particularly conspicuous, the two latter being amongst the highest mountains in England: the height of Wharnside above the level of the sea is two thousand three hundred and eighty-four feet; that of Ingleborough, two thousand three hundred and sixty-one fect; and that of Pennygant, two thousand two hundred and seventyfeet. Amidst the mountainous tracts of this riding there are also many romantic vallies, presenting the most beautiful and picturesque scenery: the most extensive of these are, Netherdale, or Nidderdale, watered by the small river Nid, Wharfdale, and the vale of the Aire. Many vallies of less extent vie with these in picturesque beauty, and the greater part of them being enclosed, wellwooded, and thickly scattered with almost continuous villages, present a most delightful appearance when viewed from the neighbouring eminences. In the mountainous districts of Craven are also several small lakes, the principal of which is Malham-water, near the village of Malham, of an almost circular form, about a mile in diameter, and remarkably situated on a high moor. Some of the finest scenery in England, in which beauty and sublimity are pleasingly combined, may be viewed in travelling from Knaresborough, or Ripon, to Pateley-Bridge; from Tadcaster to Otley and Skipton; from Leeds, by Bradford and Keighley, to Skipton; from Bradford to Halifax; and from Halifax, by Dewsbury, to Wakefield.

The North riding, the next most extensive division, is bounded on the north by the river Tees; on the north-east and east by the ocean; on the south-east by the rivers Hertford and Derwent, which separate it from the East riding; on the south by the river Ouse and the West riding; and on the west, by the county of Westmorland: its greatest length is eighty-three miles, from east to west; its extreme breadth forty-seven miles, from north to south; and it comprises an area of one million three hundred and eleven thousand one hundred and eighty-seven acres, or about two thousand and forty-eight square miles: its population, in 1821, was 183,694. The face of the country along the coast, from Scarborough nearly to the mouth of the Tees, is hilly and bold, the cliffs overhanging the beach being generally from sixty or seventy to one hundred and fifty feet high; while Stoupe Brow, vulgarly called 'Stow Brow,' about seven miles to the south of Whitby, rises to the stupendous height of eight hundred and ninety-three feet. From the ordinary elevation of the cliff the ground rises, in most places very rapidly, to the height of three or four hundred feet; and the maritime tract thus formed, comprising about sixty-four thousand nine hundred and twenty acres, is tolerably productive. A little further inland, successive hills, rising one above another, form the elevated tract of the Eastern Moorlands: this wild and mountainous district, which occupies a space of about thirty miles in length from east to west, and fifteen in breadth from north to south, is intersected by numerous beautiful and fertile dales, some of which are rather extensive, containing from five to ten thousand acres, and Eskdale and Bilsdale, considerably more: the level land at the bottom of these vales is seldom more than two hundred, or three hundred, yards broad, but the soil is generally cultivated from half a mile to a mile and a half up the hills, though the surface is in many places very irregular. Rising to the height of upwards of one thousand feet, the general aspect of this extensive district is bleak and dreary, and the whole is destitute of wood, excepting only a few dwarfish trees, in the vallies among the few scattered habitations. On the roads leading from Whitby to Guisborough, Stokesley, and Pickering, at the distance of a few miles, commence dreary and extensive wastes, bounded only by the horizon. Some of the hills, however, near the edges of this rugged and mountainous region command picturesque and magnificent prospects, particularly the Blue Bank, near Whitby; the hills on the southern border of the moors; the Hamilton hills, which form their western extremity; and the heights near Upleatham, Whorlton, and Arncliffe. But the most remarkable object in the topography of these wilds is the singular peaked mountain called Rosebury-Topping, situated near the village of Newton, about a mile to the eastward of the road from Guisborough to Stokesley which rises to the height of one thousand and twenty-two feet, and is a noted land-mark; the view from its summit is celebrated for its great extent and variety. The total extent of the Eastern Moorland district is two hundred and ninety-eight thousand six hundred and twenty-five acres. The Vale of Cleveland, situated to the north-west of these mountains, is the fruitful tract bordering on the river Tees, in the lower part of its course; in this county it comprises an area of seventy thousand four hundred and forty-four acres, the whole under cultivation, and is lightly marked with gentle eminences. The extensive Vale of York is considered by Mr. Tuke, author of the 'General View of the Agriculture of the North riding of Yorkshire, drawn up for the consideration of the Board of Agriculture,' to reach from the border of the Tees to the southern confines of the county, the northern part of it only being included in this riding: this part, bounded on each side by the Eastern and the Western Moorlands, has a gentle slope, from the border of the river Tees, southward as far as York, where it sinks into a perfect flat; between the Tees and York, however, its ordinarily level surface is broken by several bold swells; and on the east it is separated from Ryedale by a range of hills, called by Mr. Marshall, in his Rural Economy of Yorkshire, the 'Howardian Hills.' This part of the vale, together with these hills, comprises an extent of four hundred and fifty-six thousand three hundred and eighty-six acres, of which about fifteen thousand are uncultivated. Ryedale (so called from its being traversed by the river Rye) and the East and West Marishes form one extensive level, situated between the Eastern Moorlands and the river Derwent, and contain one hundred and three thousand eight hundred and seventy-two acres, of which about three thousand are waste: the surface of its lower parts is flat, but towards the north it rises with a gentle ascent for three or four miles towards the foot of the moors; its lower levels are also broken by several isolated swells of considerable extent and elevation: the Marishes are separated from Ryedale by the Pickering-beek. The Western Moorlands, occupying the rest of the North riding, to the west of the Vale of York, and of far greater clevation than the Eastern Moorlands, resemble in general character the mountainous parts of Craven, and are, like them, intersected by numerous fertile dales; of these, Wensleydale is the most extensive, the bottom of it consisting of rich grazing pastures, through which the river Ure pursues a very winding course, forming, in many places, beautiful cascades. The next in size is Swaledale, which, however, is much inferior to the former in picturesque beauty. The total extent of the Western Moorlands is three hundred and sixteen thousand nine hundred and forty acres: together with the mountainous districts of the West riding, they form an important part of the long range of mountains reaching northward from Staffordshire into Scotland, and contain several small lakes, the principal of which is Simmer lake, near Askrigg.

The East riding is bounded on the north and north-west by the little river Hertford, and the Derwent as far down as Stamford-Bridge, about a mile above which place an irregular boundary line commences, which joins the Ouse about a mile below York: from this point it is bounded, on the west and south-west, by the Ouse; on the south by the Humber; and on the east by the North Sea: its greatest length is fifty-two miles, from south-east to north-west; its extreme breadth forty-two miles, from south-west to north-cast; and it includes an area of eight hundred and nineteen thousand one hundred and ninety-three statute acres, or nearly one thousand two hundred and eighty square miles: its population, in 1821, including the city and county of the city of York, and the liberty of St. Peter, amounted to 190,449. This division of Yorkshire is far less conspicuously marked with the bolder features of nature than the other parts of the county. It may be distinguished into three districts, viz., the Wolds and the two level tracts, one of which lies to the east, the other to the west and north of that elevated region. The Wolds are a magnificent assemblage of lofty chalk hills, extending from the banks of the Humber in the vicinity of Hessle, in a northerly direction, to the neighbourhood of New Malton on the Derwent, whence they range eastward, within a few miles of the course of that river, to the coast, where they form the lofty promontory of Flamborough Head, and, in the vicinities of the villages of Flamborough, Bempton, and Specton, rise in cliffs to the height of one hundred, and in some places of one hundred and fifty, feet. The ascent of these hills is steep, except upon their eastern side, where they rise in gentle and successive swells: their height in few places exceeds six hundred feet; but many parts of them afford magnificent and delightful prospects. Their northern edge overlooks the Vale of the Derwent, beyound which the black eastern moors immediately rise; the western hills command the Vale of York; and the eastern the rich district of Holderness; but the southern extremity of the Wolds is by far the most distinguished for the beauty and diversity of its prospects, commanding the districts surveyed from the eastern and western heights, together with the vast ?stuary of the Humber, and the northern shores of Lincolnshire. The surface of the Wolds is for the most part divided into a number of extensive swells, by deep, narrow, and winding vallies, and occupies an extent of about four hundred thousand acres. Their eastern side, at Bridlington, sinks into a perfect flat, which continues for eight or nine miles southward. At the distance of about seven miles southward of Bridlington, however, the wapentake of Holderness begins, the eastern part of which, towards the sea-coast, is a finely varied country, in which is situated Hornsea mere, the largest lake in the county, being about a mile and three quarters long, and three quarters of a mile across in the broadest part; but the western edge is a fenny tract of about four miles in breadth, and extending nearly twenty miles in length, southward, to the banks of the Humber: these fenny lands are provincially called 'Cars.' The southern part of Holderness also falls into marshes, bordering on the Humber; and the county terminates south-eastward in the long low promontory of Spurnhead, the Ocellum Promontorium of Ptolemy. The Humber is known to have made, in former ages, considerable encroachment on the shores of Holderness; but in later times it has gradually receded from very extensive tracts. About the commencement of the reign of Charles I., an island, since called Sunk Island, began to appear in the Humber, nearly opposite Patrington; at first, a few acres only were left dry at low water; but, as it increased in extent every year, it was at last embanked, and converted into pasture ground: successive embankments were made, large tracts being at each time secured, until at the present period it comprises about four thousand seven hundred acres of fertile land, and towards the west end is separated from the Holderness marshes only by a ditch a few feet broad: it is held on lease from the crown. The Holderness marshes have also been increased by the retiring of the waters of the Humber; and a large tract of land, called 'Cherry-cob Sands,' which was left dry and embanked in the same manner as Sunk Island, is more particularly worthy of notice. The third natural division of the East riding, which extends from the western foot of the Wolds to the boundary of the West riding, is commonly called 'The Levels,' and, though generally fertile, and interspersed with villages and hamlets, is every where flat and uninteresting. One of the most important agricultural improvements in the county is the drainage of the cars and marshes of this division of it, together with those in the North riding, bordering on the course of the Derwent.

The 'Holderness Drainage' lies chiefly adjoining to and on the eastern side of the river Hull, extends from north to south about eleven miles, and contains eleven thousand two hundred and eleven acres: in 1762, an act of parliament was obtained for draining this level, much of which before that period was of small value, being usually covered with water for above half the year: the execution of this drainage was vested in trustees, appointed by the owners of land within the limits of its operation. The 'Beverley and Barmston Drainage,' executed under the provisions of an act passed about the year 1792, lies parallel to the last, but on the opposite side of the river Hull, and extends from the seashore at Barmston, a few miles south of Bridlington, along the course of that river nearly to Kingston upon Hull, a distance of about twenty-four miles: its northern part contains more than two thousand acrcs, and has an outfall into the sea at Barmston; while the southern division, extending southward from Foston, contains upwards of ten thousand acres, and has its outlet into the river Hull, at a place called Wincolmlee. The 'Keyingham Drainage,' lying between Sunk Island and the main land, was originally completed under an act passed in the year 1722; a new act was obtained in 1802, under which the course of the drainage in some parts was altered, and an additional quantity of land included, making a total of five thousand five hundred acres: the execution of this was vested in three commissioners, and on a vacancy occurring by death or resignation, another commissioner is elected by the proprietors. The 'Hertford and Derwent Drainage' contains upwards of ten thousand five hundred acres, of which four thousand five hundred are in the East, and the remainder in the North, riding: the act for this was obtained in the year 1800, and its execution was vested in three directors and three commissioners: the directors have a power to levy an annual assessment, not exceeding an average of three shillings per acre, for the purpose of maintaining and repairing the existing works and drains, and also of further making such new works as may, from time to time, become necessary. Spalding Moor and Walling Fen, lying to the westward of the southern part of the Wolds, were drained, allotted, and enclosed, about fifty years since, under the provisions of the same act of parliament.

The ainsty of York is situated to the west, and on the south-western side, of the Ouse, which borders it from the mouth of the Nid to that of the Wharfe, separating it first from the North, and afterwards from the East, riding: from the West riding it is separated for some distance by the Nid, and afterwards by a line including Wilstrop, Cattle-bridge, Bickerton, and Thorp-Arch, and terminating at the junction of the Wharfe with the Ouse: its circumference is thirty-two miles, and, in 1821, the population was 8740. The surface and scenery of this tract have the same general character as the rest of the Vale of York, of which it forms a part: the western portion of it is diversified by various gentle swells; while the eastern, adjoining the Ouse, is an entire flat, abounding with excellent meadows and pastures. The whole district of the ainsty was anciently a forest, but it was disforested by the charters of Richard I. and John.

The climate of Yorkshire is as various as its surface. The Levels of the East and West ridings, owing to their being sheltered from the east winds by the Wolds, enjoy a mild atmosphere, but are subject to continual damps and fogs. In the middle district of the West riding the air is sharper, clearer, and more salubrious: at Sheffield the average annual fall of rain is thirty-three inches. On the western mountains of this riding, as well as among the western Moorlands of the North riding, the climate is cold, tempestuous, and rainy: notwithstanding which, the frequent high winds that purify the atmosphere render it salubrious for strong constitutions, and the inhabitants of those districts have a robust and healthy appearance: the quantity of rain which annually falls in the vicinity of Ingleborough is not less than forty-eight inches: on account of their superior elev

From Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1831, courtesy of Databases 4 Sale