Ancient_and_modern_York_a_guide

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I

ANCIENT AND MODERN YORK ; 

FORMING . 

A GUIDE V M 

To THE 

C^lf.'', 

ROMAN, SAXON, AND ANGLO-NORMAN ANTIQUITI^-^ 

CITY OF YORK; 

EMBRACING A HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OP THE 

CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST. PETER 

KBttl) the JMonastu Institutions, anS parish Churehes; 

AND EXHIBITING 

A STATISTICAL SURVEY OF THE CITY, 

^ 

AS IT NOW EXISTS. 

BY ROBERT R. PEARCE. 

With a Map of the City, and several Pictorial Illustrations. 

YORK: 

PRINTED AND SOLD BY JOHN LEWIS LINNEY ; 

SOLD ALSO BY HARVEY AND DARTON, LONDON. 

1841.

ENTERED AT STATIONERS* HALL.

ANCIENT AND MODERN YORK. 

" Thus shall mem'ry oft in dreams sublime, 

Catch a glimpse of the days that are o'er; 

Thus sighing look thro' the waves of time, 

To the long faded glories they cover." 

" Solitary ruins, sacred tombs, ye mouldering and silent walls, all hail ! while 

the vulgar shrink from your aspect with secret terror my heart finds in the 

contemplation a thousand delicious sentiments, a thousand admirable recollec 

tions ; pregnant, I may truly call you with useful lessons, with pathetic and 

irresistible advice to the man who knows how to consult you.rt 

York owed its origin as a city, it may be stated pretty 

nearly as a certainty, to the Romans. Some have asserted 

that the honour of founding it, is to be ascribed to Ebraucus, 

the great grandson of Êrieas, (who was himself the 

offspring of the goddess Venus !) and have ventured to fix 

as the date of its foundation an era, 983 years before 

Christ—that is, a period above a century and a half 

anterior to the building of Rome. The only basis for this 

idle story is the narrative of Geoffrey of Monmouth, bishop 

of St. Asaph, who wrote a.d. 1138, and whose history— 

2000 years behind the events—has long since been ex 

ploded,* as being destitute of authority and inconsistent 

with known facts. Drake, it is true, cites it ; but it is 

evident that he places no dependence upon its statements. 

Indeed, if we consider the degree of civilization that 

obtained in Britain at the Roman invasion by Caesar, 

B.C. 55, it appears improbable that there was then a city 

upon the site of York. All the evidence of which we are 

* Encyclopedia Britannica. 

t De Bello Gallico, lib. v. chap. 14. 

A

2 ANCIENT AND 

in possession, goes to negative the supposition that cities 

nourished in any part of Britain previously to the Roman 

invasion. Caesar informs us, that the inhabitants were 

unacquainted with the arts and laws of civilized life,— 

despised the institution of marriage,*—painted their 

bodies,—clothed themselves in skins,—lived upon flesh 

and milk of animals, and neglected tillage. He adds, that 

the Britons knew nothing of building with stone ; but 

called that a city which had a wood defended by a ditch 

and a bank around it. Tacitus, the most accurate and 

faithful of historians, whose father-in-law spent a great 

portion of his life in this country, and, as we have reason 

to believe, founded the city of York, describes the Britons 

as a fierce and savage people, running wild in woods ; 

and expressly mentions that Agricolaf instructed the 

natives how to build dwelling-houses, temples, and courts 

of justice. It will be admitted, that the ancient Germans 

were superior to the Gauls and the Britons. Now it 

would be taking a great deal for granted, if we assumed 

that cities were built by the Britons at this early period, 

if we find that the Germans built none. Tacitus says,| 

" the Germans have no regular cities, nor do they allow a 

continuity of houses."^f What then becomes of the 

romance that York flourished as a city before the time of 

Claudius Caesar ? Some stress is laid by Drake upon the 

fact, that the Britons called the place where York now 

stands, Kaer. But in the Gaelic, Kaer means a seat, as 

well as a city; and the expression might, and no doubt did, 

denote a fortification. It will be sufficient to show, with 

how much caution we should interpret such expressions, 

to mention, that the places taken by Caesar are described 

in the Saxon Chronicle, as the chief towns of Britain ! We 

* Pliny, Nat. Hist. lib. xxii. chap. 2; Martial uses the expression, Coenleit 

Britannis ; and Ovid, Viridesque Britannos. 

+ Life of Agricola. 

t Manners of the Germans. 

IT Vide, Dr. Cooke Taylor's Natural History of Society.

MODERN YOKE. 3 

cannot, for all these reasons, hesitate to ascribe the found 

ation of York to the Romans—the polished conquerors of 

the world ; for that they did build the city in a style of 

magnificence admits of no question :— 

York city first by Roman hands was formed, 

With lofty towers and high built walls adorned. 

It gave their leaders a secure repose ; 

Honour to th' empire, terror to their foes.* 

Julius Caesar never was in Yorkshire. The discoverer, 

not the conqueror of Britain he did no more than show 

it to posterity,f In the year a.d. 49, the emperor Clau 

dius Caesar subdued the greater part of Britain, and over 

ran the country of the Brigantes, extending from the 

Humber to the Tweed. Two years afterwards we find the 

Roman army in Yorkshire, and the queen of the Brigantes, 

Cartismandua, delivering up to them Caractacus. The 

following year Ostorius routed the Britons in Yorkshire 

and fixed a camp on Hatfield forest. Of so much 

importance was the conquest of the Brigantes,f whose 

seat of government was certainly in Yorkshire, esteemed, 

that Seneca in paying a tribute to the memory of Claudius, 

thus pointedly alludes to them:— 

O'er Britons he the Roman septre swayed, 

Him the Brigantes azure-armed obeyed ; 

The trembling ocean bows before his throne, 

And the new empire distant waters own. 

Passing over a space of thirty years, we find Julius 

Agricola, governor of Britain, fixed in the north ; and, 

although we have no direct record that he founded this 

city, we think it certain that he did build, and that on a 

scale of grandeur, the city of York. The hostilities of 

the Caledonians obliged him to fix his residence in the 

north. No situation could have been more favourable to 

his purposes than this, "the richest, pleasantest, and 

• From a Latin poem by Alcuin, a native of York, in the eight century. 

+ Tacitus. 

t Tacitus described the Brigantes as the most considerable state in the whole 

province.

4 ANCIENT AND 

most extensive valley in Britain, if not all Europe ;"* com 

municating with the mighty estuary of the Humber, 

affording what was of the utmost consequence to the 

Romans, safe anchorage ;—statio bene Jida carinis. Tacitus 

tells us, that Agricola, " as well by public assistance as 

by warm exhortations, encouraged the natives to build 

temples, courts of justice, and commodious dwellinghouses." 

Now taking in connection with this, the fact, 

that the emperor Hadrian, in the year a.d. 134, took up 

his residence in York, there can be no difficulty in inferring 

that York was one of the places alluded to. We find it, 

soon after, the capital of the country, the chosen residence 

of emperors, honoured with the title of civitas, the word 

applied to Rome itself, and distinguished by a temple of 

Beexona, built no where but in Rome or in the principal 

cities of the empire. The Roman soldiers were accom 

plished masons, being trained to use the pick-axe, spade, 

and trowel, as well as military arms. Rome at this 

time possessed some of the grandest works ever constructed 

by the hands of man; for example, the pantheon, the 

Colosseum, the circus maximus, and the capitol ; we can 

not, therefore, doubt that York was built after the models 

at Rome, in a maimer suitable to the dignity of its imperial 

tenants ; and with Roman architecture, were introduced 

into York, Roman laws,f habits, and customs. The 

Romans called York, Ebobactjm and Civitas Bbigantiitm. 

The origin of the present name of the cityj has 

• Drake. 

+ The cities of the Roman provinces enjoyed considerable privileges, and 

possessed a distinct political existence. The ruling body, termed the Curia, 

was composed of Senators or Decurians, but besides the main corporation, each 

city contained various colleges, companies, or guilds, of traders and artificers ; 

and if I were a Freemason, which I am not, I should perhaps be able to ascertain 

whether the "Lodge of Antiquity" at York, is, as the members of the craft 

pretend, a real scion from the Roman stock, subsisting through so many 

changes.—Palgrave. The famous Eoman lawyer, Papianus, the chief minister 

of justice, under Geta, had his tribunal at York.—Brady on Parliaments. 

t The following are ancient names of the city of York : Eboracum, Civitas 

Brigantium, Eboracvm, Kacr-Ebravc, Cair-Effroc, Evor-wic, Efer-wic, Ceastcr, 

IsTrovicvm, Altera-Eoma, Victoria, Seita, Civitas-Eboracum, Yure-wic, Yorke.

M0DERN YORK. 5 

given rise to a good deal of discussion. But if it be true, 

as it appears to be,* that the river Ouse, which passes 

through it, was anciently called Ure and Your, it is easy 

to conceive the formation of the word Yourke, by the 

addition of the termination wick from the Saxon name of 

the place, Evor-wic or Efer-wic. The disuse of the Saxon 

language after the Norman conquest, sufficiently accounts 

for a change having taken place. 

The statements of history and tradition are amply con 

firmed by the discovery, in and about this city, of Roman 

temples, altars, baths, tablets, urns, coffins, coins, weapons, 

tiles, bricks, and sculptures. It is generally supposed 

that the extent of the walls of Roman York was little, if 

at all, less than the present walls, and that they occupied 

both sides of the river,f More remains of Roman work 

manship of various kinds have been found in the neigh 

bourhood of Micklegate bar than in any other part of 

the city, and, remarks the estimable antiquarian from 

whom we quote, " on passing on the road to the next 

Roman station, Calcarea (Tadcaster), might be formed, 

more than a mile in length, consisting of Roman relics, 

which might not inappropriately be called the street of 

tombs." Drake was of opinion that Micklegate bar had 

been built by the Romans, and in the plate of the bar 

which illustrates his Eboracum, the arch is expressly 

described as a Roman arch. He also thought that the 

Mount, outside the bar, was a Roman vallum, thrown up 

at brow-shot to defend that entrance to the town. The 

wall, on the north side of the river, is supposed to extend 

from the south or south-west side of the multangular tower, 

(now in the Museum gardens,) near to that part where 

Coney-street adjoins Jubbergate, and from this point the 

wall appears to have passed at right angles in a line from 

Jubbergate, crossing Feasegate, then crossing the new 

Fish Market, proceeding probably on the west of St. 

* See Camden's Britannia, a.d. 1590. 

t Rev. C. Welbelored. 

A2

c 

ANCIENT AND 

Andrewgate, and crossing Aldwark. It is probable that 

the other side of the ancient wall was at right angles with 

the one described, and parallel with the present city wall 

which runs along the Lord Mayor's Walk, and perhaps a 

portion might be found in the present ramparts. This, 

however, is a subject for conjecture. * 

The portion of the city that ranks next to Micklegate, 

in the amount of Roman antiquities that had been dis 

covered, is that part extending from Bootham bar to 

Clifton. Mr. Welbeloved thinks that the Psetorian 

palace stood near to Bootham—perhaps on the site of the 

Manor House ; but Drake, on the other hand, supposed 

that it occupied the whole space of ground extending from 

Christ church, Colliergate, through all the houses and 

gardens on the east side of Goodramgate and St. Andrewgate, 

through Beddern to Aldwark. 

In the year a.d. 134, the emperor Hadrian arrived in 

Britain, and fixed his court at York ; with him, as we 

learn from Ptolemy, came the Sixth Legion—Legio Sexta 

Victrix—which continued in this city upwards of 300 

years. The siege of York by the Britons, was the occa 

sion of bringing to this country the illustrious emperor 

Severus, in the year a.d. 208. He brought with him his 

sons Geta and Caracalla, and, after his expedition to 

Caledonia, resided in York about three years. Severus 

died in this city in the year a.d. 211. The Roman 

historian, Eutropius, expressly says, " decessit Eboraci ;" 

and Spartian also says, "periit Eboraci in Britannia." It 

is worthy of remark, that this fact is confirmed by the 

Saxon Chronicle, which says, "He reigned 17 years, and 

then ended his days at York." (Efer-wick.) Nothing 

but truth could have produced such a coincidence ; which 

appears to have been unnoticed by Drake. Dion Cassius, 

who omits to mention the place of Severus's death, tells 

* The distance between York and London, by the Koman road, is computed 

at 228 miles.

MODERN YORK. 7 

us "his body was borne by the soldiers to the funeral 

pile, about which the army and the two sons of the 

deceased emperor made several processions in honour of 

his memory. Abundance of presents were cast upon it, 

and at last the fire was put to it by Caracalla and Geta.*" 

Dion adds, the ashes were collected and received into 

an urn of pophyry, carried to Rome, and deposited in the 

tomb of Antonines. This ceremony, no doubt, took place 

on the Mount, now known as Severus's Hill, near Holdgate. 

Caracalla, the son of Severus, envying his brother, 

murdered him in York, in the year 212, and butchered 

an immense number of the soldiers who adhered to Geta. 

It is supposed, that about the year a.d. 272, Constantine 

the Great, the first Christian Roman emperor, was born 

in York. His father, Constantius, who had married 

Helena, the daughter of a British prince, was at that 

time residing in this city as legate under the emperor 

Aurelius. Constantius, after the resignation of Diocle 

tian, was proclaimed emperor of the west ; Italy, Africa, 

Spain, Gaul, and Britain being assigned to him. He 

returned to Britain, and in the year 305 took up his 

residence in York, where, during his absence, Carausius, 

commander of the Roman fleet, had reigned as emperor 

for some years. In the year 307, Constantius died at the 

imperial palace at York ; and Constantine the Great, who 

was with his father at his death, was immediately pro 

claimed emperor. The ceremony of deification (Awofitao-i?) 

was performed with the usual splendour,! at York ; and 

local tradition assures us, that the urn which contained 

the ashes of Constantius was preserved in the church of 

St. i?eferc's-on-the-Walls. In the year 326, the Britons 

revolted, and the Scots having come to their assistance, 

the Romans were defeated, York was captured by the 

Scots, and Octavius was crowned king of all Britain, at 

* Life of Severus, by Dion Cassius. 

t See Adam's Soman Antiquities,

8 ANCIENT AND 

this city. He was soon, however, obliged to fly to 

Norway. 

We now draw to the conclusion of the first and most 

remarkable era in the history of this city. In the year 

450, the Romans evacuated Britain ; when the victorious 

Sixth Legion bade a final farewell to Eboracum!—The 

loss of public spirit and virtue in the people of once great 

and free Rome, having produced their inevitable results, 

the decay and demoralization of the empire. 

No sooner had the Romans withdrawn from Britain, 

than the Scots and Picts burst through the northern wall, 

devastated all the country north of the Humber, and 

entered York, some of whose proudest edifices were 

reduced to ruin by the rapacious and vindictive barba 

rians ; the fate of Altera Roma thus presaging the destiny 

of mighty Rome herself. The Britons craved the aid of 

the Saxons. The Saxons came ; and under Hengist soon 

wrested York from the invaders. During the struggles 

between the Britons and the Saxons, who, from allies, 

became masters, York was frequently taken and retaken, 

and suffered severely in various sieges. Indeed, Hume, 

in describing this age of violence and revolution says, 

that the fierce conquerors threw every thing back into 

ancient barbarism ; although, of course, these expres 

sions must be understood in a limited sense. In the 

records of the events which occurred in this city at that 

time, we find the first direct evidence of the existence of 

structures dedicated to Christian worship in York. Ambrosius, 

the British king, who held a council of the 

British princes and nobles in York, ordered, we are told', 

the churches destroyed or injured by the pagans, to be 

rebuilt. King Arthur, by whom the first Christmas ever 

kept in this country, was celebrated in York, a.d. 524, 

gave similar directions. But it is probable that the 

Chrisitan religion had existed here long anterior to this 

date. It is difficult to suppose, that Christian zeal neg 

lected a country which ranked so high in the times of the


emperors as Britain. The apostles were commanded to 

preach to all the known nations of the earth ; and we 

have it on the authority of Tertullian, that multitudes of 

the Roman soldiers, in the reign of Severus, were con 

verts to Christianity ; from which fact we presume it may 

be safely inferred, that Christianity had found its way to 

this city in the time of the Romans. The Saxon chronicle 

says, that "when Elutherius undertook the bishoprick 

(Sax. lisceopdom) of Rome, Lucius, king of the Britons, 

sent letters to him, and prayed that he might be made a 

Christian." Lucius was the son of Coilus ; whose resi 

dence, we are informed, was in York. Further ; accord 

ing to the accounts of the council, called by Constantine 

the Great, at Aries, against the Donatists, a.d. 314, 

which were published by Simon, at Paris, Eborius—one 

of the three British bishops who attended—signs himself 

bishop of York;* there appears, therefore, to be little 

doubt that Christianity did exist in Britain and this city, 

anterior to the time of the Saxons. 

After a dreadful conflict, which lasted nearly 150 years, 

the Heptarchy, comprising the seven Saxon kingdoms, 

was founded ; and, a.d. 547, Ida became king of North 

umberland (i.e. the land north of the Humber), of which 

York was created the capital. At the departure of the 

Romans, and till about this time, Kaer Ebranc (York) 

was the fibst of Britain's twenty-eight cities ; Kaer- 

Lundune (London) being accounted the fourth.] It is 

somewhat to our purpose to observe, that the kingdom of 

Northumberland was almost immediately sub-divided ; 

,3311a, another Saxon prince, ruling Yorkshire and Lan 

cashire, with the title of king of the De'iri ; York was the 

chief city of this kingdom. We note this fact, because 

it connects this county with the most important event in 

the English annals—the conversion of the whole island to 

* Gough's edition of Camden's Britannia. 

+ Nennius.

10 ANCIENT AND 

the faith of Christ. Gregory, afterwards called the Great, 

while in a private station, saw in the market place of 

of Rome, some Saxon youths exposed for sale as slaves. 

Struck with their fair complexions and blooming counte 

nances, he asked to what country they belonged ; and on 

being told that they were Angles (i.e. English), he replied, 

that if they were Christians they would be Angels. He 

asked what was their native province ; and on being told 

that it was* Deiri : Dei'ri ! he exclaimed, that is good ! 

They shall be saved, De ira—from the anger of God. He 

enquired who was their king ; and was told that it was 

.3511a or Alia; he cried, Alleluia!—We must endeavour 

that thepraises of God be sung in their country.^ Gregory 

kept his pledge, and sent Augustin to England, a.d. 597, 

who was the instrument employed by God's providence to 

banish idols from this island. 

York Minster was founded a few years afterwards. 

Edwin, king of Northumberland, justly celebrated as the 

greatest prince of the Heptarchy in his age, ascended the 

throne at York. He married Ethelburga, the daughter 

of the king of Kent, a convert to Christianity ; and in the 

year 626, himself received baptismj from Paulinus, who 

had been invested^ bishop of the kingdom of Northum 

berland in the previous year. The venerable Bede's 

Ecclesiastica Historia Gentis Anglorum, contains a most 

interesting record of this happy event. He informs us 

that Edwin was baptized on Easter day, at York (Eboraci), 

in the church of the holy apostle Peter, which he had 

ordered to be hastily constructed of wood. As soon as 

• As the youths, we are told, were taken by merchants trading on the coast, 

East Yorkshire, must be referred to, as the Romans and Italians traded there ; 

but not on the coast of Lancashire, in the Irish sea. 

♦ Sec Hume's England. 

t Before Edwin embraced the Christian religion, he held a council of his 

nobles and counsellors to discuss the subject. The first who spoke was the 

high priest of the heathen gods, at York, Coifi by name, who acknowledged the 

utter vanity of those idols which he served.—Palgrave't Hitt. Anglo-Saxons. 

U See Saxon Chronicle.

MODEEN TOKK. 11 

the baptism was finished, adds Bede,* he resolved to 

build, on the same spot, a larger and more august 

structure of stone. The words of the historian are too 

pregnant with meaning to be passed by unnoticed:— 

" Majorem ipso in loco, et Augustiorem de Lapidefabricare 

Basilicam." Now Basilica (BamX(jc>)) means, properly 

speaking, a large hall, having two ranges of pillars and 

two isles or wings. Dr. Johnson says, " Basilisk is 

generally taken for a magnificent church, as the basilisk 

of St. Peter at Rome." Bede repeats the word ; from 

the whole of which, we have a right to infer, that the 

original minster was designed on a scale of great splendour, 

if we cannot infer the actualf form of the cathedral. "We 

are told that it was planned by Paulinus, who was cer 

tainly educated at Rome, if he were not an Italian. The 

edition of the Saxon Chronicle, published at Cambridge, 

by Professor Wheloc, in 1644, simply records the fact of 

Edwin's baptism ; but makes no mention of the oratory, 

or York at all. In Ingram's edition, however, printed in 

1823, which has .been faithfully collated with the nine 

manuscripts of the Saxon Chronicle extant, we find a 

description of the wooden church, and a full confirmation 

of venerable Bede's narrative. Thomas Ghent, in his 

quaint history, says that the minster was erected " where 

formerly stood the temple of Bellona." There appears, 

however, to be no other authority for this supposition 

than tradition. King Edwin did not live to see the min 

ster roofed; but his successor, Oswald, had the honour 

of completing that wonderful pile, which afterwards, to 

use the words of JEneas Sylvius, became " famous for 

• Cap. xiv. Lib. 2. 

+ Drake supposed that the original miuster was square ; because Bede used 

the words per quadrum : but it appears probable, that Bede merely meant to 

indicate that the original wooden oratory was enclosed by a square; perhaps a 

square tower ; for, that to it he is referring, the reader will at once see :— 

Praparatii ergo fundamentit, in gyro jpriobis oratobii, per quadrum capii 

adificare Basilicam.


its magnificence and splendour all over the world." York 

was amply repaid for all it lost of Roman grandeur ; and 

has for ages heen able to boast the possession of a gem 

which has no peer,—which we need not fear to leave 

alone, 

" For the comparison 

Of all that insolent Greece or haughty Borne 

Sent forth, or since did from their ashes come!" 

The ravages of the Danes and the intestine strife of the 

rival princes during the Heptarchy, present a monotonous 

history of disorder, which can be passed by in silence, 

with the observation that York was the scene of many of 

their bloodiest struggles ; and was swept by alternate 

devastators. 

When Egbert became king of all England, having 

united by conquest the seven kingdoms, a.d. 827, he still 

allowed to the Northumbria the power of electing a king, 

who paid tribute to him; but Edred, in 951, had himself 

inaugurated king of Northumbria, at a Witenagemot (the 

original of our parliaments), at which Wulstan, the 16th 

archbishop of York, presided, and then reduced North 

umbria from a kingdom to an earldom. Osulph was the 

first earl or alderman ; and York was still the chief city. 

King Edgar, surnamed the wise, upon the death of 

Osulph, further sub-divided the earldom. Deira, or 

Yorkshire, was assigned to Earl (Mac. The other divi 

sion was accorded to Earl Eadulf Evilchild ; and both 

chieftains were " girt with swords."* 

We find it recorded in the Saxon Chronicle, that in 

1055 " died Earl • Siward, at York ; and his body lies 

within the minster, at Galmanho,\ which he had himself 

ordered to be built and consecrated in the name of God 

and St. Olave, to the honour of God and all his saints." 

This Siward is invested with more than ordinary interest, 

from the fact, that his character has been sketched by 

* Palgrave's Anglo-Saxon Hist, 

t Now Marygate. Bootham bar was formerly called Galinanrhithc.


Shakspere, in his tragedy of Macbeth ; the chief inci 

dent in which wonderous performance, is the murder 

of Duncan, king of Scotland, who had married Earl 

Siward's daughter. Siward, accompanied by his gallant 

son, left York at the head of 10,000 men, marched into 

Scotland to revenge the death of Duncan, and dethrone 

Macbeth. He defeated the usurper, but lost his son. 

The death of the veteran Siward, was in keeping with 

the sternness of his military character. Finding his 

death approaching, in this city, he ordered his servants 

to clothe him in a complete suit of armour ; and sitting 

erect on the couch, with a spear in his hand, declared 

that in such a posture, the only one worthy of a warrior, 

he would patiently await the moment of dissolution. 

The second son of Siward, Waltheof, appearing. too 

young to be entrusted with the earldom, Tostig, son of 

Earl Godwin, brother of Harold, and, consequently, 

brother-in-law of King Edward the Confessor, was created 

eaxl ; but Tostig behaving with cruelty and injustice, the 

citizens of York and their fellow-subjects rose against him, 

and obliged him to take shelter in Flanders. They elected 

Morcar, a son of Algar, as their earl ; and the king was 

obliged to sanction the election. 

Edward the Confessor, about the year 1050, divided 

the north into shires, after the example of Alfred the 

Great, who had divided the rest of England in this man 

ner. "And now," to quote the eloquent lament of Drake, 

" the capital of the Roman province in Britain, the Saxon 

kingdom, and the earldom of Northumberland, which 

last anciently contained all from the German to the Irish 

sea in breadth, and from the Humber to the Tweed in 

length, was split into six or seven shires,* or counties ; 

with each a city or chief town at the head of it. So that 

York, from a command of the whole, was now in civil 

* Shire comes from a Saxon word, which means to divide. 

B


affairs, only metropolis in somewhat the largest share ; 

called, in Domesday Book, Eure-wic-scire. 

The shires were governed by sheriffs ; from the Saxon 

words seyre a shire, and reve* a steward. The sheriffs, it 

is worthy of remark, were at 

inhabitants of the county, or, 

this time elected by the 

as Holinshed's chronicle 

expresses it, the commons, at a county meeting ;f at 

which the whole county business was transacted. " And 

herein," observes Judge Blackstone, " appears plainly a 

strong trace of the democratical part of our constitution." 

The first high sheriff of Yorkshire, whose name appears to 

be recorded, is William Mallet, in the reign of William 

the Conqueror, a.d. 1069. He is called, in Latin, vicecomes 

(now viscount), as being the vice or deputy of the 

earl, or comes, to whom the custody of the county was said 

to be committed. 

After the death of Edward the Confessor, Harold, son 

of the haughty Earl Godwin, seized the crown ; but in a 

few weeks he was disturbed by the news of an invasion by 

Harfager, the king of Norway, who was accompanied by 

Harold's brother, Tostig, the expelled earl of Northumber 

land, who had entertained a deadly enmity to his brother 

from childhood. Harfager and Tostig sailed up the Humber—landed 

a large army at Ricall—defeated the English 

under Edwin and Morcar, at Fulford, and took York by 

storm. Harold immediately collected his troops, and 

arrived at the seat of war four or five days after the 

surrender of this city. The invaders evacuated York, 

and encamped at Stamford Bridge ; long afterwards known 

as " the Bridge of Battle." The king endeavoured to 

detach his brother Tostig from the Norwegian ; offering 

him the earldom of Northumberland, from which he had 

been expelled. Tostig replied, by asking the Thane who 

• E. G. Borough-reve. 

t In the county courts, or shiremotes, all the freeholders were assembled twice 

a-year, and received appeals from the inferior courts.—-Hume on the Anglo- 

Saxon Government and Manners.


bore the message, " Would Harold make any grant of 

land to Harfager ?" " Seven feet of land for a grave." 

" Hide back again," exclaimed Tostig, " and desire King 

Harold to gird himself for the fight." The armies met at 

Stamford Bridge ; when, after a bloody struggle, Harfager 

and Tostig were slain, and their troops, nearly to a man, 

cut to pieces. Harold returned in triumph to York, and 

while seated at a royal banquet, here received the disasterous 

news that William of Normandy had landed on the 

Susses coast. He hastened to the south, and fell, together 

with the power of the Anglo-Saxons, at the battle of 

Hastings. 

York was now destined to endure new calamities. Earl 

Morcar instigated the citizens to resist the Normans. 

But the insurrection had only the effect of inducing the 

conqueror to order the erection of two fortified castles in 

this city ; the one on Baile Hill, the other Clifford's 

Tower, which still stands. The sons of Harold, in Sep 

tember, 1069, aided by the Danes, sailed up the Humber 

with 250 ships ; and advanced towards York. The city 

was defended by the Norman garrison ; who, to admit of a 

better defence, fired the suburbs. The flames, however, 

spread, and both "the holyMinster of St. Peter," the library, 

and several fine buildings were burnt or greatly injured. 

The Danes, in the confusion, entered and slew the whole of 

the Normans. William exasperated by these events, went 

northward, as the Saxon Chronicle relates, " with all the 

force he could collect, despoiling and laying waste the 

shire withal." The city, commanded by Waltheof, the 

son of the Earl Siward, resisted William for six months ; 

and so maddened was he at the stand made against him 

in this district, that, William of Malmesbury, who lived 

60 years after the events, assures us, in the exaggerating 

style of the time, " From York to Durham not an inha 

bited village remained ; for slaughter and desolation made 

it a vast wilderness ; which," he added, " continued to 

his day." Some historians say, that William utterly

ANCIENT ANP 

raized York to the ground ; but this statement is inconsis 

tent with the fact, that in the reign of Stephen an 

accidental fire burnt down the Cathedral, St. Mary's 

Abbey, St. Leonard's Hospital, and forty parish churches ; 

which it is improbable would have risen from their ruins 

in so short a space of time. But the matter is set at rest 

at once by reference to the Domesday-Book ; which re 

futes the assertion altogether ; describing, as it does, the 

effect of the ravages committed—which were very extensive; 

as well as the actual condition of York in the reign of 

William I. 

The notice ofYork in the Domesday is too interesting to 

be dismissed without examination. Hume remarks,* that 

the cities of England appear, by Domesday-Book, to have 

been at the conquest little better than villages : adding, 

" York itself, though it was always the second, at least 

the third city in England, and was the capital of a great 

province, which was never thoroughly united with the 

rest, contained then but 1418 families, which, at the rate 

of five persons to a family, makes about 7000 souls." 

With the inference of Mr. Hume we are constrained 

to disagree ; for he omits to mention facts, which seriously 

effect the validity of his argument ; and is inaccurate in 

the account which he professes to make on the authority 

of the record referred to. In the first place, it must be 

remarked that Domesday-Book was commenced in the 

sixteenth yearf of the reign of William the Conqueror. 

Consequently, the survey was taken after the city had 

suffered severely from fires, sieges, and devastations,— 

after William had burnt down the suburbs nearly a mile 

in extent. It is, therefore, unfair to infer that the cities 

of England were mere villages at this time, because York 

had been curtailed of its fair proportions by accidental cir 

cumstances. Domesday, beginning its account of this city, 

says, " In the city of York, in the time of King Edward, 

* Appendix 1. + A D. 1082,

MODERN YOEK. 17 

besides the ward fscyram) of the archbishop, there were 

six wards : one of these was destroyed when the castles 

were built. In five wards there were 1418 inhabited 

mansions. The archbishop has yet a third part of one of 

these wards. In these, no one but a burgess was entitled 

to any customary payments, except Merlesuain, in one 

house, below the castle ; except the canons wherever they 

reside, and except four magistrates, to whom the king 

granted this privilege by his writ, and that for their lives ; 

but the archbishop was entitled to all the customary 

payments in his ward." Now, as Mr. Hume thought 

proper to adopt the numbers here given, why did he omit 

the archbishop's ward ? These numbers refer to the time 

of Edward the Confessor, and exclude the archbishop's 

ward, as well as the ward destroyed when the castles were 

built, together with the suburbs burnt by the Normans. 

The writers of Domesday-Book continue, " Of all the 

above-mentioned mansions (viz. 1418 in the five wards), 

there are now in the king's possession :— 

391 inhabited, great and small, paying custom ; 

400 uninhabited, which do yield customary services, 

but some only one penny rent, and some less ; and 

540 mansions so uninhabitable, that they pay nothing 

at all ; and 

145 houses are held by foreigners (Francigene)." 

At the time, therefore, that Domesday-Book was com 

piled, in those five wards only 1076 houses " in the king's 

possession" were inhabited. Domesday next enumerates 

several other houses ; which do not appear to be included 

in the above return. 

" St. Cuthbert has one mansion, which he always had, 

as many say, quit of all custom : but the bugessess say, 

that it had not been quit in the time of King Edward, 

unless as one of the burgessess, for this reason, that he 

had his own toll and that of the canons. Besides this, 

the Bishop of Durham has, of the king's gift, the church 

of All Saints, and what belonged to ; and all the land of 

b 2


Uctred, and the land of Everuin, which Hugo, the sheriff, 

quit-claimed to Walcherus, bishop of Durham, by the 

king's writ ; and the burgessess who rent it, say that 

they hold it under the king. 

" The Earl of Morton has there fourteen mansions and 

two stalls, in the Butchery* and the church of St. Crux. 

" Nigel de Monevile has one house. 

" Nigel Fossart had two houses, and holds them under 

the king." 

Waldin, Hamelin, Alwin, Richard de Surdeval, and 

the Bishop of Constance are then mentioned as the holders 

of nine houses. 

William de Percy has fourteen mansions, and the church 

of St. Mary. Of Earl Hugo, the same William has two 

mansions of two bailiffs of Earl Harold ; but the burgessess 

say that one of them had not been the earl's, but the 

other had been forfeited to him. 

" Hugo, son of Baldrick, hath four houses and twentynine 

small mansions, at a rent, and the church of St. 

Andrew's, which he bought." 

The writers of Domseday then state, that Robert Malet 

had nine houses ; Erneis de Burun four ; Gilbert Mominot 

three; Barenger de Todeni ten; Osbern de Archis sixteen ; 

Odo Balistarius four houses and one church; Richard, son 

of Erfast, three houses and the church of the Holy 

Trinity ; Montcafini one ; Landric, the carpenter, ten 

and a half, which the sheriff made over to him. In the 

time of King Edward, there were, they continue, "in 

the archbishop's ward, 189 inhabited houses at a rent. 

At present there are 100 inhabited, great and small; 

besides the archbishop's palace and the canon's houses. 

The archbishop hath as much in his ward, as the king in 

his wards." 

From the foregoing abstract of the record in Domesday 

describing the city of York, it appears, that in the year 

• Hodie; Shambles-


1082, notwithstanding the destruction of one of the seven 

wards, when the castles were built, the devastation caused 

by the various sieges and conflagrations, and the burning 

of the suburbs by William, there were 1711, exclusive of 

churches, the castles, the bishop's palace, and the resi 

dences of the canons ; which fact proves, we apprehend 

beyond question, that York must have been, before the 

six months' siege of the conqueror, and the dreadful 

ravages attendant upon it, an extensive city. If this be 

so, Hume's argument against the political importance of 

cities and boroughs at the time of the conquest, falls to 

the ground, for his premises are faulty. 

O'er the utmost borders of the northern land, 

Old York renewed, exerts supreme command. 

, The Roman eagle chose it for its seat ; 

But barbarous foes its ruin to complete, 

Fierce Picts, Scots, Danes, Normans, and Saxons here, 

Discharged the loudest thunder of the war. 

But these dispersed, and every storm o'erblown ; 

Mild peace once more breathed on the happy town. 

Let London still the just precedence claim, 

York shall aspire to be the next in fame.* 

On the 4th of June, 1137, in the reign of King Stephen, 

a dreadful fire occurred in York, by which the Cathedral, 

thirty-nine churches, and a great part of the city were 

reduced to ashes. On the previous day, the Cathedral of 

[Rochester had been burnt ; and on the 27th of the same 

disasterous month, the city of Bath was nearly destroyed 

by fire. 

In the following August, David, king of Scotland, 

crossed the border, and penetrated as far as York ; where 

upon, Thurstan, archbishop of this province, put on his 

military harness, summoned " the Barons bold" of York 

shire, and advanced to meet the Scotch. The Scottish 

king retired to Caton Moor, near Northallerton, where, 

on the 22nd of August, was fought the memorable 

" Battle of the Standard." The archbishop ordered a tall 

mast to be formed; on the top of which were place a cross 

* Translated by Gough, from the Latin of Johnson, of Aberdeen,


and a pix, or silver vessel, containing the eucharist ; and 

from which floated the consecrated banners of St. Peter, 

St. John of Beverley, and St. Wilfred. This standard 

was mounted on a chariot, and borne into the field ; and 

so wrought upon were the fears of the one party and the 

superstitious enthusiasm of the other, by the expedient, 

that King David was utterly routed, leaving 10,000 dead 

on the field. 

King Stephen was succeeded by Henry the II., the first 

of the Plantagets, son of the empress Maud (Matilda), 

the daughter of Henry I. Some writers have stated, 

without adequate enquiry we fear, that the first parliament 

mentioned in history was held in York, in this reign, 

A.D. 1160. Drake, more cautious, says " one of the 

first." Hollinshed and Meed, on the other hand, say 

that parliament was first summoned at Salisbury, in the 

sixteenth year of Henry I., the grandfather of Henry II. 

Sir "Walter Raleigh is of the same opinion as to the king's 

reign, but fixes the meeting in the eighteenth year ; and 

Lord Bacon was of opinion that the House of Commons 

began in that monarch's time.* But although the first 

meeting of the general parliament after the conquest 

cannot be alleged to have met at York, there is un 

questionable evidence, that the Anglo-Saxon parliament 

(Witenagemot) had frequently been held in this city, 

centuries before the time of Henry II. Drake says that 

the Witenagemot was " a thing not known" in the 

kingdom of Northumbria, of which York was the capital ; 

an assertion rather startling, but for the qualification 

which he adds, " At least it has not fallen in my way to 

describe it." The Saxons brought with them from Ger 

many, popular and free deliberate assemblies. They 

cherished their ancient liberty when settled in England, 

and clung to their laws and customs with extraordinary 

tenacity. So much so, that Abbe Raynal says, "Incapable 

• See Wade's British History.


of bending, either by insinuation or force, these islanders 

obstinately retained their polity." The Witenagemot 

was prized in other parts of the country ; how then could 

it be a thing unknown in Northumbria ? We have 

abundant evidence that several Saxon Parliaments were 

held in the kingdom of Northumbria, if not in its capital 

city—York ; and in later times, it was by the vote of the 

" nobles and wise men of the kingdom," that William 

Rufus, the second son of the Conqueror, was allowed to 

ascend the throne in preference to his elder brother Robert. 

On the death of Rufus, the claim of Robert was again set 

aside, in favour of his younger brother Henry, " by the 

consent and council of the whole body of the realm," 

assembled at Winchester. Henry's daughter Maud was 

in like manner passed by, and Stephen, as he himself 

states the fact, was " chosen king by the common voice 

and unanimous consent of the nobles and people." It must 

be remarked, notwithstanding all the efforts of the Nor 

man party to establish the feudal system, that many of 

Anglo-Saxon customs were retained in spite of the 

foreigners. The Normans endeavoured to extinguish the 

Saxon language, yet, at this day, out of the sixty-nine 

words that make up the Lord's Prayer, there are but five 

words that are not Saxon. Most of the names of the 

towns and villages of England, certainly of Yorkshire, 

are of Saxon origin ; and the old county courts, at which 

the freeholders met, transacted the county business, and 

elected sheriffs, &c., were still kept up ; although none 

of the feudal governments of Europe had such an institu 

tion. Further, wo know that the English were constantly 

clamouring for the restoration of their old laws and cus 

toms, and wrung concessions from William Rufus, Henry 

I. (who confirmed the laws of Edward the Confessor), 

and Stephen. It is, therefore, incredible to suppose, that 

they forgot their ancient parliament. 

At what precise time the city of York first sent repre 

sentatives to parliament, it is perhaps impossible to


determine. We have no record that contains a list of the 

city members earlier than the reign of Edward I. Some 

are of opinion, that prior to the time of Henry III., the 

cities and towns were esteemed too mean to enjoy the 

privilege of sending deputies to the national councils ; 

but, on the other hand, the municipal system was of 

Roman origin ; the customs, rules, franchises, and pre 

cedents of that system, containing, as M. Guizot observes, 

the germ of liberty, prevailed in York and the other 

towns, when the Saxons came ; who were also attached 

to popular deliberative assemblies. The feudal system 

was inimical, it is true, to municipal democracy ; yet it 

could not in England extinguish the tradition of Roman 

and Saxon freedom. The Conqueror himself gave a 

charter to the citizens of London; his son, Henry I., 

granted a charter to the citizens of York, securing their 

rights, customs, and privileges ; and the clauses in 

Magna Charta, regulating the assessment of aids, indicate 

that the boroughs were then not of inconsiderable im 

portance,—if they do not warrant the inference, that 

London, York, and other places then sent deputies to the 

parliaments of King John. 

These considerations appear to us conclusive against the 

opinion, that the first English parliament assembled in 

York, in the reign of Henry II. ; for such an opinion is 

alike inconsistent with the supposition of the great an 

tiquity of the English parliaments, held by one class of 

historians ; and with the ideas of those, who, on the other 

hand, contend that the first regular parliament in England, 

was summoned by King Henry III. It is difficult to 

believe that, before these epochs, communities living in 

cities and towns—(required to bear the burdens of the 

state)—did not assert the right of expressing their voice 

in the public councils ; a right which they appear to have 

possessed from their establishment as municipal towns, till 

the Norman conquest, when their privileges were violently 

suspended.

MOBERN YORK. 23 

The second Henry was frequently in York. About the 

year 1 1 56, he held a parliament here, and received at it the 

homage of Malcolm, king of Scotland, who, in 1 1 74, again 

did homage at the parliament held in York, and deposited, 

as a mark of vassalage, his spear, breast-plate, and saddle 

on the altar of the Cathedral. In the following year, a synod 

of the clergy was held at Westminster, where the disputes 

between the archbishops of Canterbury and York, as to 

precedency, or sitting at the right hand of the pope's 

legate, ran so high, that the monks espousing opposite 

parties, came to blows, and a violent affray ensued. The 

reign of Henry II. is also remarkable for the division of 

England into six circuits, to each of which, three judges 

were appointed ; York being included in the northern 

circuit. 

The reign of King Richard I., surnamed Cceur de Lion, 

whose exploits in Palestine have been the theme of so 

many tales, plays, songs, and ballads, was signalized by 

a dreadful persecution of the Jewish people in England ; 

affording another illustration of the prophecy, " Among 

these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole 

of thy foot have rest ; but the Lord shall give thee a 

trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind ; 

and thy life shall hang in doubt before thee, and thou 

shalt fear day and night and have no assurance of thy 

life." At the coronation of Richard, in Westminster, the 

mob fell upon the Jews, who came to offer the king pre 

sents. They murdered many, and plundered the houses 

of most of the Jews in London. This example was followed 

at Norwich, Lincoln, and York. Several Jews resided in 

this city at that period, their principal places of residence 

being Jewbergate (now Jubbergate), and Jewbry, in 

Layerthorpe, in the suburbs. The Jews of York, fiercely 

persecuted by the inhabitants, took refuge in Clifford's 

Tower ; and were so hard pressed by the high sheriff and 

the Posse-Comitatus, who refused the money the Jews 

offered for permission to escape, that near 2000 unhappy


Israelites immolated themselves to disappoint the fury of 

the populace ; some killing their wives, children, and 

companions, who refused to live, and the survivors setting 

fire to the building and casting themselves into the devour 

ing flames ! In this reign also two synods of the clergy 

were held in this city. 

During the reigns of John, Henry III., and the three 

Edwards, York was frequently the seat of royalty. 

Several parliaments were assembled here ; and the courts 

of justice, with Domesday-Book and the other national 

records, were removed from London hither. In the year 

1222, Henry III. gave his sister Joan in marriage to 

Alexander II., of Scotland, in this city ; and the same 

king afterwards met at York, the Scotch king's successor, 

Alexander III., who was then married in York Minster, 

to Henry's daughter Margaret : Archbishop Grey giving 

50 fat oxen for the wedding dinner, beside 4000 marks. 

Edward II. strongly fortified the walls. The armies 

destined to encounter the kings of Scotland, after the wars 

broke out, more than once rendezvoued at York ; whither 

Edward flew, after the battle of Bannockbum. Several 

tournaments were held in this neighbourhood in these 

days of chivalry. 

" Knights with a long retinue of their squires, 

In gaudy liveries, march and quaint attires ; 

One laced the helm, another held the lance, 

A third the shining buckler did advance. 

The courser paw'd the ground with restless feet, 

And snorting, foam'd, and champ'd the golden bit. 

The smiths and armourer on palfreys ride ; 

Files in their hands, and hammers at their side ; 

And nails for loosened spears, and thongs for shields provide. 

The yeomen guard the streets in seemly bands ; 

And clowns came crowding on with cudgels in their hands." 

The marriage of the young and martial Edward III., at 

York Minster, in 1329, to Philippa, the lovely daughter 

of William of Hainault, to whom he appears to have been 

betrothed when his mother was in Holland, three years 

previously, was more especially the occasion of pageants

MODEEN YORK. 25 

on a splendid scale. Froissart tells us that " there was 

nothing but jousts, triumphs, and tournaments in the day 

time ; and maskings, revels, and interludes, with songs 

and dances in the evening ; along with continual feasting 

for three weeks." Edward ascended the throne in 1327 ; 

being then only fourteen years old ; and, consequently, at 

the time of his marriage, was in his seventeenth year. 

His queen was about the same age. Edward kept the 

Christmas of 1328 in York ; and, before the solemnities of 

the occasion were ended, Lord John of Hainault arrived, 

with his niece the bride, and a numerous retinue. On 

Sunday, the 24th January, 1329, the eve of the feast of St. 

Paul's conversion, the marriage was solemnized at the 

Cathedral, by Dr. William Melton, archbishop of York, 

assisted by Dr. John Hotham, bishop of Ely, who sang the 

mass upon the occasion. The festivities, however, were 

embittered by a quarrel, which took place at Watlingate, 

outside Walmgate Bar, between the foreigners, who 

escorted the bride, and the citizens, or rather, perhaps, the 

troops of King Edward, in which no fewer than 527 

foreigners and 242 Englishmen were killed. The first 

issue of these nuptials was Edward, afterwards the illus 

trious Black Prince. 

David Bruce, king of Scotland, taking advantage of the 

absence of Edward III. in France, in 1346, in which year 

the battle of Cressy was fought, entered England with an 

army of 50,000 men, and devastated the country up to the 

gates of York. Queen Philippa, then in the city, offered 

the Scots battle, and at Neville's Cross, in Durham, killed 

15,000 of the enemy, and made Bruce prisoner, bringing 

him back to the point from whence she had pursued him. 

Richard II, son of Edward, the Black Prince, succeeded 

King Henry III. In the reign of this monarch, the title of 

Lord Mayor was first conferred upon the chief magistrate 

of York. He granted a new charter to the citizens ; and, 

during a visit, took his sword from his side, and gave it to 

William de Selby, then mayor, to be borne before him, and 

c


his successors, with the point erect, except in the presence 

of the crown. Richard, a few years afterwards, presented 

a mace to the Lord Mayor (Robert Savage) and a cap 

of maintenance to the sword-bearer. The same king abo 

lished the office of bailiff, and appointed two sheriffs ; thus 

forming the county of the city, to which the Ainsty was 

subsequently added. 

In the following reign took place the famous rebellion of 

Archbishop Scroope, who, with the assistance of the earl 

of Northumberland, the earl of Nottingham, and Lord 

Falconbridge, raised 20,000, for the redress of grievances. 

Henry IV. immediately sent an army against them, under 

the earl of Westmorland. The parties met at Shipton, 

near York, when the archbishop and Nottingham, having 

consented to a parley, were made prisoners by stratagem. 

The king appointed Sir William Fulthorpe their judge; who, 

without indictment, trial, or defence, passed sentence of 

death upon both. They were executed without delay, 

and the heads of the archbishop and the earl of Notting 

ham were placed upon spears above the walls of this city. 

This is the first instance in England of a capital punish 

ment inflicted on a bishop.* Henry was insensed with 

the citizens for having sided with the insurgents ; and 

forthwith sent a royal mandate—dated from Pontefract, 

3rd June, a.d. 1405—depriving York of all its liberties, 

franchises, privileges, and customs, and delivering the 

custody thereof to "his chosen and faithful servants, 

John Stanley and Roger Leeche." Shortly afterwards, 

however, by the advice of his privy council, a royal 

pardon was issued by the king, from Ripon ; in the 

benefits of which, York participated. 

In the subsequent season, the earl of Northumberland 

and Lord Bardolf attempted to revive the insurrection ; 

but Sir Thomas Rokesby, sheriff of Yorkshire, levied 

the militia, and gained a victory over the rebels, at 

* Hume's England.


Bramham ; where both Northumberland and Bardolf were 

slain. About this time appeared John Wickliff. He was 

born in Yorkshire ; but whether his teaching produced 

any results in this city, does not appear. 

In the year 1421, the renowned Henry V.—in his salad 

days, the mad-cap " Hal" and boon companion of Jack 

Falstaff—who, afterwards, " did affright the air at 

Agincourt," visited York, in company with his queen. 

Both went, after the fashion of the times, on a pilgrimage 

to the shrine of St. John of Beverley. 

During " the wars of the Roses," or the sanguinary 

struggles which took place between the rival houses of 

York and Lancaster, this city was the theatre of much 

suffering and of many commotions. Edward IV., (of the 

House of York,) who succeeded Henry VI., immediately 

after his accession to the throne, marched to Yorkshire 

with 49,000, to oppose the Lancastrians. The army of 

Queen Margaret (of the House of Lancaster) amounted 

to 60,000, under the Duke of Somerset, and was posted in 

and around York; where were also the queen, her husband, 

and her son. On Palm Sunday, in that year, (1461,) was 

fought the most terrible battle ever witnessed in England, at 

Towton, eight miles from this city ; the description of 

which, is thus forcibly given by the poet Drayton :— 

Now followeth that black scene, borne up so ivonderous high, 

That but a poor dumb show before a tragedy 

The former battles fought have seemed to this to be. 

O, Towton! let the blood Palm Sunday pour'd on thee 

Affright the future times, when they the muse shall hear 

Delivered so to them ; and let the ashes there 

Of forty-thousand men, as they would live again 

To tell the manly deeds that bloody day were wrought. 

All the high road from Towton almost to the walls of 

York, was stained with blood and strewn with corpses ; 

"revolting human sight and accusing human wickedness." 

Edward marched immediately to York, and took down 

the heads of his father and Salisbury, that had been put 

on spikes above one of the bars, and buried them ;


replacing them by the heads of the earls of Devon and 

Wiltshire. He spent his Easter in this city, and from 

thence moved on towards Durham.* 

Edward died in his forty-first year ; and was succeeded 

by his unfortunate young son. At the time of his demise, 

Edward's brother, Richard, duke of Gloucester (afterwards 

Richard III), was on the borders of Scotland with an 

army. Richard repaired to York, to which place he was 

particularly attached, and caused a solemn mass to be per 

formed in the Minster for the repose of the late king's soul. 

He summoned the nobility of the north to this city, and 

caused them to swear fealty to his nephew the young king, 

being the first to take the oath of allegiance himself. 

Richard was appointed Lord Protector ; and the corporation 

of York soon after took an opportunity of begging him to 

move the king for a diminution of their yearly payments to 

the crown in consideration of the expenses they had incurred 

in the public service. On the 8th June, 1 483, Richard wrote 

* Good living was not undervalued it seems in those days. In the year 1465, 

in the reign of Edward IV., George Nevill was created archbishop of York,, 

and, at his installment, made a feast, to which a vast multitude of the nobility, 

clergy, and gentry, with their vassals and retainers were invited ; the bill of 

fare whereof was as follows — 

300 quarters of wheat 3000 capons 200 reeee 

330 tuns of ale 100 peacocks 1506 hot venison pasties 

I pipe spiced wine 200 cranes 4000 cold ditto 

104 tuns of wine 3000 geese 1000 dishes of jelly, parted 

Above 400 bucks, does, 2000 chickens 4000 ditto, plain 

and roebucks 4000 pigeons 4000 cold custards 

80 fat oxen 204 bittours 2000 hot ditto 

6 wild bulls 4000 ducks 300 pikes 

1004 weathers 400 hersews 300 breams 

300 calves 200 pheasants 8 seals 

200 kids 500 partridges 4 porpuses 

300 hogs 4000 woodcocks 4000 tarts 

300 pigs 400 plovers 

4000 rabbits 100 Curlews 

100 quails 

1000 egretts 

At this feast earl of Warwick was steward; earl of Bedford, treasurer; and the 

Lord Hastings comptroller, with many more noble officers, as we are informed 

by a manuscript quoted by Ghent; and it probably lasted for several days. 

Archbishop NeviU died in exile and poverty.

MODERN YORE. 29 

a letter to them from the Tower of London, stating that he 

had not leisure to accomplish their business then ; but, 

adding, " be assured, that for your kind and lufying dis 

position to us at all tymes showed, which wee never can 

forget, we in all gudly haste, shall so endeavour for your 

ease in this behalf, a3 that ye shall veryly understand wee 

be your epsecial gud and lufying lord." Two days after 

wards, Richard, from the same place, wrote the following 

urgent letter, which shows what object he had in view in 

making these very ardent protestations.—It was addressed 

to the Lord Mayor and Corporation, and was born with all 

speed to York by Sir Richard Ratcliffe :— 

" The Due of Gloucester, brother and uncle of kynges, protectour, defendour. 

gret chamberleyne, constable, and admiral of England. 

"Bight, trusty, and well-beloved, wee greet you well. And as you love the 

wele of us, and the wele and surety of your own self, wee heartily pray you to 

come up unto us to London, in all the diligence yee can possible, after the sight 

hereof, with as many as yee can make defensively arrayed ; there to aid and 

assist us against the queen, her bloody adherents and affinity, which have 

entended, and daily do entend, to murder and utterly destroy us and our cousyn 

the due of Buckingham, and the old royal blood of the realm. And as it is now 

openly known by their subtle and dampnable wais forecasted the same ; and also 

the final destruction and disherison of you and all odyr the enheriters and men 

of honor, as well of the north part, as odyr countrees that belongen unto us ; as 

our trusty servant, this bearer, shall more at large show you ; to whom we pray 

you to give credence, and as even we may do for you in tyme coming. Fail not ; 

but haste you to us. Given under our signet at London, the 10th of June." 

Three days after the despatch of this letter, occurred the 

memorable scene in the Tower of London, where Richard, 

having charged the council with treason against his life, 

arrested Hastings, Stanley, De Rotheram, Archbishop of 

York, and the Bishop of Ely, as traitors. The archbishop 

received a wound in his head from the pole-axe of one of 

the armed men who rushed into the council chamber, when 

Richard smote the table with his hand ; and Lord Hastings 

was beheaded on the green by the Tower chapel, as it will 

be recollected, before the protector dined. On the 15th 

of June, Sir Richard Ratcliffe had reached York with 

Richard's letter, having, although a state messenger, taken 

five days to perform the journey, which, in these days of 

railroads, is travelled in ten hours ! The corporation, who 

c 2

30 ATfCIENT AND 

were warm adherents of the Duke of Gloucester, immedi 

ately ordered all the forces they could muster to meet at 

Pontefract on the 18th, where the Earl of Northumberland 

awaited to conduct them to London ; and, on the 19th, a 

proclamation from Richard arrived in York, commanding 

all manner of men in their best defensible array to repair 

to him. After the bloody tragedy in the Tower—the 

history whereof Shakspere has rendered so familiar to us 

—Richard was crowned king, with the title of Richard 

III., at Westminster. Immediately afterwards he pro 

ceeded with his queen to York* where the citizens received 

him with the pomp and triumph that he loved ; and plays 

and pageants were for several days exhibited in this city. 

The streets through which he passed were hung with 

cloths of arms and tapestry, and all was rejoicing and 

festivity. From Nottingham, the king's secretary had 

written a letter to York, urging " the gude masters, the 

mair, recorder and aldermen, andsherhTs," to make splendid 

preparations for their majesties reception, assuring them of 

the singular love and zeal which Richard bore to the city 

of York " afore all other ;" and telling them, for the 

purpose of exciting emulation, " for there be comen 

many southern lords and men of worship which will 

mark greatly your resayving thar graces." That Richard 

was most anxious to appear in an imposing manner 

before his northern subjects and to win their regard, 

is thus evident ; a fact which the letter,—preserved in the 

Harleian MSS.—written by himself, from York to Piers 

Courties, the keeper of his wardrobe, ordering him to 

send hither an immense, and almost incredible, supply of 

gorgeous state apparel confirms ; which letter also affords a 

strong presumption in favour of the statement made by 

Ghent, Drake, Lyttleton, Lingard, and Sharon Turner, 

that Richard, the better to secure his usurped kingdom, 

was crowned a second time at York. Drake assures us, 

* Sharon Turner's History of England.


that the coronation took place in the Chapter House, on 

the 8th September, 1483, and that the crown was placed 

on the king's head by Archbishop Rotheram.* On the 

appointed day, the clergy led the state procession in copes 

richly vested ; and at the most impressive part of the 

moving pomp, the king appeared with his crown and 

sceptre, in the fullest majesty which royal apparel could 

impart. A numerous train of nobility followed, preceding 

the queen, bearing also her diadem ; and leading in her 

hand her little son, ten years old, with golden rod and 

demy crown. The effect was as great as the kingly con 

triver had anticipated or could desire. The flattered and 

delighted populace of the rude north, which had never 

witnessed such a spectacle since the days of the Saxon 

octarchy, shouted their tumultuous rapture, and extolled 

him to the skies. f Upon this occasion, Richard made 

good his promise to the citizens, and relieved York for 

ever of rent paid to the crown of £23 9*. 2c?., a vast sum, 

when the difference in the value of money is estimated 

and the fact considered, that in those days a quarter of 

wheat might be purchased for two shillings ! 

After the battle of Bosworth field, where Richard fell, 

Richmond ascended the throne as Henry VII., which king, 

by his marriage with Elizabeth of York, united the houses 

of York and Lancaster ; thus happily putting an end to the 

fatal feud of the white and red roses. In immitation of his 

predecessor, Henry made a tour, after his coronation at 

London, to the north. The new king approaching York 

was received three miles from the gates by the corporation 

and citizens on horseback ; near the walls by processions 

of friars, and within the city by vast multitudes. The cry 

of " the mervellous great nomber of men, women and 

children on foote," says Hearne, " was King Henry ! 

* There is a chair in York Minster, which tradition has for ages declared 

to have been used at the coronation of this king, in the Cathedral. 

t Sharon Turner's History of England.


King Henry ! Our Lord preserve that sweet and well 

favoured face." The people were rejoiced at the prospect 

of quiet times, and a peaceable succession. 

" England had long been mad, and scarred herself; 

The brother blindly shed the brothers' blood ; 

The father rashly slaughter'd his own son, 

The son compell'd, been butcher to the sire : 

All this divided York and Lancaster, 

Divided in their dire division." 

Nineteen years afterwards, Henry's daughter, the princess 

Margaret, a lovely girl, in her eighteenth year, was received 

in York with much state in her journey to Scotland, to 

join herself in marriage to James IV., that gay gallant that 

afterwards fell 

On Hodden's fatal field, 

Where shivered was fair Scotland's spear, 

And broken was her shield. 

The princess—afterwards the mother of Mary, queen of 

Scots—accompanied by five hundred lords and ladies was 

met at Tadcaster bridge by the sheriffs, and was received 

at Micklegate Bar by the Lord Mayor, clothed in crimson 

satin, with his gold chain, and mounted on a horse, with 

crimson velvet trappings ; and the recorder, aldermen, &c., 

in their state robes. Margaret remained some days in this 

city. She was presented with a silver cup, gilt with gold ; 

and appeared so well pleased with the citizens that she 

made a courteous speech to the corporation when she 

reached Clifton on her journey northward, in which she 

declared, " My love to you and the city shall continue in 

my heart as long as life itself." The marriage was not a 

happy one : James was unfaithful to his queen :— 

And yet the sooth to tell, 

Nor England's fair, nor France's queen, 

Were worth one pearl drop, bright and sheen, 

From Margaret's eye that fell, 

His own Queen Margaret, who in Lithgow's bower, 

All lonely sat, and wept the weary hour.* 

With a view to the promotion of trade, Henry VII. 

established ten staple towns in England, with peculiar 

* Scott's Marmion,


commercial privileges, as marts, where foreigners might 

find the commodities of the country in abundance ; and of 

these towns York was the second. In the following reign 

the celebrated Wolsey was created archbishop of this 

province ; being at the same time cardinal, legate of the 

Pope, Lord Chancellor of England, prime minister of state, 

Bishop of Durham and Winchester ; and with those offices 

holding the abbeys of St. Albans and Lincoln, divers prio 

ries and other great benefices in commendam; also the 

bishoprics of Bath, Worcester, and Hereford, in farm. It 

was aptly enough written— 

Begot by butchers, but by bishops bred, 

How high his honour holds his haughty head !* 

Cardinal Wolsey, however, never entered his Cathedral at 

York ; although he once reached Cawood, about ten miles 

distant, from whence he was abruptly summoned by the 

king ; and never was installed. 

The reign of Henry VIII. was memorable for the impor 

tant ecclesiastical changes which was effected in all parts 

of the kingdom. The suppression of the abbeys and 

monasteries—in its immediate effects—operated injuriously 

uponYork ; for the city contained a large numberofwealthy 

and powerful communities that were thereby dislodged 

and dispersed. 

Indeed the suppression of the monasteries turned so 

many adrift on the world, that an insurrection broke out 

in Yorkshire, and both York and Hull were captured by 

the rebels ; which insurrection, however, was speedily 

put down by the Duke of Norfolk. The effect of these 

changes will best be estimated, by enumerating the abbeys, 

hospitals, and chapels, which existed in York before the 

reformation :— 

ABBEYS, PRIORIES, MONASTERIES, AND OTHER RELIGIOUS 

HOUSES. 

1. The Abbey of St. Mary; Black Friars, or Benedictines. 

2. The Abbey of St. Augustine. 

* This is one of the most perfect specimens of alliteration to be met with.


3. The Monastery of Franciscans ; Grey Friars. 

4. The Priory of the Holy Trinity ; Benedictines. 

5. The Monastery of the Carmelites ; White Friars. 

6. The College of St. William. 

7. The Priory of St. Andrew ; Gilbertines. 

8. Convent of Nuns, at Clementhorpe ; Benedictines. 

9. The Monastery of Friars' Preachers ; Dominicans. 

hospitals, &c. 

1 . Hospital of our Lady ; Horse-fair. 

2. Hospital of St. John and our Lady; Fossgate. 

3. Hospital of St. Leonard's ; Mint Yard. 

4. Hospital of St. Anthony ; Peaseholm. 

5. Hospital of St. Nicholas ; without Walmgate Bar. 

6. Hospital of St. Thomas ; without Micklegate Bar. 

7. Hospital belonging to the Merchants' Hall. 

8. Hospital of St. Cuthbert ; beside St. Nicholas Church. 

9. Maison Dieu of the shoemakers : Walmgate. 

10. Maison Dieu; Ouse Bridge. 

11. Maison Dieu; Tailors' Hall. 

12. The Spital of St. Loy; Monk Bridge. 

13. The Spital of St. Catharine ; without Micklegate Bar. 

14. The Spital; Fishergate, beside St. Helens. 

15. The House of St. Anthony; Peaseholm-green. 

16. The House of St. Anthony; Gillygate. 

CHAPELS IN THE CITY AND SUBURBS, BEFOBE THE 

DISSOLUTION BY HENRY Till. 

1. St. Ann's; Foss-bridge. 

2. St. Ann's ; Horse-fair. 

3. Holy Trinity; Beddern. 

4. St. Christopher's. 

5. St. Christopher's ; Guild Hall. 

6. St. Catherine's ; Haver-lane. 

7. Bishop's Chapel ; fields near Clementhorpe. 

8. St. George's Chapel ; between Foss and Ouse. 

9. St. James's ; without Micklegate Bar. 

10. St. Mary's Chapel; St. Mary's Abbey.


11. St. Mary's Chapel ; at the White Friars. 

12. St. Mary's Chapel ; Marygate. 

13. St. Mary Magdalene's ; near Burton Stone. 

14. St. Stephen; in the Minster. 

15. St. Sepulchre's ; near the Minster. 

16. Holy Trinity's Chapel ; Merchants' Hall. 

17. St. William's Chapel ; Ouse Bridge. 

These abbeys, hospitals, and chapels fell, and with 

them eighteen parish churches, the materials and revenues 

of all which, were converted to secular uses.* The 

number of parish churches alone in York, before the 

events of which we are speaking, was forty-one, or as 

other records say, forty-three. 

Henry appointed a lord president of the north, and a 

council; which continued as a dreadful instrument of 

oppression till the Commonwealth ; the lord president 

residing in the house without Bootham Bar. Henry VIII. 

spent twelve days in this city, which was also visited by 

Mary and Elizabeth ; in the reign of which latter queen, 

a conference was held at York on Scottish affairs. After 

the days of " good Queen Bess," King James, I. of Eng 

land, and VI. of Scotland, visited York on his way to 

London, and was received here with great solemnity and 

enthusiasm. The news of the queen's death, we are 

informed, was conveyed from London to King James, at 

Edinburgh, in two days. This, at first sight, appears im 

probable, although the fact is well authenticated ; for on 

our high roads of the nineteenth century, the journey can 

not be performed in a shorter time ; and till the middle of 

last century there were so few roads, and those few were 

so execrably bad, that the manufactures of the country were 

conveyed from place to place, through bridle-ways, on 

pack-horses ! In 1 706, the stage-coach, from York to 

London, was four days on the road: and so late as 1763t 

it took from twelve to fourteen days to travel from London 

Drake.


to Edinburgh. Arthur Young gives a frightful description 

of the roads in his time, in all parts of England, especially 

in the north ; and we may judge of the state of things 

in Scotland, when, about eighty years ago, it required a 

fortnight for the carrier to go to and from Edinburgh to 

Selkirk—a distance of thirty-eight miles ! Although 

Elizabeth's death took place on the 22nd of March, 1603, 

the intelligence did not reach Robert Water, the Lord 

Mayor of York, till the 27th. The matter was then treated 

as a rumour; and so perplexed were the Lord Mayor and 

Corporation as to the propriety of proclaiming James, king, 

that they sent the recorder, with Thomas Herbert and 

Robert Askwith, aldermen, as a deputation, to the lord pre 

sident of the north, to ask him whether he had received 

any such tidings. He had received no communication on 

the subject, till after those gentlemen had entered his 

house at Bootham Bar, when a messenger rode up with a 

pocket of letters from the privy council announcing the 

fact. The only way, therefore, that we can reconcile the 

rapid transit of the news to Scotland, with the existing 

state of things, is to suppose that Sir Robert Carey had 

placed relays of the fleetest horses, in anticipation of the 

queen's demise, and rode at full speed across the 

face of the open country. King James was received 

with great state by the corporation. The Lord Mayor, 

after a loyal speech, kissed the city sword, and placed 

it in the hands of the new sovereign, and also deli 

vered up the keys of York to his majesty. James went 

immediately to the Minster ; but never was crowned there, 

as has been improperly stated. " At the entrance into the 

church the Deane made a learned oration in Latine, which 

ended, the king ascended the quyer : the canapa was 

supported by six lords, and was placed in a throne prepared 

for his majestie."* The next day, we are informed, being 

Sunday, the 17th April, 1603, " the Lord Mayor, with the 

* Stowe's Chronicle, continued by Master Edmund Howes.


recorder, aldermen and sheriffs, and the twenty-foure, with 

all their chiefe officers, and the preacher of the cittie and 

towne-clerk, in very comely order, went into the Manor," 

and there presented King James with " a fayre cuppe, 

with a cover of silver and gilt, weighing seventie and three 

ounces, and, in the same, two hundred angells of gold ;" 

a present most graciously received by the monarch ; who", 

afterwards, attended divine service at the Minster, and 

heard a sermon from the dean, who was bishop of Lime 

rick. At ten o'clock, next day, the king went to the Lord 

Mayor's house, and there dined with his royal train. After 

dinner he walked to the Deanery, and was there enter 

tained with a banquet. From thence, he took horse, left 

the city, through Micklegate Bar, for Grimstone, the 

house of Sir Edward Stanhope, beyond Tadcaster; and, 

on arriving at the liberties of the city, took off his glove, 

and shook hands with the Lord Mayor, Mr. Robert Water, 

whom he knighted next day at Grimstone. 

During the unfortunate reign of Charles I., York was 

the theatre of many remarkable events. In the year 

1639, the king, returning from the war with his Scottish 

subjects, directed the walls to be fortified ; and while he 

was here with his army, which was quartered in the city 

and neighbourhood, frequently inspected the works. On 

Good Friday, his majesty touched two hundred persons in 

the Minster for the king's evil ;—people, in those credulous 

days, believing that Royalty was endowed with the power 

of healing ! While Charles was present in the Cathedral, 

the bishop of Ely washed the feet of thirty-nine poor aged 

men in warm water, and wrapped them in linen cloth ; and, 

afterwards, the Bishop of Winchester washed them over 

in white wine, wiped and kissed them. As an illus 

tration of the loyalty of the times, the following paragraph, 

concluding an address, read on the occasion of the royal 

visit, by the recorder of York, Thomas Widdrington, Esq., 

on his knees to King Charles, is worth preservation :— 

" The memory of King Charles shall ever be sacred unto 

D


us as long as there remains an altar, or that oblation is 

offered on earth. The most devout and fervent prayers 

of your majesty's dayly votarys, the poor citizens of York, 

are, and ever shall be, that the sceptre of King Charles, 

may, like Aaron's rod, budd and blossom, and be an eter 

nal testimony against all rebels ; and our most cheerfull 

and unanimous acclamations are, that King Charles may 

long live and triumphantly reign, and that this kingdom 

may never want a King Charles over it." On the 24th 

September, in the following year, a great council of peers 

meet at the Deanery ; and eight earls, and as many 

barons, were appointed to treat with the Scotch commis 

sioners at Ripon ; the Scots refusing to go to York. 

Having come to a final rupture with the parliament, King 

Charles repaired to this city, where he immediately issued 

a proclamation for the payment of tonnage and poundage, 

although the act had expired. The parliament published 

a declaration, forbidding all persons to obey the king's 

proclamations, as being contrary to law. Charles sum 

moned the gentry of York ; and raised a guard for the 

defence of his person, which consisted of a troop of horse, 

commanded by the Prince of Wales, and one regiment of 

the trained-bands. The king also ordered General Skippon 

to attend him at York ; but he declined doing so as the 

parliament gave him contrary directions. It was the king's 

intention to have removed the courts of justice from 

London to York ; but the parliament prevented their 

removal ; and ordered the sheriffs to stop all arms 

going to this city. They likewise voted that those who 

should serve or assist the king in raising forces were 

traitors ; and proceeded so far as to send their sergeant to 

York, to apprehend, as delinquents, some gentlemen who 

attended the royal person. After some fruitless negotia 

tion, the ship Providence arrived at Bridlington Quay, 

under the convoy of Admiral Van Trump, and landed 

10,000 stand of arms, with thirty-eight pieces of ordinance, 

besides mortars and ammunition, which were immediately


despatched to York, where they were lodged in the Common 

Hall ; the queen, to purchase this subsidy, having pawned 

the crown jewels. Eight months afterwards her majesty 

followed, and, landing at Bridlington, proceeded to York. 

She was received with becoming formality, and abode here 

three months. The queen was enthusiastically devoted to 

her husband's cause ; so much so, that we find her 

marching from York at the head of a royalist army, and 

taking Burton-upon-Trent by storm. At length it was the 

fate of York to be beleagured by an army of 40,000 men, 

under the command of the Scottish general, Lesley, the 

earl of Manchester, and Sir Thomas Fairfax. York was 

commanded by the marquis of Newcastle ; and the troops 

and citizens under him defended the city with great spirit 

and valour. Several batteries were erected around the 

town, the most mischievous of which was situated on a 

hill, commanding Walmgate Bar, where four pieces of 

cannon played almost incessantly on the tower, castle, and 

city. The Scots were stationed outside Micklegate Bar, 

from which the garrison made several gallant sallies, 

without, however, gaining any advantage. On Trinity 

Sunday, a party of the earl of Manchester's troops under 

mined St. Mary's Tower, at the north-east corner of the 

Manor, and end of Marygate, by the river, and with great 

skill blew it up, effecting, at the same time, a breach in the 

wall higher up. The storming party forced their way into 

the Manor-house ; but their retreat being cut off by a body 

of the city troops, who went out by a private sally 

port in the city walls, fifty of the besiegers were killed, 

and two hundred and fifty taken prisoners. The siege was 

pressed with unabated vigour till the 24th ; on the morning 

of which day, at four o'clock, about 600 men sallied out 

from Monk Bar, and with great fury fell upon the earl of 

Manchester's quarters. They were, however, warmly 

received ; and after a short rencounter were compelled to 

retire with loss. During the interval, between the 24th 

and the 30th, the parliamentarians made several attempts


at escalade ; but, upon every occasion, they were 

driven from the walls. On the evening of the 30th, news 

reached Lesley, Manchester, and Fairfax, that Prince 

Rupert was marching to the relief of York with 20,000 

men ; and on the 1st of July these generals withdrew their 

army to Marston moor, about seven miles from the city. 

Prince Rupert's arrival was a source of unspeakable joy to 

the inhabitants of York, who, for twenty-two days, had 

withstood a hotly pressed siege from the combined armies of 

the three parliamentarian generals ; and who had been awed 

by an hostile army within view from their walls for upwards 

of a month before the arrival of Manchester and Fairfax. 

The prince immediately held a council of war ; and the 

Marquis of Newcastle gave it as his advice that no attack 

should be made upon the enemy for some days. The 

marquis stated, that he expected in two days colonel 

Clavering,with above three thousand men from the north, 

besides about two thousand men drawn from other sources ; 

and, added, that he had information that there was dis 

union among the parliamentarian generals. Prince Rupert 

however was resolved to fight ; and, on the 2nd July, 1644, 

marched out of York at the head of all the royalist forces, 

and pressed on toward the fatal field of Marston moor. 

His army consisted of 14,000 foot, 9,000 cavalry, and 

25 pieces of cannon ; led by himself, the earl of New 

castle, and Lord Goring. The forces under the 

command of Fairfax, Ferdinand, Lesley, Manchester, and 

Cromwell, were some what more numerous. About three 

o'clock in the afternoon the cannon of the combatants 

broke jsilence, and about seven the battle became general. 

For three hours the fight raged with deadly fury ; but at 

about ten o'clock the parliamentarians were complete vic 

tors, pursuing the fugitives with great slaughter to within 

a mile of York. At first the royalists forced the enemy to 

retire ; but the intrepidity of Cromwell, and the stubborn 

hardidhood of his " Ironsides," turned the fortunes of the 

day, and prostrated the power of Charles. Prince Rupert


narrowly escaped being made a prisoner ; but a good horse 

brought him safely to York. Here he met the marquis 

of Newcastle, who was so incensed at the result, that he 

declared his intention instantly to quit England, and go 

beyond the seas. The prince also said that he would march 

away with his horse, and as many foot as he could collect 

and await the coming of fflavering ; and on the 3rd,—the 

day after the fight, the marquis, and about a hundred 

friends, conducted by a troop of horse, set off for Scar 

borough, from whence they sailed to Holland ; and Kupert 

left the city. 

The victorious army, encouraged by these events, on the 

5th summoned the citizens of York to surrender on mercy. 

The Governor, Sir Thomas Glenham, stoutly refused to do 

so ; whereupon preparations were made to renew the 

siege. On the 1 1th, the assault being ordered, Sir Thomas 

beat a parley ; and after the conclusion of a favourable 

treaty* opened the gates to the parliamentarian army. 

York suffered severely during this calamitous siege. 

The walls were sadly shattered ; several houses were in 

ruins, and the suburbs completely destroyed ; as the 

garrison were obliged to burn down all houses without the 

walls, calculated to afford shelter and advantage to the 

besiegers. 

The general tranquillity that has prevailed in England 

since these troublesome times, leave us, happily, little more 

to record than undertakings for the improvement of York, 

and a series of visits from illustrious individuals to the 

scene of the memorable events described in this memoir. 

Cromwell, when Lord Protector of the Commonwealth, 

visied this city. General Monk here proclaimed Charles 

II. The Duke of York, afterwards the unhappy James 

II., retired to York to escape the results of his unpopula 

rity in London, and resided here for some time. And 

• One article of the treaty provided, " That neither churches nor other build 

ings shall be defaced, nor any plunderings, nor taking of any man's person, nor 

any part of his estate suffered ; and that justice shall be administered within 

the city by the magistrates according to law." 

D 3


coming to latter times, George IV. when Prince of Wales, 

and the Duke of York ; and, after them, the Right Hon. 

Charles James Fox, Earl St. Vincent, Leopold, king of 

the Belgians, his Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, and 

his grace the Duke of Wellington, visited this city. 

In September, 1835, her majesty Queen Victoria (then 

princess), accompanied by her royal mother, the Duchess 

of Kent, patronised by their presence the grand Musical 

Festival held in the Cathedral. The illustrious visitors 

were entertained in the Mansion House by Thomas Wilson, 

Esq., Lord Mayor of York that year; and during their 

stay at Bishopthorpe, at the palace of the Archbishop,— 

whose guests they were,—and their several visits to the 

city, they were greeted with the affection and loyalty of 

the citizens, and of the gentry of Yorkshire.

a. 

of 

d 

e 

B 

al 

US 

m, 

cir 

h 

of


THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST. PETER, 

CALLED 

Porfe JWtnsttr. 

Whereat he wondered much, and gan enquere, 

What stately building durst so high extend 

Her lofty towers unto the starry sphere 1 

Edmund Spencer. 

This majestic structure—justly regarded as one of the 

finest Cathedrals of England, and perhaps, taking it as a 

whole, one of the most beautiful specimens of Gothic 

architecture in Europe—now claims our attention. It is 

built in the form of a cross ; and is in length, from base 

to base of buttresses, east and west, about 519 feet; from 

base to base of the transepts, about 249 feet. The 

internal length from base to base, or of clear way, is 483 

feet ; and the internal length of the transept 222 feet 6 

inches ; consequently, it is 19 feet longer than St. Paul's 

Cathedral, London, and 30 feet longer than West 

minster Abbey. 

The Minsteb consists of a nave, with side aisles ; 

choir, with ladye chapel and side aisles ; south transept 

with side aisles ; and north transept with side aisles ; 

lantern tower, two bell towers, a chapter-house, and 

vestibule. To the church, on the south side, are attached 

offices, used as a wills' office and an office for the custody 

of the chapter-records. "The edifice," remarks Mr. 

Browne,* " is placed nearly correct, according to the car- 

* See " The History of the Edifice of the Metropolitical Church of St. Peter, 

of York." By John Browne, artist ;—one of the most elaborate and beautiful 

works ever dedicated to the illustration of the Minster,


dinal points ; the present choir is not in a straight line 

with the nave, but is inclined toward the south, having a 

deviation northward of its centre, at the foot of the organ 

screen of about 2 feet 4 inches from the centre of the 

nave." The deviation in direction, he adds, was probably 

caused by the choir having been erected at two different 

periods ; the first portion of the eastern end having 

been begun whilst the greater part of the old choir was 

standing. "As a distant object," observes one who has 

no local bias in favour of York Minster, and whose 

critical dissertations on the Cathedrals of England are uni 

versally respected, " this edifice assumes a lofty and 

imposing aspect. Its three towers are seen pre-eminent 

above the city houses and the parochial churches ; whilst 

the numerous crocketed pinnacles, at the west-end and 

gables, display at once intricacy, variety, and picturesque 

beauty. Though this church has not the advantage of a 

lofty, or scarcely an elevated site, yet it appears very 

high, by comparison with its neighbouring buildings ; and 

is seen like a noble forest-tree amidst a shrubbery from 

every approach to the city."* It is the most conspicuous 

object in the extensive vale of York. It can be discerned 

from Harrogate hill, and in other directions from a dis 

tance of thirty miles. 

As we have already seen, by reference to the venerable 

Bede's history and the Saxon Chronicle, York Minster 

was founded by King Edwin, the first Christian king of 

the Saxon kingdom of Northumberland, in the year a.d. 

626. On the site of the little wooden oratory, hastily 

erected for the occasion of his baptism, according to the 

advice of Paulinus, the first archbishop, he ordered an 

august temple of stone to be erected. Before this building 

was roofed, Edwin was killed ; and it is said to have 

been completed by King Oswald. In the beginning of 

the eight century, however, it appears to have gone quite 

* Britton's English Cathedrals.


to ruin; so much so, that Eddius Stephanus, a writer of 

that period, says, " When Wilfred was appointed bishop 

of York, the offices of the church of the oratory of God in 

that city, first founded and dedicated to God in the days 

of the most Christian King Edwin, built of stone, were in 

an half ruinous state, and threatened to fall. For the 

roofs having become old, were dripping with water ; the 

windows were open, birds made their nests, flying in and 

out ; and the walls, being neglected, were disfigured with 

every kind of stain from weather and the birds. Our holy 

prelate, therefore, seeing all these things, like the prophet 

Daniel, " was grieved in spirit," because he perceived the 

house of God and prayer, made like a den of thieves ; and 

he immediately studied how he might repair it, according 

to the will of God. First of all renewing the decayed 

roof, covering it skilfully with pure lead; he prevented the 

entrance of rain and birds through the windows, by means 

of glass, through which, however, the light shone within. 

Cleansing the walls also, he made them, according to the 

language of the prophet, " whiter than snow." And not 

only did he adorn that house of God and the altar within, 

by various furniture of plate, but also having obtained for 

God much land without, removing its poverty by earthly 

possessions, he greatly enriched it." According to Roger 

de Hovenden, this building was burnt down, or greatly 

injured by fire, on Tuesday, the 9th of the Kalends of 

May, a.d. 741. 

The Minster appears to have been neglected for upwards 

of thirty years, when Archbishop Albert began, finished, 

and dedicated a new church on the site, which is supposed to 

be the most magnificent Saxon church, ever erected. 

The poet Alcuin celebrates its beauties ; and alludes to 

its lofty columns, majestic windows, portico, and thirty 

altars. This edifice was injured when the Norman garrison 

at York was attacked by the Danes and English ; and, as 

it would appear, was reduced to ashes in the accidental fire 

that broke out in this city in 1 1 37. After the fire of 1 829, the


foundations of this building, or as it has been conjectured, 

of the church, erected by King Edwin, were discovered ; 

and plans of the Saxon choir were during the necessary 

excavations made. " After this deplorable conflagration," 

remarks Mr. Browne, " and while workmen were employed 

in removing the remnants of the sleeping timbers, and the 

walls that had supported the prebendal stalls, the atten 

tion of the author, who was in examining those walls, in 

search of ancient moulded or carved stones, was arrested 

by a stone at the east end of the wall on the south side of 

the choir. The stone showed part of an abacus ; and a 

little of the surrounding rubbish being removed, a perfect 

capital became visible. This was immediately pointed out 

to the master mason, who ordered some of the workmen 

to raise it ; but, on attempting this, they found it to be 

firmly fixed in a wall of good ashlar. The circumstance 

being reported to the reverend canon then in residence, the 

workmen were desired to ascertain fully the extent of what 

had been thus accidentally discovered ; and it was found 

to be a portion of a cluster of three capitals, with cylinders 

and bases, fixed into a good ashlar wall. A further search 

was ordered to be made, and this led ultimately to an 

excavation of nearly the whole of the choir, and to the 

exposure of valuable and interesting remains of former 

edifices. As the excavation was confined to the choirportion 

of the present church, and extended not to the 

large transepts and the nave, it is evident that plans of 

the entire forms of structures that may have been erected 

previous to the present building could not be obtained, 

and although a greater extent of the present choir-portion 

was exposed than is now to be seen, yet limits to the 

investigation were necessarily placed, by the fear of vio 

lating the sacred chambers of the dead." 

After the fire in the reign of Stephen, to which we have 

adverted, some vigorous efforts were made to further the 

restoration of the ruined Cathedral. Joceline, bishop of 

Sarum, granted an indulgence to penitents, who contri


buted bountifully towards its re-edification, reciting in the 

indulgence, " that, whereas the Metropolitical Church of 

York was consumed by a new fire, and almost subverted, 

destroyed, and miserably despoiled of its ornaments." 

Still, for four and thirty years, nothing was effected. 

In the year 1171, Archbishop Roger rebuilt the choir, with 

its vaults. In 1227, Archbishop Walter Grey, according 

to the custom of the times, issued indulgences, urging the 

faithful to aid him in his effort to beautify the Cathedral ; 

and, with the money thus obtained, erected the sooth 

tbansept as it now stands, where a beautiful monument 

to his memory forms a conspicuous object. During the 

reign of Henry III., the nobth transept was commenced 

by Johnle Romayne, and completed a. d. 1260 ; by which 

ecclesiastic, who held the office of treasurer to the Minster, 

a handsome tower, in the place now occupied by the lantern 

tower, was erected. His son, John le Romayne, afterwardsbecoming 

archbishop, and, inheritinghis father's zeal, 

laid the foundation of the nave on the 17th of April, 1291 ; 

and, as appears from a table in the vestry, the nave, the 

majestic facade at the west end, with two towers, were 

completed in about forty years after that date, by the 

munificence and energy of Archbishop le Romayne, and 

his successor, Archbishop Melton. The latter liberally 

expended large sums from his private purse, and had 

recourse to indulgencies, granting forty days relaxation to 

all contributors. The materials for building the nave were 

supplied by Robert de Vavasour, who granted the use of 

his quarry, near Tadcaster, not only for building but for 

the future reparation of the edifice ; and by Robert de 

Percy, lord of Bolton, who allowed the timber for the 

roof, &c., to be taken from his wood at Bolton. Statues, 

both at the eastern and western ends of the Cathedral, 

record their benefactions. 

In 1361, Archbishop John Thoresby, laid the founda 

tion of the present choir ; the old choir, built by Arch 

bishop Roger, not corresponding with the more elegant


body of the church. He granted indulgences of forty days 

to contributors ; and Pope Innocent VI. issued indigen 

cies of two years and two quarters to those who gave 

liberally towards the restoration. An imposition, of the 

twentieth part, was laid by the chapter of York on all eccle 

siastical benefices within theirjurisdiction. Pope UrbanV. 

in 1366 granted an indulgence to the benefactors of York 

Minster ; and Urban VI. granted the revenues of the church 

of Misterton for ten years. Walter Skirlaw, archdeacon 

of the East-Riding, made a large donation ; and Arch 

bishop Thoresby expended of his own money above one 

thousand seven hundred pounds, an immense sum in those 

days. Indeed, the Archbishop to assist the work, pulled 

down one of his mansions at Shireburn, and applied the 

materials to the use of the Minster. No sooner was the 

choir rebuilt, than the central tower was condemned for its 

meanness, and was replaced by the lantern tower, which 

now " adorns and illumines" the centre of the Cathedral. 

The arms of Walter Skirlaw, affixed to the inside of the 

building, indicate that he was a principal contributor. The 

present towers at the west end—in one of which the disas 

trous fire of 1840 originated, were raised by John de 

Birmingham, about the year a. d. 1402 ; and Archbishop 

Bowett, whose arms appear in the sculpture, and on some 

of the windows, applied himself to the completion of all the 

works. Many of the figures and tombs that ornamented the 

interior were destroyed and defaced, by zealots at the re 

formation, and during the commonwealth ; and so disfigured 

was the old pavement, that in 1736, Mr. Kent, under the 

direction of Lord Burlington, laid down a new pavement. 

On Monday, the 2nd of February, 1829, a fire, kindled 

by a lunatic, named Jonathan Martin, was discovered in the 

choir about seven o'clock in the morning; and before noon, 

in spite of every exertion, the organ, tabernacle work, the 

pulpit, the cathedra, and the stalls, were consumed ; and, 

shortly afterwards, the roof fell in with a fearful crash ; a 

circumstance that prevented the spread of the flames, and,


perhaps, saved the east window. Martin was tried at the 

York assizes ; and, his insanity being proved, he was 

removed to St. Luke's Hospital, London, where he died, 

in 1838. The Cathedral, however, soon again exchanged 

"beauty for ashes ;" subscriptions to the amount of £65,000 

being placed at the disposal of the chapter. Wood was 

granted by the government: Sir E. M. Vavasour, Bart., 

of Hazlewood Hall—following the example of his muni 

ficent ancestor, furnished the necessary stone ; the com 

munion-plate was provided by the Archbishop ; the organ 

was presented by the Hon. and Rev. J. L. Saville, one of 

the prebendaries, (since Earl of Scarborough) ; and on 

the 6th of May, 1832, the Minster was re-opened for 

public worship. 

On the 20th May, 1840, through the carelessness of a 

man employed to repair the clock, a fire broke out in the 

south tower of the western front. The flames spread 

quickly; and before they were extinguished the roof of the 

nave was completely demolished, and the beautiful peal of 

bells were destroyed. At first, fears were entertained that 

the tower could not stand ; but, subsequently, it was not 

found necessary to take it down. Subscriptions were 

almost immediately opened ; and before the spring of the 

ensuing year the tower was repaired externally, and a new 

roof was placed upon the nave. 

Having said so much in illustration of the history of the 

edifice, we proceed with a description of York Minster as 

it now exists. 

The wonderful facade at the west end, containing the 

principal entrance to the church, first demands our atten 

tion. Two uniform towers, strengthened at their corners 

with buttresses which diminish at four divisions as they 

ascend, rise from the western ends of the aisles of the nave. 

Between these towers the front of the middle aisle is carried 

up to the same height as its side walls, and an open battle 

ment runs across the whole breadth, round the towers, and 

continues along the sides of the nave. 

E 

A number of niches,


adorned with a beautiful variety and richness of sculpture, 

cover almost the whole front, and are wrought in each of 

the principal buttresses, as well as in the walls between 

them. The chief feature of the middle division is a grand 

window, an unrivalled specimen of the leafy tracery that 

marks the style of the middle of the fourteenth century. 

From the arch of this window, rises an acute gable, or 

pediment, the point of which, rising above the line of the 

battlement, is pierced into open tracery ; behind which is 

seen the proper gable of the roof, adorned in front with 

tracery mouldings, similar to the window, and crowned at 

the top by battlements of open work raking on the sides, up 

to a tabernacle on the apex or summit. The principal door 

has a gable over its arch, with strait sides, but not so 

highly pitched as that over the great window. The door 

way is divided by a slender pillar, composed of three 

clustered columns, with polished capitals, into two smaller 

arches, above which is a circular glazed compartment with 

tracery :* the whole is enclosed within a splendid recessed 

arch, the headway composed of various mouldings relieved 

by hollows. The mouldings are ornamented with sculp 

ture, of exquisite delicacy and beauty ; and exhibit the 

story of our first parents in the garden of Eden. Over the 

door are statues ofArchbishop Melton, Percy, andVavasour. 

The Nave is divided into seven parts by buttresses, and 

consists of two stories. On the north side it is finished in 

a plain style ; the aisle having no pinnacles over its broad 

and massive buttresses. This part, remarks Mr. Britton, 

"was anciently blocked up by the archbishop's palace and 

other buildings ;" but it is now entirely laid open to 

view. The once lofty pinnacles of the south aisle, he adds, 

" have suffered severely from time, and are now so much 

decayed as to display shapeless fragments." Several of 

these have, however, been since restored. On entering 

* It is worthy of observation that although the great doors were reduced to 

ashes in the conflagration of 1840, the painted glass just 'above them was not de 

stroyed; a remarkable instance of the great durability of the ancient glass.

MODERN YORK. 

the Cathedral by the western door, the effect is imposing, 

and grand in the extreme. A succession of majestic 

arches, and lofty stone pillars, of exquisite workmanship, 

spring toward the ceiling; the softened light, streaming 

through the painted windows, adding inexpressible dignity 

to the whole. 

The grand central or Lantebn Tower is externally an 

object of peculiar beauty. On each of its four sides are 

two large windows, with two tiers of mullions, bounded 

on each side by compartmented buttresses. The heads of 

the windows, and heights of the buttresses, have sweeping 

pediments ; and the battlements are richly perforated, with 

masonic compartments. When viewed from within it is 

majestic in the extreme. It has neither the height nor 

the expansion of the wonderous dome of St. Paul's Cathe 

dral ; but it is built upon four arches of astonishing height, 

chasteness, and solidity, which are supported on massy 

pillars, exquisitely formed of clusters of round columns. 

The tower is exactly 200 feet in height. Over the 

four great arches are placed eight coats of arms, two and 

two on each side. On the west, the arms of England,— 

the fleur-de-lis distinguished, and the arms of Edward 

the confessor. On the east, the pallium or ancient bearing 

of the see of York, and St. Wilfrid. To the north, the 

arms assigned to two Saxon kings, Edwin, and Edmund 

the martyr. And on the south, the peculiar arms of the 

church, and those of Walter Skirlaw the great benefactor 

to this part of the building. Over these arms are several 

flowers, cherubims, and cloistered cells for images, till 

we come to a handsome stone balcony or terrace, which 

is embattled, and goes quite round the squares of the tower. 

The roof is adorned with tracery archwise, with wooden 

beams, gilt and knotted. The centre knot, which is the 

largest, is carved, and represents the two images of St. 

Peter and St. Paul, with a church between them. 

The South Tbansept, built, as we have stated, by 

Archbishop Grey, is an object of especial interest to the


antiquary and traveller, as being the oldest portion of the 

present structure, if we except the chapter house, which is 

supposed to have been constructed about the same time. 

The front of this transept is divided by buttresses into 

three parts corresponding with the division of the interior 

into three aisles. In the central compartment is the porch, 

which is approached by a spacious double flight of steps, 

and which forms the usual entrance to the Cathedral. This 

porch, we are informed, was some years ago partly restored. 

At the same time the ancient clock over the entrance, sur 

mounted by two statues in the armour of Henry VII., was 

removed to make room for the modern dial ; and several of 

the columns and arches, and the pediment, were at the 

same time altered. On each side are two windows, and 

above it three large lights occupy the central compartment. 

Over these appear the great circular window so justly cele 

brated, which may be said to form the noblest decoration 

of this part of the church. It consists of two concentric 

circles, of small columns, and trefoil arches ; the centre and 

spandrils of which are pierced. The effect of this window 

when the sun shines upon the richly painted glass with 

which it is glazed is very striking ; indeed it is difficult 

to meet with a window that will bear comparison. The 

North Transept opposite, is illuminated by a peculiar 

and elegant lancet window, called " the five sisters;" the 

lights of which are fifty feet high, and five feet wide. 

Passing through the south transept the attention is 

immediately arrested by the Stone Screen which sepa 

rates the choir from the nave. " As an architectural and 

sculptured object," remarks the author of the English 

cathedrals, " it is at once splendid and gorgeous. Its 

western face, or exterior, is covered with a superabundance 

of niches, canopies, brackets, pinnacles, crocketts, finials, 

statues, masks, &cc. It seems that the artist was deter 

mined to charge every part with ornaments ; and to exert 

the fullest latitude of fancy in giving variety and intricacy 

to its complicated members. Near its centre is an arched


door-way of entrance to the choir, the exterior moulding 

of which assumes the ogee shape, and terminates with a 

richly sculptured finial. The whole screen consists of a 

series of fifteen compartments of niches, with corresponding 

pedestals, canopies, and statues." The statues, on the 

north side, represent William the Conqueror, William II., 

Henry I., Stephen, Henry II., Richard I., and John ; and, 

on the south side, Henry III., Edward I., Edward II., 

Edward III., Richard II., Henry IV., Henry V., and 

Henry VI. The speculation of Dr. Milner, that this screen 

was taken from St. Mary's Abbey, is generally discredited, 

as it appears to be supported by no sort of evidence. After 

the fire of 1829, the propriety of removing the screen was 

warmly discussed ; but it was finally resolved not to remove 

it from its position. 

On passing through the gate of the screen into the choir, 

the unrivalled East Window—"whose glory doth appear 

like a triumphal arch,"—bursts upon the astonished eye. 

It is difficult to conceive any thing more majcstical. The 

vastness of its span,—the softness, beauty, and vividness, 

of its innumerable tints,—the comeliness and symmetry of 

its wondrous proportions—the admirable art in its arrange 

ment,—the masterly execution in all its parts, render it 

impossible for mere words to express the emotions which the 

contemplation of the window itself cannot fail to inspire :— 

The Moon on the east oriel shone, 

Through slender 6hafts of shapely stone, 

By foliaged tracery combined ; 

Thou would'st have thought some fairy's hand, 

' Twist poplar's straight, the osier wand, 

In many a freakish knot, had twined ; 

Then framed a spell, when the work was done, 

And changed the willow wreaths to stone. 

The silver light, so pale and faint, 

Showed many a prophet and many a saint, 

Whose image on the glass was dyed ; 

Pull in the midst his cross of red 

Triumphant Michael brandished, 

And trampled the apostate's pride ; 

The moon-beam kissed the holy pane, 

And threw on the pavement a bloody stain. 

Lay of the last Minstrel. 

E 2


" What may be justly called the wonder of the world," 

says Drake, " both for masonry and glazing, is the noble 

east window. It is very near the breadth and height of 

the middle choir. The upper part is a piece of admirable 

tracery ; below which, are one hundred and seventeen 

partitions, representing so much of holy writ, that it 

almost takes in the whole history of the Bible. This 

window was begun to be glazed, at the charge of the dean 

and chapter, anno 1405 ; who then contracted with John 

Thornton, of Coventry, glazier, to execute it. He was to 

receive for his own work four shillings a-week, and to 

finish the whole in less than three years. We may sup 

pose this man to have been the best artist in his time for 

this kind of work, by their sending so far for him. And, 

indeed, the window shews it." 

The window is 75 feet in height, and 32 in breadth ; 

and on the painted glass are displayed representations of 

the following subjects : 

FIRST PARTITION 1. God represented creating the World, Gen. 

chap. i. ver. 1. The Fallen Angels beneath. 2. God's Spirit dividing the 

Waters, &c., ver. 2. 3. The Herbs of the Field, ver. 11. 4. Light and Dark 

ness, ver. 4 and 5. (This and the precedent pave seem to have been transposed. J 

5. Birds and Fishes, ver. 20, 21. 6, Beasts and creeping Things, ver. 24. Adam 

made, ver. 26. 7. God with his Face like the Sun in Glory, sitting in the Middle 

of his Creation, seeing every Thing was good, ver. 31. 8. Adam and Eve eating 

the forbidden Fruit in Faradise ; the Serpent represented with its Head like a 

beautiful Woman, chap, iii, ver. 6. 9. An Angel driving them out, ver. 24. 

SECOND PARTITION,—1. Cain and Abel in the Field, and the latter slain 

by his brother, chap. iv. 8. 2. Noah in his Ark, chap. vii. 7, 3. Noah drunk, 

and his three sons, chap. ix. 23. 4. Building of Babel, chap. xi. 5. Melchizedek 

blessing Abram, chap. xiv. ver. 19, &c. 6. Isaac blessing Jacob, chap, xxvii. 

ver, 28, 29. 7. Meeting of Jacob and Esau, chap, xxviii. ver. 1, 2, 3, 4, &c. 

8. Moses and Aaron joining Hand in Hand. 9. Jacob's Sons shewing him 

Joseph's bloody coat, Gen. xxxviii, ver. 32. 

THIRD PARTITION —1. Moses found by Pharaoh's Daughter, Exodus 

chap. ii. ver. 6. 2. God out of the Bush, calling Moses, Moses, Exod. chap, iii, 

ver. 4. 3. Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh; the Rod turned into a Serpent, 

chap. vii. ver. 10. 4. Pharaoh drowned in the Red Sea, chap, xiv, ver. 28. 

5. Moses receiving the Law on Mount Sinai, chap, xx, from ver. 1 to the end of 

the 17th. 6. Moses rearing up the Brazen Serpent in the Wilderness, Numbers 

xxi, ver 9. 7. Sampson throwing down the House of Dagon on himself and the 

Philistines, Judges chap. 16. ver. 29. 8. David killing Goliah with a Sling. 

1. Sam. chap, xvii, ver, 49. 9. Joab killing Absalom hanging on the Tree, 

2. Sam. chap, xviii. ver. 14. 

Under the Gallery is the Mevelation of St. John.

MODEBN YORK. 55 

FIRST PARTITION 1, 2, and 3. Panes of Glass, St. John in the Caldron 

of Oil, banish'd by the Emperor Domitian, and sailing to the Island ol Patmos- 

Vid. Each. Eccl. Hist, vol ii, pag. 412. 4. An Angel coming unto St. John, as at 

his Devotion. 5. The Son of Man amidst the seven Candlesticks, Set. i. 13, 

6. The Seven Churches of Asia, verse ult. 7, 8, and 9. The Elders worshipping 

God on the Throne, chap. iv. ver. 4. 

SECOND PARTITION.—1. Angel sounding a Trumpet, proclaiming, chap, 

v. 2. 2. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, ver. 5. 3. The Lamb, the Four Beasts 

and Elders, ver. 6. 4. A Multitude following the Lamb. 5. The Lamb opening 

first Seal, the white Horse and its Rider with a Bow, chap. vi. 1, 2. 6. Lamb 

opening the second Seal, the red Horse, and its Rider, ver. 3, 4. 7. The fourth 

Seal opened, the pale Horse and Death, chap. vi. 8. 8. The sixth Seal opened, 

Sun, Moon, &c. ver. 12. 9. The third Seal opened ; the Black Horse, its Rider 

having a Balance, ver. 5. (But these, as several others, have been misplaced since 

tlte restoration of the Windows by General Fairfax.J 

THIRD PARTITION.—1. Angels holding the four Winds, and another 

ascending, chap. vii. 1, 2. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Angels and Elders about the Throne, 

ver. 9, 10, 11, 12, &c. 7. Opening the 7th Seal, chap, viii 1. 8. Givingthe seven 

Angels Trumpets, ver. 2. 9. The fifth Seal, Souls under the Altar, chap. vi. 9. 

FOURTH PARTITION— .1, 2, 3. Angels sounding, chap viii. ver. 7, to 12. 

4. Locusts like Men, chap ix, 7, 8. 5. Our Saviour with a Lamb, the four Evan 

gelists, and a Book sealed with seven Seals. 6. Armies of Horse, chap. ix. 1(J 

7. The Angel opening the Book, chap, x, 1, 2. John eating the Book, ver. 10 

9. The Temple from whence the Voice came, chap xvi. 1. 

FIFTH PARTITION.—1, 2, 3. Two Witnesses slain in the City, and as 

cending up, chap, ii, ver. 3 to 12. 4. Elders worshipping, ver. 16. 5. Ark of 

the Testament, ver. 19. The Woman cloathed with the Sun in Travail, and the 

Dragon appearing to devour her Child, chap. xii. 1, 2, 3. 7. Michael warring 

against the Dragon, ver. 7. 8 The Woman flying into the Wilderness, and the 

Dragon casting out a Flood of Waters to overwhelm her, chap. xii. 6, 15. 

9. Another Beast risen from the Earth, chap, xiii, ver. 11 to 16. 

SIXTH PARTITION.—1. Dragon sceptered, giving Power to the Beast with 

seven heads, and 10 horns, ver. 2. 2. The World worshipping the Monster, 

ver. 4. 3. An Angel pouring out a Vial on the afflicted People, chap. xxi. 2. 

4. People worshipping the Beast, chap xiii. 4. 5. The third Angel pouring his 

Vial on the Rivers, chap. xvi. 4, 5, 6. (Our Blessed Saviour appearing above in 

Heavenly Glory.) 6. Another Angel with the Gospel, chap. xiv. 6, 7. t The 

Angel over Babylon pronouncing the fall thereof, chap, xviii. 1, 2, 3. 8. Christ 

with a Sickle, &c., chap, xiv, ver. 14 to 19. 9. Angel treading the Wine-Press to 

the Horses Bridles, ver. ult. 

SEVENTH PAETITION.— 1. Elders with their Harps on a Sea of Glass, 

chap. xv. 2, 3. 2. One of the four Beasts giving the Angels the seven Vials of 

Wrath, chap. xv. 7. 3. Beasts warring with the Saints, chap. xiii. 7. 4. Angel 

pouring a Vial on the Sea, chap. xvi. 3. 5. Victory of the Lamb, chap. xvii. 14. 

6. Fourth Angel pouring a Vial on Sun, &c., chap. xvi. 8, 9. 7th Pane, is the 

fifth Angel pouring a Vial on the Seat of the Beast, ver. 10, II. 8. Unclean 

Spirits, &c., going to Battle, ver. 13, 14. 9. Angel pouring a Vial on the River 

Euphrates, which runs by Babylon, verse 12. Note, theprecedent two Panes of 

Glass are misplaced.) 

EIGHT PAETITION.— 1. The Whore sitting upon the Beast, chap. xvii. 3. 

2. Babylon's fall, chap, xviii. 1, 2. 3. God praised in Heaven, chap. xix. 1, 2, 3, 

Sc. 4. St. John falling at the Angel's feet, ver. 10. 5. Heaven opened;, one on 

a white Horse, Armies, Sc., ver. 11 and 14. 6. Angel crying to the fowls.


ver. 17. 7. Beast, Kings and Annies, ver. 19. 8. Beast taken, ver. 20. 9. 

Angel casting him in the bottomless pit, chap. xx. 3. 

NINTH PARTITION—I. Saints on Thrones, ver. 4. 2. Satan loosed out 

of Prison, ver. 7. In the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Panes of Glass, are the Sea, 

Death and Hell delivering up their Dead, who stand before Christ as in Judg 

ment, (attended by Angelic Powers holding the Instruments of his Passion,while 

the Books are opened by other Angels) on his right hand are the Blessed, and 

on the left the Miserable, chap. xx. ver. 11 to the end. 7. New Heaven and 

new Earth, chap. xxi. 1. 8. New Jerusalem, over which is Christ enthroned, an 

Angel with a Vial and Golden Reed, St. John beholding, ver. 2, and the pure 

River of Water of Life, clear as Chrysial, proceeding out of the Throne of God and 

of the Lamb, chap. xxii. ver. I. 9. Our Saviour appearing with a Book opened, 

on which is written, Ego, Alpha § Omega, ver, 13, and St. John writing the won 

derful Things he had seen. 

TENTH PARTITION.—1. Pope Gregory VII., and Archbishop Thomas I. 

2, 3, and 4, are nine Kings, viz., Ethelbert, Lucius, Ceolwulph, Edwin, Oswald, 

Oswin, S. Edward the Confessor, Harold, and William the Conqueror. Abp.Aldred 

at Prayers. 6. Archbishop Zouch, with St. Augustine and St. Honorius, Arch 

bishops of Canterbury. 7, St. Paulinus, Pope Eleutherius, and St. Wilfrid. 8. St. 

John of Beverley, St. Calixtus Bishop of Rome and St. Egbert. 9. King Ebianos 

between two Flamines or Heathen Priests ; one of these High-Priests being dig 

nified with the Title of Proto-JIam or first flam, the other with Arch-flam only. 

Above the screen through which we pass into the choir, 

stands the organ, presented by the earl of Scarborough, 

after the conflagration of 1829; one of the largest and 

most powerful instruments in Europe. It contains three 

sets of keys, of six octaves each, from CCC to CCC 

in alt; two octaves of pedal keys, from CCCC to CC. 

There are 53 stops all through; i.e., 24 to the great 

organ, 9 to the choir organ, 12 to the swelling organ, 

and 8 to the pedals. There are 6 copula stops, and 7 

composition pedals ; the number of pipes is upwards of 

4200, and there are 57 complete ranks of pipes through 

the manuals. The names and dimensions of the stops in 

the Savile Organ, are as follow :— 

SWELLING oRGAN. 

Length of lowest pipe. 

Length of lowest pipe- 

Oboe 

feet Principal feet 

Horn ----- feet Dulcet (wood) - feet 

Trumpet feet Stopped diapason 4 feet 

Cremona 8 feet Dulciana (metal) feet 

Sesquialtra 5 ranks Metal open diapason feet 

Claribella (wood) - - - 4 feet Wood open diapason - - 8 feet 

CHOIE ORGAN. 

Clarionet 16 feet Stopped diapason 8 feet 

Trumpet - - - 16 feet Wood open diapason 16 feet 

Fifteenth feet Dulciana - - - 16 feet 

Flute (stopped) - 4 feet 

Metal principal - -8 feet 

Metal open diapason - * 16 feet

MODERN TORK. 51 

GSEAT MANUAL. 



Trumpet 

61 feet Trumpet 

16 feet 

Trumpet 

16 feet Trumpet 

Mixture 

16 feet 

3 ranks Mixture 

3 ranks 

Sesquialtra - 

ranks Sesquialtra 

ranks 

Flageolet (wood) 

feet Flageolet (wood) 

feet 

Fifteenth (metal) 

- 4 feet Fifteenth (metal) 

4 feet 

Principal 

■ 

feet Principal 

feet 

Principal (metal) 

feet Principal (metal) 

feet 

Wood stopped diapason 

8 feet Metal stopped diapason 

8 feet 

Metal open diapason 

16 feet Metal open diapason 

16 feet 

Metal open diapason 

- 16 feet Metal open diapason 

- 16 feet 

PEDAL STOPS.—Two Octaves each. 

Sackbut (wood, reed) 

38 feet Double metal diapason 

Trombone (metal, do.) 

16 feet Double wood diapason 

"Wood open diapason 

16 feet Metal open diapason 

Wood open diapason 

- 16 feet Wood open diapason 

- 32 feet 

- 16 feet 

- 16 feet 

The longest pipe of the thirty-two feet double metal 

pedal diapason is 20 inches in diameter ; and the diagonal 

of the thirty-two feet double wood diapason longest pipe 

is 4 feet. The manual metal open diapasons, 16 feet 

pipes, vary from 12 to 13 inches in diameter. 

The Choir, as it now stands, is nearly an exact tran 

script of the choir destroyed by Martin. There is some 

slight deviation in the wood-work ; the tabernacle work of 

the stalls and their canopies being somewhat lighter than 

that of their predecessors. The workmanship, both in 

stone and wood, must be admitted to be exquisite ; and 

the general effect is gorgeous in the extreme.* At the 

eastern end of the choir is the altar table, raised above 

the floor by a series of fifteen steps. Behind it is a screen, 

which divides the choir from a large space between it 

and the great east window, already described. This 

screen is ornamented with mullions, tracery, a parapet, 

&c. ; and, its open lights being filled with plate glass, a 

distinct view of the eastern window is afforded. Before 

the year 1726 a large wooden screen, painted and gilt, 

* R. Smirke, Esq., was the architect by whom the restoration was effected. 

The tabernacle work was executed by Mr. Moon, of London ; the pews, gal 

leries, &c, by Messrs. Wolstenholme, Mason, and Coates, of York.


obscured the stone screen and shut out the east window 

from the choir. The partitions between the east-end of the 

choir and the side aisle are also glazed ; by which arrange 

ment, a view of several painted windows is obtained from the 

choir. Gas was introduced into this part of the Cathedral 

in 1 827 ; and it is lighted every day for evening service, 

from the feast of St. Luke to Candlemas. A conspicuous 

object in the choir is the brazen eagle-stand, from which 

the lessons are read. It bears the following inscription :— 

" Thos. Croft, D.D., gave this brazen eagle for the use 

of the Cathedral church ofYork, sacred to St. Peter, 1686." 

The windows in this end of the Cathedral, particularly of 

the little tbansepts north and south, are deserving of 

careful examination ; in especial the uppermost window of 

the northern aisle, called by Drake, " the window armo 

rial."—The shields of arms upon which, are from the top, 

first, St. Peter, then the Imperial, England, old France, 

Arragon, king of the Romans ; Castile and Leon, Jeru 

salem and Navarre. The figures in coats armorial are, 

first, the emperor, king of Arragon, old England, old 

France, twice over; Beauchamp, Clare, Warren, Beauchamp 

again, Ross, Mowbray, Clifford, and Percy. 

The end window in the south aisle, remarkable for its 

fresh and vivid colours, was presented to the church by 

the right hon. the earl of Carlisle, in 1 804 ; by whom it 

was brought from the church of St. Nicholas, in Rouen. 

The annunciation, copied from Sebastian de Piombo, is 

painted on the glass ; and the arms, crest, garter, and 

coronet of the illustrious earl are represented in the 

compartments. 

The best and most imposing view of the choir and 

Cathedral, is obtained from the gallery that runs across 

the wondrous east window. Mr. Britton, who had the 

advantage of ascending thither, says, " the view from this 

gallery is inconceivably grand and beautiful. The whole 

length of the interior of the church is shewn in perspective,

MODEM* YORK. 59 

more than five hundred feet;* all obstructions of the 

choir with its screens, lying far beneath the eye : and the 

mild lustre of the western window being fully displayed 

at the termination." 

The Crypt next claims our attention. It was always 

the most curious part of the Cathedral ; but has been in 

vested with an extraordinary interest since the discovery 

of the remains of the Anglo-Saxon and Norman Minsters 

to which we have already referred. It lies beneath the 

grand altar and the choir ; and is entered by nights of 

steps, which descend on each side from the north and south 

aisles. This crypt has four aisles from east to west, or 

three aisles from the north to the south side ; the arches of 

which are supported by cylindrical columns five feet six 

inches in height. The arches are groined, with ribs 

crossing ; but are without key-stones. The side piers, or 

half columns, are octagoned, with capitals. The side 

arches are wrought with cheverons, constructed so as to be 

seen from the side aisles, and are fronted by arches obtusely 

pointed. Britton conjectured that the crypt extended 

further eastward; and that it was formed in a semicir- 

* The following are the dimensions of the Minster in its several parts : 

Feet. In. 

The whole length from base to base of buttresses, east and west - 519 Internal length from base to base 483 Breadth of the East Front - - - - 105 Breadth of the West Front - - - - - 109 0 

Length of the Transepts, from north to south - 223 6 

Height of the Lantern Tower - 200 Height of the Body of the Church 99 0 

Breadth of the Centre Aisle of the Nave - - - - 46 6 

Breadth of the Side Aisles - 18 Height of the Side Aisles - 42 0 

Breadth of the North Transept 81 Breadth of the South Transept - - - 78 6 

From the west doors to the entrance of the Choir - - 261 From the organ screen to the east window - 222 0 

Length of the Choir 157 Breadth of the Choir - 46 6 

Height of the East Window - - - • - 75 0 

Breadth of the East Window - - 32 0 

Height of the Chapter House, to the Canopy - - - 67 9 

Diameter of the Chapter House - - - - -63 0


cular sweep at the east end, as at Canterbury, Winchester, 

and some other Anglo-Norman churches. 

"In the early ages of Christianity," observes Mr. Browne, 

in his history of the Metropolitan Church of St. Peter, 

York, " when the church was almost incessantly harrassed 

by persecution, it was necessary for the believers to meet 

for the purpose of worship in the most secret places, in 

natural or artificial caves, and in the subterraneous cham 

bers under dwellings. In such places also they were 

accustomed to bury the most distinguished officers of 

the church, and those who had suffered for the faith. 

Hence the term crypt, denoting a concealed place, came at 

length to signify a church under ground. The practice of 

assembling in such places, or of resorting to them frequently 

for the purpose of meditation, of confession of sins, and of 

prayer, continued after the necessity of concealment had 

ceased ; in these also, the most illustrious dead were 

interred; and hence it was customary to erect in them 

altars and oratories, at which divine rights might be per 

formed, and prayers might be offered by the living for the 

benefit of departed friends." In the crypt of the Norman 

church at York, before the fourteenth century, we find that 

there were seven altars endowed for the health of the foun 

ders or testators respectively ; viz., the altar of the blessed 

virgin Mary, supposed to be coeval with the church itself ; 

the altar of St. Nicholas and St. Gregory, founded by John 

Lumbard, a. d. 1240 ; the altar of St. Mary Magdalene, 

founded by the testament of Godfrey of Norwich, dean 

of York, 1241 ; the altar of St. Lawrence, founded by 

Lawrence of Lincoln, a.d. 1249 ; the altar of St. Agatha, 

St. Lucy, and St. Scholastica, founded by Eudonis de 

Punchardon, a.d. 1255; the altar of St. Katherine and St. 

James, founded by Gilbert de Sarum, 1285 ; and the altar 

of St. Petronella, St. Agnes, and St. Cecily, founded by 

one Jordan, a.d. 1370. 

From the crypt we now enter a series of vaults, which 

extend westward, beneath the choir, nearly to the great


tower. These vaults have been built since the fire of 1829, 

and have been constructed for the purpose of preserving, 

and admitting an examination of, the beautiful remains of 

the first Norman Minster, as well as the foundation of the 

Saxon church, built by King Edwin; the existence of which 

was not even suspected, till the excavations preliminary to 

the last restoration of the choir. 

The piers of Norman architecture are peculiarly beau 

tiful, being elegantly ornamented both at the capitals 

and bases. Portions of the old Saxon foundations, built 

in herring-bone style, are exposed ; and part of the 

external Norman wall is disclosed. A heap of earth, 

covered with a flag, is shown to strangers as a Roman or 

pagan altar, in which channels were made for the blood of 

victims to flow off!—but it is nothing more than a portion 

of a heap of earth that once formed a descent from 

the choir into the Norman crypt. If it did belong to the 

temple of Bellona, which Spartian states was in York,J that 

temple must have been different from every other Roman 

edifice that pretended to the dignity of a temple. The 

pagan high priest, Coifi, it is true, became a Christian at 

the time of King Edwin's conversion ; but the fact, that 

Edwin was baptized in a wooden oratory, constructed for the 

purpose, we apprehend negatives with sufficient force, the 

notion that the heap of earth, to which reference has been 

made as amodern marvel, was the altar of any pagan temple , 

on the site of the Minster. We do not however agree with 

those, who would infer from the statement of the old chro 

nicles, that a wooden-oratory was constructed for Edwin's 

baptism, that there was no building in York, at the time, 

suitable for a public assembly. In those ages, baptism was, 

in the case of adults, without controversy, performed by 

immersion. It is therefore probable that the wooden-orato 

ry enclosed a well of water, which, perhaps, could not be 

found in any temple or edifice then in the city. Beside, 

t See Camden's Britannia.

C2 

ANCIENT AND 

Christians had a strong antipathy to enter places which 

they considered polluted by idolatrous rites :—a circum 

stance which "might have convinced the authors of the 

absurd fiction we have noticed, that no altar saturated with 

the gore of victims offered up to Demons would have been 

allowed to remain in a church dedicated to the worship of 

Him that abhorreth idols. It may be suggested that this 

pseudo altar lay concealed from observation. It stands, 

however, above the level of the Norman crypt ; and must 

have been therein a conspicuous object. 

Emerging from the crypt, the monuments next claim 

our attention : those most worthy of observation being in 

the north and south aisles of the choir, and the Ladye 

Chapel, which lies between the stone altar screen and 

the great east window. 

Archbishop Henry Bowett, A. D. 1423. 

This monument, situated beneath an arch at the east 

end, is a remarkably fine specimen of the architecture 

which prevailed in the early part of the reign of Henry VI. 

The canopy is an elliptical arch ; each front of which is 

splayed outwards in radiated tracery, to suit the forms of 

three divisions of tabernacle work, with most delicate pen 

dents between. The inside of the arch is adorned with 

fine tracery. Upon the arch, and within the double front 

of pinnacles, rise three lofty tabernacles ; each containing 

a statue, standing upon a column or pedestal. The 

modern tomb, which forms a base to this superb 

canopy, is so broad as to produce the appearance of an 

inclosed chapel. It suffered severely in 1 829. 

Archbishop Rotherham, A. D. 1500. 

The tomb of this prelate lies in the Ladye Chapel, near 

the altar which once stood beneath the east window. It

MODEEN YOKE. 63 

suffered severely in the calamities of 1829 ; but has since 

been renovated. 

Earl of Carlisle, A. D. 1684. 

This is a marble monument, against the wall, composed 

of two pilasters, a circular pediment, &c, adorned with 

cherubs, coats of arms, a bust of the earl, and several 

urns. On one column is an inscription to the memory of 

" Charles Howard, earl of Carlisle, Viscount Morpeth, 

Baron Dacres of Gilsland, lord-lieutenant of Cumberland 

and Westmoreland, vice-admiral of the coasts of Northum 

berland, &c. and governor of Jamaica, privy councillor to 

King Charles II., and ambassador extraordinary to the czar 

of Muscovy, and the kings of Sweden and Denmark." He 

died February 24th, 1684. 

The Earl of Strafford, A. d. 1695. 

This monument is of veined marble, and of the Corin 

thian order, with beautiful fluted columns of the order ; 

between which, in a double niche, are seen the whole 

length figures of William Wentworth, earl of Strafford, 

and his lady, with an urn between them, and the cornet 

laid at their feet. They are attired in the costume of the 

time, and over the niches, within a circular pediment, are 

the Wentworth arms ; on each column stands a handsome 

vase or urn, and upon the pedestal, beside each figure, a 

weeping cherub. Beneath is a long inscription, descrip 

tive of his illustrious family connections. The earl was 

born on the 8th of June, 1626, and died the 16th of 

October, 1695. On a flag on the floor, near this monu 

ment, is inscribed " The earl of Strafford's vault," ap 

pointed to be made by William, earl of Strafford, a.d. 1 687. 

Dr. Burgh, A. D. 1808. 

A beautiful monument, of white marble, by Westmacott, 

is erected in memory of this celebrated author. On a base


or pedestal of the monument is inscribed :—Gulielmo 

Burgh, Armo Nat. Hibern. 1741. Mort. Ebor, 1808. 

aet. 67."—Beneath is a poetic inscription, written by 

J. B. S. Morritt, Esq., Rokeby. 

Sir George Savile, Bart. ad. 1784. 

An elegant white marble statue of this eminent states 

man was erected by a general subscription in the county of 

York. It is placed upon a marble pedestal, six feet high, 

with scrolls at the angles ; on the frieze of which are 

introduced the emblems of Wisdom, Fortitude, and Eter 

nity. The honourable baronet is represented leaning upon 

a pillar holding in his right hand a scroll, on which is 

written, " The petition of the freeholders of the county 

of York." 

Prince William De Hatfield, a. d. 1350. 

In the western part of the north aisle of the choir is the 

exquisite little alabaster statue of Prince William De 

Hatfield, the second son of King Edward III. This royal 

youth, who died at the early age of eight years, is here 

represented in a recumbent posture. He is habited in a 

doublet, finely flowered, with long sleeves, a mantle with 

foliated edges, plain hose, and shoes richly ornamented 

with flowers ; his head is adorned with a narrow chaplet, 

and a magnificent belt encircles his loins. The head was 

formerly supported by two angels, which have been 

destroyed. The feet rest against a lion. The statue, long 

neglected, now lies under a canopy. 

Archbishop Grenefeld, A. D. 1315. 

In the eastern aisle of the north transept is the monu 

ment of this prelate who died in 1315. It is a fine spe 

cimen ofthe style which prevailed in the reign of Henry VT., 

consisting of an altar tomb, the dado enriched with panelling 

of pointed arches. From the ends rise four dwarf columns, 

supporting a pedimental canopy, the raking cornice being

MODERN TORK. 65 

ornamented with crockets, and the whole finished with a 

superb firrial, behind which, on a small column, is a statue 

of the archbishop in the act of giving the benediction. The 

sweep of the arch contains a cinquefoil, and each leaf a 

trefoil, and on each side are neat buttresses, which rise to 

the height of the apex of the canopy, and finish in crocketted 

pinnacles. On the tomb is the full-length effigy of 

the archbishop, engraved in brass. 

Archbishop Walter Grey, A. D. 1255. 

This monument is situated in the east of the south tran 

sept. It is a beautiful relic of the thirteenth century ; 

consisting of two stories, or tiers of trefoil arches, sup 

ported by eight slender columns, with capitals, of luxuriant 

foliage, sustaining a canopy divided into eight niches, with 

angular pediments, decorated with elaborate finials. These 

are enriched with figures of birds, foliage, &c. ; and the 

sweep of the pediment has several crockets running up its 

exterior moulding. On a flat tomb, under the canopy, is 

an effigy of the archbishop in his pontifical robes. This 

monument is inclosed by a bronzed iron railing, of rich and 

elaborate workmanship, erected by the late Archbishop 

Markham. Behind the tomb are seen parts of the nave 

and choir ; also a tomb ascribed to Archbishop Godfrey 

de Ludham, otherwise Kimeton, who died in 1264. It is 

coffin-shaped, under a canopy of trefoil arches. 

Elizabeth Eymes, A. D. 1583. 

On a pillar, in the south aisle of the nave, is the halflength 

effigy of a woman in the costume of the period, with 

a book in her hand. Beneath is the following inscription :— 

Here lieth the body of Elizabeth Eymes, widow, late wife 

of Thomas Eymes, Esq., deceased, one of the gentlewomen 

of Elizabeth, her privy chamber, and daughter of Sir 

Edward Nevill, Knight, one of the privy chamber to King 

Henry VIII., who departed out of this life to the mercy of 

God, the third day of February, a. d., MDLXXXIII. 

f 2


James Cotrel, a. d. 1595. 

On the south aisle of the nave, adjoining the great tower, 

is the effigy of a counsellor in the time of Queen Elizabeth, 

represented in his furred gown. There is a Latin inscrip 

tion which states, " James Cotrel, born in Dublin, the 

chief city in Ireland, afterwards citizen of York, Esq., lies 

underneath this stone, who, faithfully and diligently for the 

space of twenty years, served our most serene lady Queen 

Elizabeth and her counsel in these northern parts by 

examining witnesses. A man, truly, prudent, grave, 

learned, merciful, beneficent, humble, and pious. He 

died 2nd of the calends of September, A. p. 1595. 

Eliz. 37. 

The Grave of St. William. Died a. d. 1154. 

It is now impossible to point out the spot where the 

remains of this distinguished bishop lie. At the time 

of William's canonization, his bones were taken up from 

the place where he [was first buried, and removed with 

great pomp, in the presence of King Edward I,, his queen 

and court, and eleven bishops, to the nave ; where we find 

them affording sanctuary in after times. Over these bones, 

Archbishop Wickwane built a costly shrine, which was 

afterwards enriched with plate and jewels of great value. 

At the reformation the shrine was demolished, and no 

record was left of the place where the bones were laid. 

Mr. Drake, hearing that there was a tradition that St. 

William's coffin lay under a long spotted marble slab in 

the nave, obtained leave at the laying of the new pavement, 

to make search for it. On digging about a yard deep, the 

workmen found a stone coffin, six feet six inches in length, 

with an arched lid, on which was a cross the length of the 

coffin. The coffin was opened, and within it was found a 

square leaden box, three quarters of a yard long. In this 

the bones were deposited. It had been closely soldered


up ; but it was easily broken with the fingers. Drake 

found that the smaller bones and those of the scull were 

•wrapped up in a piece of sarcenet, and the larger bones 

placed in the bottom. He measured the thigh bone ; 

and was of opinion that the deceased had been about 

five feet six inches. There was no inscription upon the 

coffin; but the fact, that the bones had been collected andbu 

ried, seems to bear out the tradition that had led Mr. Drake 

to make the inquiry. He gives us an engraving of the coffin ; 

but affords no hint as to the position of the grave ; a thing 

the more to be regretted as there is no inscription to mark 

the spot. 

Beside the foregoing, there are several other monuments 

of inferior note ; the style of which, in some cases, is not 

quite in harmony with the architecture of the Cathedral. 

In the vestry, at the south side of the choir, several 

curious relics are preserved, the most remarkable of which 

is the horn of Ulphus, given, with all his lands and reve 

nues, to the church of St. Peter at York. Ulphus was a Sax 

on prince of the western part of Deiri, who, finding that his 

two sons were likely to quarrel about their inheritance, 

came to York with this horn, from which he was accus 

tomed to drink, and, kneeling before the altar in the 

Minster, filled it with wine, and, devoutly drinking it, 

enfeoffed this church with all his lands and revenues. 

This vessel is of ivory, curiously carved, and polished ; and 

was originally ornamented with gold mounting. After the 

surrender of York to the parliamentarian army in 1644, 

the horn was taken from the Minster, and denuded of its 

ornaments. It fell into the hands of general, Sir Thomas 

Fairfax (who in 1 647 succeeded to the title and estates of 

his father, Lord Fairfax) ; and was bequeathed by him, at 

his death, to his son Henry, Lord Fairfax, by whom it was 

restored to the church. In Berkshire there is a curious 

horn of a similar character, called the Pusey horn, which is 

said to have been given by the Danish king, Canute, with

ANCIENT AND 

the manor, to an officer in his army, as a reward for his 

vigilance in discovering an ambuscade formed by the 

Saxons to intercept him. It is the horn of an ox ; of a 

dark-brown tortoise-shell colour, mounted at each end and 

about the middle with silver rings ; the stopper being 

shaped like a dog's head. The middle ring bears the 

following inscription :—" I, Kyng Knoude, geve William 

Pewse thys home to holde by thy lande."* There appears 

therefore to be no doubt as to the validity of this simple 

method of conveyance in the time of our Saxon ancestors. 

A curious bowl is also shown, which was presented to 

the Cordwainers' Company of York by Archbishop Scroope 

in the year 1398. It is ornamented with the arms of the 

craft; and on the rim the following inscription appears :— 

" Richarde, arche-bescope Scroope, grant unto all tho that 

drinkis of this cope XLti dayes to pardon ;"—and " Robert 

Gobson bescope mesm grant in same form aforesaid XLti 

dayes to pardon Robert Strensall." Mr. Sheriff Hornby pre 

sented the bowl to the church in 1808 on the dissolution of 

the Cordwainers' Company. In the vestry there are also 

several archepiscopal rings, antique silver chalices, a silver 

crosier brought from Portugal, some old armour, and the 

cloth that formed the canopy under which King James I. 

sat in the Minster when on his way from Edinburgh to 

London after the death of his predecessor. 

On the altar of the choir an ancient chair is preserved, in 

which we are informed several of the Saxon kings were 

crowned, and which was used as the chair of state for the 

various monarchs visiting York in the olden time. 

The chapter house now remains to be described. We 

are informed that in the time of Cromwell, a certain person 

presented a petition to the parliament desiring to have a 

grant, empowering him to demolish the chapter-house of 

York as a useless part of the church, and employ the timber 

and stone thereof in the erection of a stable ! The petition 

* There is an accurate engraving of this horn in the Journey-Book, of Berk 

shire, published by Charles Knight and Co., London.


was granted ; but the man. did not live to execute his pur 

pose: "for," adds Ghent, "he was hurried away by a 

violent death, no longer than about a week before he 

thought to have put his impious designs into execution." 

Thus, fortunately, escaped from destruction, one of the 

most elegant structures of the kind in England ! 

From the north transept, doors open into the vestibtjie 

that forms the approach to the chapter-house. The 

vestibule is in itself remarkable : the sides are all pierced 

with windows, richly painted, and of beautiful tracery ; the 

walls beneath them being adorned in a style corresponding. 

The chapter-house is built in the form of an octagon ; 63 

feet in diameter, and 67 feet 10 inches in height. The 

roof is supported without a pillar of any sort ; being 

sustained by a pin, geometrically placed by its scientific 

constructors, in the centre. Arched windows, of great 

beauty, fill seven sides of the house ; and on the eighth side 

there is tracery on the wall, above the door-way, corres 

ponding with the pattern of the windows. The whole 

circumference below the windows is occupied by forty-four 

canopied stalls of stone for the canons who composed the 

chapter. The arches of these stalls are richly ornamented, 

affording a specimen of English tabernacle-work in its 

earliest state, and are supported by columns of Petworth 

marble ; each column being separate one from the other. 

Above the stalls is a walk or gallery that goes round the 

chapter-house. The sculpture of this part of the Cathedral 

is remarkable for the ludicrous images represented on the 

walls. "Here," quoth Ghent, "are antick postures both 

of men and beasts. In one place or another, is a man cut 

out, half-way, as if he was thrusting and striving with all 

strength to get out of a window, or some narrow passage. 

In another are several faces, having different aspects, as 

one crying, another laughing, a third making wry mouths, 

&c. And, what is also very ingenious, in another place is 

to be seen an old bald-pated friar kissing a young nun in 

the corner." The vaulted roof is of wood, and was, until a


few years ago, decorated with paintings of English kings. 

It is now plastered and coloured in imitation of stone. 

Formerly the chapter-house was splendidly decorated ; the 

walls being painted, and the stalls richly gilt. Over the 

door is a row of niches, formerly filled with thirteen statues, 

supposed to be those of Christ and the twelve apostles. 

The images are said to have been of silver, which 

were melted by Henry VIII. On the windows, which, 

are in a state of excellent preservation, are repre 

sented the armorial bearings of founders and benefactors 

of the church. The only furniture of the apartment, 

is a long and narrow table, of great antiquity, covered 

with a piece of old crimson tapestry, which was 

formerly hung in the choir, and which is said to have been 

presented for its use by Archbishop Kotherham. The 

chapter-house, it is generally supposed, was erected by 

Archbishop Grey, who built the south transept ; and was 

used for meetings of the clergy, synods, convocations, 

installations of prebends, &c. The coronation of Richard 

III., is said to have taken place in it ; and from the 

chapter-house are dated the letters patent by which that 

king relieved the citizens of York from the annual rent, 

payable before his time to the crown. Pope Pius II. 

apostrophizes the "shining walls and thin-waisted pillars " 

of the chapter-house ; and every tourist since his time who 

has visited York Minster, agrees, with scarcely a reserva 

tion, in the justness of the tribute of the learned traveller, 

—inscribed in Saxon characters at the entrance of the 

chapter-house :— 

Kt Itea JTos JTorum, 

SU at ©omus tssta ©omorum.


A CHRONOLOGICAL 

LIST OF THE ARCHBISHOPS OF YORK, 

WITH 

CONTEMPORARY KINGS OF ENGLAND, AND POPES. 

3tagIo=8aj(on JBpnaatp. 

Paulinus, 

Ceadda, 

Wilfrid, 

Bosa, 

Wilfrid restored, 

Bosa restored, 

John (St, John off 

Beverley) 5 

Wilfrid, II 

Egbert, 

Coena, Albert, 

Eanbald, 

Eanbald II, 

Wulsius, 

C7S 

686 

691 Ripon York 

705 Beverley 

718 

731 York 

767 Chester 


797 

Wilfere, 

854 

Ethelbald 895 

RedwardorLodeward, 921 

Wulstan, 

941 Oundle 

Oscytell, 

Athelwald, 

955 

Oswald, 

971 

Aldulfe, 

971 Worcester 

993 

Wulstan II. 1003 Ely 

Alfric Puttoc, 

Aldred, 

Thomas, 

Gerard, 

Thomas II, 

Thurstan, 

William, 

Henry Murdae, 

William, St. 

1023 

1050 

1061 

Peterborough 

Peterborough 

York 

3btgIo= Gorman JBanastp. 


1100 

William I and II 

York 

1109 

Henry York 

1119 

Henry Pontefract 

1144 

Henry I Stephen 

1148 York " Stephen ' 

1153 York Stephen 

Osred 

Osric, II 

Gregory II. 

Ccelwulph 

Ethel wuld 

Gregory III. 

Edelrid 

Paul I. 

Aired 

Adrian 

Egbert 

Leo IV. 

Egbert, Ethelwulph 

Paschal I. 

Gregory IV. 

(Ethelbald, Ethel-) 

< hert, Ethelred, V 

( Alfred S 

Leo IV. 

Alfred 

Edward the Elder 

Formosus 

VAthelstan, Ed > 

John X. 

i mund I, Edred) Stepen IX. 

Edwy Edgar 

Edgar 

Agapetus II. 

Edw. Mart 

John XIII. 

Ethelred II 

John XIII. 

John XV. 

Etlielred II., 

Sweyn, Edmund 

Ironsides,Canute 

Silvester II. 

Harold I., Hardicanute, 

Edward Benedict VIII. 

. Confessor 

Edward Confessor Leo IX, 

( Edward Confessi 

or, Harold II., Alexander II. 

( William I. 

Alexander II. 

Paschal II. 

Paschal II. 

Calixtus II. 

Lucius II. 

Eugenius IV. 

Anastasius IV.


Saxon mneHUstotrtJ. 

Archbuhopt, when Died and 

consecrated. 

buried at. Kings. Popes. 

Soger, 1154 York Henry II. 

Adrian IV. 

Geoffry Plantagenet, 1191 

< Henry [II. Rich.) 

\ arc! I. John > Clement 111. 

Walter Gray, 1815 York John, Henry III. Innocent 11 L 

Sewal de Boril, 1856 

Alexander IV. 

Godfrey de Kinton, 1858 

,t Henry 111. 

Henry 111. 

Alexander IV. 

Walter Giflard 1865 

Henry 111. Edward 1. Clement IV. 

William Wickwane 1279 Fontiniac Edward 1. 

Nicholas 11L 

John le Bomayne, 1286 York Edward 1. 

Honorius IV, 

Henry de Newarke, 1298 York Edward 1. 

Boniface Vlll. 

Thomas dcCorbrigge,1299 Southwell Edward 1. 

Boniface Vlll. 

William de Grenefeld,1305 YorkM Edward 1. and 11. Clement V. 

William de Melton, 1317 York Edward 11. and 111. John XXII. 

ICancasstrfari line. 

Wiliam de la Zouch, 1342 York Edward 111. Benedict XII. 

John Thoresby, 1354 York Edward 111. Innocent VI. 

Alexander Neville, 1374 liOvaine Edward 111 Rich. 11. Gregory XI. 

Thomas Arundell, 1389 

Richard 1L 

Boniface IX. 

Robert Waldby, 1397 Westminster Richard 1 1, 

Boniface IX. 

Richard Scrope, 1398 York Richard 11. Hen. IV. Boniface IX. 

Henry Bowett, 1408 YorkM Henry IV and V. Gregory XI 1. 

John Kemp, 1426 Canterbury Henry V. and VI Martin V. 

T§onae of ôA. 

William Boothe, 1403 Southwell Henry VI. Edward IV• Nicholas V. 

George Neville, 1465 York Edward IV 

Paul II. 

Lawrence Booth, 1476 Southwell Edward IV 

Sixtus IV. 

Thomas Scot de 

Botheram, | 1480 York 

< Edward IVand V ) 

(Rich.lllHen.Vllj Sixtus IV. 

Of fJuSut. 

Thomas Savage, 1501 York Henry VII 

Alexander VI. 

Christopher Baynbrigge 

[1508 Rome Henry VII and VIII Julius II. 

Thomas Wolsey 1514 Leicester Henry VIII Leo X. 

Edward Lee 1531 York Henry Vlll. Clement VII. 

Robert Holgate 1544 

< Henry VIII. Ed-> 

} ward VI. Mary j Paul III. 

Nicholas Heath 1555 Cobham Mary, Elizabeth 

Thomas Young 

The first Protes [ 1560 York 

Elizabeth 

tant Archbishop 

Edmund Grindall 1570 Croydon Elizabeth 

Edwin Sandys 1576 Southwell Elizabeth 

John Piers 


Elizabeth 

Matthew Hulton 1594 York 

Elizabeth James I 

Tfyovsx of SttixarB. 

Tobias Matthew 1606 York James I. Charles I 

George Montaigne 1628 Cawood Charles Samuel Harsnett 1629 Chigwell Charles Richard Neill 1632 York Charles John Williams 1642 Llandgay Charles I 

Accepted Erewen 1660 York Charles II 

Richard Sterne 1664 York Charles II 

John Dolben 1683 York Charles II. James II 

Thomas Lamplugh 1688 York William and Mary 

John Sharp 

1691 York William & Mary. Anne

Archbishops, when 

consecrated. 

Sir William Dawes 1713 

Lancelot Blackburn 1724 

Thomas Herring 743 

M atthew Hutton 1 747 

John Gilbert 1757 

Robert Hay Drummond 1761 

William Markham 1777 

Edward Venables Vernon 1808 


"Bouse of 13runstotcfe. 

Died and 

buried at. 

Cambridge 

Westminster 

Croyden 

Bishopthorpe 

Westminster 

Kings. 

George George I and II 

George H 

George II 

George II and III 

George III 

George III 

George III 

Wilfrid famed for his learning and eloquence was appointed archbishop of 

ork in the thirtieth year of his age. He was the founder of the celebrated 

monastery of Ripon. 

Bosa was the first archbishop buried in the minster. 

Kinsius is said to have been a man of great austerity ; walking bare foot in 

his visitations. 

Aldred was the last archbishop of the Saxon race. 

Thomas (1070) was the first Norman archbishop 

Henry Murdac having quarrelled with King Stephen was never permitted 

to enter the city of York. 

St. William. This archbishop" was canonized for his great piety 120 years 

after his death. His bones were then moved to the nave of the minster where 

they were objects of peculiar veneration. The following hymns and prayers 

nsed on the feast of the translation of this patron saint of York Minster, have 

been thus put into English, 

" O William, good shepherd, 

Father and patron of the clergy ; 

To us in the strife of this world 

Grant help, and put off (from us) 

The defilements of (this) life, and 

Grant us the joys of a heavenly crown." 

u O God who rejoicest us by the merits and intercession ofblessed William, 

the confessor and bishop, mercifully grant that we who implore thy benefits 

thro his intercession, may obtain them by thy gracious gift." 

"Jesu, our confidence, our honour and glory, love, strength, joy, life, truth and 

the way, the peace and true country of the just! thro thy clemency by the prayers 

of St William, translate us from the misery of this world to heavenly happiness!' 

" Pray for ns blessed William that we may deserve to obtain the promises 

of Christ." 

Roger, was supposed to have been concerned in the murder of Thomas a 

Becket ; but expurgated himself on oath. 

Geoffry was the natural son of Henry II. by Fair Rosamond, 

Walter Grey paid the pope ten thousand pounds, it is said, for his pall. He 

purchased the manor of Thorpe, now called Bishopthorpe. 

William De La Zouch : this prelate was famous for his courage displayed 

at the battle of Neville's cross, Durham. 

G

74 

ANCIENT AND 

John Thoresby; in the time of this bishop, the Pope to put an end to 

disputes, made the archbishop of, York primate of England, and the archbishop 

of Canterbury of all England. 

Thomas Arundell : this archbishop filled the office of Lord High Chancellor 

of England. 

Robert Waldby, a native of York, was celebrated for his learning. 

Richard Scrope was beheaded fot rebellion. 

John Kempe the son of humble parents in Kent, was Lord High Chancellor 

of England, and a cardinal of the See of Rome. 

Thomas Scot De Rotheram was Lord High Chancellor ; but was afterwards 

committed to prison. He died at Cawood of the plague. 

Thomas Savage is described as an accomplished courtier and inveterate 

sportsman. C/iristopher Bayribrigge, was sent as English Ambassador to Rome and was 

created a cardinal. He was poisoned at Rome by his steward, an Italian priest, 

whom he had struck in a moment of anger. 

Thomas Wolsey, cardinal, Lord Chancellor of England, &c. &c. 

Edward Lee was concerned in the insurrection known as the "pilgrimage 

of grace," to restore the Roman Catholic religion. 

Thomas Young was the first protestant archbishop of York. 

Edwin Sandys was imprisoned by Queen Mary for preaching in defiance of 

Lady Jane Grey's title to the throne ; and was afterwards one of the prelates 

who argued with the Roman Catholics before parliament. 

John Piers was a man of great learning, and was admitted to the friendship 

of Queen Elizabeth. 

Richard Slerne was chaplain to archbishop Laud and attended him at the 

scaffold. During the Commonwealth he was obliged to keep a school for his 

maintenance. He wrote a treatise on Logic ; and was one of the translators of 

Polyglot Bible. 

John Dolben was an ensign in the royal army and received wounds during 

the seige of York and at the battle of Marston Moor. 

John Sharp signalized himself by his bold defence of the reformed faith in 

the reign of James the second ; whose arbitary proceedings he successfully 

resisted. He was created a privy counsellor and. Lord Almoner in the reign of 

Queen Anne, and was said to have dissuaded her majesty from giving a bishoprick 

to Dean Swift. 

WiUiam Marhham, who was born in Ireland, was thirty-one years the arch 

bishop of York ; having been successively head master of the semenaries of 

Westminster and Christ Church, and bishop of Chester. He was chaplain to 

George II. and George 111. ; and by his assistance the churches of York, Ripon 

and Southwell were extensively repaired. He died in his eighty-ninth year, 

universally beloved, and was buried in the cloisters at Westminster Abbey,

M.0DEBN YORK. 75 

THE PAEISH CHURCHES. 

This is one of the most ancient, if not the most ancient, 

of the parish churches of York. It is recorded in the 

Saxon Chronicle—the earliest and not the least valuable 

of the historical records of England—that Earl Siward, in 

the year a.d. 1055, was buried within this edifice* "which 

he had ordered to be built and consecrated in the name of 

God and St. Olave to the honour of God and all his 

saints." Consequently, it was founded twenty-five or 

thirty years before the ascent of William the Conqueror 

to the throne. " This church of St. Olave," we are in 

formed by Archbishop Sharp's MS., " was in the time of 

William Rufus, an ancient rectory, in the possession of 

Earl Alan, the son of Eudo, duke of Bretagne; and this 

church, with four acres of land, on which Saint Mary's 

Abbey afterwards stood, he gave to Stephen and his 

monks, then retreated from Whitby in order to the settling 

of them here. So that till their abbey was built, this 

church of St. Olave' s was their convental church, and 

afterwards it was reckoned as a chapel dependent on 

them ; they having got into their hands all the lands and 

tenements of which that parish did consist." During the 

siege of York by the parliamentarian army, in 1644, a 

battery of guns was placed on the roof of the church, and, 

as some of the hottest firing took place in this quarter, 

the building was much injured. A brief, however, was 

afterwards obtained, and the church was nearly rebuilt 

from the ruins of St. Mary's Abbey, which it adjoins. 

In 1730, Gent described it as a "handsome church, but 

with little or no marks of antiquity." It is at present a 

* It is called a Minster in the Saxon Chronicle.


neat edifice, with a square tower ; being divided into three 

aisles. Church-room, 600 ; net value of the preferment, 

£138.* The parish, includes the hamlet of Marygate, 

part of the township of Clifton, St. Giles (united to it 

a.d. 1585), one-third of Heworth, and one-third of Rawcliffe. 

It is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the 

Earl de Grey, probably as lessee under the crown. 

Cruv, gambles. 

This church was built in the time of Edward the Con 

fessor, and not four hundred years later, as has been 

inaccurately stated in three or four publications. In the 

Domesday-Book of William the Conqueror, compiled a.d. 

1082,—quoted in the preceding pages—we find that the 

church of St. Crux, and two stalls in the Butchery or 

Shambles, belonged at that time to the earl of Morton -T 

and the church was afterwards given by Nigel Fossart, 

lord of Doncaster, to St. Mary's Abbey. In 1424, a 

commission was directed to the bishop of Dromore, in 

Ireland, to dedicate this church ; which appears at that 

time to have been re-built. At the dissolution of the 

abbeys, the patronage came to the crown. The present 

brick steeple was built in 1697 ; the principal expense 

being borne by the parishioners. This venerable church 

contains many interesting monuments. Sir Thomas Her 

bert, the celebrated traveller, lies within it ; the earl of 

Northumberland, who was beheaded in 1572, in the 

adjoining street, for attempting to raise a rebellion to 

dethrone Queen Elizabeth, liberate Mary, queen of Scots, 

and re-establish the Roman Catholic religion, is also 

buried in it; and several Lord Mayors of York are interred, 

within its precincts. It has lately been renovated exter 

nally and protected with iron railings. It has churchroom 

for 1500 ; and the net value of the preferment 

is £94. 

* See Lawton's collections, relative to the diocesses of York, and Riponw 

London, 1840.

MODERN TOHK. 77 

ail batata, 33abetrant. 

This edifice is pre-eminent above the other parish 

churches of York, for Ihe great beauty of its architec 

ture. It is ornamented with an octangular gothic steeple 

of remarkable elegance ; which has no superior, of a simi 

lar size, in England. This steeple was restored in 1837, 

when the church was thoroughly repaired. The tower 

and body of the church are of great antiquity. We find 

mention of this church in Domesday-book ; at the date of 

which time the bishop of Durham had it, and what be 

longed to it of the king's gift. A tradition has been handed 

down that a large lamp formerly was hung in the tower to 

light the travellers thro' the forest of Galtres, which ex 

tended from the suburbs of York to Easingwold. On the 

27th. January, 1585, the church of St. Peter-the-Little 

was united to All Saints. At the dissolution the patronage 

went to the crown. In 1694, the church narrowly escaped 

being burnt down by a fire which destroyed several of 

the adjacent buildings. In 1782, the chancel, being out 

of repair, was taken down, and the ground occupied by 

it was added to the market place ; in consideration of 

which, the corporation contributed £100 towards rebuild 

ing the east wall. Church-room 500. Net value £100. 

911 âmts, fiortfMtmt. 

This rectory formerly belonged to the prior and convent 

of the Holy Trinity in the city of York, to whom it was 

given by William de Paganel. A Bull of Pope Alexander 

II. contemporary with William the Conqueror confirms 

the grant. At the Reformation the patronage fell to the 

crown. The church consists of a nave, chancel, and side 

aisles, with a tower and spire, 120 feet in height. The 

walls are in a great measure composed of Roman bricks, 

grit and pebbles ; a fact, which of itself bears testimony 

to their great antiquity. The painted glass of All Saints, 

North-street, is extremely fine, and is in admirable state 

of preservation. In one of the windows of the north aisle

78 ANCIENT ANI> 

is a representation of Nicholas Blackburne, Lord Mayor 

of York, 1429, and his wife; both in the posture of prayer. 

He is in armour, with a shield of arms upon his breast ; 

and beneath is a latin inscription requesting the prayers of 

the faithful for the repose of their souls. On the window 

above the altar is painted the wise men offering gifts to the 

infant Jesus, the salutation ofMary, the nativity, crucifixion, 

and resurrection. The ceiling at the eastern end of the 

church which is of fine old oak, adorned with a series of 

antique sculptures, is very striking and unique. It is 

supported on sculptured blocks of dark oak representing 

angelic musicians : and in the centre of the pannelled roof 

are curious grotesque heads. Church-room 350 ; Net 

value £107. 

i&t. Cutpert, 39ea3tIjoIm*grem. 

We find on reference to Domesday-Book, that this 

church existed at the conquest. "The church of St. 

Cuthbert the same William (de Percy) also claims of Earl 

Hugo, and seven small houses fifty feet in width." Sub 

sequently it was appropriated to the prior and convent of 

the Holy Trinity in the city of York. At the dissolution 

the patronage came to the crown. In 1452, a commission 

was issued to John, bishop of Phillipi to consecrate the 

chapel of a guild of St. Mary and Martin the confessor, 

and the altar in the same, erected within the church of 

St. Cuthbert. At the union of some of the churches in 

York in the year 1585, the churches of St. Mary extra 

Layerthorpe, (which stood without the postern on the hill 

on the right hand) All Hallows, Peaseholme-green, and 

St. Helens-on-the-Walls, in Aldwark, were united to it. 

In the latter church, the ashes of the Emperor Constantine* 

are said to have been preserved ; and Camden 

mentions a lighted lampf found in a vault, said to have 

* Camden's Britannia, p. 569, ed. 1590. 

+ A belief in the discovery of an ever-burning lamp appears to have been pre 

valent in all ages; and tradition informs us that lamps have been found in tombs 

where they have continued burning for upwards of 1,000 years, of which, 

mention has been made in the works of St. Austin, Plutarch, Pliny, Ludovicu» 

Vive», Baptista, Porta and Licetus.

MODERN TOEK. 79 

kept burning in honour of the father of the first christian 

Roman Emperor. Several Roman tiles stamped leg. ix. 

hisp., and other Roman remains have been found in dig 

ging in the church of St. Cuthbert and the surrounding 

burying ground. In the windows some stained glass 

remains ; the royal arms of King Edward III. being on 

one compartment. Near the entrance is an inscription 

in memory of William Bowes, Lord Mayor, a. d. 1416. 

Church-room, 350 ; net value £233. 

St. Sa6tour'£f, Sabtourgate. 

This church anciently styled the church of St. Saviour 

in Marisco (in the marsh) also belongs to the class of those 

founded anterior to the time of King William I. The 

patronage of the ancient rectory was given by the conqueror 

to St. Mary's Abbey ; at the reformation it reverted to 

the crown. In 1585, the churches of St. John, in Hungate, 

and St. Andrew in St. Andrewgate, (mentioned in 

Domesday-Book,) were united to this church and parish. 

The present edifice is of antique appearance ; but is in 

good repair. It is said to have been constructed from the 

remains of a neighbouring Carmelite monastery. The 

windows contain some richly painted glass ; and upon one 

is depicted the legend of St. Anthony of Padua, and his 

pig. Within the church are buried Sir John Hewley and 

his lady Dame Sarah, now notorious in consequence of 

the expensive chancery suits respecting her will. Churchroom, 

500 ; net value £173. 

St. fHtcftael, Spuvriergate. 

William the Conqueror, or, as Archbishop Sharp was 

of opinion, William Rufus, gave this church to St. Mary's 

Abbey ; with which the patronage remained till the 

dissolution, when it came to the crown. During the im 

provements consequent upon the erection of the new bridge 

at Ousegate, the chancel was taken down and a con 

siderable portion of the ground, on which it stood, added 

to the street. The exterior of the church consequently


presents a modern appearance. The windows contain 

some painted glass representing the history of John the 

Baptist. Church-room, 500 ; net value £91. 

This church, built so close to the Cathedral as to pre 

vent the spectator from viewing to advantage the south 

west side, appears to have been founded about a century 

after the Norman Conquest ; and probably was used as a 

belfrey to the Minster. In 1194, it was confirmed to the 

dean and chapter of York by Pope Celestine III. It was, 

we are informed by Archbishop Sharp's MS., " an append 

ant to the vicarage of St. Martin, in Coney-street, and 

recently granted with it to the dean and chapter. It is 

called a rectory, or parochial church, appendant to the 

revenues of the dean and chapter, by whom it is usually 

demised to the incumbent at the rent of £8 per annum."* 

The original building appears to have been taken down in 

1535, and the present fabric was completed ten years 

afterwards. It is the largest and, internally, the handsomest 

of the parish churches, consisting of a nave, chancel and side 

aisles : it is 96 feet long and 63 feet wide. The west end 

was formerly built against ; but all the houses from thence 

to the top of Little Blake-street, have, within the last 

few years, been removed ; by which the approach to the 

Minster, from Bootham, is greatly improved. The inte 

rior affords a good specimen of the architecture of the 

sixteenth century ; the nave and chancel being divided 

from the aisles by six depressed pointed arches, resting on 

clusters of four columns, united by octagonal capitals. 

At the east end of the north aisle is a tablet, to the 

memory of the late Rev. William Richardson, a clergy 

man, eminent for his exemplary piety and Christian zeal ; 

and there are several other interesting monuments. In 

this church also lie the remains of Mr. Thomas Gent, 

* Archbishop Sharp's MS., vol. ii.


the celebrated printer of York, whose histories of York, 

Ripon, Hull, &c., are highly esteemed by the collectors 

of English topography. Mr. Gent was born in Dub 

lin, a. d. 1691, and died in York, on the 19th. of May, 

1778, in the eighty-seventh year of his age. In 1585, 

the church of St. Wilfrid, Blake-street, was united to 

Belfrey's ; but with this particular restriction, that if 

ever the parishioners think fit to rebuild the church of 

St. Wilfrid, the parish should remain as it was before 

the union. Part of the townships of Clifton and Rawcliffe 

are within this parish. Church-room, 1000 ; net 

value, £140. 

&t. jHargaret, Malmgate. 

This, to the antiquarian, is, questionless, the most 

interesting of the parish churches of York ; and to many 

is an object of greater curiosity than the minster itself; 

its celebrated porch, usually allowed to be a Saxon struc 

ture, investing it with peculiar attractions. The church 

was an ancient rectory, conjoined with St. Mary's Walmgate. 

They both belonged to the hospital of St. Peter, or 

St. Leonard, in the city of York,* to which they were given 

by Walter Fagenulf, in the time of Henry I. The patron 

age now belongs to the crown. In 1585, the parish of St. 

Peter-le-Willows was united to this parish. The porch, 

to which we have referred, is said to have been brought, 

at the time of the dissolution, to its present position from 

the hospital of St. Nicholas, extra muros, founded by the 

Empress Maude, daughter of Henry I. It consists of 

four united circular arches, below and within each other ; 

the effect of which is extremely singular. The outer arch 

exhibits the twelve signs of the zodiac, with a thirteenth 

zodiacal sign peculiar to the Anglo-Saxons ; each sign 

being accompanied by a hieroglyphical representation of 

the corresponding month. In addition to the twelve 

* Archbishop Sharp, 

t See Browne's Porch of St. Margaret's Church, York.


zodiacal signs used to designate the progress of the sun 

during its annual course, the Anglo-Saxons appear to have 

invented a sign to designate the additional month, and also 

a figure portraying the employment of the month, f 

Beneath the zodiacal signs is a carved flower moulding. 

The second arch comprises twenty-two grotesque masks, 

the third, eighteen hieroglyphical figures ; and the fourth, 

fifteen figures similar to those on the preceding one. The 

outer arch is supported by curiously carved pillars, 

and the three inner ones rest upon round columns. 

Within the porch is a small recess on either hand ; and 

over the door of the church is a carved arch, also supported 

by round columns. The roof of the porch rises to an 

apex, and is surmounted by a small stone image of the 

crucifixion. Mr. Browne is of opinion, that the porch was 

erected in the reign of Stephen ; when the hospital of St. 

Nicholas was founded by Maud. On the other hand, a 

learned antiquarian, Mr. Macgregor, who has also devoted 

a publication to the illustration of this porch, contends that 

it was not the design of any Saxon bishop, but is of Roman 

construction; and sums up, by saying, "upon the whole, 

if these arguments are well founded, it follows, that the 

citizens of York possess within their walls a very beautiful 

remain of an ancient temple of the sun, an unique in 

Britain, perhaps in Europe, and a monument, which would, 

it seems, be highly prized in France, where even single 

figures of the signs are carefully laid up in the museums." 

We cordially unite in the hope expressed by both anti 

quarians, that this valuable relic will be an object of the 

especial guardianship of the citizens of York ; as every 

year renders it more precious. In the church itself there 

is nothing that calls for observation. It has church-room 

for 600 ; and the net value is £124. 

$t. Umnte, OTalmgate. 

This was an ancient rectory, called St. Denys, or St. 

Dyonis, belonging to the hospital of St. Leonard, York :


at the dissolution, the patronage came to the crown. 

In 1585, the parish and church of St. George, in Fishergate, 

was united to St. Dennis, under the statute of 

I Edward VI. ; and Naburn has also been united to it. 

Since the union of St. George and Naburn, the patronage 

has been alternately in the hands of the family of Palmes, 

of Naburn. It is said that a Jewish synagogue formerly 

stood on the site, and its proximity to the river Foss 

adds probably in favour of the tradition. The church is 

now remarkable for an admirable Anglo-Saxon door-way, 

similar in style to the porch of St. Margaret. It is in 

excellent preservation, and is ornamented with a variety 

of curious mouldings. In 1798, the west-end of the 

church was taken down, in consequence of a deep drain 

passing too near it ; and then its beautiful Anglo-Saxon 

porch was removed. The door-way, however, was care 

fully conveyed to the south side, where it is at present. 

In the north aisle of the church was the family vault of 

the earls of Northumberland ; and here are said to be 

interred the remains of Henry, earl of Northumberland, 

who fell at the battle of Towton. The palace of the earls 

of Northumberland, called Percy's Inn, formerly stood 

opposite the church ; in which was born, in 1652, Dr. 

Marmaduke Fothergill, whose valuable collection of books 

were given by his widow to the Minster library. There is 

church-room for 250 ; net value £90. 

£t. Eaforata, without OTalmgate 33ar. 

This church also possesses a relic of anglo-saxon arch 

itecture and sculpture. The arched door-way resembles 

in style, the porch of St. Margaret's church ; being orna 

mented with characteristic carving and very beautiful 

moulding ; until lately concealed by a vulgar porch. On 

the steeple is a representation of St. Lawrence on the 

gridiron. The church of St. Lawrence was anciently a 

rectory, appropriated to the common of the dean and 

chapter of York, and esteemed one of their great farms ;


being usually demised to one of the canons residentary, at 

an annual rent. The dean and chapter are still the 

patrons and impropriators. In 1365, the church of St. 

Michael was united to this church, subject to a pension 

of 13*. 4d. per annum, to the priory and convent of 

Kirkham. In 1585, the churches of St. Helens, in 

Fishergate, and All Saint's, Fishergate, were also united 

to it. Church-room 120 ; net value £83. 

&t. 4Har», Cafitltgatf. 

This was an ancient rectory of medieties, one belonging 

to the patronage of the Percy's, earls of Northumberland, 

the other to Kirkham priory ; till both were consolidated 

a. d. 1400, under the patronage of the earls of Northum 

berland. In Domesday-book it is mentioned that William 

de Percy, had in the city of York fourteen mansions and 

the church of St. Mary. In old times the church was 

called Ecclesia sancta marim adportam Castri. It is orna 

mented with a very fine spire, 154 feet in height, and 

contains several antique monuments. Church-room 750 ; 

net value £76. 

Christ Churri), CoIUergate. 

This ancient structure which adjoins King's-square, was 

formerly described as Ecclesia S. Trinitatis in aula, vel 

curia, regis, " Sanict Trinityes in Conyng garthe," from 

which it is inferred that the imperial palace of the 

Emperors, which existed in Roman York, extended to 

this part of the city. The rectory anciently belonged to 

the patronage of the family of Bascy ; and afterwards to 

the Nevilles, earls of Westmorland, by whom it was given 

to the master, brethern and sisters of the hospital of Well. 

We are informed by Torr that the vicar was discharged 

of all burdens, ordinary and extraordinary, except the 

charge of finding " straw in winter and green rushes in 

summer, for the strewing of the church, according to the 

common use of churches." The shape of the church has 

undergone considerable alterations within the last few


years, consequent on the improvements which have been 

effected in the street. It is now in good repair. Churchroom, 

325 ; net value, £87. 

&t. 0.axtiriAt*&xaritl, Contg^Strot. 

This church is supposed to have been erected at the 

time of the conquest ; as there is mention made in 

Domesday, of the church of St. Martin that belonged to 

Gospatrick. It was formerly reckoned amongst the great 

farms of the common of the dean and chapter of York ; 

and the patronage still belongs to them. On the 5 Kal. 

Dec. a.D. 1331, they appointed William de Langtoft, 

vicar, and gave him an adjoining house to dwell in. The 

church, consists pf a nave, chancel, and side aisles, with a 

square tower at the south-west angle. From east to west 

the interior is divided into a body and aisles by six pointed 

arches. The ceiling is flat, and beautifully ornamented 

with sculptured bosses. The church formerly had a great 

deal of fine painted glass ; but in 1722, the east window, 

which contained the history of St. Athanasius, was re 

moved to the Minster. Recently the interior has been 

renovated, at a considerable cost, by the parishioners, 

and it is now one of the handsomest of the churches in 

the city. In the square tower is a peal of bells, presented 

to the church by William Thompson, Esq., in 1729. 

Each bell has a curious inscription; the following dis 

tich being on the 6th :— 

• ■ *1 All you that hear my mournful sound, 

Repent before you lie in ground." 

The most remarkable of the monuments in the church, is 

one to the memory of Mrs. Porteus, mother of Beilby 

Porteus, bishop of London, who was born in York. 

ChurchTrqom, 400 ; net value, £97. 

&t. f?tlm, ^torugate. 

This is one of the four churches, which, in York and its 

suburbs, were dedicated to St. Helen, mother of Constantine 

H


the Great. It is said to stand upon the site of a Roman 

temple dedicated to Diana,* whose statues usually were 

placed where three ways met. Three streets certainly 

meet, and probably always have met, at this place ; and 

in 1770 some Roman foundations were found near it. In 

the church is a beautiful Saxon font, curiously sculptured. 

The church of St. Helen originally belonged to the priory 

of Molesly in Lincolnshire; but at the dissolution the 

patronage fell to the crown. In the I. King Edward 

VI., when the statute was made for uniting the churches 

of York, St. Helens was defaced, as the preamble declares, 

" because it seemeth much to deform the city, being a 

great delay to some streets meeting and winding at it." 

In the first of Queen Mary, however, it was enacted to 

be lawful for the parishioners to re-edify and repair the 

edifice and the church-yard thereunto belonging. About 

forty years ago the old octagon steeple was taken down 

and the present turret built.—A monument in this church 

contains the following curious particulars: Two maiden 

sisters, Barbara and Elizabeth Davyes, each having com 

pleted her 98th year, are interred here. Barbara was born 

in 1667, and died in 1765. Elizabeth was born in 1669, 

and died in 1767. They lived in the seven successive 

reigns of Charles II., James II., William and Mary, Queen 

Anne, George I., George II., and George III. Churchroom, 

400 ; net value, £103. 

fiolj? Crinttn, ©ootframgate. 

This ancient rectory formerly consisted of two medieties , 

the patronage of one belonging to the priory and convent 

of Durham, and the other to the archbishop of York ; 

but in the time of King Henry III., the prior and convent, 

considering that one mediety was insufficient for the 

maintenance of the Incumbent, transferred their mediety 

* Diana was called Trivia, from her statues standing where three ways me t. 

Adam's Roman Antiquities,

MODERN YOBK. 87 

to the archbishop, after which both medieties were united 

into one rectory at the collation of the archbishop of 

York. On the 27th of June, 1585, the churches of St. 

Maurice and St. John Delpike were united to this church, 

under the statute I. Edward VI. The present fabric is 

evidently one of great antiquity ; as it is partly constructed 

of grit. The windows contain some painted glass with 

effigies of St. Paulinus, St. William, and the arms of the 

Mowbray's, Percies, Rosses, Veres, &c. Church-room, 

500; net value, £138. 

gt. fflauxut, iJaonfegatt. 

This ancient church is situate without Monk Bar. We 

find it recorded that the church of St. Maurice in Monkgate 

and Newbigging, anciently appertained to the pre 

bends of Fridaythorpe and Fenton, until Archbishop 

Walter Grey united the medieties into one rectory, which 

he assigned to the prebendary of Fenton. In 1585, the 

vicarage was united to the Holy Trinity, Goodramgate, 

under the statute of I. Edward VI., but the church was 

retained ; and St. Maurice still remains a separate pa 

rish. The patronage belongs to the archbishop of York. 

Church-room, 410. 

dampslon,


St. Mary, and to the prayers of St. Sampson, St. John of 

Beverley, Mary Magdalen and all the saints, and directed 

his body to be buried in the parish kirk of St. Sampson's 

by the body of Johanna his wife ; giving his gold ring with 

the diamond " to hang round the neck of the image of our 

lady, which stands above our lady's altar in the Minster, 

where they sing our lady's mass ; and another ring to hang 

about our lord's neck that is in the arms of the same 

image of our lady." He willed at the same time two 

silver candlesticks for the high altar of St. Sampson's 

church. At a visitation of the dean and chapter in 1755, 

the Rev. Joseph Boyes, curate of St. Sampson's, was pre 

sented by the Rev. Joseph Williamson " for frequently 

and obstinately resorting to a certain conventicle or place 

of worship where the methodists met, situate within the 

parish of St. Sampson, contrary to the canons and eccle 

siastical laws of this realm ; and thereby not only setting 

a bad example to his parishioners but to the city in general, 

and giving occasion to libertines to raise objections against 

the established church ; and also for being guilty of the 

most unnatural crime of dissuading as many persons as he 

could from attending upon the reformed Apostolic church." 

Mr. Boyes called upon his accuser to justify the charge, 

and obtained a decree against him with costs. The steeple 

of the church was considerably injured from the cannon 

balls of the parliamentarians in the last siege of York. 

Church-room, 500 ; net value preferment, £109. 

&t. SJoftn, fHtcttlegate. 

This is a perpetual curacy, and belongs to the dean 

and chapter, being accounted one of their greatest farms. 

The cure was formerly confided to the vicar of St. Martin's, 

Coney-street ; but is now served by a curate nominated by 

the dean and chapter. In 1551, the lofty steeple of this 

church was blown down ; and it has never been rebuilt. 

In 1653, three bells belonging to St. Nicholas's church, 

Walmgate, were taken down, and given by the Lord

MODERN YOBK. 

Mayor and aldermen to this church. There is churchroom 

for 370; net value, £209. 

&t. iHarttn, IHtcfeltgafc. 

This ancient rectory formerly belonged to the patronage 

of the Barons Trusbutt, then to the priory of Wartre ; 

afterwards to the Lords Scrope, of Massam ; and subse 

quently came, by divers mesne assignments, into the 

hands of trustees for the parish—H. Willoughby, Esq., 

and others. In 1585, the church of St. Gregory was 

united with it ; and it is, therefore, usually called St. 

Martin-cum-Gregory. Water Fulford also is within this 

parish. In .1677, the steeple was rebuilt at the cost of 

the parish. The windows contain some very good painted 

glass ; and the interior of the church is handsome; being 

divided into a nave, chancel, and side aisles. The roof 

of the nave is pannelled with sculptured bosses, at the 

angles of intersection, and springs from the clerestory 

windows. In the west end of the steeple is the remnant 

of a Roman funereal monument, on which a man, woman, 

and child were sculptured. Church-room, about 600 ; 

net value, £243. 

ffioln Citnttp, iHttfeltgate. 

This church was given by Ralph Paganel, with other 

churches and lands to certain monks, who, from the name 

of the church, were called the priory and convent of St. 

Trinity, whose priory formerly adjoined it. In 1585, the 

church of St. Nicholas was united to the church of the 

Holy Trinity, Micklegate. In 1551, the old steeple being 

blown down a new one was erected. Gent was of opinion, 

that the present church had been built out of the remains 

of the priory. Church-room, 326 ; net value, £93. 

£t. &laxv, StShophill the «rltJrr. 

This was anciently a rectory of medieties, one whereof 

belonged to the abbot and convent of Helagh Park, to 

whom it was given by Robert de Plumpton, who were 

h 2


patrons till 1367, when William de Merrington presented ; 

and in 1490, the patronage came to the crown and the 

families of Percy, Vavasour, and Lords Scrope, of Bolton. 

In 1515 the whole of the patronage came to the crown. 

In 1585, the church of St. Clement without Skeldergate 

postern, was united to this church, under the I. Edward VI. 

In 1659, the belfrey was taken down and a new steeple 

of brick and free stone, was erected. At the same time 

a new roof was placed on the south side. The interior of 

the church is neat ; the roof of the nave; chancel, and 

aisles, being flat. Church-room, 300; net value, £226. 

#t. ifflaro, 33feI)ophtIl tht lounger. 

This edifice is of great antiquity ; the north side being 

almost wholly built of grit. The vicarage was formerly 

one of the great farms of the dean and chapter of York, 

and by them was usually demised to one of the canons 

residentaries. The dean and chapter are still the patrons. 

Church-room, 224 ; net value, £144. 

JJrtJilwtman Chapel, St. Safct'otwrate. 

This chapel was erected a. d. 1692. A congregation 

under the pastoral care of the Rev. Charles Welbeloved, 

Unitarian minister, now assemble here for worship. It 

appears to have been built under the auspices, and with 

the assistance of Dame Sarah Hewley, lady of Sir John 

Hewley. The first regular society of non-conformists in 

York, of which we have any record, met at the house of 

Mr. Andrew Taylor, in Micklegate, an opulent merchant ; 

of which Mr. Ralph Ward had the oversight. Mr. Ward 

who was one of the ministers ejected by the act of uni 

formity, was chaplain to Sir John Hewley, and with the 

exception of the time he was in Ouse-bridge gaol and was 

driven away by the Oxford bill, continued to preach in

MODEEN TORE. 91 

York for thirty years. He died in 1692, the year St. 

Saviourgate chapel was built. Mr. Ward was succeeded 

immediately by his son-in-law, Dr. Thomas Coulton, edu 

cated at Leyden, who continued minister of St. Saviourgate 

chapel for almost forty years. Dr. Coulton died 15th of 

December, 1731, and was succeeded by John Hotham. 

Mr. Hotham appears to have been* assisted by Mr. John 

Brook, ofYarmouth, and sometime ofNorwich, from 1732, 

until 1735, when Mr. Brook died ; and after the death of 

this colleague, by Mr. John Root; who died June, 1755. 

In November, 1755, Mr. Newcome Cappe, a native of 

Leeds, son of the Rev. Joseph Cappe, many years minister 

of Mill-hill chapel was chosenf co-pastor with Mr. Ho 

tham over the Presbyterian congregation at St. Saviourgate 

chapel. Mr. Cappe had been a pupil at the academy of 

Dr. Doddridge at Northampton ; but subsequently spent 

three years in Glasgow. On the death of Mr. Hotham 

in 1756, he became sole pastor. During Mr. Cappe's min 

istry in York, he was frequently assisted by Mr. Edward 

Sandercock, independent minister, successively the pastor 

of two congregational churches in London. In 1792, the 

age of Mr. Cappe rendered it necessary that he should have 

assistance, and in that year the Rev. Charles Welbeloved 

settled in York as assistant minister, and became pastor 

in 1800, when Mr. Cappe died. In 1803, the Unitarian 

college of Manchester was removed to York, and the Rev. 

C. Welbeloved accepted the chair of theology. Subse 

quently the Rev. John Kennerick, M. A., became classical 

tutor, and the Rev. W. Hinks, F. L. S., mathematical 

tutor ; both assisting in the ministrations at St. Saviourgate 

chapel. In 1840, Manchester college was withdrawn from 

York and transferred to its original position ; and the 

building occupied by the college in Monkgate was purchas 

ed by the York Diocesan Society, for the purpose of 

founding a training school for teachers in connection with 

• Tliey seem to hare been joint-pastors. 

+ Not unanimously.


that society. The original intention of the founders of the 

Presbyterian chapel at York has been a matter of warm, 

controversy ; it being keenly contended, on the one hand 

that the present recipients of the revenues are the legiti 

mate successors in office and doctrine of the first pastors ; 

and on the other, that the old Presbyterians held doctrine* 

that are plucked up and contravened by the principles of 

Unitarians. 

Cht dfrmrtw' fHUttins^tmit, Caatltgate. 

The society of friends have very commodious premises 

in Friargate, the principal entrance to which, is from 

Castlegate. There are two houses contiguous to each 

other; the larger of which, was erected in the year 1816, 

and is a plain but substantial and handsome building, 

calculated to accommodate from 800 to 1000 persons. 

The members of the society in the city and neighbourhood 

meet regularly for religious worship in one of the houses ; 

and they are also used for the quarterly meetings of the 

friends, from various parts of the county, for the regula 

tion of the affairs of their community. The premises 

have been in the hands of the society for nearly 200 years ; 

a considerable number of the citizens of York being among 

the early converts to the doctrines of the quakers, and 

among the sufferers for their religious opinions and 

practices. 

WLtiltgm ifHethtrtJfet Cljaptl, ;ptfo*sJtrot. 

The Wesleyan methodists had a place of public worship 

in the city of York prior to the year 1755. It was situated 

in the parish of St. Sampson ; the curate of which, as we 

have already seen, was presented to the dean and chapter 

on the charge of frequently and obstinately resorting 

thither. Before the erection of New-street chapel, the 

Wesleyan methodists assembled in a house in Peaseholmegreen, 

and, for the two years preceding its opening, in 

Grape-lane chapel. On the first of January, 1805, the 

foundation stone of New-street chapel was laid, and it


appears to have been opened for public worship in 1806. 

The new building is calculated to contain 2000 people ; 

but it has since become quite inadequate to the wants of 

the Wesleyan denomination in York. The edifice is of 

red brick with stone mouldings; of a semi-octangular 

form ; the centre terminating with a pediment. The length 

of it is 66 feet ; breadth, 54 feet ; to the ceiling, 33 feet. 

&oman Catholic ChaptI, Utttfc 33lakt*sicrot. 

This chapel was erected by voluntary subscriptions in 

1802 ; previously to which time, the Roman catholics of 

York, worshipped in the house opposite, which has since 

been purchased by the York Union Lodge of Free-masons. 

It is a neat building, capable of containing about seven 

hundred people ; being 74 feet in length, 44 feet in breadth, 

and thirty feet in height. It comprises a very fine gallery, 

and an organ loft; and the marble altar and tabernacle 

placed in a recess at the east end, are extremely elegant. 

In 1837, the right reverend John Briggs, D.D., bishop 

in partibus, took up his residence in York, as vicar 

apostolic of the northern district ; and has since taken 

part in the services of Little Blake-street chapel. 

Henbal Chapri. 

This chapel, belonging to the independent denomination 

of protectant non-conformists, derives its name from the 

street in which it is situated. It was opened on the 7th 

of November, 1816; previously to which time the indepen 

dents were of little consideration, in York. They had a 

small chapel in Jubbergate, built about the year 1798, but 

they made little progress. Under the pastoral care, how 

ever, of the Rev. James Parsons, one of the most popular 

evangelical preachers in England, they soon increased in 

numbers and strength. Lendal chapel was originally built 

to accommodate 950 persons, but in a few years it was 

found necessary to erect a second gallery; and subse 

quently another enlargement took place : it can now


accommodate 1300 persons. In consequence of trie in 

creasing numbers of the congregation it was, in the year 

1838, deemed expedient to build another and more com 

modious chapel ; and on the 19th of July in that year, 

the foundation stone of Salem chapel was laid. In 1839, 

the new building being opened, part of the congregation 

under the pastorate of the Rev. James Parsons removed to 

Salem chapel; and the Rev. Charles Payton was appointed 

his successor in Lendal chapel. 

ffiBeslq?an ©{(apel, ,attifott=sttMt 

In consequence of the increase of the Wesleyan 

methodists of York, this chapel was erected in 1816. 

It is a neat and commodious edifice, built of red brick, 

and containing seats for a thousand persons. 

&rape-Iane fffwpel. 

This place of worship is now in the possession of the 

primitive Wesleyan methodists. It was originally built 

by the baptists, in 1780, and Dr. Steadman, the late 

eminent president of the college at Bradford, not unfrequently 

preached there. In 1794, the chapel was sold 

to the Rev. Mr. Watkins, a preacher in the Countess of 

Huntingdon's connexion. In 1798 it was again sold; 

the purchasers being the new Wesleyan connexion. They 

erected a gallery round it in 1800, and occupied it till 

1 804 ; when the Wesleyan methodists rented it. As 

soon as their New-street chapel was erected, the Wesleyans 

gave it up, and in 1806 it again became a baptist 

chapel. A few years ago it was sold by them to the 

primitive Wesleyan body who now worship there. Grapelane 

chapel has seats for nearly 600 people. 

EnBeperiBent ffii)apel, JSRalmgate. 

Owing to the extension of the Independent denomination 

in York, it was found necessary in 1824, to open this 

place of worship in connection with Lendal chapel. It is 

small, and was not originally built for a public purpose.


(HEUsleoan Chapel, aaalmgate. 

In 1826, a small chapel was erected in Walmgate, to 

meet the increasing wants of the Wesleyan body. 

Protestant J¥ferl)otrtst Chapel, lEaBa êciutt's ¥arB. 

Nearly opposite the Shambles is a passage from Pave 

ment into Lady Peckitt's Yard, where this chapel was 

erected in 1829. Prior to that time, this society of Metho 

dists assembled in a house in St. Andrewgate ; but it was 

inadequate for them, and in September, 1829, the founda 

tion stone of the new chapel was laid. 

Saltnt Cfiapel, St. Sabiourgate. 

This fine edifice was opened in August, 1839, by the 

independent body, in consequence of the increase of their 

numbers and the comparative smallness of Lendal chapel. 

It is, both externally and internally, an elegant and impos 

ing structure, presenting an elevated front of the Ionic 

order, after the temple of Ilisseus at Athens ; which is 

seen to advantage from St. Saviourgate, at the end of which 

street Salem chapel forms a Conspicuous object. It mea 

sures inside 81 feet in length, and 56 feet in breadth, and 

has extremely spacious and well-arranged galleries. There 

is accomodation for 1650 adults and children, and beneath 

the chapel is a large school room, well lighted and ven 

tilated. The total cost of erection, including the site was 

£5,000. 

SEUebBan ffifjapel, (States. 

This small, but neat chapel, was erected by the Wes 

leyan Methodists in 1839, for the accommodation of the 

population in this part of the suburbs of York. 

Cmtenar» Chapel, St. Sabtourgate. 

This is the largest and most splendid of the chapels in 

this city. It was built to commemorate the centenary of 

methodism ; and was opened on the 1 8th July, 1 840, 

when nearly 3,000 persons were present.


iXuim of SbU Jttarg'a: &fifaj>. 

If thou would'st view fair Mary's aright, 

Go view it by the pale moon light ; 

(For the gay beams of lightsome day. 

Gild but to flout the ruins gray.) 

When the broken arches are black in night 

And each shafted oriel glimmers white ; 

When buttress and buttress alternately, 

Seem framed of ebon and ivory, 

When silver edges the imagery ; 

Then go—but go alone the while— 

Then view St, Mary's ruined pile. 

The ruins of St. Mary's Abbey,—one of the most signal 

and powerful monastic institutions in England before the 

Reformation, form an object of peculiar interest. They 

are situated on the manor shore, and are now included 

within the beautiful grounds of the Yorkshire Philo 

sophical Society, the especially constituted guardians of 

these venerable remains. The abbey appears to have been 

founded in the time of King William the Conqueror. Ste 

phen, the first abbot of St. Mary's gives a detail, of which 

the following is an outline. He states that in 1078, he 

became a monk of Whitby, under Remfrid ; that William 

de Perey, a Norman baron, by whom the fraternity had 

been at first patronized, finally drove them away by force ; 

that they fled to Lestingham, from which place also, they 

were driven by the same Percy's interest with the king ; 

that in this afflicting state their condition was commiser 

ated by Alan, earl of Bretagne, who gave them a church 

near the city of York, dedicated to St. Olave, with four 

acres of land adjoining to build offices upon. And having 

obtained a license from the king, he persuaded the monks 

to leave Lestingham, and make this the seat of their 

abbey. Thomas, archbishop of York, in a suit against Earl 

Alan, claimed the four acres of land above mentioned ; 

whereupon King William I., to compose the difference,

MODEEN YOEK. 97 

promised to the archbishop other lands in lieu of them, 

and so the business ceased for a time. 

In 1088, King "William II. coming to York, and visiting 

the new monastery, found it too straitened and narrow 

for the reception of the convent ; he accordingly projected 

a larger, and with his own hand opened the ground to lay 

a new church, dedicated to St. Mary. The immunities 

and privileges granted to this monastery by William Rufus 

and his successors, kings of England, were very great. 

Upon the death of an abbot, the convent was to have 

the power of electing a successor. In case the sheriff or 

his officers had any complaint against the men of St. Ma 

ry's, they were first to acquaint the abbot therewith, and, 

at an appointed time, to come to the gates of the abbey, 

and their receive justice and right. The " homines sanctae 

Marise," moreover were exempt from attendance at the 

county courts, as well as at the meetings of the ridings, 

wapentakes, and hundreds. King Henry II., by his char 

ter, granted in the time of Abbot Savarinus, confirmed 

the privileges specified in the charter of William II.; 

adding to them certain liberties and customs which had 

before been peculiar to the churches of St. Peter at York 

and St. John of Beverley; ordaining also, that when the 

men of the county were summoned to serve in the king's 

army, the abbot of this monastry should find a man to 

carry the standard or banner of St. Mary, in the same 

manner as other churches sent their banners. Other con 

firmations by " Inspeximus," were granted by Kings Henry 

III., Edward I., Edward II., Edward III, Richard II., 

Henry IV., Henry V., Henry VI., Henry VII., and even 

by Henry VIII. ; who, by a large charter, confirmed all 

those liberties to the convent at first, which he afterwards 

took from them. The abbot of St. Mary's, York, was 

mitred and had a seat in parliament, whence he was always 

called Lord Abbot. He and the abbot of Selby were the 

only abbots in the north of England who had this privi 

lege. Whenever he went abroad either by land or water,


his retinue was extremely numerous, little inferior even to 

that of the archbishop of York. He had several country 

houses to retire to at pleasure ; of which, those at 

Deighton and Overton were the chief. Those houses were 

situated about five miles distant from the city ofYork, north 

and south of it. The abbot of York's residence in Lon 

don, was in the parish of St. Peter, near St. Paul's wharf. 

It was granted in the 35th of Henry VIII., to Thomas 

Lord Wriothesley. The early patronage of royalty rapidly 

increased this foundation in importance, and it soon had 

the following six cells, or smaller religious houses attached 

to it, viz. : St. Beez or St. Bega, and also Wetherall in 

Cumberland, St. Martin's at Richmond, Romburch in Cam 

bridgeshire, Santoft and Henes in Lincolnshire, and St. 

Mary Magdalene, near the city of Lincoln. The annual 

revenue of the abbey at the time of its suppression was 

about £2,000; an immense sum considering the relative 

value ofmoney, though much less than the revenue of Glostonbury, 

St. Peter's, Westminster, or St. Albans. The 

dispersed religious fraternity were black monks of the order 

of St. Benedict, and had a psalter and missal compiled 

particularly for their devotions ; though the archbishop 

of York had the power of visiting them for the purpose of 

correcting or reforming abuses that might be introduced. 

At the reformation the monastery of St. Mary was retained 

by the crown ; yet it shared the fate of the greater part of 

the religious houses. When its inmates were dispersed, 

the church and offices attached to it became useless. In 

many parts of England monasteries were converted into 

cathedral and parish churches ; but York possessed its Min 

ster and was crowded with churches. The parish of St. 

Olave had a church adjoining the monastery; it was there 

fore voted to be useless, and an order was issued soon after 

the dissolution, to erect on the site of the abbey, a palace, 

as a residence for the Lord Presidents of the north : for the 

construction of which, the church and offices of the abbey 

were ruthlessly dismantled!—The palace So built was


called the King's manor. James I. on his first coming 

to York, gave orders for it to be repaired and converted 

into a royal palace, intending to use it as such on going to 

and from Scotland; and it continued to be the seats of the 

Lord Presidents till the suppression of the Northern 

council. The remains of the abbey suffered much in the 

siege of York 1644, and in 1701 the magistrates of the 

county obtained permission from the crown to employ part 

of the materials in building the county gaol! In 1705, 

another portion was granted to the parish of St. Olave for 

the repairs of that church; and in 1717, the corporation 

of Beverley got permission, for the space of three years, 

to take away as much of the stone of the fabric as they 

required to repair Beverley Minster. So little care was 

taken to preserve the remains of the abbey in later times, 

that a person was suffered by enlightened utilitarians to 

erect a lime kiln near the venerable pile, and burn 

its stones into lime ! Indeed it is probable that in a few 

years the ruins would altogether have disappeared but for 

the exertions of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society, which 

in the year 1826 obtained a grant from the crown of three 

acres of land on the manor shore including the remains of 

the abbey ; Lord Grantham (Earl de Grey) whose family 

held the whole of the ancient close of the abbey, having, 

in the handsomest manner relinquished the portion which 

the Philosophical Society wished to possess. The mem 

bers have taken every step possible, to preserve the ruins, 

and arrest the progress of decay; and have had the found 

ation accurately measured and the grounds carefully exca 

vated, for the purpose of obtaining remains of the abbey 

and of ascertaining its precise position. The north wall of 

the nave of the conventual church still stands and exhibits 

eight windows, the lights and tracery of which, varied 

alternately, are remarkably beautiful. Beneath each of 

the windows were three canopied niches of bold tracery. 

Portion of the western front yet remains and is universally 

admired. When in a perfect state it must have been


exceedingly grand. It was divided into three divisions by 

buttresses crowned with spires and crocketed pinnacles. 

The ornaments about the door-way were singularly chaste 

and elegant. In a deep hollow moulding between every 

column was figured the shoot of a vine, rising from the 

bottom and forming at the top a foliated capital. Every 

relic connected with the abbey has been carefully collected 

by the Philosophical Society ; the account of whose valu 

able museum and delightful gardens will form the subject 

of a future chapter. 

GOVERNMENT OF THE CITY OF YORK. 

York was one of the first towns of England that pos 

sessed a municipal government. During the dominion 

of the Romans, it was governed by a corporation ; the 

ruling body, composed of senators, being termed the 

Curia. " In the time of the Romans," observes James 

Torr, "possessing this island, it was one of their principal 

colonies, or municipal towns, which either enjoyed its 

proper or special offices, laws, and privileges, or else the 

same privileges which Rome itself had." 

The citizens of London received a charter from King 

William the Norman, which, as it is as brief as it is pithy, 

we shall place in contrast with the earliest charter granted 

to the citizens of York now extant :—" William the king, 

salutes William the bishop and Godfrey the portreve, and 

all the burgesses within London, both French and English. 

And I declare, that I grant to you to be all law-worthy, as 

you were in the days of King Edward ; and I grant that 

every child shall be his father's heir after his father's days ; 

and I will not suffer any person to do you wrong. God 

keep you," This charter is in Saxon. It shows that the 

burgesses were not only a recognised class in the reign of 

William II., but were law-worthy in the time of the con 

fessor, William met too stout a resistance from the city


of York to confer a charter upon it ; but was filled with 

so much admiration at the gallant defence made against 

him by the inhabitants, commanded by Sir Robert Clifford, 

Howngate, Talbot (after Lord Talbot), Lassels, and 

Erringham, that he added five lions to the city arms, as a 

tribute of respect to their courage. Previously the arms 

of York were argent across gules—St. George's cross. 

The conqueror's son, Henry L, however, granted a charter 

to the citizens of York, which, although not extant, is 

recited and referred to in the charter given to this city 

by King Henry II., a.d. 1160:— 

Henry II. granted to the citizens of York—"Omnes libertates et leges et 

eonsuetudines suas et nominatim Gyldam suam mercaloriam et hansaa sitas in 

Anglia et Normania et lestagia sua per totam cosiam maris quieia sicut eti 

unquam melius et liberius habuerunt tempore regis Henrici avi met Et volo et 

jirmiler prcecipio quod prcedictas libertates et eonsuetudines, habeant et teneant 

cum omnibus libertatibus prcedictte Gyldce sua et Hansis suis pertinentibus ita 

bene in pace\ et libere et quiete sicut unquam melius liberius et quietius habue 

runt, et tenuerunt tempore prcedicti regis Henrici avi mei" 

York, says Torr, "was, time out of mind, governed by a 

mayor and three bailiffs, yet the style of the corporation 

in those days sometimes ran, Civitatibus Ebor. as when 

Henry III. granted to the citizens of York, that none of 

them should implead or be impleaded before himself, or 

any of his justices out of the city, for lands or tenements, 

which they held within the city, or the liberties of the 

same, or of any other trespass, but only before the mayor 

and bailiffs." In the 12th of Richard II. (1389), the king 

appointed the chief magistrate to be called Lord Mayor, 

and gave his sword wherewith he was girt, to be borne 

before him. 

The important changes effected in the municipal 

corporations of England and Wales, in 1835, render it now 

unnecessary to enumerate the various charters granted to 

the city of York. The last charter was obtained in 1829, 

at a considerable expense. By the corporation reform 

act, several valuable privileges were conferred on the in 

habitants at large. All male persons enrolled, who, on 

the last day of August, in any year, shall have occupied


a house, -warehouse, counting-house, or shop, within the 

city, during that and the two preceding years, and dwelt 

in or within seven miles of the city by the nearest public 

road or way by land or water, shall be citizens of this city, 

and members of the body corporate of the mayor, alder 

men, and citizens of the city of York. Provided they 

have been rated to the relief of the poor in the parish in 

which such house, warehouse, counting-house, or shop 

is situated, during the whole time of such occupation, and 

paid all such rates and all city rate3 under this act, except 

such as shall become due within six months next before 

the last day of August in each year. 

By this act also, all local restrictions upon trade and 

commercial enterprise were removed. In 1835, York was 

divided into six wards, for the election of the city council. 

Each ward elects six councillors, two of whom, in rotation, 

go out of office annually. The councillors elect twelve 

aldermen who serve for six years. The following are the six 

wards, and the various parishes comprised within them:— 

BOOTHAM WABD. 

Pariah of St Giles. 

Michael-le-Bclfrey. 

„ „ Wilfrid. 

Mint Yard. 

Minster Yard with Beddern 

GUILDHALL WARD. 

Parish of 8t, Helen's, Stonegate. 

„ ,, Martin-le-Grand, Coneystreet. 

Extra parochial district of Cumber 

land tto iv- , or Davy Hall. 

Parish of St. Sampson. 

„ Holy Trinity, King's court, 

otherwise Christ Church. 

Parish of St. Peter-the-Little. 

MONK WARD, 

Parish of Holy Trinity, Goodramgate. 

St. Cuthbert. 

„ Helens-on-the-Walls. 

„ N All Saints, Peasholme. 

ft ,, John Delpike. 

n Maurice. 

„ M Saviour. 

. „ Andrews. 

CASTLEGATE WARD. 

Parish of St. Michael, Spurriergate. 

„ All Saints, Pavement. 

St. Mary, Castlegate. 

St. John, Mieklegate. 

„ All Saints, North-street. 

WALMGATE WARD. 

Parish of St. Dennis. 

,, George. 

,, Lawrence. 

Margaret. 

Nicholas. 

Peter-le-Willows. 

„ „ Crux. 

MICKLEGATE WARD. 

Parish of St. Mary, Bishophil) Senior. 

St. Mary, Bishophill Junior. 

„ Holy Trinity, Mieklegate. 

« St. Martin-cum-Gregory, 

Mieklegate.

MODEEN TOEK. 103 

JUagaa anD Turn's J¥tecata of Jtorfe, ftrtjo fjabe wtttortj tfje ônota of 

IMgfjujoolJ. 

1. D. HEIQN OF 

A. D. REIGN OF 

1283 Edward II, Sir John Sampson. 1639 Charles I. Sir Roger Janues. 

1284 „ Sir Gilb de Luda, or 1640 Sir Bobert Belt. 

Luye. 

1641 Sir Christopher Croft 

1397 Henry IV. Sir William Frost, 1648 „ Sir Edmund Cooper, 

(seven times mayor 

(four times Lord 

of York.) 

Mayor. ) 

1164 Edward IV. Sir John Gilliot, ,M,5common- ) Sir Thomas DKslt.ii>- 

(Knight of the Bath) "*•{ wealth. \ 

1469 „ Sir Richard Yorke, 

( Mayor ofthe Staple) 1672 Charles II. Sir Henry Thompson 

1487 Henry VII. Sir William Todd, 1695 William III. Sir Gilbert Metcalt 

1508 „ Sir John Petty. 1700 „ SirWilliam RobinV 

1530 Henry VIII. Sir John Lawson. 

son, Baronet.. 

1603 James I. Sir Robert Water. 1836 William IV. Sir John Simpson. 

M17 „ Sir Robert Askwith 1840 Victoria Sir William Ste 

1633 Charles I. SirWilliam Allenson 

phenson Clark. 

From the time of Edward the I., A. d. 1273, York was 

governed by a mayor and three bailiffs. In the reign of 

Richard II., a. d. 1397, two sheriffs were appointed, 

and till the year 1 836 York had two sheriffs annually. In 

that year the municipal act came into operation, by which 

one sheriff was dispensed with. The sheriff is now chosen 

annually by the city council ; but is not, ex-officio, a mem 

ber of that body. 

ffliro of York erfjaritB ©rusts. 

Before the passing of the act 5 and 6 William IV., cap. 

76, regulating municipal corporatians, several charities 

were in the hands of the Lord Mayor and aldermen. By 

the 71st section of that act, however, it is provided, 

" that whereas divers bodies corporate, now stand seised 

or possessed of sundry hereditaments and personal estate 

in trust, in whole or in part, for certain charitable trusts, 

it is expedient that the administration thereof be kept 

distinct from that of the public stock and borough fund." 

To carry out this object, the lord chancellor is impowered 

to appoint a certain number of trustees, on the nomina 

tion of the city council. Several of the charities are of 

great antiquity, as will be seen from the annexed correct 

statement of those now at the disposal of the York city 

charity trustees :—


8T. Catherine's hospital. £. *. d. 

Rent of land in Baggergate-lane 13 0 0 

Interest of Yates's gift 4 0 0 

Dividends on stock 41 II 8 

st. Thomas's hospital. 

Dividends on stock 53 17 4 

Rent of garden 1 10 0 

MRS. ANN MIDDLETON'S HOSPITAL. 

Rent of garden 7 7 0 

Interest and dividends on stock 61 9 0 

sir henry Thompson's hospital. 

RentoflandatFulford 70 0 0 

Dividends on stock 12 13 0 

SIR THOMAS WHITE'S GIFT. 

Cash on one bond paid off 25 0 0 

Dividends on Mrs. Bower's gift 10 7 1 

Dividends on Mrs. Lawrence's gift 1 9 1 

Dividends on Mr. James Woodhouse's gift . . 13 4 2 

Dividends on Mr. Hartley's gift for poor com 

moners 20 11 8 

Dividends on Mr. Henry Myers's coal charity 12 19 O 

Interest on Lady Hewley's coal charity 20 0 O 

Interest on the Rev. C. Jackson's gift 8 0 O 

Turner's rent charge 7 0 O 

Interest on Mr. John Burleigh's gift 4 0 0 

Interest on Alderman Tireman's gift 12 0 O 

Interest on Mrs. Musgrave's gift 9 12 O 

Interest on Richard North's gift 0 8 O 

Interest on Fabian Farley's gift 1 4 0 

Interest on George Buck's gift 0 16 O 

Whitehead's rent charge 1 0 O 

Alderman Vaux's rent charge 15 0 O


Rogerson's rent charge 

£. ». 

110 

rf. 

0 

Interest on Weddall's gift 4 0 0 

Interest on Sir Robert Water's gift 4 16 0 

Mr. Ramsden's rent charge 15 0 0 

Peacock's rent charge 3 4 0 

St. Anthony's rent charge 3 3 0 

Interest on Sir Martin Bowes's gift 2 8 0 

Interest on Mr. James Cotterill's gift 4 0 0 

Interest on Mr. Richard Sterne's gift 8 0 0 

Interest on Mrs. Frances Thornhill's gift .... 4 0 0 

Interest on Mrs. Ann Prince's gift 4 0 0 

Interest on Mrs. Frances Barker's gift 6 0 0 

Interest on Zachariah Scott's gift 4 0 0 

Interest on Edmondson's gift 15 6 

Dividends on Mr. W. Monckton's gift 6 0 0 

Rent of house belonging to Pickard's charity 21 0 0 

Interest from the Saving's Bank and York Loan 

Fund Society 16 9 0 

Total Annual Income of the Trustees:— 

To interest received of the Corporation 148 9 7 

To rent charges paid by the Corporation .... 45 1 7 0 

To dividends on stock 188 1 11 

To rents of real property 112 17 0 

£495 5 6 

The Trustees have also at their disposal, sums of money 

belonging to loan funds, to be lent to freemen of the city 

of York, in sums of £25 each, on bond with four sureties. 

Corporation (Batata. 

The corporation of York are possessed of very consider 

able real estates in the city and county; which are managed 

by the city council ; and cannot be sold without the 

consent of the lords of the treasury.


Chj Ctto mails an& Haxs. 

There is nothing which strikes a stranger, on entering 

York, so forcibly, as its embattled walls, and unique and 

venerable bars. The moment you behold them, you are 

reminded of days long past, and of a state of things which 

for centuries has ceased to exist,—" a thousand years their 

dusky wings expand !" Those accustomed to the metro 

polis, or the open and straggling streets of our populous 

towns, are not prepared to see a city girt round with a 

fortified wall, and entered by stately bars. York is one 

of the few cities in England that possesses such monuments 

of the olden time ; on which account its walls are objects of 

peculiar interest to the traveller. York was originally 

surrounded with walls by the Romans; and the pre 

sent walls, in many cases, rest upon Roman foundations. 

Drake was of opinion, that Micklegate Bar was a Roman 

structure ; and his friend, Lord Burlington, supposed that 

the chief arch by the portcullis, which is built of grit, was 

a Roman arch. This opinion, however, has been con 

troverted. The learned antiquary, Sir Henry Englefield, 

—who had made a special examination of the arch, in a 

paper read before the society of antiquaries, of London, 

1780, contends that it is not a Roman, but either a 

Saxon or Anglo-Norman arch. " It is," observes Sir 

Henry, " as Mr. Drake says, a true segment of a circle, 

and the material is the grit-stone ; but Mr. Drake, like 

many men of real genius, warmed with his subject, and 

willing to give it every advantage in his power, seems 

totally to have forgotten that the Saxon and Norman 

buildings are all raised on segments of circles, and many 

of them in this country entirely built of grit. Kirkstall 

abbey may serve as a proof (if proof was necessary) of 

both these assertions. But besides this, Bootham Bar 

has an arch almost exactly similar, and built of the same 

material ; and I think that one more of the gates ofYork* 

• Monk Bar.


is also round-arched ; yet nobody has thought of referring 

either of those to the Roman times. The superstructure 

of both Micklegate and Bootham Bar is of limestone, being 

evidently of much later date ; perhaps the time, when 

the grit ceased to be used in buildings, might afford 

matter of curious investigation." 

That York was walled in the time of William the 

Conqueror is evident, from the fact of its resisting his 

army for so long a time ; and it is pretty certain that the 

walls were re-built by Edward I., when the Scottish wars 

broke out. A royal mandate from Edward III. to the 

mayor and bailiffs of the city of York, dated 15th of July, 

1327, commanding them to repair the city fortifications is 

extant, and is to the following effect :— 

" The king to his well-beloved the mayor and bailiffs of 

his city of York, greeting.— 

" Since the Scotch, our enemies and rebels, have thought 

fit to enter our kingdom in a hostile manner near Carlisle, 

with all their power, as we are certainly informed ; and 

kill, burn, destroy, and act other mischiefs as far as they 

are able, we have drawn down our army in order, by God's 

assistance, to restrain their malice, and to that end turn 

our steps towards that country and those enemies. 

"We, considering our aforesaid city of York, especially 

whilst Isabel, queen of England, our most dear mother, 

our brother and sisters,* abide in the same, to be more 

safely kept and guarded ; lest any sudden danger from our 

enemies' approach should happen in the said city ; or fear 

affright our mother, brother, and sisters, which God avert, 

for want of sufficient ammunition and guard ; we strictly 

command and charge you upon your faiths and allegiance, 

and on the forfeiture of every thing you can forfeit to us, 

immediately at sight of these presents, without excuse or 

delay, to inspect and overlook all your walls, ditches, and 

towers, and ammunition, proper for the defence of the 

* Prince John of Eltham, and the princesses Joan and Elinor.


said city ; taking with you such of our faithful servants as 

will be chosen for that purpose ; and to take such order 

for its defence, that no danger can happen to the city by 

neglect of such safeguards. 

"And we, by these presents, give you full power and 

authority to distrain and compel all and singular owners of 

houses or rents in the said city, or merchants, or strangers, 

inhabiting the same, by seizure of their bodies or goods, 

to be aiding towards the security of the walls, bulwarks 

or towers, as you in your own descretion shall think fit to 

ordain for the making other useful and necessary works 

about it ; punishing all those that are found to contradict 

or rebel against this order, by imprisonment, or what 

other methods you think fit. 

"Study therefore to use such deligence in the execution 

of the premises, that we may find it in the effect of your 

works ; and that we may have no occasion from your negli 

gence, should danger happen, to take severe notice of you. 

Dated at Durham, July 15. a.d. 1327. 

" BY THE KING." 

Leland, who wrote A. D. 1520, gives the following 

description of the walls of York in the reign of Henry 

Vin. :—" The city of York is divided by the river Ouse ; 

but that part which is on the east side, is thrice as large 

as that on the west. The great tower at Lendal had a 

chain of iron to cast over the river, then another tower, 

and so to Bootham Bar ; from thence to Monk Bar ten 

towers, and to Layerthorpe Postern four towers ; for some 

distance the deep waters of the Foss defended this part of 

the city without the walls ; and from thence to Walmgate 

Bar three towers ; then Fishergate Bar, walled up in the 

time of Henry VII., and the three towers, the last a 

postern ; from which, by a bridge over the Foss, to the 

castle, and the ruins of five towers, were all that remained 

of it. On the west side of the river, was first a tower from 

which the wall passed over the dungeon to the castle, or

MOliEEN YOEK. 109 

old baile, with nine towers to Micklegate Bar; and between 

it and North-street postern ten towers ; the postern was 

opposite to the tower at Lendal to draw the chain over the 

river between them." 

In the siege of York by the parliamentarian army, in 

1644, the walls were much injured. Breaches were 

made in several places, and in almost all quarters the 

effects of the furious cannonading were visible. In 1645, 

it is true, some efforts were made to repair the walls ; and 

in 1648, Micklegate, Walmgate, and Bootham Bars were 

also repaired ; but such was their dilapidated state in the 

year 1719, that Torr, whose work on the antiquities of 

the city was published in that year, says, " But all 

things here are subject to time and change ! The not 

long since devouring civil war, and unnatural rebellion, 

as it made prodigious waste in this kingdom, it had most 

malignant effects and influences on this ancient and loyal 

city, as its surrender to the then irresistable force of the 

rebel army had on the whole nation ; and ever since that 

fatal epocha, its grandeur has gradually declined and 

sunk." In the year 1831, however, a vigorous effort 

was made to raise funds for their restoration. The corpor 

ation voted one hundred pounds, and by the active exertions 

of several noblemen and gentlemen, a considerable sum 

was raised. The lady mayoress, Mrs. Oldfield, set on 

foot a subscription among the ladies ; and the fair 

daughters of York responded with becoming public spirit 

to the call made upon them, to testify their regard for 

these venerable historical monuments that give so peculiar 

a character to the city. The entire restoration of the walls 

from North-street Postern to Micklegate Bar was effected 

at a cost of £1,067 17s. Gd; and from that bar again to 

Skeldergate Postern, at an expense of £1,725 Is. 6c?. They 

completely encompass that part of the city which is situated 

on the western side of the river Ouse ; and now form a 

most delightful walk ; commanding, on one side, a view of 

the south part of York Minster, Clifford's Tower, ths 

x


Castle, and the river winding in its course to join the 

mighty Humber ; and on the other side the majestic west 

front of the Minister, the ruins of St. Mary's Abbey, the 

Roman multangular tower, the classical Museum of the 

Yorkshire Philosophical Society, and the ancient Guild 

Hall that rises from the river's edge. "What a lovely 

walk (remarks one whose genius adds honour even to his 

native city ;*) it used to be from Micklegate Bar, along the 

walls, to North-street Postern ;—ancient fortifications, grey 

battlements, verdant fields, and smiling gardens one either 

hand, finished in grand perspective, by our noble Cathedral 

in one of its finest points of view." The gentleman to 

whom we allude has expressed strong opinions against the 

admittance of railways within the walls ; but the commer 

cial advantages of railroad communication between York 

and the principal cities and towns of England and Scotland, 

are too important to the citizens, and too closely connected 

with the rising prosperity ofYork, to justify their exclusion. 

No contrast can be finer than the busy railroad,—the 

wonderous offspring of the nineteenth century, and the 

stately antique ramparts ! The edifice which forms the 

railway station within the walls, is a decided ornament to 

the city, and the regret occasioned by the formation of an 

arch in the walls, is more than counterbalanced by the 

pleasure of seeing a well-filled train of carriages from Lon 

don pass through it, as if by magic, and land its passengers 

in the heart of the town. In the Year 1831, a new arch 

way was erected at the bottom of Baile-hill, near to the 

spot where Skeldergate Postern formerly stood ; through 

which archway there was formed an improved road to the 

city jaol. The arms of the city of York, are placed above 

the arch, with the following inscription beneath them; 

" these walls were restored by public subscription a.d. 

1831, in the third mayorality of the right honourable 

Lord Dundas." 

» William Etty. E.A.

MODERN TOEK. 

In 1 839, a breach was made in the walls, opposite Tannerrow, 

near the site of the house of correction, which has 

given place to the railway station, and a large archway was 

erected, admitting a free passage for the railway trains 

through the walls, without interfering with the walk above ; 

and, in 1840, anew and massive postern, with a wide centre 

arch for carriages, and two side arches for foot passengers, 

was erected at the termination of the walls at North-street, 

instead of the small door that formerly stood there. For 

permission to erect this postern, and obtain a road into 

North-street, the Great North of England Railway Company 

paid the corporation £500 : which sum has been expended 

on restoring, and putting into complete repair, Walmgate 

Bar and Barbican. On the south-east side of the city the 

walls are in good repair, from the bank of the Ouse, opposite 

Skeldergate, to the top of Tower-street, where formerly stood 

Castlegate Postern ; and from Fishergate Postern at Castlemills 

bridge, which crosses the Foss—a river which joins the 

Ouse at about two hundred yards from thence—to Fisher 

gate Bar, close by the Cattle-market. The committee 

for managing the restoration of the city walls, intended to 

have restored the walls from Fishergate Bar, to Walmgate 

Bar ; but the works were suspended in 1 837 in consequence 

of a deficiency of funds. A portion of the second section, 

from Fishergate Bar, towards Walmgate Bar, is repaired ; 

but so dilapidated and ruinous, is the condition of the part 

of the ramparts from thence, that it is quite impassable and 

deplorable to contemplate. The wall extending from 

Walmgate Bar, to the river Foss, is the oldest portion of 

the city ramparts ; and, in many places, is greatly in need 

of repair. It is built on a series of rude and irregular 

arches of great antiquity, which can be seen to advantage, 

from the fields outside this part of the walls. The wall 

terminates on the margin of a lake ; formed by the waters 

of the Foss. Nearly in a straight line with this wall, 

and at a distance of 80 perches, (the intervening space 

being protected by the water,) is Layerthorpe bridge, 

Ill


which, till the year 1829, was guarded by a postern that 

spanned the road, and adjoined the wall. The walls 

sweep northward from Layerthope bridge to Monk Bar. 

They are in a state of good preservation; but the public are 

excluded from them ; as they are in the hands of the 

occupiers of the adjoining property, within the walls. 

From Monk Bar the walls extend in a north-west direction 

to Bootham Bar, and are in perfect order ; but there is 

no public walk thereupon. A good view of them is 

obtained from the Lord Mayor's Walk. At the righthand 

side of Bootham Bar the wall terminates abruptly ; 

a fine approach to the city, called St. Leonard's-place, 

being made there. The walls run from the back of St. 

Leonard's-place, by the old palace, called the Manor, to 

the Roman multangular tower, in the Museum gardens. 

The wall here forms an angle, and, with the exception of 

the interruption occasioned by the gateway to the Museum 

gardens, is continued from thence to Lendal tower, which 

rises from the banks of the river Ouse, opposite Northstreet 

Postern. We have now made a complete circuit of 

the walls ; having returned to the point from whence we 

set out, the measurement whereof, as made in 1664 and 

1665, by Baine, who then took a survey of them, we shall 

quote from Torr's Antiquities. The city is in circumfer 

ence, two miles and almost three-quarters ;* which is thus 

measured, viz. :— 

Perches. 

From the Red Tower to Walmgate Bar - ... 60 

From thence to Fishergate Postern 99 

From thence to Castlegate Postern 58 

From thence to Skeldergate Postern 84 

From thence to Micklegate Bar - - - - - 13S 

From thence to North-street Postern - 140 

From thence to Bootham Bar ... - 86 

From thence to Monk Bar - - - - - -116 

From thence to Layerthorpe Postern 66 

From thence to the Red Tower ----- 80 

Total - - - - 875 

Or, 2 miles, 5 furlongs, and 192 half yards, surveyed 6th of February, 1664, and 

Hth of August, 1665, by Joseph Raine. 

* The old walls of the city of London measured but three miles.

MICKLLGATE BAR YORK


Beside these, fortified walls run round the close of St. 

Mary's abbey; said to have been rendered necessary by the 

collisions which occasionly took place between the citizens 

and the monks. They joined the city wall at Bootham 

Bar, went for a conside: able distance down Bootham to 

the tower at Marygate corner, and then, forming an angle, 

continued the whole length of Marygate to the river Ouse, 

where they joined St. Mary's tower. The principal en 

trance to the abbey, was in Marygate, through a beautiful 

gateway, which still exists in a state of excellent preser 

vation. The second entranee was near Bootham bar, the 

gateway of which still remains. The tower by the river's 

edge is in ruins ;—the walls of the abbey are generally 

in good repair; but are built against, in Bootham and Mary 

gate. Recently a road has been made through the walls 

between the archway in Marygate and St. Mary's tower, 

rendered necessary to preserve the footpath from Lendal 

ferry to Marygate, in consequence of the extension of the 

gardens on the manor shore, below the archway. Having 

said so much generally descriptive of the walls, it will be 

necessary to advert more particularly to the Baes, and 

other remarkable structures connected with the ancient 

fortifications. 

Plttfeltgate 33 ax. 

This bar forms the principal approach to the city, from 

the old London road ; and comprises a square tower, with 

a circular arch and embattled turrets at the angles ; each 

with a stone figure on the top, the lower parts being 

built of a grey coarse grit, and the upper portion of a 

fine white lime-stone. As we have already stated, it 

has been thought to be a Roman structure : whether this 

be so or not, it certainly stands on or near the old Roman 

fortifications. In 1736, Drake described Micklegate Bar 

in the following terms : " It is strengthened by an outer 

gate, which had a massy iron chain went across it ; then 

a portcullis; and, lastly, a mighty strong double wooden 

k 2

114 AJTCIENT A1TD 

gate, which is closed in every night at the usual hour. 

It has the character altogether," he adds, "as to ancient 

fortification, to be as noble and august a port as most in 

Europe." In 1826, the barbican to which Drake refers, 

was removed, as the walls became dilapidated ; and the 

portcullis and great doors no longer exist. At the same 

time, the corporation put the bar into complete repair, 

regilding the ancient arms and devices on the outer 

face of it: In which condition it happily remains at 

present. Above the gateway is a shield of arms, sus 

pended from a garter, and beneath, is inscribed Renovata 

a. d. MDCCXX VII. Higher, on the building, are the 

arms of old France and England, quarterly, between those 

of the city of York ; there being over each shield, a small 

gothic canopy. On the city side, are the arms of France 

and England, quarterly. The inspection of this timehonoured 

monument, cannot fail to excite spirit-stirring 

recollections in the minds of those who love to muse 

upon departed days.—Ten thousand squadrons have rode 

beneath thee !—Kings and conquerors, with plumed war 

riors, arrayed in gleaming mail, have, by their bugle's 

blast, summoned thy gates to open !—Bishops, mitred 

abbots, and lord cardinals have passed in gorgeous pro 

cession through thee !—Roman cohorts, Norwegian and 

Danish hordes, the plaided clans of Caledonia, and fiery 

Norman hosts have alternately vexed or gladdened thee !— 

And these for ages have slept in their mother earth. 

TOalmgate 33ar anfc barbican. 

This bar is the only one which retains its barbican ; and 

both bar and barbican are now in the best state of repair; 

£500 having been voted for their restoration, in the year 

1840, by the corporation;—Sir W. S. Clark, Lord Mayor. 

This bar is of the age of Edward I. and the barbican of 

the date of Edward III. The lower part of the bar is 

built of grit, which bespeaks its great age ; the barbican 

is evidently of a later date, for the gateway has the pointed

e l M t ri a M par

MODEEJT TOEK. 115 

arch, not used till about the latter monarch. In the siege 

of York, 1644, the bar and barbican received considerable 

injury, as the parliamentarians planted their cannon on the 

hills a short distance beyond the walls; but in 1648 it was 

thoroughly repaired. On the front of the bar, are the 

royal arms of Henry V. ; and on the front of the barbican 

are represented the arms of York. The old door, wicket 

and portcullis still stand, and add much to the value of 

the bar. 

Jaootham 23ar. 

This bar stands on the north-west side of the city, and 

formed the approach from Edinburgh, Newcastle, Dur 

ham, and towns of the North-Riding of Yorkshire. It 

is built of grit stone and is in shape like the other bars. 

The barbican was taken down in 1831; and but for the 

remonstrance from a public meeting of the citizens, held 

the 16th of February, 1832, the bar would have been 

removed. In the June of that year, the corporation voted 

£100. towards the repairs of the bar, provided the inha 

bitants of York would raise £200. The money was sub 

scribed, and the bar was repaired. At the same time the 

street, at the west-side of the bar, was widened, and a 

new and excellent approach to the city formed. On the 

outer front of the bar, are two shields with the arms of 

the city; over which is a shield within a garter, greatly 

defaced. On the turrets are placed figures, similar to 

those on Micklegate Bar. The portcullis still retains its 

ancient position. 

Plonk J3ar. 

One who was well acquainted with the architectural 

treasures of England,* gave it as his opinion, that Monk 

bar is the most perfect specimen of this sort of architecture 

in the kingdom, and added, that every succeeding age 

will enhance its worth and curiosity. It forms the ap- 

• Brittou.


proach to York from Scarbro', Malton, &c. It is said 

formerly to have been used as a prison for freemen of 

York; and there are two stories of vaulted chambers in 

the tower, which probably were used for that purpose. 

The archway is round, and the roof of it is beautifully 

groined; the foundation of the bar being like the others, 

of grit. On the exterior of the bar, beneath a gothic ca 

nopy, are the arms of old France, quartered with those 

of England, placed there when France was a tributary 

province of England; and on each side the city arms. 

From the top of the bar a splendid view of the Cathedral 

and the surrounding scenery, is obtained. The old port 

cullis is yet in existence, and can be examined from the 

first chamber within the bar. 

dfuihtrgate 33ar. 

This bar was blocked up from the reign of Henry VII. 

until the year 1827, when, inconsequence of the forma 

tion of new and capacious cattle market, on the ground 

without the residents of Walmgate and the adjoining 

districts, petitioned the corporation for its re-opening. On 

the centre of the bar, is an ancient stone with the city 

arms and an illegeble inscription beneath. 

ZFtctorta 33 ar. 

This bar, leading from Bishophill to Clementhorpe, was 

erected, by voluntary subscriptions, in 1838, in the first 

mayoralty of George Hudson, Esq. It is a plain and neat 

structure ; and forms a decided improvement to the pro 

perty within and outside the walls, in that quarter. On 

opening the wall, a small gateway was found to have 

been anciently in the same place. 

dftehevgate postern. 

This is the only one of the old posterns now standing, 

and is well worthy of preservation. It is a solid building 

in the form of a square, and adjoins the walls, the restor 

ation of which we have already mentioned.

MONK BAR.


€f)e Jftetf Cofoer. 

The Red Tower,—generally neglected, is an object of 

peculiar interest. Its situation is remote ; and the exte 

rior can only be seen from fields out of the common road, 

at the north side of Walmgate Bar. As we have already 

noticed, this tower forms the termination of the walls in 

this part of the city ; the base of it being washed by a 

small lake, formed by the Foss, now, by an impropriety of 

speech, called Foss islands, much frequented by skaters 

when the waters are frozen ; formally an artificial dock, 

constructed by the Romans for the accommodation of their 

snipping, &c. The present tower is built of red brick and 

stands on a stone foundation, the same as the walls. 

POPULATION OF YORK. 

The population of York has increased rapidly of late 

years. In the year 1801, it was 16,145; in the year 1811, 

it was 18,217; and in 1821, it amounted to 20,787; and 

in 1831, it reached 26,320, not including the parish of St. 

Olave, Marygate, which is in the north-riding. We take 

the return of the population of 1 831 , from the report of the 

Poor Law commissioners for 1837, which was as follows:— 

All Saints, Pavement 508 St. Michacl-lc-Belfray 1,350 

All Saints, North-street 1,216 St. Martin-cum-Gregory, . 547 

St. John, Micklegate 926 St. Sampson. , 995 

St. Giles, (part of) . 1,052 St. Helen's, Stonegate. 707 

Holy Trinity, Goodramgate . 540 St. Andrew, . 238 

St. Mary, Bishophill, the Younger Minster Yard with Beddern (extaparochial) 

901 

St. Michael, 

(part of) 

Spurriergate 

. 1,462 

642 St, Lawrence. 830 

St. Dennis 1,718 St. Saviours. . 1,455 

St. Margarets 1,034 St. Mary, Castlegate, 994 

St. Maurice 1,114 St. Nicholas, . 103 

Holy Trinity Micklegate . 1,108 St. Crux. 874 

St Mary Bishophill Scnior(partof) 1,038 St. Peter-Ic-Willows - 413 

St. John, Delpike . 350 

St. Martin, otherwise 

St. Peter the Little 698 

St. Wilfrid. 277 

St. Martin-le grand,Coney-8treet.586 

St. Cuthberts, St Helen-on-the- 

Liberty of Mint Yard, . 166 

Walls & All Saints, Peasholm 1,805 

Total 26,320 

Holy Trinity, Kings Court . 706 

Adding St. Olave, Marygate,* to this number, the po 

pulation of York was, in 1831, 26,945 souls. Assuming 

that the population has continued to increase in the same 

* The parish of St. Olave, Marygate, not including Clifton, was 625, in 1831.


proportion, the population of York in the parishes named, 

will at present be about 32,000. 

Comparattoe Statement of population HUturna tor n)e ffiittj of York 

HOUSES. OCCUPATIONS. 

3=i X 


There is an extensive trade in Drugs; and there are large 

manufactories of glass, soap, linen, plane and edge tools, 

combs, gloves, leather, paper hangings, jewellery , confeetionaries, 

organs, and other musical instruments. There are 

a number of printing establishments; also several iron and 

brassfoundries, extensive breweries, flour mills, saw mills, 

Sfc. Latterly there has been an important traffic in coal, 

brought from the West-Riding, by the York and North 

Midland Railway Company, and the county of Durham, 

by the Great North of England Railway Company. The 

fairs and cattle markets are well supplied; and are re 

sorted to by all the neighbouring agriculturists and pur 

chasers of Stock, as well as by butchers from Leeds, &c. 

There is also a considerable trade in grain in York ; a 

corn market being held in the Pavement every Saturday. 

York market is well supplied with poultry, eggs, butter, 

and hams, celebrated all over the kingdom; and there are 

constant supplies of the best fish from Scarbro', Filey and 

other parts of the eastern coast. At Christmas is held an 

extensive horse show in York. Every Thursday from Ladyday 

to Michaelmas, there is a wool market; and a hay 

market, leather and line fairs are held at stated intervals. 

gorfe EanfcS. 

Messrs. Swan, Clough, Swan, and Swan, Coney-street; draw on Sir R. C. Glyn, 

and Co., 12, Birchin-lane, London. 

Messrs. "Wilson, Tweedy, and "Wilson, High Ousegate; draw on Messrs. 

Robarts, and Co., 15, Lombard -street. 

York City and County Bank, Parliament-street; draw on Messrs. Barnetts, 

Hoare, and Co., 62, Lombard-street. 

York Union Banking Company, corner of High Ousegate and Parliament-street, 

draw on Williams, Deacon, and Co., 20, Birchin-lane. 

Yorkshire District Banking Company, Low Ousegate; draw on Williams, 

Deacon, and Co., 20, Birchin-lane. 

Yorkshire Agricultural and Commercial Banking Company, corner of Nessgate 

and High Ousegate; draw on the London and Westminster Bank, 

This admirable institution was founded in 1816, for 

the purpose of encouraging industrous and provident ha 

bits in the working classes. The extent of its utility 

will be estimated from the statistics of the bank in 1 840 ;—


ffo. of 

Total Amount of 

Dtvoritori. 

tach Clats. 

£. m. d. 

3571 whose respective balances did not exceed £90 each, 21,555 7 3 

1399 ditto were above £20 and not exceeding £50 ditto 42,191 )0 8 

651 ditto were above £50 and not exceeding £100 ditto 44,927 5 10 

349 ditto were above£100 andnotexceeding£150ditto 30,092 16 11 

128 ditto were abovo £150 and not exceeding £200 ditto 25,326 5 7 

48 ditto exceeding £200 .... 11,549 19 4 

5056 Total Number of Depositors . . . 176,344 1 6 

49 Charitable Societies .... 3,331 16 1 

37 Friendly Society ...... 8,837 7 10 

5142 Total Number of Accounts . . . . 187,913 12 5 

flnsurance anfc @aS Companies. 

The Yorkshire fire and life Insurance Company, estab 

lished at York, 1824; St. Helen's Square. 

York and London fire and life Assurance Company, 

established in 1834; High Ousegate. 

York Gas-light Company, established 1823, Monkgate. 

York Union Gas-light Company, established 1837; 

Hungate. 

Che ^Merchants' Compan». 

This company was established in York at a very early 

period, to encourage the trade of York, which was then 

considerable. It has survived all the fluctuations and 

final decline of the foreign commerce of the city. 

STATISTICS OF EDUCATION IN YORK. 

The state of education will next claim our attention : 

In the year 1826, an account of the state of education 

in the city of York, was procured by a committee of gen 

tlemen, chiefly belonging to the society of friends, by 

visiting, from house to house, the whole of the labouring 

population ; and the following are the conclusions at 

which the committee, who conducted it, arrived :—That 

of the children between the ages of six and ten, nearly 

one-fourth did not go to any day school ; that between the


ages of ten and thirteen, nearly one-third did not go to 

any day school ; that between the ages of twelve and 

fourteen, upwards of one-ninth part could not read ; and 

that of the children who did not go to day schools, twofifths 

went to Sunday schools. 

In the abstract of Education Inquiry, for England and 

Wales, vol. 3, ordered by the House of Commons to be 

printed, on the 20th March, 1835, the following was 

declared to be the state of education in the city and ainsty 

of York:— 

SCHOOL8. 

-% 

endowment. 

i By 

subscription. 

By payment 

from scholars. 

Subscription 

and payment 

from scholars. 

School*. Scholars. Schools. Scholars. Schools. Scholars. Schools. Scholars. 

25 680 

a 172 

"i 

29 

185 

3371 

6 168 

76 1886 

2 

9 

4 

335 

1070 

486 

30 852 33 3556 82 2054 15 1891 

Exhibiting the grand total of children receiving any kind 

of education in the city and ainsty, 8,353. 

The report of the select committee on the education of 

the poorer classes, states the numbers receiving educa 

tion in the city of York, in 1836, to be, 

Scholars of the working classes, at day and dame schools - 1494 

Scholars at better schools - 2697 

Attending Sunday schools.in connection with the established church 1708 

Attending Sunday schools, in connection with dissenters - 1655 

The report of the Manchester statistical society, founded 

on an inquiry made in the autumn of 1836, says that 

19-97 per cent of the population of this city received in 

struction. It states the gross number of scholars at 5591, 

and assumed that the population of York, in 1836, was 

28,000, on the supposition that there is an annual increase


of 2 per cent in the population. 891 of the scholars were 

under five or above fifteen years of age, and this left 4700 

scholars between the ages of five and fifteen, receiving 

some kind of instruction. Of the general accuracy of the 

Manchester Statistical Society's report, and of the cor 

rectness of the conclusions arrived at, enquiry has satis 

fied us. 

Children to the number of about two thousand, receive 

education at Sunday Schools in York, in connection with 

the established church. The course of instruction in these 

schools, consists of reading from the Bible, Testaments, 

and scripture lessons. The age of the children is from 

five to fourteen; the time of attendance is from nine to 

half-past ten in the morning ; and from a quarter to two 

o'clock to church time ; and from the conclusion of church 

service till five. Many of the junior classes are taught by 

scholars taken from the higher classes. 

Rather above two thousand children receive instruction 

in Sunday schools not in connection with the established 

church; in which schools the scholars are chiefly taught 

from the Bible. 

The Blue coat school for boys, was established in 

1705, and its affairs are managed by general meetings of 

the directors, an annual committee, and a committee of di 

rectors, appointed for special purposes. Subscribers of 

10s. and upwards, are directors. No child under nine 

years is admitted, and the committee require satisfactory 

evidence of the marriage of the parents of the children 

admitted. The boys, at a suitable age, are bound ap 

prentices to learn husbandry, or some manufacture or 

trade. The children are educuated in the principles of 

the established church, and receive, daily, a substantial 

English education—The number of boys generally in the 

institution is about 70. In connection with this school, 

is the Gbet Coat School, for girls, managed in the 

same way; the scholars being taught to sew, knit, &c. 

The girls' school contains about 50 scholars. The boys'


school is situate in St. Anthony's Hall, Peaseholm-green ; 

the girls' school, in Monkgate. 

Wilson's Chabity. There is a boys' school at Fossbridge, 

and a girls' school in the parish of St. Crux. Forty 

boys are clothed and educated. Wilson's girls' charity con 

tains 20 scholars, clothed, and instructed in English and 

needlework. The date of the foundation is 1710. 

Hattghton's Charity. This school was established in 

1773, for the education of 20 boys, in the parish of St. 

Crux. The practice of late years, was to teach the boys 

simply to read : but by an active effort on the part of 

the parishioners and other friends of education in the city 

in 1838, the school was thrown open to a large number of 

boys, and a substantial education secured for them. 

There are three schools endowed by Mr. Dodsworth, 

containing 60 scholars, boys and girls, instructed gra 

tuitously. 

St. Mary's, Bishophixl Junior. There is an endow 

ment school here for 20 poor children of both sexes. The 

money by which it is supported, was left by George 

Abbots, in 1647, and by a member of the Driffield family. 

Holdgate School. Ten boys are educated, gratuit 

ously in this school, in Latin. 

The Roman Catholic Charity School, contains 60 

boys. The Nunnery Girls' Schools, contains 50 scholars. 

National Schools por Boys and Girls. One ofthe 

boys' schools is situated in the Manor, St. Olaves, and the 

other in Holy Trinity, Micklegate ;—the girls' school is in 

Aldwark. The number attending the three schools is 

about 700. 

Spinning School. This school was instituted a.d. 

1782. It is situated in St. Andrewgate ; and affords edu 

cation to sixty girls, who are also clothed and fed. 

Hope-street School. This admirable school fur 

nishes daily education to upwards of 200 boys ; but not 

gratuitously. The object of the school is to furnish the


elements of a useful English education, and to inculcate 

the duties of religion and morality, as contained in the 

Holy Scriptures ; and it is open to persons of all religious 

denominations. There is, on Bishophill, a school for girls, 

conducted on similar principles, in which 170 scholars are 

instructed. 

St. Peter's School. The dean and chapter of York 

are the trustees of this school ; which is conducted in a 

handsome building within a spacious piece of ground sit 

uated in the Minster yard, where the old deanery formerly 

stood. On the 1st of May, in every year, there is an ex 

amination of such boys as choose to offer themselves, and 

who are between 13 and 15 years of age; of whom, if 

sufficiently qualified, a number, not exceeding eight, at any 

one election, are admitted to the foundation for four years : 

Every scholar not on the foundation, pays annually ten 

guineas for tuition. There is, on the 1st of September in 

each year, a second examination of the foundation scholars, 

who offer themselves ; and to one or more of the best qua 

lified boys, exhibitions of £50 a year are granted during 

three years, provided he or they shall be so long resident 

members of the universities of Oxford or Cambridge. This 

admirable institution was founded by Queen Mary, in 1557, 

by whom the lands of the hospital of St. Mary, in Bootham, 

were appropriated to it ; and in the reign of Queen Eliza 

beth, Roger Dallison granted an annuity to the school. In 

1828 the establishment was remodelled and placed on its 

present basis. 

York Collegiate School. This school was founded 

A. d. 1838, under the patronage of the leading noblemen 

and gentlemen of the county; the capital being £8000, in 

shares of £25 ; vested in shareholders who can hold no 

more than four shares each. The institution is under 

the direction of a president, twelve directors, and a trea 

surer. This school is delightfully situated in Bootham, 

nearly opposite Burton Stone, and not far from the village


of Clifton. The hall of the school, is a very beautiful 

building ; forming a conspicuous object on the northern 

approach to York.. 

goriushtre School for the 33IhrtJ. 

This is one of the most efficient of the institutions which 

now abound in England, for the purpose of affording the 

means of enjoyment and support to those deprived of light 

and sight ; following the injunction :— 

So much the rather, thou celestial light, 

Shine inward, and the mind through all her powers 

Irradiate ; there plant eyes, all mist from thence 

Purge and disperse 1 

Foreigners, who have travelled in this country for the 

purpose of obtaining information on the subject of the 

education of the blind, have recorded their admiration at 

the management of this school ; and the rules of the 

Yorkshire school for the blind have been recommended for 

adoption to the Belgian government ; being also translated 

and extensively circulated in France. The object of the 

institution, as the general rules state, is to give the pupils 

such instruction as may enable them to obtain a livelihood, 

attention being, at the same time, paid to their moral and 

religious education. The pupils attend at the places of 

religious worship which their parents desire ; or which, 

if adults, they themselves prefer. Such mechanical arts 

are taught in the school as the blind can exercise to ad 

vantage : with whatever other branches of knowledge may 

appear conducive to the above-mentioned ends. The 

institution is managed by a committee chosen annually. 

The girls are chiefly employed in knitting, sewing, net 

ting, &c.—Most of the boys in basket-making, weaving, 

&c. Some of the boys are educated as musicians ; and 

some are organists at churches ; the whole of the pupils 

being taught singing more or less. These occupations 

alternate with reading, by help of books printed in raised 

letters, arithmetic, tangible and mental geography, religious 

exercises, &c., &c.


This institution is intended as a special memorial in 

honour of the late William. Wilberforce, the great philantropist, 

who represented Yorkshire in six successive 

parliaments. On the 3rd of October, 1833, a meeting 

was held in York, attended by the archbishop, the right 

honourable Lord Brougham, lord chancellor, and a great 

number of the nobility, clergy, and gentry of the county, 

to consider the best means of raising a Wilberforce memo 

rial ; and, with singular judgment and good taste, they 

resolved to erect something more noble than marble or 

brass, a monument worthy of one whose life was devoted 

to works of benevolence and utility. In 1834, applica 

tion was made to government for a lease of the Manor 

House and grounds, attached to it ; which was at once 

granted for 99 years, at a rent of £1 15 per annum. Two 

wings of this palace are let as private residences ; but 

there is ample room beside for all the purposes of the 

institution. As it has been remarked in our notice of St. 

Mary's Abbey, the Manor House, or King's Manor, is 

situated within the walls of St. Mary's ; and was, by the 

order of Henry VIII., constructed partly from the mate 

rials of the abbey, as a palace for the lord presidents of 

the north, and an occasional royal residence. James I. 

ordered it to be fitted up as a royal palace ; and in the 

following reign several parliaments and councils were held 

in it. Wentworth, earl of Strafford, the favourite of 

Charles I., and an accomplice in his encroachments on 

the liberties of the nation, resided for some time in the 

Manor House, as lord president of the north ; and one of 

the articles of his impeachment, drawn up by John Pym, 

was, that he had presumed to place his arms on one of 

the King's palaces. The arms of the beheaded nobleman 

still remain over one of the entrances. A royal mint was 

established in the Manor House, in 1696; but never 

since its erection has the structure been so worthily occu 

pied as it is at present.


;JHuStum of tf)t fJorfesfiirt P&floSopljtcal &otutg. 

Several circumstances tend to invest the Yorkshire 

Philosophical Society, with a more than ordinary degree 

of interest. Recognised by the crown, as the guardians 

of the ruins of St. Mary's, a main object of the society, 

has been to collect and preserve every relic calculated to 

elucidate the history of this great monastic institution. 

The Yorkshire Museum stands on the site of a portion of 

St. Mary's Abbey; and the beautiful gardens which sur 

round it, form the greater part of the ancient close of St. 

Mary's Abbey, by the banks of the river Ouse, without 

the city wall at Lendal. Almost the first object we 

meet with after passing through the Doric gateway of the 

Museum gardens, is the celebrated Roman Multangular 

Tower, which is included within the gardens. "The outside 

of the wall, towards the river, is faced with a very small 

saxum quadratum of about four inches thick, and laid in 

levels like our modern brick-work. From the foundation, 

twenty courses of these small squared stones are laid, and 

over them five courses of Roman brick. These bricks are 

placed some length-ways, some end-ways in the wall, and 

were called lateres diatoni ; after these five courses of 

bricks, other twenty-two courses of small square stones, 

as before described, are laid, which raise the wall some 

feet higher, and then five more courses of the same 

Roman bricks ; beyond which, the wall is imperfect, and 

capped with modern building. In all this height, there 

is not any casement or loophole, but one entire and 

uniform wall : from which we may infer, that this wall 

was built some courses higher, after the same order. 

The bricks were to be as thorough, or a* it were so 

many new foundations, to that which was to be superstructured, 

and to bind the two sides together firmly; for 

the wall itself is only faced with small square stone, and 

the middle thereof filled with mortar and pebble. These


bricks are 17 inches long, 11 broad, and 2j thick, and 

the cement is so hard as to be almost imperishable."* 

After the most careful examination and the most mi 

nute inquiries there remains no doubt that this remarkable 

structure is a remnant of Roman power, in York. The 

only person who appears to have called into question 

the fact, was Sir Henry Englefield. " The tower, in the 

grounds of the Museum of the Yorkshire Philosophical 

Society, known as the Multangular Tower, and the wall 

proceeding from the side of it in a south-east direction," 

observed Mr. Welbeloved, "was ofsuch a nature, that every 

intelligent antiquarian who inspected it, was of opinion 

that it was an angle of the wall of the ancient Eboracum. 

The discoveries made at different times of the foundation 

of the ancient wall and of the remains of towers, in con 

nection with this tower, left no doubt as to the foundation 

of the wall of Eboracum, at least on one side of the river. 

When the Multangular Tower was left to the Yorkshire 

Philosophical Society, English coins of various dates were 

found in the upper part of it; and when the accumulation 

of rubbish, which had been collecting for ages, was cleared 

away, and it was brought to the present perfect state, 

many Roman coins were found in the bottom." 

Passing from the Roman Multangular tower, the ruins 

of St. Mary's Abbey extend before you ; of which a par 

ticular notice has been given. Between the ruins of the 

abbey and Roman tower, stands 

A fine Doric structure ; the principal front being nearly 

200 feet in length. The first stone was laid on the 24th 

of October, 1827 : the building was finished in the lat 

ter end of 1829, and was opened in February, 1830. 

The facade has a western aspect, and a projecting portico 

of four fluted Doric columns , supporting the proper entab 

lature, with mutules and triglyphs, and a pediment. The 

Lister.


entablature is continued along the entire front, having 

attached antae at the angles. In the portions unoccupied 

by the portico, are three lintelled windows. 

The Museum comprises a spacious hall, theatre, or 

lecture room, council room, library, and a suite of apart 

ments, containing a variety of specimens illustrating the 

several branches of Natural History; and some lower 

rooms, in which are preserved several beautiful sculptures 

and other remains of St. Mary's Abbey. 

The geological and mineralogical departments are de 

serving of especial attention. The museum contains up 

wards of ten thousand specimens of the organic remains of 

England, Scotland, and Ireland, classified according to their 

position in the earth; and no museum in the kingdom 

possesses a more complete set of geological specimens. 

The minerals, which are upwards of two thousand in num 

ber, are arranged according to their chemical relations. 

The collections of British and foreign quadrupeds, birds, 

reptiles, fishes, shells, insects, Crustacea and corallines are 

extremely interesting. The department of ornithology is 

well worthy of examination ; and perhaps one of the most 

remarkable features in this museum is its collection of the 

osteology of birds, which, for extent and beauty, is unrivalled. 

The zoological department too, comprises a complete skeleton 

of the ancient Irish Elk, now extinct, the bones of which 

were dug up in 1836, near Waterford. In the size of the 

bones of the body and extremities, this specimen agrees 

with the skeletons in the royal Dublin Museum, and Col 

lege Museum, Edinburgh, but its horns are longer; mea 

suring 12ft. 8in. from tip to tip. The vertibral column has 

been intentionally placed 6 inches lower than the Dublin 

specimen; the animal thus standing is 6ft. over the 

shoulders, its horns rising 10ft. from the floor! The 

institution is also enriched with a very valuable collection 

of comparative anatomy. The Museum contains a great 

number and variety of Roman remains, found in and near 

York; the bare enumeration of which, would occupy no


inconsiderable catalogue. There are several stone coffins 

with inscriptions ; Roman altars, dedicated to the gods ; 

fragments of tesselated pavements, coins, lamps, tiles 

stamped with the name of the legion by whom they were 

made ; jars, vases, and an infinite variety of Roman pottery. 

During the excavations, on the site of the present railway 

station, some Roman baths were discovered ofwhich draw 

ings and plans were taken before their destruction. One of 

the baths was 35ft. long, and 15ft. wide; near which was a 

furnace built of brick; with pillars outside, curiously 

composed of round bricks. The bricks of the fire-place 

were carefully removed, and are now to be seen in the 

Hospitium, a building within the grounds of the Philoso 

phical society, placed exactly as they were when discovered. 

There are several miscellaneous objects deserving exa 

mination,—an Egyptian mummy, Indian canoes, Indian 

war-like weapons, coats of mail, and other antique armour, 

and many articles illustrative of English manners and 

customs ; beside many rare and valuable medals and 

coins. To the Museum is attached an excellent labor 

atory; and an observatory, for the encouragement of 

chemical and astronomical science ; and the library of the 

society contains some scarce scientific works. Lectures are 

occasionly given in the theatre: papers are read at the 

monthly meetings ; and an evening meeting, for the dis 

cussion of scientific and literary subjects, is held weekly 

during the winter, by a select body, consisting of thirty-two 

members. In 1 840, the gardens of the Museum were ex 

tended on the manor shore, beyond the ancient Hospitium 

of St. Mary's Abbey. That building, which was then 

roofed and repaired, is a most interesting monastic relic. 

At the same time, the old lodge by the abbey gateway, 

leading to Marygate,—formany years used as a public house, 

and called " the Brown Cow,"—was restored by Professor 

Phillips, and converted into a commodious and extremely 

elegant dwelling house, without altering, externally, its 

characteristic architecture. The council of the Philoso


phical society granted a lease of a garden attached to the 

lodge, which is divided from the Museum gardens by 

palisades. The restoration of these two buildings,— 

the last remains of the offices of St. Mary's Abbey,— 

have contributed much to enhance the interest of these 

admired grounds. The cultivation of botanical science, is 

one of the leading objects of the Yorkshire Philosophical 

Society, and, although the gardens are not very large, their 

conservatories contain many delicate and rare plants. A 

grand horticultural and floricultural exhibition is held on 

these grounds, annually, at which are exhibited produc 

tions of the gardens of the principal nobility and gentry of 

the three ridings. 

We cannot conclude this notice without observing, that 

the first meeting of the British Association for the advance 

ment of Science, took place in York, in September, 1831, 

under the auspices of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society. 

Che Clofetmi of £t. JtconariCs. 

These cloister's are situated in Mint yard,* close by the 

entrance of the Museum gardens; and are now used as 

wine cellars. It appears that king William II. erected an 

hospital on the spot, dedicated to St. Peter; but, it being 

destroyed by fire, King Stephen re-built it, dedicating it 

to St. Leonard. The cloisters are considered as perfect 

specimens of Norman architecture as are to be found in 

the city. 

Che i&tnater Etbrarp. 

The fires which occurred in York in the years 1069 and 

1137, destroyed the valuable collection of books and ma 

nuscripts deposited, prior to these calamities, in the Minster 

library. It was not until the seventeenth century, that the 

existing collection was commenced; when 3000 volumes, 

which belonged to Archbishop Mathew, were presented 

• So called from the establishment of a royal mint in that quarter,


to the Cathedral by the widow of that prelate. The library 

contains some valuable manuscripts and good specimens 

from the press of Caxton; and, among other works, a copy 

of Erasmus's New Testament in Greek and Latin, printed 

on vellum. 

The library is situated at the north-east side of the 

Minster, in the Deanery gardens. It is attached to the 

new Deanery,—a handsome building in the Elizabethian 

style, and opposite the dwelling-house of the Canons re 

sidentiary, from whom admittance to the library is ob 

tained. The room, which forms the library, though not 

spacious, is neatly fitted up. The west window contains, 

on beautiful stained glass, armorial bearings of the mem 

bers of the church ; in the centre of which is a shield re 

presenting the arms of the duke of jClarence, who visited 

the Cathedral, September 29th, 1806. 

St. William'& CoIUge. 

This building is situated in College-street, to the east of 

the Minster. It appears by records, that King Henry VI. 

granted his letters patent, for erecting a college " to the 

honour of St. William, in the close at York, for the 

parsons and chantry priests of the cathedral to reside in ; 

whereas before they lived promiscuously in houses of lay 

men, and women, contrary to the honour and decency of 

the said church," as the patent expresses; and King 

Edward IV., in the first year of his reign, granted other 

letters patent, of the same tenor, to George Neville, then 

bishop of Exeter, and to his brother Richard earl of 

Warwick and their heirs, to found and sustain this college, 

and to have the nomination of the provost for ever. The 

archway forming the entrance, is very ancient, and has 

above it a statue of St. William. The building forms a 

quadrangle, inclosing a small court yard;—round which 

are the remains of many curious wooden figures. It was 

in this building that the royal printing presses were Bet 

tip in 1642, by King Charles I.

MODEEX TOEK. 133 

fjotk tatttute of popular Ikience antf It'terature. 

This admirable institution was established in 1 827. It is 

situated in St. Saviourgate, and has, of late years, greatly 

increased in numbers and strength. It comprises a large 

and well selected library of popular literature and science, 

to which several hundred members have access, at a sub 

scription so moderate as to be within the reach of every 

working man. Suitable lectures are frequently given, and 

are very well attended. Classes in arithmetic, French, 

grammar, writing, drawing, &c.—conducted gratuitously, 

are connected with the institute; and, in the summer 

months, scientific excursions are made by the members 

and their friends ; and a winter tea party takes place an 

nually. The York institute is in connection with the West 

riding union of Mechanics' Institutes. 

|>ork J?uI)scriptton Hturara. 

This library was instituted in 1794; and in 1836, was 

removed to the fine and capacious rooms now occupied 

in St. Leonard's place. The library consists of about 

1 7,000 volumes, among which are many works devoted to 

the history of this city and county. It is the property of 

about 500 members, admitted by ballot, paying an entrance 

fee, and annual subscription. 

The two principal news rooms of York, are the gentle 

man's Club-room, Blake-street, and York subscription news 

room, St. Helen's square. They are both well supplied 

with metropolitan and provincial journals. 

YORK CASTLE. 

The area of the walls of York Castle and the buildings 

included within them, is nearly four acres in extent. Th» 

present Castle is a building of great strength, being put 

into complete repair, between 1821 and 1836; when a 

massy gateway of hewn stone, somewhat like Monk bar, 

K


with strong towers on each side, was erected, with a wall 

of the same materials, 35 feet high, with pierced battle 

ments and projecting towers. Within this new wall were 

erected four radiating double prisons for felons, with eight 

courts or yards, which can all be inspected from the 

governor's house in the centre of these buildings. The 

erection of the wall, gateway, nevv prison, and other im 

provements, occupied twelve years, and cost £203,530; 

defrayed by an annual rate of ljrf. in the pound on the 

county. The county hall stands at the west-side of the 

entrance; being built at the expense of the county, in 

1673 and re-built in 1777. It is a handsome building of 

the Ionic order, 150 feet in length, and 45 feet in breadth; 

with an entrance portico, 30 feet in height, and attached 

antse, over which is a pediment with the royal arms sur 

mounted by a statue of justice. In this hall the Yorkshire 

assizes are held, there being a crown court and a nisi-prius 

court, with requisite accommodations. On the opposite 

side of the castle yard—a fine space, calculated to con 

tain 44,000 men,—is a building of the same design as the 

county hall; containing apartments for female debtors and 

female prisioners on criminal charges; also an hospital 

and chapel. At another end is the prison for debtors, who 

are allowed to walk in the Castle-yard. 

Dr. Smollet, in his well known work, Humphrey Clinker, 

introduces the following description of York Castle, in 

which he alludes to its spacious court yard and good ar 

rangements generally. " The castle, which was hereto 

fore a fortress, is now converted into a prison, and is the 

best, in all respects I ever saw at home or abroad. It 

stands on a high situation, extremely well ventilated ; 

and has a spacious area, within the walls, for the health 

and convenience of all the prisoners, except those whom 

it is necessary to secure in confinement. Even these last 

have all the comforts that the nature of their situation 

can admit. Here also are the assizes held in a range of 

buildings erected for that purpose." Indeed Smollet was

M0DEEN YORK. 135 

not singular in his opinion:—John Howard, the cele 

brated philanthrophist, after visiting most of the prisons 

in Europe, arrived in York, in the August of 1787, on 

his return from the north, and during his stay here, 

visited the castle ; and though the condition of the goal 

was then very much inferior to what it is at present, he 

bestowed many encomiums upon it; declaring that York 

Castle was one of the best regulated prisons he had 

ever inspected. Since the days of Howard, happily, the 

importance of prison discipline has become better and more 

generally appreciated, and is now a matter of especial 

concern to the legislature and executive government of 

every enlightened country. 

York Castle was founded by William the Conqueror, and, 

as we learn from Domesday book, one of the wards of 

the city was destroyed, to admit of its erection. This 

castle, observes Drake, " was built a solo, probably on a 

Roman foundation, by William I, and made so strong in 

order to keep the Citizens and Northumbrians in awe, and 

to preserve his garrisons better than they were in the 

former. It continued to be in his successor's hands, the 

kings of England, and was the constant residence of the 

High Sheriffs of the county, during their shrievalty for 

some ages after," 

Anciently, the river Foss went quite round the walls, 

completely isolating the castle, and admitting of entrance 

only by a draw-bridge, on the east side, near Castle-mills 

Bridge. In 1805, the bridge, gate, towers, and sally 

port were removed ; and the moat on the south side was 

filled up. Still, on the eastern and northern sides, the 

walls of the castle are bounded by the river. 

CItffortW' Cofoer. 

This beautiful relic of the feudal era, stands upon an 

artificial mound, within the castle walls, exactly facing a 

similar artificial mound on the opposite side of the river 

Ouse, called the Old Baile ; on which, it is the general


opinion, that a corresponding tower formerly stood. Clif 

ford's Tower was erected by William the Conqueror, after 

his reduction of the city of York, as a keep to the Castle ; 

and is called Clifford's Tower, from the circumstance, 

that one of the Clifford's was the first governor appointed 

by that monarch. The Lords Cliffords were, in olden 

times, called the casteleyns, or wardens of the tower ; and 

members of the family have contended for the right of 

carrying the city sword before the king when he visited 

York. That right, however, has always been conceded to 

the Lord Mayor, who, within the walls, takes the prece 

dence of every one, after the sovereign and presumptive 

heir. In the reign of Charles I., the tower was fortified 

by the earl of Cumberland, and a square building added 

to it, at the entrance. Over the gate, were placed the 

royal arms and the arms of the Clifford's, viz., chequed, 

a fess, ensigned with an earl's coronet, supported by two 

wiverns, and the motto, Desormais, which are yet in 

good preservation. On the top of the tower a platform 

was constructed, on which some cannon were mounted. 

After the surrender of the city, in 1644, this tower only 

was allowed to remain fortified ; and on the journals of 

the House of Commons the following resolution, dated 

26 February, 1646, is recorded, " Resolved, that Clif 

ford's Tower (York) be kept a garrison, with three score 

foot in it." In 1660, we find mounted in the tower, 

eleven pieces of artillery. In 1C83, Charles II. appointed 

Sir John Reresby, governor ; but in the following year, 

it is suspected by design, the fortifications were blown up 

with gun-powder, and nothing was left standing but the 

naked walls, which still survive, as one of the picturesque 

ornaments of York ; affording yet an excellent view of the 

surrounding country. In 1825, it was gravely proposed to 

demolish the tower and mound ! Better counsels, how 

ever, prevailed, and the majority of the magistracy resolved 

to protect the noble ruin, by carrying a strong wall round 

the mound on which it stands.


SCIjt CltB

ANCIENT AND 

representations, with many grotesque figures and singular 

beads. The hall is lighted with pointed windows, at each 

end and at both sides ; many of which contain fine speci 

mens of stained glass. The Guild Hall was erected in the 

year 1446, by the mayor and commonalty, and the master 

and brethren of the guild of St. Christopher, to which, 

subsequently, the guild of St. George was added. On 

the dissolution of these religious fraternities, King Edward 

VI. granted all their messuages, tenements, &c., in the 

city of York, to the mayor and commonalty for ever. The 

inner room to which we have referred, was wainscotted 

at the expense of Sir John Hewley, in 1679; and here are 

kept muskets for four companies of seventy men, in case 

of an emergency. 

This building, which was erected a.d. 1725, as a resi 

dence for the Lord Mayors, stands on the site of the 

ancient chapel of the guild of St. Christopher, in St. 

Helen's-square, and is a handsome Ionic structure. The 

state room is forty-nine feet six inches long, and twentyseven 

feet nine inches wide. This room is wainscotted, 

and is entered by folding doors, above which there is an 

orchestra. Over the fire places at each end of this 

chamber, are emblazoned the royal arms, and the arms 

of the city ; and on the walls are full length portraits (each 

in a splendid frame, measuring nine feet by five feet eight 

inches,) of George IV., when Prince of Wales, William 

III., George II., the marquis of Rockingham, Sir William 

Milner, bart., the duke of Richmond, and Lord Dundas. 

There is now no salary whatever allowed to the Lord 

Mayor of York; and the hospitalities of the Mansion 

House are maintained at his own expense. 

This spacious and handsome house, situated in Lendal, 

was erected in 1806, at the expense of the county, on the

MODERN YORK. 

1S9 

site of the church of St. Wilfrid. It has a double flight 

of steps in front, and before it is a court, laid out with 

grass and shrubs. 

Sfectrrtjli) Booms. 

The foundation stone of these rooms was laid on the 

first of March, 1 730, near the site of the ancient church 

of St. Wilfrid, Blakc-strcct, which, in 1 585, was united 

to Belfrey's. The building was designed by the earl of 

Burlington, to whom Drake dedicated his Eboracum, and 

was erected at an expense of £5000, subscribed by a 

limited number of shareholders. The Egyptian hall, 

which is the principal room, forms a very splendid ball 

room, and is 112 feet long, 40 feet wide, and 40 feet 

high. In this hall the principal concerts are given and 

county balls are held. In 1828, the present entrance in 

Blake-street, was erected. It is a very chaste and elegant 

design, presenting a portico of four Ionic columns, with a 

pediment. 

Jtotioal Concert Boom. 

This Concert Room is situated in Lcndal, from which 

there is an entrance, and communicates with the Assembly 

Rooms by large folding doors. The foundation stone of 

this spacious structure was laid on the 28th July, 1 824, 

by William Dunsley, Esq., Lord Mayor. The principal 

object of its projectors, was to afford accommodation to 

persons anxious to attend the evening concerts of the 

Yorkshire musical festivals ; as the Assembly Rooms 

were not large enough to contain all those who sought 

admittance. The room is 05 feet long, 60 feet broad, and 

45 feet high, exclusive of the orchestra. It can accom 

modate 2000 persons ; and the orchestra is prepared for 

144 performers. There is a gallery at the end of the 

room, opposite the orchestra, twenty feet deep. The 

Festival Concert Room is used upon ordinary occasions 

for concerts, balls, and public meetings. The cost of 

erection was between four and five thousand pounds ; but


reckoning the price of the ground, &c., the total expense 

was about £9400. The room is vested in trustees and 

directors, for the York county hospital, and the infirmaries 

of Leeds, Hull, and Sheffield. 

gorfsshtre (Srantl fHuStcal ffieStibaU. 

The first of these festivals was held in the Cathedral, 

on the 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 26th days of September, 

1823 ; when the Minster was fitted up with the utmost 

magnificence, for the reception of the visitors. The total 

number of performers was 465 ;—vocal performers 285, 

instrumental 180. The second festival took place on the 

13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th days of September, 1825 ; 

when the total number of performers was 614;—vocal per 

formers 365, instrumental 249. The third festival was 

held on the 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 26th days of Septem 

ber, 1828; the total number of performers was then 618; 

—vocal 363, instrumental 255. The fire which occurred 

on the following 2nd February, suspended these festivals 

till 1835, when the nave of the Minster was again fitted 

up in the most gorgeous manner. The number of per 

formers, vocal and instrumental, was, upon that occasion, 

upwards of 600 ; and an apparatus was fixed up by which, 

at a distance of 125 feet, the organ was played from the 

orchestra. This festival was patronized by her Royal 

Highness the Duchess of Kent, and the Princess Victoria, 

now our most gracious queen ; and was attended by a 

vast number of the nobility and gentry from all parts of 

the kingdom. Half of the profits was divided between 

the York county hospital, and the infirmaries of Leeds, 

Hull, and Sheffield; and the other half was applied to the 

fund for the restoration of the Cathedral. 

Chtatrt l£Lo»al. 

The Theatre is situated over part of the cloisters of the 

united hospitals of St. Leonard and St. Peter, and has 

entrances in Blake-street and St.Leonard's-place. Formerly

MODERN "i'ORK. 141 

there was a small theatre in Mint-yard ; but the present 

edifice was opened in January, 1 765, by Mr. Barker, the 

predecessor and, subsequently, the partner of Mr. Tate 

Wilkinson. The theatre is open during the assize, race, 

and other public weeks ; but it is not as well supported 

as formerly. Several of the most distinguished per 

formers on the London stage, hare been sent to the 

metropolis from the York theatre. 

©orfe 3ft ace CourSe. 

Horse races appear to have been regularly established 

at York, about the year 1709 ; at which time, the races 

came off at Clifton and Rawcliffe Ings. The races at 

present are held on Knavesmire, a fine plain, about half a 

mile from Micklegate Bar ; where, in the year 1 754, the 

Grand Stand, a large brick building, with convenient rooms, 

promenades, and offices, was erected by subscription. 

f)nrfe atCa &tnStp dfmfcotmtlS. 

Opposite the race course are the kennels of the York 

and Ainsty Foxhounds, which are maintained by gentle 

men resident in the city and neighbourhood. 

Annual assembling of tl)e goiBShtw SluSSarS. 

The fine corps of yeomanry cavalry, called the York 

shire Hussars, under the command of the Earl de Grey, 

meet annually for training at York ; and for ten days con 

tribute to the enlivenment of the city ; at the conclusion 

of which time, they are inspected and reviewed, in com 

pany with the troops in the garrison, by one of her 

Majesty's field officers. Earl de Grey's Hussars are con 

sidered one of the finest body of yeomanry cavalry in 

England; and both officers and men are very much res 

pected by the citizens of York. 

Cfie Barracks. 

The York Barracks, situa'.ed on the Fulford-road, and 

built in 1796, are prepared for the reception of cavalry ; 

and have accommodation for three field officers, five


captains, nine subalterns and staff, four quarter masters, 

two hundred and forty non-commissioned officers and pri 

vates, and two hundred and sixty six horses. The wall 

which surrounds the Barracks, encloses twelve acres ; and 

the cost of erecting the whole, was £27,000. 

THE MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS OF YORK. 

f)orft Counto ftospital. 

This institution, situated in Monkgate, was founded in 

the year 1740, " for the relief of the diseased poor of the 

city and county of York ;" it owed its origin principally 

to a legacy of £500, under the will of Lady Elizabeth 

Hastings, and to the liberal contributions of various other 

benevolent persons, living about the same time. The 

annual income of the institution, including real and per 

sonal estates, subscriptions, &c, now amounts to about 

£2500. Clinical lectures are given by the physicians 

of the county hospital ; and certificates of attendance on 

the medical and surgical practice of the hospital, jointly 

with the Dispensary, are received by the Royal College of 

Surgeons and the Society of Apothecaries, London. 

Jkhool of flfUtoiritu. 

This school was established in the year 1 834, in con 

nection with the county hospital ; and is conducted by 

several able professors, resident in the city. The business 

of the school is conducted in a building attached to the 

hospital, containing dissecting and lecture rooms. 

jSlrtJtcal mbrarg. 

There is a medical library, containing about 1 000 vol 

umes, attached to the County Hospital. This library was 

established in 1810, by the subscriptions and donations of 

eighteen members of the medical profession, resident in 

York, aided by the contributions of several of their fellow 

citizens, who were friends to the diffusion of medical 

knowledge. In order to secure the perpetuity of the insti


tution, as well as to avoid the expense of rent and a 

librarian's salary, it was made a fundamental rule, that 

the hooks should be the property of the trustees of the 

hospital; the office of librarian being, with the consent 

of the governors of the hospital, annexed to that of housesurgeon. 

The library is under the exclusive management 

of the subscribers to the hospital; the medical officers 

enjoying no privileges distinct from the rest, with regard 

to the use or management of the library. Under these 

regulations the library has continued nearly thirty years, 

and now comprises many of the most valuable standard 

medical works, and some of the best and most expensive 

anatomical plates. 

This society was established in 1832. The meetings are 

held at the Dispensary on the evenings of every second 

Saturday, from the beginning of October to the end of 

April; a paper or some medical subject being read by a 

member, and discussed by the society. In connection 

with this body is a medical circulating library. 

fJorfe Jtunattc 2te»Iuirt. 

At the time that this institution was established, (1777) 

there were but two institutions for the treatment of the 

insane in London, and but two in the provinces of Eng 

land; one being at Manchester and the other at Newcastle. 

The York Lunatic Asylum was established by the private 

subscriptions of benevolent individuals ; and was intended 

for the reception of parochial and indigent lunatics ; in 

sane persons of the higher classes being likewise admis 

sible. The false principles upon which most of our insti 

tutions for the treatment of Lunatics were conducted at 

the beginning of the present century, appear to have 

prevailed here; and in 1813, when Mr. Tuke's description 

of the Retreat was published, a controversy was provoked 

by the Physician of the Asylum, which led to several


charges of mal-treatment being publicly made. An inves 

tigation took place, several of the gravest charges were 

made good, and the upshot of the whole was, the dis 

missal of every servant entrusted with the care of patients, 

the revision of the rules, and the complete re-organization 

of the establishment by the superintendent and matron of 

the Retreat.* In the year 1815, Godfrey Higgins, Esq., 

a magistrate of the west-riding, who took an active part 

in the investigation at the York Asylum, was examined 

before a committee of the House of Commons, and the 

facts then brought to light, have done much in favour of 

better and more humane principles of treatment. 

Che i£Ut«at. 

This celebrated institution for the cure and care of the 

insane members of the Society of Friends, stands on the 

road from the city to the village of Heslington, and com 

mands, from its elevation, a delightful prospect over the 

vale of York. It was established through the indefati 

gable exertions of our late venerable fellow citizen William 

Tuke. It was opened for the reception of patients, in the 

year 1706. Much of the success of this institution must, 

however, be attributed to the conscientious zeal and talents 

of G. Jepson, the first superintendent, who, for about 

thirty years, carried out the wishes of its founders, in the 

improved management of the insane, beyond their most 

sanguine expectations. Here was first practically demon 

strated in England, the extent to which kindness united 

with firmness, could be applied to the most effectual con 

trol of the irregular and violent tendencies of the insane. 

The results of these efforts have attracted universal at 

tention, and have had a very powerful influence in the 

improvement which has taken place in the treatment of 

deranged persons. 

* While the investigation to which we refer was proceeding, a fire occured 

In the Asylum, and four patients, who had been chained to the walls, perished 

in the flames.

MODEEN TOB.K. 

The Retreat is adapted to the accommodation of 100 

patients. The terms and accommodation are suited to 

the circumstances of the inmates, and vary from four 

shillings to five guineas per week. A few patients, not 

connected with the Society of Friends, are admitted, when 

there is room, into the higher class. 

gribate KfylumS. 

The medical men of York now enjoy a high reputation 

for their skill in the treatment of the insane, and there are 

several private asylums in the neighbourhood, the patients 

of which are under their treatment. The principal of these 

asylums is at GateHelmsley; the others are at Clifton, Dmu 

nington, Heworth, Osbaldwick, Acomb, and Barker Hill. 

Cfje 2ltjSnenSar». 

This institution was founded in the year 1788. It is 

associated with the York County Hospital, as a school of 

practice, and more than 2000 cases are annually attended 

by the officers of the charity. Originally the Dispensary 

was conducted in a room in the Merchants' Hall, Fossgate, 

from whence, in 1806, it was removed to St. Andrewgate, 

where it continued until the erection of the present hand 

some Dispensary ; the foundation stone was laid in 1827, by 

the late Alderman Wilson. The new building, the erect 

ing of which cost £1950, including the site, was opened in 

1828, and ever since that period, the institution has con 

tinued to increase in usefulness and public estimation. 

tatttutton for l&tetadii of the


having for some years back been considered both perni 

cious to health and distressing to the feelings, an effort was 

made in York, in the year 1833, to establish a Cemetery 

without the city, for the burial of the dead of all religious 

denominations of Christians. Nothing, however, was 

effected till the year 1836, when, the corporation having 

declined to take the subject in hand, a capital of £6000 

was raised by a company, in 600 shares of £10 each. A 

piece of ground, about eight acres and a quarter in extent, 

not far from Fishergate and Walmgate Bars, was pur 

chased, and laid out in a suitable manner. The lodge 

and entrance gates are very chaste and beautiful Grecian 

structures ; and the pillars at each end of the palisading 

are crowned, one with an Egyptian Sarcophagus, and the 

other with a Sphinx. In April, 1837, the first stone of 

the new chapel was laid, by the Lord Mayor, James 

Meek, Esq. ; and, in the September following, the part 

of the chapel devoted to the burial of episcopal protestants 

was consecrated by his grace the archbishop of York. 

One half of the Cemetery is devoted to members of the 

established church, and the other half to non-conformists ; 

and the ministers of each denomination conduct their own 

funeral services. The chapel is so situated, that the line 

separating the two divisions of the Cemetery runs through 

the centre of the building ; consequently, one half of the 

chapel is used for performing the burial service of the 

established church, and the other for the burial service of 

those not in connection with that body. 

Cholera Surial ©routrtl. 

This burial ground was, in 1832, set apart for the in 

terment of those who died of the terrible epidemic that then 

broke out in this city. It is situated in Thief-lane, with 

out the walls, between North-street Postern and Micklegate 

Bai ; not far from the depot of the Great North of 

England Railway. The cholera morbus made its appear 

ance in York, on Sunday, the 3rd day of June, 1832, in


a yard, or court, at the bottom of Skeldergate ; in which, 

it appears, the plague that visited this city in 1604, first 

manifested itself. In the beginning of July, the malady 

had attained its height, when forty persons died in one 

week. It continued in the city for eighteen weeks ; during 

which time there were 450 cases,—185 deaths, and 265 

recoveries. The malignity of the disease was, no doubt, 

considerably neutralized by the admirable sanatory arrange 

ments of the board of health, and the unwearied exertions 

of the medical profession of York:—upwards of £1300, 

raised by subscription, having been expended by the board, 

in bread and beef for the relief of the poor. 

THE BRIDGES. 

The bridges of York are six in number ; five of stone 

and one of wood. The principal bridge crosses the river 

Ouse, and connects Micklegate with Ousegate. In the 

year 1154, we read, that when St. William made his first 

entrance into York, as archbishop, the wooden bridge, 

then in the same place, broke down in consequence of the 

multitudes that thronged to greet him ; many people 

perishing in the river. In 1235, funds were procured by 

charitable contributions, and the first stone bridge was 

erected ; which was swept away by a terrible flood, in 

1564. A few years afterwards, the Old Ouse Bbidge, 

that preceded the present one, was erected. Although 

the terror of way-faring men, it was a very picturesque 

object ; consisting of five pointed arches, the centre one 

of which,—81 feet in span and 26 feet 3 inches in height, 

—was esteemed the largest arch in Europe, except the 

Rialto at Venice. Till the year 1809, the chapel dedicated 

to St. William remained on the bridge, which, at the 

reformation, was converted into an exchange ; subse 

quently being divided into a council chamber, a record 

office, and a felon's prison for the city. On the 10th 

December, 1810, the foundation stone of the present


Oxtse Bridge, which consists of three fine elliptical arches, 

was laid by George Peacock, Esq., Lord Mayor; and, in 

the second mayoralty of the same person, in 1820, it was 

completed. The span of the centre arch of the existing 

structure is 75 feet ; height 22 feet 6 inches. The span of 

each side arch is 65 feet ; height 20 feet. The bridge is 

40 feet wide within the battlements. A small wooden 

bridge, called the Blue Bridge, crosses the Foss at the 

confluence of the two rivers ; and, at a short distance, the 

Foss is spanned by Castle Mills Bridge. This bridge, 

which is of great antiquity, has lately been considerably 

improved. It has been very much widened ; the land on 

both sides has been raised, and an excellent and safe 

approach to York on the south-east side has thus been 

formed. Foss Bridge, which connects Walmgate with 

Fossgate, was re-built in 1811, when the foundation stone 

of the present bridge was laid by the Lord Mayor, right 

hon. Laurence Dundas.* Layerthorfe Bridge, which 

crosses the Foss higher up, was formerly remarkable for its 

extreme narrowness and the postern that stood as sentinel 

over it; but in 1829 the present convenient and substan 

tial bridge was erected. Monk Bridge, at some distance 

from Monk Bar, forms an approach to York from Malton, 

Scarborough, &c. It is a modern erection, of sufficient 

breadth, and of a span wide enough to admit of the free 

passage [of vessels of 70 tons burden. In addition to 

these, a new bridge across the river Ouse, at Lendal, is 

in contemplation. 

THE RAILWAY STATION. 

This spendid structure imparts a new character to the 

city of York. It is built on an extensive scale, upon the 

very best and most approved modern principles : and has 

transformed a remote and retired part of the city, into a 

scene of vivacity and commercial activity. Its situation 

* Afterwards earl of Zetland,


is peculiarly interesting;—within the Bar-walls, which 

gently curve round, and tower above it; from which persons 

walking upon them, can see the trains approaching the city, 

passing through the walls, and landing their passengers at 

the station. The principal part of the station presents a 

front to Tanner-row. It is a handsome and well arranged 

building, with a spacious booking office, waiting rooms for 

passengers, and several other commodious offices. Oppo 

site to this, at about the distance of a hundred feet, and 

fronting the Bar-walls, is a corresponding building with 

waiting and refreshment rooms for the passengers ; kitchens, 

larders, cellars, &c, being arranged on the basement. The 

intervening space between these two great wings of the 

station, is roofed in. The roof, which is supported by cast 

iron pillars, is intended for the protection of the carriages 

and merchandise. The departure stage, at the Tanner-row 

side, is 400 feet in length, and 18 feet in breadth; and the 

arrival stage, at the opposite side, is of the same dimensions. 

This magnificent station, is used jointly by the York and 

North Midland, and the Great North of England Railway 

Companies. The York and North Midland line was opened 

to the public on the 30th of May, 1839, to the junction of 

the Leeds and Selby line, a distance of 14 miles; and was 

opened throughout to the junction near Castleford, a 

distance of 24 miles from York, in May, 1840. A tem 

porary station was constructed without Micklegate Bar, 

which was used until the opening of the station in Tan 

ner-row in the beginning of 1841. On the 31st of March, 

1841, the Great North of England Railway was opened 

to the public, from Darlington to York, a distance of 44J 

miles. York is now the point at which two of the great 

lines of railway cross each other. There is a complete 

railway communication from east to west—from Hull to 

Liverpool ; and from north to south, there is a complete 

line from London to the county of Durham, passing through 

York. There is, therefore, no place in England more 

favourably situated, with regard to railways, than this city, 

n 2

150 ANCIETTT AJTD 

which is in the centre of the vast county of York, with 

great lines to the north, south, east, and west. It is now 

possible to perform a journey from York to London and 

back again, in twenty-three hours ; allowing an hour for the 

transaction of business; and all these facilities will, no 

doubt, induce many to visit York, who hitherto have only 

been acquainted, by hearsay, with its many antiquities. 

$oSt ©ffict, iUtrtfal. 

A new post-office was built in 1840, in Lendal. The 

building is plain, but commodious and well arranged. 

g>tamp ©ffict, $3rtergate. 

A new stamp office was erected in 1839, in Petergate, 

a short distance from the old office. 

JHtrrhants' HaE 

This hall, the property of the Merchants' Company, 

contains two large antique apartments, the interior one of 

which is ornamented with portraits. The use of the rooms 

is, with the greatest liberality, readily given by the com 

pany to their fellow citizens, whenever they are required 

for any unobjectionable public purpose. 

jgtoi 13olt« J^tatton antJ JstalMjouSe. 

In the spring of 1841, the foundation of a new Police 

office and lock-up, with a Stall-house attached, was laid on 

a vacant piece of ground adjoining the new Fish-market ; 

which is readily approached from Thursday-market, Churchstreet, 

Parliament-street, Shambles, and Colliergate. 

mm' anto aikgtSttr (©ffictjS. 

The wills' office for the province of York, occupies a small 

building attached to the west-side of the south entrance to 

the Cathedral; which, with questionable taste, was enlarged 

in the year 1838; but there is no communication between 

it and the Minster. In the report of the Ecclesiastical 

Commissioners, printed in 1832, the building is thus de 

scribed, " It is not fire-proof. It is free from damp ; and 

it is so far safe as any building not positively fire-proof 

can be considered so. It is commodious but not suffici


ently large. It is a building of stone covered with lead; 

it is 22 feet 4 inches long, 21 feet 9 inches wide, and 10 

feet 9 inches high ; and is divided into four aisles, each 

about 1 7 feet 6 inches long, and 5 feet 6 inches high, and 

5 feet 6 inches wide; on the sides of these are shelves on 

which the business are deposited." There is one room 

for searching for and examining Wills or Administrations ; 

and there is a book kept in which all Wills and Adminis 

trations passing through the office are entered. This book 

was commenced in 1731; it has been continued to the 

present time, and is arranged alphabetically in months 

and years, specifying the names and places of abode of 

testators. It can be searched by any person on payment 

of a shilling. The average numbers of probates and Admistrations 

which pass in this office annually, is about 

1600 Wills, and 650 Administrations. This office is 

within the jurisdiction of the Prerogative Court of York, 

over which presides a judge, who is commissary and 

keeper general of the Exchequer and Prerogative court, 

official principal of the consistory, and vicar general and 

official principal of the chancery Court of York. During 

the fire of the 20th of May, 1840, in the Cathedral, the 

Wills were removed from this office in carts, guarded by 

soldiers; but sufFered no accident, and were afterwards 

safely re-placed. 

The records of the Dean and Chapter, are kept in a 

building to the east of the south transept of the Minster ; 

formerly known as Archbishop de la Zouch's chapel. 

This building communicates with the church ; and was 

not appropriated to its present purpose till the latter end 

of the year 1840. 

The Beddern, or retired place for prayer, was formerly 

a college of vicar's school, attached to York Minster. It 

is said to be built on the site of the palace of the Roman 

emperors, and was dedicated to St. William. The chapel


yet remains. It is now merely used as a Sunday school ; 

but, when Gent wrote, prayers were read in it during Lent, 

gorfc IBaov ILafo Ohuon. 

On the 15th July, 1837, this union was declared under 

the provisions of the act passed 14th August, 1834. The 

union includes, beside the parishes of the city of York 

already enumerated,* the following parishes in the ainsty 

(West-riding), in the North-riding, and in the Eastriding 

:— 

Askham Bi chard 

Huntington 

Acaster Malbis (part of) 

Towthorpe, 

Bishopthorpe 

Clifton 

Copmanthorpe 

St. Olave, Marygate 

Itolgate 

RawclifFe 

Dringhouses 

Overton 

Middlethorpe 

Lillings Ambo 

Haxby 

Stockton -on-the-Forest 

Gate Helmsley 

Wiggington 

O sbaldwick, 

Benningbrough 

Murtou 

Grimston 

Strensall 

Kexby 

Warthill (part of) 

Stamford Bridge, with Scoreby 

Dunnington (part of) 

Elvington 

St. Paul's, Heslington 

Deighton 

Buttercrambe 

Escrick 

Claxton 

Fulford, Gate 

Flaxton-upon-the-Moor, (part of) Fulford, Water 

Harton 

Naburn 

Sand Hutton 

St. Lawrence, Heslington, (part of) 

Heworth 

Stillingfleet, with Moreby 

Upper Helmsley 

Thornganby, with West Cottingvith 

Holtby 

Wheldrake 

Earswick 

Langwith 

The union workhouse is situated in Marygate. It is an 

old building, though well aired. Originally it was a cotton 

factory, but in the latter end of the last century was con 

verted into a dwelling for the poor of the city of York. 

|)otft ûnmmmg 33atf)3. 

These Baths are situated by the river Ouse, on the Manor 

Shore, near St. Mary's tower; and can be approached 

from Marygate by the new foot-path made through the 

walls, or from Lendal by a new road made near the ferry. 

The principal bath is 120 feet long and 80 feet wide. 

The river water is constantly flowing in ; and the bath is 

emptied out twice a week. The situation is secluded and 

extremely salubrious. 

* See population of York, paiê 117.


These works, which supply the city with water, are 

situated at Lendal ferry, and occupy Lendal tower, which 

forms now, as it did anciently, the terminus of the walls 

on the north-west side of York. The Water Works were 

established as early as 1682, and are the property of a 

company of shareholders. In connection with this esta 

blishment are public baths—hot, cold, and vapour. 

J&ebmui'a fKtl. 

This hill, situate near Holgate, commands a fine view 

of the city of York. It derives its name from the Roman 

emperor Severus, who, as we have mentioned in the 

preceding pages, died at York, and in honour of whom, 

the ceremony of deification was performed on this mound. 

Drake was of opinion, that this hill was an artificial 

mound, raised by the Roman soldiers to commemorate 

the emperor's decease ; but there appears to be nothing 

to countenance the speculation. 

Che jiurmerg. 

This building is situated without Micklegate Bar. It 

is a fine and commodious brick house, with extensive 

grounds adjoining. It appears to have been purchased 

in 1586, by Mrs. Paston, as a boarding school for young 

ladies of the Roman catholic persuasion ; and since that 

time has existed as a seminary, conducted by a prioress, 

and convent of nuns of the order of St. Ursula. To the 

Nunnery is attached a school, in which fifty female 

scholars are daily taught gratuitously. 

jaefo Mailt. 

A pleasant promenade, on the banks of the Ouse, nearly 

a mile in length, shaded by fine old elm trees. It is 

approached from Castlegate, through gates fixed close by 

Castlegate Postern; and about mid-way on the walk, 

is a small wooden bridge across the Foss, which, at this 

point, forms a junction with the Ouse. There is also a


valuable spring, often used medicinally, on the lower part 

of the walk ; and near it are cold baths. 

Atcent Jmprobementsi tn gorit. 

Within the last few years a variety of improvements 

have been effected, some whereof have incidentally been 

named ; the whole of which, tend to secure the conve 

nience of the inhabitants, and impart a renovated charac 

ter to this venerable city. A fine new street, called St. 

Leonard's-place, has been been formed from Bootham to 

Blake-street ; the space from Thursday Market to Pave 

ment has been thrown open, and a broad and imposing 

street, called Parliament-street, formed. Chuich-street, 

from Thursday Market to King's-square, at the top of 

Goodramgate, is now a wide and regularly built street ; 

and from St. Sampson's-square to Jubbergate, an excel 

lent new Fish Market has been constructed. Colliergate 

and St. Saviourgate have been widened and greatly im 

proved. Extensive improvements have been effected in 

High Ousegate and Spurriergate. Fishergate, and espe 

cially Castle Mills Bridge and the property adjoining, have 

altered greatly for the better. The approach to Monk 

Bar has been made broader. Several new terraces have 

been formed in various quarters without the walls ; and 

within, a variety of projections and obstructions have 

been removed. In the neighbourhood of the Cathedral, 

the transformations have been wonderful. On the north 

side of the Minster, which, about sixteen years ago, pre 

sented a mass of rubbish and the meanest buildings, that 

almost entirely obscured that side of the edifice, delightful 

gardens are laid out, ornamented with two fine houses, 

the Deanery and Residence. The gardens are open to 

the public ; and a most charming walk they form—com 

manding an uninterrupted view of the north side of this 

vast temple and its unequalled chapter-house. During 

the progress of the improvements, part of the cloisters of 

the Anglo-Norman palace for the archbishops, built by

MODEEN YORK. 156 

Thomas, who held this see in the reigns of William I. 

and II., were discovered ; forming, when found, the wall of 

a stable ! In two of the niches are seats most favourably 

placed. Great changes have also taken place at the west 

and south-west of the Minster. Peter prison, or Hall of 

pleas for Peter Liberty, which stood near the west front, 

was taken away in 1839, when this part of the Minsteryard 

was considerably extended, by the pulling down of 

a great number of houses. The row of houses which 

extended from the end of Belfrey's church to the top of 

Little Blake-street, have been altogether removed. Petergate 

and Minster gates have been widened ; and at the 

south-east end of the Minster some new and handsome 

buildings have been erected, at a respectful distance. In 

1828, St. Peter's School was erected, near the site of the 

old deanery, close by Trinity church, Goodramgate ; 

and a row of houses was taken away, to allow of the 

formation of grounds open as far as Minster yard. The 

eastern end of the Cathedral is yet blocked up with a row 

of houses, within a very short distance of it ; but Dean 

Cockburn, who must have the credit of the various 

improvements connected with the Minster, which are 

enumerated, made, in 1839, a proposal to the corporation, 

to take down all the houses from the east end to Good 

ramgate, and thus afford something like an adequate view 

to strangers entering York through Monk Bar, of what 

may be justly called, the finest window ever seen by the 

eye of man. The value of the property, for the present, 

has placed a bar to this project. The walks and foot 

paths about York have also been greatly improved of late 

years. New gates for foot passengers have been placed to 

the various fields all around the city, through which there 

were foot-paths, for the health and recreation ofthe citizens. 

Several obstructions, improperly placed by occupiers, have 

been removed. In some instances, ancient foot-paths 

have been restored, and these fields are now passable 

for women and children. Taken in connection with the


various restorations and recent erections in all parts of the 

city, the facts here mentioned are sufficient to show, that 

the spirit of improvement has not been inactive in York. * 

eEIecttoni for the Cttt> of gorft. 

General Election, 1802. 

Election, 1820. 

Sir William Mordaunt Milncr, Bart Bobert Chaloner, Esq., returned with* 

Hon. Laurence Dundas 

out opposition, in the room of the 

(no contest) 

Hon. L. Dundas, called to the house 

of peers in consequence of the de 


Sir W. M. Milner 

Hon. L. Dundas 

(no contest) 


Sir W. M. Milner . ... 1154 

Sir Mark Masterman Sykes . 1316 

Hon. L. Dundas 967 


Hon. L. Dundas returned without 

opposition, in the room of Sir W. 

M. Milner, deceased 


Hon. L. Dundas 

Sir Mark M. Sykes 

(no contest) 


Hon. L. Dundas .... 

Sir Mark M. Sykes . . . 

William Bryan Cooke, Esq. 


Hon. L. Dundas ... 

Marmaduke Wyvill, Esq. 

Lord Howden .... 

1446 

1276 

1055 

1(147 

1537 

1201 

cease of his father, Lord Dundas 


Marmaduke Wyvill, Esq. 

Col. James Wilson 

(no contest) 


S. A. Bayntun 1928 

Hon. Thomas Dundas . . . 1907 

Hon. E. R. Petre 1793 


Hon. E. R. Petre 1505 

S. A. Bayntun 1140 

J. H. Lowther 884 

Hon. Thomas Dundas ... 872 


(Vice Bayntun deceased) 

Hon. Thomas Dundas . . . 1337 




Hon. John Charles Dundas . . 1301 

C F. Barkley . 919 



J. C. Dundas 1276 

D. F. Atcherley 1180 

%ovB& Uteutatant of gorfesJjtre. 

North-riding—The Bight Honorable Thomas, Earl of Zetland. 

East-riding—The Right Honorable Lord Wenlock 

West-riding—The Right Honorable Henry, Earl of Harewood. 

gorh jjtfoapapeni. 

York Herald, (Liberal,) printed by W. and J. Hargrove, Saturday. 

Yorkshire Gazette, (Conservative,) printed by H. Bellerby, Saturday. 

The York8hireman, (Liberal,) printed by R. R. Pearce, Saturday. 

York Courant, (Liberal,) printed by T. Stones, Thursday. 

.. * .Ther£ ,is no Ia(* of accommodation for strangers in York: there beine. in 

the city. 10 hotels and 181 taverns.

MODEHK TORS. 15? 

HOSPITALS IN YORK. 

Agar's Hospital.—Founded by Alderman Thomas Agar, 

by will, dated 7th May, 1631, for six poor widows—two 

to be out of St. Maurice's parish, and two Out of Bel* 

frey's parish. 

Barstow's Hospital.—The origin of this hospital is 

unknown; there being no deeds relative to it in existence. 

The property consists of two houses and a stable, all neat 

the hospital, let for £12 12s. There are six alms-people, 

Who receive the amount of the rents, after making a small 

reserve for repairs. 

Ingram's Hospital.—Founded under the will of Sir 

Arthur Ingram, dated 15th August, 1640, for ten poor 

widows, who have apartments and £5 a year each, and 

also clothing materials once in two years of the value of 

£1 4s. each, and £6 13s. 4d. is paid to a reader. 

Winterscale' s Hospital, Walmgate.—Founded under the 

will of Robert Winterscale, dated 5th of February, 1723. 

Rent of four houses, for six poor people of the parish of 

St. Margaret, of either sex, who receive £8 each per 

annum. 

Sir Robert Water's Hospital.—Founded under the will 

of Sir Robert "Water, knight, dated 17th January, 1609. 

Seven cottages, occupied by poor women, and three out 

pensioners, each receive £2 per annum as reader. In* 

come : rent charge of £21 per annum. 

Wilson's Hospital, Foss Bridge.—Founded under the 

will of Dorothy Wilson, of York, spinster, dated 20th 

January, 1710, for ten poor women, £20 per annum. 

Seven out-pensioners are now added at £7 each : three 

poor blind men or women 40s. each per annum, now in 

creased to seven, at £7 each per annum : £20 per annum, 

now £70, to a schoolmaster, for twenty, now forty boys, 

not under eight nor exceeding fourteen years of age. 

Prayers to be read by the master twice a day, according 

o


to the rubric of the church of England. Each boy to be 

clothed at Christmas, in blue, faced with green. 

Maison Dieu, or Merchant Tailors' Hospital.—Four 

small tenements for four decayed brothers of the company, 

or their widows. There is a rent-charge of 10*. per 

annum out of land at Holtby, devised in 1669, by John 

Straker, and a rent-charge of £10 per annum granted by 

the company, by deed, dated 20th June, 1754. From 

these rents-charge, and an allowance made by the com 

pany, the alms-people each receive £4 15s. 6c?. per annum. 

Colton's Hospital.—Founded by Thomas Colton, by 

deed, dated 11th February, 1717, and augmented by his 

will, dated 18th June, 1729, for eight poor women, who 

receive 10s. each, every month. 

The Old Maid's Hospital.—Founded under the will of 

Mary Wandesford, spinster, dated 4th November, 1725, 

for the use and benefit of ten poor maiden gentlewomen, 

£15 per annum to be paid to a reader, and a congregation 

to be made at prayers once a day. Each gentlewoman 

has two rooms and £20 per annum. The trustees are, 

the archbishop, dean, and some of the canons of the 

Cathedral. 

Middleton's Hospital.—Founded under the will of Mrs. 

Ann Middleton, dated 24th August, 1655, who left £2000 

for building it, and paying twenty widows of freemen £4 

each. 

Mason's Hospital, Colliergate.—Founded by Margaret 

Mason, by will, dated 5th June, 1732, for six poor 

women. The hospital was new fronted some years ago, 

by means of a legacy left for that purpose by Robert 

Wilberfoss, Esq. 

St. Thomas's Hospital.—This was an ancient hospital, 

which existed before the reformation. It is inhabited by 

ten poor widows, who are placed therein by the Lord 

Mayor for the time being.


St. Catherine's Hospital.—This hospital is ofvery ancient 

origin, and was formerly a house of entertainment for 

the pilgrims. It contains apartments for four poor widows. 

Sir Henry Thompson's Hospital.—Founded under the 

will of Sir H. Thompson, sometime Lord Mayor, dated 

25th August, 1692, for six poor men, preference being 

given to the inhabitants of St. Mary's, Castlegate. 

Lady Hewley's Hospital.—This institution was founded 

in 1700, by Lady Hewley, for ten old women. The 

hospital formerly stood in Tanner-row, in front of the site 

of the present railway station. New hospitals, however, 

have recently been erected of hewn stone, in the Elizabethian 

style, at the end of St. Saviour's church, in St. 

Saviourgate. 

Trinity Hospital, Merchants' Hall.—This charity, under 

he management of the Merchant Adventurers, is for five 

poor men and five poor women, who receive £2 every 

month, and allowances at Christmas, Easter, and Whit 

suntide. 

J3fai)optf)orpt palact; 

Two miles and a half distant from York, in the westriding. 

Bishopthorpe is a parish town, with about 500 

population ; and the palace, situated on the banks of the 

river Ouse, is the princely seat of the archbishop of York. 

As we have already stated,* the manor of Thorpe, now 

Bishopthorpe, was purchased by Archbishop Walter Grey, 

who was consecrated a.d. 1215 ; and the foundation of 

the present palace was laid by this prelate. The palace 

and chapel are well worth inspection ; and the grounds, 

pleasantly adorned with fine lime trees, are extremely 

beautiful. 

* See page 73.


PHYSICAL TOPOGRAPHY. 

fiotang. 

Yorkshire is rich in botanical treasures. The Flora of 

the county,* contains a catalogue of 1002 flowering 

plants, of which three are peculiar to Yorkshire, viz. 

Arabia hispida. Dryas octopetala. Juncus polycephalus. 

One, not peculiar to the county, flowers no where else in 

England, viz. 

Cornus suecica. 

Twelve attain in Yorkshire their southern limit, viz. 

Actsea spicata 

Saxifraga hirculus 

Potentilla fruticosa 

Gentiana verna 

Rosa sarmentacea 

Bartsia alpina 

Sedum villosum 

Rinanthus major 

Kibes petraeum 

Trientalis Europtea 

Saxiiraga umbrosa 

Toficldia palustris 

Thirty-seven attain in Yorkshire their northern limit, viz. 

Anemone Pulsatilla 

Campanula rapunculoides 

Hutchinsia petrrea 

Scrophularia vernalis 

Dianthus Caryophyllns 

Galeobdolon luteum 

Silene Otites 

Stachys germanica 

Silene nutans 

Mentha acutifolia 

Arenaria tenuifolia 

Nepeta cataria 

Radiola Millegrana 

Teucrium Scordium 

Hypericum Androssemum 

Orobanche minor 

Trifolium ornithopodioides 

Hippophae rhamnoides 

Lathyrus latifolius 

Scheuchzeria palustris 

Rubus rhamnifolius 

Crocus nudiflorus 

Rubus leucostachys 

Ornithogalum umbellatum 

Rubus macrophyllus 

Typha angustifolia 

Rosa micrantha 

Acorus calamus 

Sedum dasyphyllum 

Lemna gibba 

Sedum sexangulare 

Lemna polyrrhiza 

Cotyledon umbilicus 

Cuscuta Epithymum 

Campanula patula 

Epipactis palustris 

Campanula hederacea 

Yorkshire (observes Professor Philips, whose valuable 

and volumnious work, illustrative of the geology of this 

district, contains all the information a student can desire 

on the subject,) is one of the few counties of England 

which are defined by natural boundaries. On the west it 

* See the admirable work of Henry Raines.


reaches, and in some places extends beyond, the great 

summit ridge of the island. The Tees is its natural limit 

on the north ; the Dun, for a great length, on the south ; 

and on the east it is washed by the German Ocean. Dr. 

Lister, in 1683, described the geological constitution of 

the county of York in the following manner :— 

1. The Wolds;—chalk, flint, pyrites, &c. 

2. Blackmoor;—moors, sand-stone, &c. 

3. Holderness;—boggy, turf, clay, sand, &c. 

4. Western Mountains;—moors, sand-stone, coal, iron-stone, lead 

ore, sand, clay, &c. 

Mr. Baines, the sub-curator of the Yorkshire Philoso 

phical Society, in his Flora already referred to, thus 

marks the botanical divisions of Yorkshire :— 

1. The north-western, or mountain limestone district. 

2. The south-western, or coal district. 

3. The magnesian limestone tract. 

4. The great central vale. 

5. The north-eastern, or Oolitic hills. 

6. The chalk wolds, or south-eastern hills. 

7. The district of Holderness. 

8. The sea coast. 

Concijologtt. 

The conchologist interested in collecting the land and 

fresh water shells of England, will find the vicinity of 

York an interesting district. John Edward Gray, Esq., 

F.R.S., in his excellent Manual of the Land and Fresh 

Water Shells of the British Islands, enumerates about 

130 species: of these, no fewer than eighty are found 

near and around York. The fourteen following species, 

included in the above number, have been recently added 

to the list :— 

Keretina fluviatilis 

Vertigo angustior 

Paludina vivipara 

Cyclas rivicola 

Blthinia ventricosa 

Pisidium obtusale 

Cyolostoma elegaus 

Pisidium pulchellum 

Helix lapicida 

Pisidium Henslowianum 

Helix Cantiana 

Unio Pictorum 

Zonites purus 

Unio tumidus 

JHeteoroIogn. 

The prevailing characteristic of the climate of York is 

humidity, although the quantity of rain which falls is


small. The following table, containing the results of 

careful daily observations from 1831 to 1840 inclusive, 

will probably interest some of our readers :— 

Mean temperature, Mean height of Barom. Quantity of Rain. 

decrees of Fahrenheit. degrees of Fahrenheit. Inches. 

1831 49o 29 87 25 04 

1832 490 29-94 22-91 

1833 48-7 29-84 22-24 

1834 50-2 30 07 18 49 

1835 47-7 29-90 25-83 

1836 46 6 29-85 25-25 

1837 46-5 29-98 23-99 

1838 45-8 29-86 25-24 

1839 471 29-82 26-43 

1840 470 29-95 25-72 

10)478-2 10)29908 10)241-14 

47-82 29■90 24114 

The following table may be useful in further illustrating 

the climate of York, and contrasting it with that of other 

places :— 

Latitude. Mean temp. Mean height of 

Barometer. Rain. 

London 51s 31 48-8 29■86 25 

York 53 58 47-8 29-90 24 

Kendal 54 19 46-8 22-64 55 

1 On an average of 19 years, from the observations of Luke Howard, F.E..S, 

2 On an average of 25 years, from the observations of S. Marshall, Esq. 

3 On an average of 10 years, as above.

163 

INDEX. 

Abbeys 

tin■ Reformation 

in York, suppressed at 

33 

Archbi shops, chronological list of 71 

Arms of the city 101 

Assembly rooms 139 

Baile hill, or old Baile 135 

Bar walls and bars 108 to 117 

Bridges 147 

Barbican ofWalmgate bar 114 

Barracks 

HI 

Banks of York 119 

Beddern 151 

British association, meeting of, 

at York 131 

Bruce, David 25 

Bishopthorpe palace 159 

Castle 133 

Cathedral 43 

Cattle market 119 

Cemetery 145 

Chapter house 68 

Charles I. at York 37 

Cholera ground 146 

County hall 134 

Churches 75 to 90 

St Olave's, 75 ; St Crux, 76; All 

Saints, 77; All Saints, 77; St. 

Cuthbert, 78; St Saviour, 79; 

St. Michael, 79; St. Michaelle-Belfrey, 

80; St. Margaret, 81; 

St. Dennis, 82 ; St Lawrence, 

83 St. Mary, 84 ; Christ Church 

84 ; St. Martin-le-Grand, 85 ; 

St. Helen, 85 ; Holy Trinity, 86; 

St. Maurice, 87 ; St. Sampson, 

87; St. John, 88; St. Martin, 

89 Holy Trinity, 89 ; St. Mary, 

89 ; St. Mary, 90. 

Chapels 90 to 95 

Presbyterian, 90; Wesleyan, 92; 

Roman Catholic, 93 ; Lendal, 

93 ; Wesleyan, 94 ; Primitive 

Wesleyan Methodist, 91; Inde 

pendent, 94 ; Wesleyan, 95; 

Protestant MethodiBt, 95; Sa 

lem, 95 ; Wesleyan, 95 ; Cen 

tenary, 95. 

Chapels in York before the re 

formation , 34 

Charity trusts 103 

Clifford's tower 135 

City Gaol 137 

Corporation 100 

Corporation estates 103 

Cloisters 131 

County hospital , . . . . 142 

Deanery 154 

Domesday, account of York in, . . 16 

rage. 

Dispensary • 145 

Eboracum, the Roman name of 

York 4 

Education, statistics of, in York 120 

Elections for the city of York .... 156 

Eye institution 145 

Festival concert room 139 

Fish market 154 

Foss bridge 148 

Friends' meeting house 92 

Government of the city 100 

Gas light company 120 

Gas light (union) company 120 

Glass manufactory 119 

Guildhall 137 

Hospitals in York 157 to 159 

Agar's, Barstow's, Ingram's, 

Winters cale's, Sir Robert Wa 

ter's, Wilson's, 157; Maison 

Dieu, or Merchant Tailor's, 

Colton's, The Old Maid's, Middleton's, 

Mason's, St.Thomas's, 

159; St. Catherine's, Sir Henry 

Thompson's, Lady Hewley's, 

Trinity. 159. 

Hospitals in York, suppressed at 

the reformation 34 

Insurance offices 120 

Institute of popular science, &c. 13.1 

Improvements in York 154 

Jews, persecution of, in York.. 23 

Leather Fair 119 

Lendal ferry 153 

Line fair 119 

Lords lieutenant of the county. 156 

Lord mayor, when first created. 101 

Lord mayors of York, knighted. . 103 

Lunatic asylum 143 

Marston-moor 40 

Medical institutions of York. . . . 142 

Manor house 99 

Mansion house 138 

Merchants' hall 150 

Merchant Tailors' company 158 

Minster, historyand description of 43 

Minster library 131 

Mint yard 131 

Monk bridge 148 

Multangular Roman tower 127 

Musical festivals in York minster 140 

Norman Minster, remains of. . . . 59 

New walk 153 

Nunnery 153 

News rooms 133 

Newspapers in York : 156 

Ouse bridge 148 

Posterns of York 116 

Parliaments held in York 20

164 INDEX. 

Page. 

Page. 

Peter prison 165 Subscription library 133 

Physical topography 160 Swimming baths 152 

Population of York I 117 Theatre royal 140 

Poet office ' 150 Trade and commerce 118 

Racecourse 141 Towton, battle of 27 

Railway station 148 Union of the two houses of York 

Red tower 117 and Lancaster 31 

Register office 150 Victoria, Princess, at York 42 

Residence, new 154 Wards of the city 102 

Retreat, or friends'lunatic asylum 144 Waterworks 153 

Roman remains in York 5, 106, Wool market 119 

127, 128, 129, 130 

Wills' office 150 

Schools (see education) 

Workhouse, York union 152 

Savings' bank 119 YORK, built by the Romans, 1, 

Severus's hill 153 2, 3 ; capital of Roman Britain, 

St. Anthony's hall 123 4 ; residence of the emperors, 

St. Leonard's -place 154 Hadrian, Scverus, Caracalla, 

Organ, one of the largest in Europe 56 and Constantius, 7 ; birth-place 

Observatory 130 of Constantine the Great, 7 ; 

Saxon Chronicle, allusions to 

evacuated by the Romans, 8; 

York in 6, 44 capital ofthe kingdom of Northumbria, 

9 ; Christmas first cele 

Saxon Minster, remains of 61 

Saxon porch, St. Margaret's church 81 brated at York, 8: capital of 

Saxon archway, St. Lawrence's 

the kingdom of Deiri, 9 ; Bap 

church 83 tism of King Edwin, 10 For 

Saxon sculpture, St. Dennis's 

the general history of York, see 

church 82 pages 1 to 42 

Saxon horn 67 York and ainsty hounds 141 

Saxon baptismal font 86 Yorkshire philosophical society 127 

Sieges of York, see general history Yorkshire school for the blind . . 125 

St. Mary's abbey 96 Yorkshire assizes 134 

St William's college 132 Yorkshire hussars 141 

Stamp office 150 Zodiacal (Saxon) sculpture 81 

fcttt of Wtultratum*. 

Plan of York 

foce Title. 

York Minster face page 43 

St. Mary's Abbey 95 

Walmgate Bar 

\qq 

Micklegate Bar 113 

Bootham Bar 115 

Monk Bar 

Hg 

(Errata. 

Page 16, line 1. for " raized," read " razed." 

Page 25, line 33, for "King Henri/," read " King Edward." 

Page 39, line 31, for " 24th," read " 24th June." 

John Lewia Linney, Printer, 15, Low Ousegate, York.

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