Exclusive of its detached members of Norhamshire, Islandshire, Bedling tonshire, and Crake. Boundaries. North, Northumberland. ́East, German Ocean. South, York. West, Cumberland and Westmoreland. Greatest length 45; greatest breadth 36; circumference 178; square 1040 miles. Province, York. Diocese, Durham. Circuit, Northern. ANTIENT STAȚE AND REMAINS. British Inhabitants. Brigantes. Roman Province. Maxima Cæsariensis.-Stations. Vindamora, Ebchester; Vinovia, Binchester; Glanoventa, Lanchester; Gabrosentum, Gateshead ; Ad Tinam, South Shields; Magæ, Presbridge. Saxon Heptarchy. Northumbria. Antiquities. Maiden Castle, Koman Encampment. Durham Cathedral. Holy Island, or Lindisfarne, Jarrow, Gateshead, and Finchale Monasteries. Chester-le-Street Church, spire 156 feet, and Monuments of the Lum leys. Brancepeth Church and Monuments of the Nevills. Darlington Church, spire 180 feet. Bishop Wearmouth Church. Barnard, Brancepeth, Durham, Hilton, and Norham Castles. Kepyer Hospital Gate way. Beaurepaire Park Mansion. Lindisfarne was an Episcopal See. Monk Wearmouth Church was the first in England that had glass windows; they were introduced about 680 by Biscopius its founder. In Durham magnificent Cathedral, founded in 1093, by Bishop William de Carilepho, lie the remains of St. Cuthbert brought hither from Lindisfarne; of Venerable Bede removed from Jarrow; and of Ralph Lord Neville, Philippa's General at the battle of Neville's Cross, who was the first Layman permitted to be interred within its walls. PRESENT STATE AND APPEARANCE. Rivers. Derwent, Done, Gaunless, Lune, Skern, TEES, Till, Tweed, Tyne, Wear. Inland Navigation. Hartlepool Canal, Tees, Tyne, Tweed, and Wear rivers. Forest hills. Gateshead and Cock field fells. Bolt Law. Merringtou Natural Curiosities. High Force and Cauldron Snout, Cataracts on the Public Edifices. Sunderland iron-bridge, one arch 236 feet span, weight of iron 260 tons, finished Aug. 9, 1796, expence 26,000l. Winston bridge, one arch of 111 feet span. Arch over Causey Burne, span 10% feet. Newton cap, and Durham (new) bridges. Sunderland pier and light-house. Seate Seats. RABY CASTLE. Earl of Darlington, Lord Lieutenant of the County. Blackwell Grange, George Allan, esq. Lambton-hall, Lady Anne Lambton. Lumley Castle, Earl of Scarbo rough. Ravensworth Castle, Sir Thos. Henry Seaham, Sir Ralph Milbanke, bart. Members to Parliament. For the County, 2; Durham, 2; total 4. Manufactures. Iron, Steel, Glass; Coal Tar and Pitch; Pottery; Paper; Cottons; Tammies, Huckabacks, Damasks, Diapers, Checked Linens, Sailcloths; Ropes; Shipbuilding; Copperas. POPULATION. Wards, 4; Parishes, 120; Market-lowns, 10; Houses, 29,923. Families employed in Agriculture, 10,288; in Trade, 17,094; in neither, 11,906: total, 39,288. Baptisms. Males, 2,778; Females, 2,617.-Marriages, 1,262. — Burials, Towns having not less than 1000 Inhabitants, viz. Durham (capital city).. 956 6,763 Barnard Castle....... Houses. Inhab. 456 2,986 Sunderland ..1684 12,289 398 1,983 South Shields.. Gateshead...... Bishop Auckland.... Monk Wearmouth...... 671 5,355 Sedgfield.. Darlington..... 836 5,059 Staindrop. Stockton on Tees.. 808 4,229 Hartlepool............... 3,917 .......... Total, Towns, 17; Houses, 11,969; Inhabitants, 75,773. HISTORY. A.D. 685, Egfrid King of Northumbria granted all the land between the Wear and Tyne to St. Cuthbert, to hold in as full and ample a manner as the King himself held the same. This was the origin of the Pa. latine rights of the Bishops of Durkam. 1040, Durham successfully defended by the inhabitants against Duncan, King of Scols. 1068, On Gateshead Fell, Edgar Atheling, and Malcolm King of Scots, defeated by William I. 1069, At Durham, Robert Cumin, Earl of Northumberland, and 700 Norman attendants, put to death by the inhabitants; in revenge of which, William J. laid waste all the country between York and Durham. 1080, May 14, at Gateshead, Walcher Bp. of Durham and Earl of Nor thumberland murdered by the populace. 1139, April, at Durham, Maud Queen of England, and Henry son of David, King of Scotland, met and concluded peace. 1346, October 17, on Red-hills, David King of Scotland defeated and taken prisoner by Philippa, Queen of Edward 111. and Ralph, Lord Nevill, the latter of whom erected a cross in commemoration of the victory, whence it is generally called the battle of Neville's Cross. The Scots lost from 15 to 20,000 men. David surrendered himself to Sir John Copeland. 1657, May 15, Durham made an University by Oliver Cromwell, but it was abolished at the Restoration. BIOGRAPHY. Baker, Thomas, antiquary, historian of St. John's, Cambridge, Crook, 1656. Clavering, Robert, Bishop of Peterborough, Tillmouth, died 1747. Craggs, James, Postmaster-general, once a menial servant, Holbeck. Crosby, Brass, patriot, Lord Mayor of London, Stockton-upon-Tees, 1725. Darlington, John of, Archbishop of Dublin, Confessor to Henry III. Dar lington (died 1284.) Eden, William, first Lord Auckland, statesman, Durham, (died 1814.) Garth, Sir Samuel, poet and physician, Bolam, died 1718. Grey, Richard, author of "Memoria Technica," Durham, 1693. Hall, John, poet and translator, author of "Horæ Vacivæ," Durham, 1627. Horn, Robert, Bishop of Winchester, died 1589. Jackson, Thomas, Dean of Peterborough, commentator on creed, Willowing, 1579. Kendrew, John, mechanic, Darlington. Lilburn, John, Lieut.-col. sufferer, Thickney Puncharden, 1618. Nevil, Cicely, mother of Edward IV. and Kichard III. Raby, (died 1495.) Nevil, Ralph, Bishop of Chichester, Chancellor to Henry III. Raby, (died 1244.) Nevil, Robert, Bishop of Durham, Raby, (died 1457.) Reed, Joseph, dramatic writer, Stockton-upon-Tees, 1723. Ritson, Joseph, poetical antiquary, Stockton-upon-Tees, 1752. Sherwood, William, Archbishop of Rouen, Durham, (died 1249.) MISCELLANEOUS REMARKS. In 1333, Bishop de Bury entertained in his palace at Durham, Edward III. and his Queen, the Queen Dowager, the King of Scotland, the two Metropo litans, five Bishops, and seven Earls.-In the Cathedral church-yard is a monument to Dodsley, the bookseller. Houghton-le-Spring was the rectory, residence, and burial place, of Barnard Gilpin, "the Northern Apostle." Lindsell, Bp. of Hereford; Dr. Peter Heylin; Abps. Sancroft and Secker, and Sir George Wheler, were also rectors of this place. The Life-boat was invented at South Shields in 1789, by Henry Greathead of that place. At Gateshead, De Foe composed his "Adventures of Ro hinson Crusoe." Norham and Barnard Castles are made classic ground by the muse of Walter Scott. Mr. URBAN, Feb. 19. T was not my fate or fortune to I know the late Dr. Disney. By his encomiast's account (LXXXVI. p. 627.) he was one of those (few in number, it is hoped, but if there is one in the world, it is one too many) who renounce their Redeemer; and, without an atoning sacrifice, with out an advocate, through whom alone the best thing we do is accept able in God's sight, present them selves before their Creator, with no other recommendation than their own "moral worth and mental excellence." But of which, if the word of God is to be believed, the true account is, " all have sinned." R. C. Mr. URBAN, Blackburn, March 1. AM happy in having the opportunity of forwarding to you an article, which, I am confident, is perfectly congenial to the truly loyal and patriotic sentiments of your wor thy Editor; namely, "The Substance of a Speech delivered at a General Meeting of the Magistrates, Clergy, Gentry, and other Inhabitants, of the Hundred of Blackburn, in the county of Lancaster, convened at Blackburn, on Monday, February 10, 1817, in order to enter into certain resolutions tending to support the existing Laws and Constitution of England. By Thomas Dunham Whitaker, LL. D. Vicar of Whalley, one of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the County of Laucaster, and for the West Riding of the County of York;" which is published at the Request of the Meeting of a District so considerable as to include an hundredth part of the population of England. According to the Census taken A. D. 1811, the whole population of England and Wales amounted to 10,488,000, and that of Blackburn Hundred to 110,149. And it is a still further satisfaction to state, that, at the time of the Meeting the Magistrates received letters from the Principal and Governing Members of the Catholic College at Stonyhurst, from a very numerous Society of Methodists at Blackburn, and from a Congregation of Baptists at the same place, all expressing attachment to the Laws and Constitution of their country. The second of these was accompanied by a circular letter, which proves it to be a part of the discipline of the Society, to remove from their connexion all disloyal and seditious members. EBORACENSIS. GENTLEMEN, You have heard from the chair the reasons which have induced the Magistrates acting for this Division to convene the present assembly. On the necessity of such a measure in the existing circumstances of the neighbourhood, there can, as I conceive, be one opinion only. Want and privation, which at the present moment are, unhappily, but too general throughout the kingdom, are found to press with peculiar severity on some part of this extensive and populous District; and by a singular process, where they do not press with equal weight, they are observed to be productive of greater irritation and impatience. In that part of it where it is my fortune to reside, the calamity is such as barely to leave a possibility, by any ex-. ertions on the part of the sufferers, to provide for the continuance of life. I do not indeed know that any unhappy persons have actually and immediately died of famine; but I am persuaded that among the sufferers, who can procure the most conscientious and diligent employment but at a very inadequate rate of wages, are wearing out their health, and bringing on premature old age, by pertinacious labour, sustained by food at once defective in quaritity and innutritious in quality; while the constitutions of others are so debilitated by the same causes, that they become unable to sustain the shock of any specific disease, even of ordinary malignity. Yet amongst this class of sufferers I have found a general acquiescence under their lot; an indisposition to impute blame to man, where man has not been the cause of their calamities; and a meek but imploring spirit of submission to the disposals of Providence. In a nother class, weaker for the most part in understanding, and capable of less exertion than the former, a kind of helpless stupor has been induced, which indisposes the subjects of it to take any step, however orderly and legal, for the amendment of their condition, or even to make their sufferings known. Both these classes are entitled to the tende rest miseration heightened by esteem, and commiseration; the former to com even respect. I am compelled to seek in other portions of the District for examples, which unhappily require little time or toil to discover them, where suffering is less, and discontent and disaffection greater. are The primary cause of this great difference I forbear in this place even to hint at; but that cause has certainly created a general predisposition in the lower orders to receive unfavourable impressions with respect to the Govertiors and Government of their country; an inability, in consequence of former habits of plenty, to endure temporary privations; together with a presumptuous habit of judging on subjects which they cannot comprehend, and of censuring their superiors, whose motives are to them inaccessible. On a soil thus prepared, the seeds of Sedition are never scattered in vain; artful ernissaries are at hand, wicked and seductive pamphlets are dispersed, inflammatory harangues pronounced, absurd and impossible remedies for existing evils are proposed; till at length the populace, having placed themselves under such a state of pernicious pupilage, are brought to believe that, instead of living, as they do, under a Government, with all its imperfections, the mildest and most equitable upon earth, they have fallen upon the worst and most corrupted age of one which, from time and decay, wants only a single impulse from hands like theirs, to shake it in pieces. On the particular steps which are now taken amongst us, ostensibly indeed for another purpose, but really for the end which has been hinted at, I will beg leave to add a few observations. There is reason to hope that the great mass of the lower orders is as yet either wholly uncorrupted, or corrupted only in a partial degree. To confirm this pleasing hope, I have to state, that in a. very populous and suffering District in an adjoining County, but under my own immediate inspection, where five or six thousand half-starved individuals might, had they been so disposed, have assembled within an hour after the circulation of public advertisements, announcing a general convention at a certain hour and place: to the credit of the poor inhabitants, scarcely more than 300 could be prevailed upon to attend. It follows, therefore, that these public assemblies, though not wholly to be despised, are not very formidable; nay, that in some respects they are beneficial, by ascertaining the strength or weakness of the party. But there is a system of a far more alarming nature, which requires, and we trust will soon draw down some interposition of the Legislature to suppress it; ;-a system dark and deep, and secretly, though rapidly progressive throughout the country, the contrivance of no ordinary calculator, of no vulgar politician. The power of combination for œconomical and beneficial ends appears to be a discovery of the present age. The interests of religious parties have been promoted by the same means, with a rapidity and uniformity unknown before. the same principle is now applied to purposes avowedly political, and really seditious. For the pretended purpose of Parliamentary Reform, books are opened; trifling but weekly contributions subscribed for; multitudes of unwary and credulous people are seduced to lend their names; from subscribers they become partizans, they are entrusted with the secrets of consultation and correspondence; and thus, by no long process, while their engagement to the party is riveted by consciousness and participation, books which at first contained nothing more than a catalogue of subscribers become the muster-rolls of Sedition. But this entire species of combination, however plausible, however innocent in its intention, is extremely formidable. To support the late insurrections, which, under the name of Luddism, infested a neighbouring County as well as our own, it appeared that large sums had been abstracted from the funds of Benefit-societies, though these associa tions are in some degree under the controul of the Magistrates. But where, as in the present instance, multitudes of men, individually poor, and universally discontented, acquire each a frac tional interest in a vast, a secret, and rapidly increasing fund, the direction of that fund cannot but become an object of anxious attention to the Legislature. The accumulation of a few grains of sand per week will in time produce a mountain, and that mountain may be driven by a whirlwind over all the adjoining plains. But the increase of money is a process infinitely more rapid than simple addition; and what, I would ask, is to become of this country, if such an engine be allowed to get into the hands of men at once able and desperate? I will now call the attention of this Assembly to another part of the same system, equally, or perhaps more formidable than the last. It is not enough to provide the means of doing mischief, unless the understandings of the people are misinformed, and their wills corrupted. For this purpose secret and unknown emissaries, usually travelling in the night, are, with incredible diligence and dispatch, dispersing among the lower orders diminutive Tracts, tending to inflame them against every order and description of their superiors. And as their leaders well know that the Established Religion of the country is the firmest bulwark of our Civil Consti tution, two of these are contrived to answer the double purpose of Sedition and Blasphemy; in these, portions of the English Liturgy are burlesqued, so that a poor man, who has from his infancy attached nothing but the most serious and devout associations to these forms, can no longer hear them recited without bringing such vile and wicked parodies to his recollection *. These wretched compositions are not to be despised because we feel their satire to be dull and point *This and some following observations refer to two things, entitled, “ A Political Litany," and "A Practical Creed, humbly addressed to all Archbishops, Bishops, Rectors, Vicars, &c." less, |