CHESTER. 



179 



cluster, the river, and at the same time of recovering a large 

 tract of land from the sea by embankment. In the year 

 1732, a company was established for the execution of 

 this project, through whose exertions, though with much 

 difficulty, and after many Ios5es, a fine canal was made, 

 with high banks, by which the river is confined, for the 

 space of eight miles, with such a depth of water, as to 

 allow vessels of 350 tons burthen to come up to the 

 quays at common spring tides. The cross embankments, 

 made at the same time, have preserved a considerable 

 quantity of land from the sea, and flourishing farms now 

 occupy the space that was formerly bare sand, covered 

 every tide by the water. Two ferries across the canal, 

 or new river, preserve the communication with the op- 

 posite country of Wales. 



The population of Chester, on an enumeration made 

 in the year 1781, was found to be 14.860. Of this num- 

 ber 6339 were males, and 8521 females ; and, by various 

 calculations drawn from the bills of mortality, the pro- 

 portional healthiness of the city appears to be considera- 

 bly greater than that of most other towns in England. 

 This may possibly be owing to two causes independent 

 of the salubrity of the air ; the situation, vi/. of the 

 buildings, on a dry sand-stone rock, and the far less 

 proportion of poor inhabitants than is usual in places 

 whose chief support arises from manufactures. It has 

 been remarked that in this city the number of births is 

 equally disproportionate as that of deaths, to the amount 

 of the existing population. 



The city of Chester returns two members to parlia- 

 ment. It was first called to send representatives thither 

 in 34-th Henry VIII. who vested the right of election 

 in the freemen, consisting at present of 1200 voters. The 

 religious sects that occur here are associated chiefly in 

 the different classes of Presbyterians, Independents, Qua- 

 kers, Methodists, Catholics, and the followers of Ema- 

 nuel Swedenbourg. 



The public charities of Chester are numerous. Those 

 more particularly worthy of notice are the Infirmary 

 before mentioned, the House of Industry, the Blue-coat 

 hospital for boys and girls, and the various alms-houses 

 dispersed through the city. The Infirmary took itsori- 

 gen from a bequest of L. 300 left by Dr Stratford, com- 

 missary of the archdeaconry of Richmond, and has been 

 increased by voluntary contributions. Before the pre- 

 sent building could be prepared for the reception of pa- 

 ticnts, a temporary infirmary was established in North- 

 gate street, in the year 1756. The new infirmary was 

 opened on the 19th May, 1761, and has been supported 

 by such liberal subscriptions, that the governors have 

 been enabled to administer relief to many thousand per- 

 sons. The utility of this institution was increased a few 

 years ago by the admission of fever-patients, for whom 

 a distinct ward was appropriated, and due precaution- 

 ary means employed to prevent any infection from com- 

 municating with the other parts of the house. The 

 whole affairs of the establishment are conducted in a ju- 

 dicious and praise-worthy manner. The Blue-coat hos- 

 pital, which was founded in 1706 by Bishop Stratford, 

 was originally endowed for the complete maintenance of 

 35 boys for four years, a sufficient sum being allowed 

 to bind them apprentices at the expiration of that time. 

 From the subsequent increase of the funds of the hospi- 

 '.al, its utility has been much extended. A school has 

 ieen established in another part of the building, on the 

 plans of Mr Lancaster and Dr Bell, in which upwards 

 if 130 boys are taught the most useful parts of education. 

 To these monuments of public benevolence, must be add- 



ed the splendid munificence of Lord Grosvenor, who has ^ Chester 

 erected and supports a school of upwards of 4-00 boys, s ""%*"" 

 and a great number of girls, at his own expence. In 

 another part of the city, a diocesan school is maintained, 

 for the purpose chiefly of instructing youth in Bell's 

 system of education, preparatory to commencing mas- 

 ters. To these may be added several Sunday schools, 

 maintained by public subscription. By these means, all 

 the infant poor receive a competent education. In the 

 Blue School for the education of girls, which is support- 

 ed by ladies, eight of the girls who are thus provided 

 for, are maintained in board, lodging, and clothes ; the 

 others are only clothed. When they leave school, they 

 are placed out to service, and receive each -10 shillings. 

 Of the beneficent institutions in the city, the chief is 

 that for the benefit of decayed freemen of 60 years of age 

 and upwards, 40 of whom are allowed from this esta- 

 blishment L. 4 annually, and a gown every third year. 

 Mr Owen Jones, one of the donors of this charity, be- 

 queathed the profits of an estate in Denbighshire to the 

 poor of the several city companies, who were to receive it 

 in rotation annually. The yearly value of this bequest 

 was originally but a few pounds ; but the discovery and 

 working of a rich lead mine on the estate, have so im- 

 proved the receipts, that the annual income is now near- 

 ly L. 400. 



A benevolent institution, of a nature before unknown 

 in England, was begun in this city in the year 177-1^ 

 Its objects were to prevent the natural small-pox from 

 becoming dangerous, by promoting a general inocula- 

 tion at stated periods, and to keep it from spreading 

 \vhenever it should break out, by the observance of cer- 

 tain rules drawn up for the occasion. Subscriptions were 

 liberally bestowed for the purposes of this society, and 

 the rules, when steadily observed, were found to be fully- 

 efficacious in arresting the progress of contagion ; but the 

 supineness of the people, and their superstitious rejection 

 of she offer of free inoculation, rendered the scheme abor- 

 tive, and it was at length abandoned. The projected 

 plans for its revival have been completely superseded, in 

 consequence of the introduction of the vaccine inoculation. 



Between the walls of the city on the west side and the 

 river is an extensive meadow, called the Rood-eye, or 

 Island of the Cross, which in different successive periods 

 has been appropriated to diversity of amusement, and 

 chosen as the place for the exhibition of various feats of 

 bodily activity. It is here that the races are now held, 

 for which, indeed, no situation could be better adapted, 

 the whole lying like an amphitheatre immediately beneath, 

 the walls. The season in which these races are annually 

 celebrated is the first week in May. 



Chester is supposed to have been founded by the Ro- 

 mans, and indeed plainly appears to have been a station 

 belonging to that people, as well from numerous indica- 

 tions of such an origin and character in its general aspect 

 and mode of structure, as by the many antiquities which 

 have been and still continue to be discovered in and about 

 the town. In the days of that people, it seems to have 

 held a very eminent rank, to have maintained the Roman 

 splendor longer, and to have been later deserted by that 

 people than most other of the British towns ; and even to 

 this time the monuments both of its intimate connexion 

 with that race of men, and of its consideration at various 

 subsequent periods, and during the preponderance in the 

 island of other nations, are by much too numerous to ad- 

 mit of being particularly specified in this place. When 

 it was quitted by the Romans, it may be remarked, that 

 th* Britons maintained their liberty in it long after the 



