670 



ENGLAND. 



Qhte, 



&c. 



Number of 

 i aunties at 



Counties in 

 the north- 

 ern diitrict, 

 their boun- 

 daries, divi- 

 sions, ic. 



any parish. They were formerly the site of religious 

 houses, or of castles, the owners of which would not 

 permit any interference with their rights or priw!- 

 At present, they enjoy a virtual exemption from main- 

 taining the poor, because there is no over.ivr on whom 

 the uriler of a magistrate may \>e served tVnin the 

 militia laws, because there is no constable to make the 

 return and from repairing the highway-, because there 

 is no surveyor. Their tithes an-, by immemorial cus- 

 tom, payable to the king instead of the bishop. Kxtra- 

 parocm.d \va-tes and marsh lands, when improved and 

 drained, are to be assessed to all parochial rates in the 

 p.irisii next adjoining. In .-ome counties, liberties in- 

 tirrupt the miural course of law, as affecting hun- 

 dreds, in the same manner as extra-parochial places do 

 with regard to parishes. The number of parishes and 

 parochial chapelries in England and Wales, is 10,674, 

 of which about 550 extend into two counties, or into 

 more than one hundred. 



L'nder the generical name of town, are comprehend- 

 ed the several species of cities, boroughs, and common 

 towns. A city is a town incorporated, which either 

 is, or has been, the see of a bishop ; for though the bi- 

 shopric be dissolved, as at Westminster, it still remains 

 a city. Every town, whether corporate or not, that 

 sends burgesses to parliament, is a borough. There 

 we other towns which are neither cities nor boroughs ; 

 some have the privilege of markets, and others not. 

 To several of these there are attached small appendages, 

 called 1 lamlcts, which originally, according to Sir Hen- 

 ry Spehnan, consisted of less than five freemen. Ham- 

 lets are sometimes under die same administration as 

 the town to which they are attached, and sometimes 

 governed by separate officers. 



The number of counties into which England is at 

 present divided, is forty ; and Wales consists of twelve. 

 Of the former, six may be considered as northern ; four 

 border onAVales ; twelve compose the midland district 

 of England ; eight may be classed as eastern ; three as 

 south-eastern ; four as southern ; and three lie in the 

 south-west of the kingdom. Wales is divided into two 

 parts, North Wales and South Wales ; in the former 

 ore six counties, and in the latter the same number. 



Although, under each of the counties of England and 

 Wales, a particular description and account of them 

 will be found, yet it may be proper here, in order to 

 render this article more complete, to give their boun- 

 daries, their divisions into hundreds, parishes, &c. and a 

 list of their principal towns ; referring the reader to 

 each county for further particulars. 



Tl>e northern division of England consists of North- 

 umberland, which is bounded by Scotland and Cum- 

 berland on die west ; by Durham and Cumberland on 

 the south ; by the German Ocean on the east, and by 

 Scotland on the north. It contains one county town, 

 seven wards, twelve market-towns, and 4-60 parishes 

 and townships ; the principal towns in it are New- 

 castle, North Shields, Hexham, Morpeth, and Aln- 

 wick. Cumberland is bounded by Scotland on the 

 north ; by the Irish Sea on the west; on the east by 

 Northumberland and Durliam ; and on the south by 

 Westmoreland and Lancashire. It contains one city, 

 Jive wards, 17 market towns, and !).'.) parishes; the prin- 

 cipal towns are Carlisle, Whitehaven, Workingtou, and 

 1'enrith. Durham is bounded on the east, by the Ger- 

 man Ocean ; on the north, by Northumberland ; on 

 the west, by Cumberland ; and on the south, by York- 

 shire. It contains one city, four wards, three deta. li- 

 ed hundreds in Northumberland ; M. market toi>-. 



and, 118 parishes; its principal towns are Durham, SutUtir*. 

 Sunderland, and Darlington. Yorkshire is bounded S "*"Y"" > ' 

 on the north, by Durham and Westmoreland ; on the 

 cast, by the German Ocean ; on the vest, by Wc-t- 

 morelandand Lancashire: and on the >oiith. by Cheshire, 

 Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Liner. hishire. It 

 contains one city, :;u wa|>cntkes, (iO market towns, and 

 ilslies; and is besides, from it-u'rcat extent, divided 

 into three ridings, the east, north, and west. In the east 

 riding, the principal towns arc York, Hull, and Beverly ; 

 in the north riding, Whitby, Scarborough, and Rich- 

 mond ; and in the west riding, Leeds Halifax, Wake- 

 lield, llucldersfield, Sheffield, and Bradford. V. 

 moreland is bounded, on the north and north-east, by 

 Cumberland ; on the east, by Yorkshire ; and un tin- 

 south and south-west, by Lancashire. It contains one 

 county town, four wards or baronies, a* they are some- 

 times called : eight market towns, and 'M pari-lu s : iu 

 principal towns are Kendal and Applcby. Lancashire, 

 the last of the northern counties, is bounded on the 

 north, by Westmoreland and a part of Cumberland ; 

 on the east, by Yorkshire ; on the west, by the Irish 

 Sea; and on the south, by Cheshire. It contains one 

 county town, six hundreds, 27 market towns, and 

 61 parishes; its principal towns are Liverpool, Man- 

 chester, Bolton, Preston, Lancaster, Wigan, Warring- 

 ton, Blackburn, Rochdale, and Bury. 



The four counties which border on Wales, are Che- Counties 

 shire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, and Monmouthshire, bordering 

 The county of Chester is bounded on the north by on Wak * 

 Lancashire, and a small point of Yorkshire; on the 

 east, by Derbyshire and Staffordshire ; on the south, 

 by Shropshire, and a detached part of Mintshire ; and 

 on the west, by Denbighshire and Flintshire. It con- 

 tains one city, seven hundreds, 13 market towns, and 

 68 parishes: the princpal towns in Cheshire, are Ches- 

 ter, Stockport, Knutsford, Macclesfield, and NanUvich. 

 Shropshire, or the county of Salop, is bounded by 

 Cheshire, the detached part of Flintshire, and a corner 

 of Denbighshire, on the north; on the west, by Den- 

 bighshire, Montgomeryshire, and Radnorshire ; on the 

 south, by Herefordshire and Worcestershire; and on the 

 east, by Staffordshire. It contains one county town, 

 1* hundreds, 17 market towns, and 170 parishes: 

 the principal towns in Shropshire, are Shrewsbury, 

 Ludlow, Bridguorth, and Oswestry. Herefordshire is 

 bounded, on the north, by Shropshire ; on the west,. 

 by Radnorshire and Brecknockshire ; on the south, by 

 Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire ; and on the east, 

 by Worcestershire. It contains one city, eleven hun- 

 dreds, seven market towns, and 1 76 parishes : its prin- 

 cipal towns are Hereford, and Leominster. Mon- 

 mouthshire is bounded, on the north, by Hereford- 

 shire and Brecknockshire ; on the west, by Glamor- 

 ganshire and Brecknockshire ; on the south, by the 

 Bristol Channel ; and on the east, by Gloucestershire. 

 It contains one county town, six hundreds se\eu mar- 

 ket ^towns, and 127 parishes: the jirincipal towns in 

 Monmouthshire, are Monmouth, Chepstow, aud Aber- 

 gavenny. 



The twelve midland counties of England, are Not- foumj,., ; 

 tinghamshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Leicester- the midlan*. 

 shire, Rutlandshire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, district. 

 Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Bucking. 

 hamshire, and Bedfordshire. 



Nottinghamshire is bounded, on the north, by 

 Yorkshire and Lincolnshire ; on the east, by Lincoln- 

 shire; on the west, by Derbyshire ; and on the south, 

 by Leicestershire. It contains one county town, six 



