am 



YORK. 



smuuioned to parliament In the year 1827 the site of the greater 

 part of the mooutio buildings wat granted by the orown to the York- 

 shire Philosophical Society, then recently established, on which to 

 not nius.-iiiii uJ form a botanical garden. On that ooouion the 

 whole of thu ground was carefully excavated, the foundations of the 

 monastery traced, and plan* and drawings exhibiting the interesting 

 neulu were published by the Society of Antiquaries in London. The 

 monks of the abbey were of the order of St. Benedict To the tame 

 Older belonged the priory of the Holy Trinity in Micklegate, a cell to 

 St. Martin' iu Tours founded in the time of the Couqueror. The 

 gateway and a part of the church, both of later date, are remaining. 

 There was alo a Benedictine nunnery at Clementtborp, just without 

 the wall*. The Dominican Friars, tlie Franciscans, the Auinistiuians, 

 and the Carmelites, Lad each a monastery in York; and the Gilbertinea 

 had a priory. There were 16 hospitals in the city and the immediate 

 neighbourhood. 



It has been estimated from the statements in Domesday Book that 

 the population of York at the Conquest would amount to 10,000. 

 Drake supposes further that the suburbs contained an equal number 

 of persons, and thus reckons the whole population at 20,000. It must 

 have been considerable in the reign of Richard II., since, according to 

 the chroniclers of the times, no less than 11,000 inhabitants were 

 destroyed in 1390 by pestilence : but these statements must be received 

 with much caution. In the beginning of the present century, when it 

 had lost its importance as the metropolis of the northern counties, the 

 population amounted to no more than 16,000, or less than one-half 

 the present amount 



The walls of the Roman station Eboracum were wholly on the left 

 bank of the Ou.e. What changes the walls underwent in the suc- 

 ceeding British, Saxon, and Danish times, cannot be ascertained. In 

 the times of the Conqueror they inclosed two castles. Iu the architec- 

 ture of the walls there is nothing characteristic of any particular age ; 

 but the archway of the gates appears to belong to the Norman period. 

 The barbicans, which were probably added in the reign of Edward III., 

 bare been removed from three of the gates. The walls, since they 

 were extended, have never entirely surrounded the city, there being a 

 pace, on the eastern side, of nearly 500 yards, which till recently 

 must have been a complete morass. The extent of the walls is about 

 two miles and a half: a very considerable portion of them is accessible 

 to the public, and forms a very pleasant and interesting walk. There 

 are four principal gates, or bar*, as they are usually called, and five 

 postern gates. Two new entrances through the ramparts have been 

 formed, one of them exclusively for the railway to the station ; another 

 entrance, which had been closed since the time of Henry VII., has 

 been re-opened. The castle has long since been converted into the 

 county prison and the courts of justice for the county ; but some 

 portion* of the old work, besides the noble keep, are still remaining. 

 The felons' jail is an entirely new building, consisting of four radiating 

 double wards, with eight airing courts, the governor's house being in 

 the centre. That York was also a place of trade even iu the times of 

 the Romans, is by no means improbable ; its situation being as con- 

 venient for commerce as for war. Alcuin, in the 8th century, calls it 

 " a common emporium of land and sea ;" and says that it was then 

 visited by Teasels from the most distant lands. William of Malmes- 

 bury, who flourished hi the 12th century, speaks of York as being in 

 his time a great and metropolitan city, to which trading vessels came 

 from Germany and Ireland. York had its merchant-guilds as far back 

 as the reign of Stephen ; and a charter of John confirms to the guild 

 of merchants at York all the privileges which they and their 'houses' 

 had before enjoyed. York was long famous for its manufacture of 

 woollen goods. In the days of Henry II. and Henry III. the weavers 

 of York paid a considerable ' farm' for their privileges ; and the manu- 

 facture was flourishing in the reign of Henry VIII. But this branch 

 of trade his long ceased to flourish here, and York is not now the seat 

 of any extensive manufacture. It has however been long celebrated 

 for the making of leathern gloves, shoes, and combs and other articles 

 of horn. Flax -spinning is carried on to some extent; many hands are 

 employed in the manufacture of linens; and York bed-ticking supports 

 a high character in distant places. Extensive business is carried on 

 by several wholesale confectioners and druggists. The wholesale tea 

 and C'.ff.-e busiueea is a very important branch of the trade of York. 

 A considerable wholesale trade is also carried on by the curriers of 

 York , and large quantities of corn, and of flour ground here by steam- 

 power, are sent into the West Hiding of Yorkshire. Among the trades 

 carried on in the city are basket-making, brass-founding, brick-making, 

 the manufacture of chicory, coach-building, comb-making, dyeing, 

 the glaiu manufacture, glove-making, iron- founding, machine-building, 

 mustard making, nail-making, organ-building, the manufacture of 

 railway carriages, rope-making, sail-making, soap-boiling, tinning, and 

 the manufacture of umbrellas, watches and clocks, and whips. The 

 traffic upon the Ouse is considerable. Trading vessels of from 110 to 

 160 tons burden regularly pass between York and London. York is 

 (till the permanent abode of many persons of independent income, a 

 circumstance which exerts a favourable influence on its trade. 



At tho period of the suppression of monasteries by Henry VIII.. 

 York contained 41 pari-h churches, 17 chapels, 16 hospitals, and 10 

 religious house*. Of the churches there remain 23. All Saiuts 

 church, situated in North-street, is a spacious and handsome building, 



YORK. 1184 



consisting of a nave and two ai.K>g; it has an elegant spire 120 feet 

 high. In the south wall is a piece of Roman sculpture. All .' 

 Pavement, a very ancient church, has been thoroughly re- 

 Christ church, King's-court, was formerly known as ' Saint Trinityes 

 in Conyng-garthe.' Holy Trinity, Good rani-gate, is a very aneient 

 building. In the walls are wrought up large quantities of grit-stones, 

 some of which are marked with fire, supposed to have been occasioned 

 by the great fire which in the reign of Stephen destroyed the cathedral 

 and 39 churches, with a large part of the city. Holy Trinity, Mickle- 

 gate, is near the former site of the old priory of Holy Trinity. St. 

 Crux. Pavement, belonged at one period to St. Mary's Abbey : the 

 church was rebuilt iu the early part of the 15th century, except tho 

 tower, a square brick erection, surmounted with a small dome, which 

 was erected about the close of the 17th century. St. Cuthbcrt's, 

 Peaseholme Green, a small neat structure, possesses a handsome altar- 

 piece. The church is 40 feet long by 31 feet broad ; the >-t-p] 

 feet high. St Dennis, Walmgate, has a fine Anglo-Norman porch, in 

 good preservation. St Helen's, Stonegate, was extensively repaired 

 about twelve years since. The font is a curious piece of Norman 

 workmanship. St. John's, Micklegate, is of very ancient date. St, 

 Lawrence, without Walmgate Bar, is a small edifice without aisles ; it 

 possesses a Norman porch, and an ancient and curious font. St. Mar- 

 garet, Walmgate, has a remarkable porch, but is concealed from 

 general view by the houses built in front of it. The pon.-h 

 four recessed circular arches with curiously-sculptured represent 

 and supported on light round pillars. On the top of the porch is a 

 small stone crucifix. St. Martiu-cum-Gregory, Micklegate, a commo- 

 dious and handsome edifice, contains several fine examples of painted 

 glass. St. Martiu-le-Grand, Coney-street, consists of a nave and chan- 

 cel, with side aisles, and a square tower at the south-west angle. St. 

 Mary, Biahophill, the Elder, is a neat small edifice, with central ; 

 dividing it into two aisles; it has also a square brick tower. St. Mary, 

 Bishophill, the Younger, has the largest square tower of any parish 

 church in the city. St. Mary, Castlegate, has an elegant spire, 155 feet 

 high, which, having been twice injured by lightning, ha? been repaiiv.l, 

 and a conducting-rod has been attached to it. St. Maurice, Monkgate, 

 has recently been restored. St. Michael, Spurriergate, an ancient build- 

 ing, has been brought more into general view by the removal of hi>u*</s 

 which stood on the south side of the church, on the occasion of widen- 

 ing the approaches to the new bridge over the Ouse. St. Michael-le- 

 Belfrey, Petergate, is the most spacious and the most elegant of the 

 York parochial churches; the present edifice dates from 1545. The 

 nave is separated from the aisles by a row of lofty pillars on each side, 

 and at the west end is a gallery. St. Olave, Marygate, is, with the 

 exception of the Minster, the oldest ecclesiastical foundation in York. 

 A monastery was founded here by Si ward, earl of Northumbrian who 

 was buried iu it in 1005. The buildings were so much injured during 

 the siege in 1644, that in 1732 they were taken down, and the pi 

 church built out of the ruins of the abbey. St. Sampson, Church- 

 street, is an old church with a steeple. St. Saviour, St Saviourgate, 

 has recently been restored and improved. Among the monuments in 

 this edifice are those of Sir John Hewley and of his lady, whose 

 bequest for the promotion of religious instruction has been so much 

 under discussion of late years in the Chancery courts. Besides these 

 parochial churches there are several district churches and chapels of 

 ease in the city and neighbourhood. A now church was completed in 

 1852 in the Holgate-road. The Wesleyau Methodists have four 

 chapels ; the Independents, Wesleyan Reformers, and Roman Catho- 

 lics have two each; and the Primitive and Association Methodists, 

 Quakers, Swedeuborgians, and Unitarians have one each. 



In the 8th century the Episcopal school of York was the resort of 

 students from France and Germany. In the 17th century an attempt 

 was made, without success, to establish a university at York. There 

 have long been many public schools in York. St. Peter's school, 

 under the management of the dean and chapter, was founded by 

 Queen Mary in 1557 : it is free to 16 boys, and has three exhibitions 

 of Ql. a year for three years to Oxford, Cambridge, or Durham. 

 Archbishop Holgate's Free school was founded in the time of 

 Henry VIII. The Blue-Coat school for boys, founded in 1705, is 

 supported chiefly by annual subscriptions ; in connection with it is 

 the Gray-Coat school for girls, who are trained for domestic service. 

 The Roman Catholics have a school for the higher classes of females, 

 and also a Charity school. The York Collegiate school is a proprietary 

 school of recent date. The Yorkshire School for the Blind is an insti- 

 tution founded as a memorial of the late Mr. Wilberforce. There 

 are numerous National, British, and Infant schools ; the York and 

 Kipon Diocesan Training school for masters; a Female Training 

 school ; a school of Design ; a Quakers' school for girls ; a school of 

 Industry ; a Spinning school ; and several schools supported by 

 private endowments. The public subscription library is the property 

 of about 350 members, and contains nearly 20,000 volumes in various 

 branches of literature and science. The dean and chapter of the 

 cathedral possess an extensive and very valuable library. 



The Yorkshire Philosophical Society was established in the year 1822, 

 having for its general object the promotion of science in the county; 

 its more particular object being to elucidate the geology of Yorkshire. 

 Its museum embraces all the departments of natural history, and i^ 

 rich in antiquarian relics of various periods discovered iu York and 



