BANGOR. 



BANGOR-ISCOED. 



870 



very large proportion of Chinese, or persons of Chinese extraction. A 

 small number of persona professing Christianity are either descend- 

 ants of Portuguese or natives instructed by the Roman Catholics. In 

 the summer of 1849 the cholera was exceedingly fatal in the city, 

 carrying off about 20,000 persons in the space of twelve days. 



The Chinese have established iron manufactories, in which the 

 produce of the mines, which are also worked by them, is formed 

 into utensils of different kinds, which are exported to the countries 

 inhabited by the Malays. The manufacture of tin vessels is very 

 considerable. The tanning of leather is carried on to some extent. 

 The leather is used for covering mattresses and for exportation to 

 China. After tanning, the leather is dyed red with the bark of a 

 species of mimosa. Deer-skins are chiefly used, which are procured 

 in great abundance, and also those of the ox and buffalo. The other 

 manufactures are of little importance. 



Bang-kok is a place of considerable trade. The Menam River is deep 

 up to the town, and even to the ancient capital Yuthia, to which the 

 largest vessels might ascend but for the bar at the mouth of the river, 

 which h;is only 6 feet of water upon it at low tides. From February 

 to September at high tide it has about 13^ feet of water ; from October 

 to January, when the south-western monsoons occur and the greatest 

 quantity of rain falls, it has about 14 feet at high tide ; consequently 

 only vessels of from 200 to 250 tons can enter the river. A very 

 active commerce is carried on with the ports of the Chinese empire, 

 especially with Shanghae and the island of Hainan ; also with Singa- 

 pore and other places of the neighbourhood. The internal commerce 

 with the extensive countries drained by the river Menam, which is 

 navigable for boats to a great distance from the capital, is also very 

 important. Among other exports are stick-lac, sugar, and teak timber. 

 The foreign trade is monopolised by the government by means of 

 heavy restrictive duties, and the refusal to allow foreign merchants to 

 charter any but king's ships. [SIAM.] 



(Finlayson ; Crawfurd ; Asiatic Journal.) 



BANGOR, Caernarvonshire, North Wales, an episcopal city, a 

 parliamentary borough, a market-town, and the seat of a Poor-Law 

 Union, in the parish of Bangor, and hundred of Uwch-Gwyrfai. It 

 is situated on the south-east bank of the Menai Strait, in 53 13' 

 X. Lit., 4" 7' W. long. ; distant 9 miles N.E. from Caernarvon, 

 236 miles N.W. from London by road and 238 miles by the Chester 

 and Holyhead railway : the population of the parish in 1851 was 

 9564 ; that of the city aud parliamentary borough was 6338. The 

 borough is governed under the Lighting and Watching Act. For 

 sanitary purposes it is under the management of a local Board of 

 Health. Bangor is a contributory borough to the district of Caer- 

 narvon, which returns one member to the Imperial Parliament. 

 The living is a vicarage in the archdeaconry and diocese of Bangor. 

 Bangor and Beaumaris Poor-Law Union contains 25 parishes and town- 

 ships, with an area of 86,344 acres, and a population in 1851 of 34,091. 



The city is situated at the base of a steep rock in a narrow fertile 

 vale near the river Ogwen, and not far from the northern entrance 

 u(f the Menai Strait. It consists chiefly of one narrow crooked street 

 abnuta mile in length, with several openings from the water-side. 

 The place is of very great antiquity. The first authentic records 

 respecting Bangor relate to the 6th century. In A.D. 525 Deiuiol 

 founded a college here. The building was dedicated to the founder, 

 whose name the present rectory still bears. What the original extent 

 of the college was cannot now be ascertained. The college was 

 raised about the year 550 to the dignity of a bishopric, and the 

 founder was appointed bishop. The present jurisdiction of the 

 bishopric embraces the whole of Anglesey, with parts of Caernar- 

 vonshire, Denbighshire, Montgomeryshire, and Merionethshire. There 

 are in all 129 benefices in the diocese. It has two archdeaconries 

 Bangor and Merioneth. The chapter consists of the dean, chancellor, 

 treasurer, two archdeacons, and five canons. The income of the 

 bishop is fixed at 4200J. The patronage of the bishop consists of 

 all the dignities of the cathedral, and 77 benefices. 



The cathedral founded by St. Deiniol was destroyed by the Saxons 

 in 1071 ; but it was rebuilt from funds collected by a synod held in 

 1102 at Westminster for reforming the church. King John in 1212 

 took the then bishop prisoner while officiating at the altar, but 

 released him on receiving a considerable ransom. The cathedral 

 suffered severely in the wars which took place between the Welsh and 

 Henry III. in 1247, and was again completely destroyed by fire in 

 1402, during the war which followed the revolt of Owen Glyndwr. 

 For nearly 100 years afterwards the insurgents of Anglesey kept 

 possession of the bishopric. Between 1496 and 1500 the choir was 

 rebuilt by Bishop Dean at his own expense. In 1532 the tower and 

 nave were erected by Bishop SkefSngton, which fact is commemorated 

 by an inscription over the west door. 



Bisb<v> Hulkeley, instead of following the example of his two 

 predecessors and improving the cathedral, alienated in 1547 much of 

 its property. He applied to his own use a considerable part of the 

 lands which belonged to the see, and sold the bells of the cathedral. 

 The cathedral is at present in a state of good repair, for which it is 

 indebted to the late Dr. Warren, bishop of the diocese. This prelate 

 early in the present century expended a large sum in repairing the 

 cathedral. He also built the harbour, which has proved of much 

 benefit to the city. The remains of several Welsh princes, with those of 



some of the bishops and other distinguished ecclesiastics, lie within the 

 cathedral. The tomb of Prince Owen Gryffydd is still in a perfect 

 state beneath an arched recess. The cathedral is 214 feet long; 

 60 feet wide; and 34 feet high. The transepts are 96 feet fruni 

 north to south. The tower is 60 feet high. It is a rather mean 

 building externally ; and the interior is without any ornament. Part 

 of the cathedral serves as the parish church; the nave is used for 

 the celebration of divine service in English. 



The bishop's palace stands in a low situation near the cathedral. 

 I In Pennant's time it was a very indifferent residence ; early in 

 ' the present century however it was greatly improved by Bishop 

 Warren. 



Bangor has a Free Grammar school which stands at a small distance 



; from the city. It is a handsome brick building, and was erected 



j and endowed by Dr. JefFry Glynn, brother of Bishop Glyun, about 



I the year 1557. The income from endowment is about 450Z. a year : 



it is under the care of a head and second master and an assistant, 



and had 35 scholars in 1850. There are three National schools in 



the town and parish. In the town are a British school, an Infant 



school, and places of worship for Independents, Methodists, Baptists, 



and Roman Catholics. 



Bangor has an hospital or almshouse for six poor men, which 

 was founded early in the 17th century by Dr. Rowland, one of the 

 bishops of the place. 



In 1809 a public dispensary was established ; this haa been 

 recently converted into an infirmary, for which a neat building has 

 been erected on an elevated site near the city. 



Public baths were erected some years ago, but the situation was 

 inconvenient, and being near the Menai Strait they have been con- 

 verted into a shipping place for one of the small slate-quarries in the 

 neighbourhood. 



The trade of the city consists almost entirely in slates, which are 

 brought to Port Penrhyn from the quarries of Llandegai, a place 

 about eight miles distant, by means of a railway made for the purpose. 

 These quarries give constant employment to upwards of 2000 work- 

 men, and they produce a large revenue to the proprietor. It is stated 

 by Mr. Parry, ' Cambrian Mirror," p. 152, that " 90 years ago these 

 quarries brought only SOI. a year to the pocket of the proprietor ; 

 and now it is said that the present honourable and fortunate pos- 

 sessor receives the enormous and almost incredible sum of 250,000?. 

 a year." But this no doubt means the produce of the quarries, from 

 which all working expenses have to be deducted. The greater part 

 of the slates are exported, but many are manufactured in Baugor into 

 billiard tables, chhnney-piers, and a great variety of objects. One 

 slate manufactory is on a very extensive scale, and there are several 

 less extensive. All of them have been established within a few 

 years ; indeed the application of slate to these purposes is quite 

 recent. In addition to the dock and wharfs at Port Penrhyn, and 

 the shipping-place already named, a shipping-place for another slate- 

 quarry has been erected at Garth. Near Garth Ferry is a fishery of 

 some extent. 



The city has excellent inns, a market-place, and assembly-rooms. 

 The large inn called the Penrhyn Arms near the city was built by 

 Mr. D. Pennant, the late proprietor of Penrhyn Castle, near Bangor. 

 A banking-house, erected for the old firm of Williams and Co., is a 

 handsome building. It is of stone and in the Elizabethan style. 

 The appearance of the town altogether is neat. It was a place of 

 great importance in ancient times, aud is supposed to have occupied 

 the whole of the rising ground between the present city aud Bangor 

 Ferry, a distance of two miles. Of late the place has been rapidly 

 increasing both in population and importance a result considerably 

 aided by the opening of the Chester and Holyhead railway. The 

 vicinity of Bangor to the sea, and the beauty of the situation and 

 surrounding scenery, have brought it into some note as a bathing- 

 place. Many tasteful villas have sprung up on the heights around 

 the city. The rides and walks in the neighbourhood are numerous 

 and pleasant. The great road from Dublin to London passes through 

 Baugor : the Chester and Holyhead railway has a commodious first- 

 class station about a quarter of a mile south-west of the town. 

 There are annual fairs on April 5th, Juno 25th, September 16th, 

 and October 28th. It has also a weekly market on Friday for 

 provisions. A county court is held in the town. Penrhyn Castle 

 on the east of the city is a very large and magnificent structure, 

 principally of modern erection. The fittings, furniture, and contents 

 are of the costliest character. 



(Willis's Survey of the Cathedral Church of Bangor; Carlisle's 

 Dictionary of Wales; Pennant's Tour through Wales; Camden's 

 Britannia, by Gough ; Bingley's Guide to North Wales ; Parry's 

 Ciniilii'iiiii Mii'i-nr; (!nc>i!\viii'.s./A: I'fmitlibtn ; l,'um?iioinltnt nt Jliniyur.) 



BANGOR. [DOWN.] 



BANGOR. [MAINE, U.S.] 



BANGOR-ISCOED, or BANGOR-IS-Y-COED, which means Bangor- 

 below-the-Wood, a village and parish, partly in the county of Flint 

 and partly in the county of Denbigh in North Wales. It is beau- 

 tifully situated on the right bank of the Dee in an open aud fertile 

 country, in 52 59' N. lat., 2 53' W. long. ; 5 miles S.E. from 

 Wrexham, and 170 miles N.W. from London : the population of 

 the township of Bangor in 1851 was 554, that of the entire parish 



