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f 'II rsTEB-LB-STREKT. 



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community of women ; the Black, the White, and the Grv frian bad 

 " an establishment in Chester : a college of the Holy Crow to 



mentioned, and hospital* of St Anne and of St John the Baptist, 

 of which the Utter escaped suppression at the Reformation, and 

 continue* to this day. Chester bad, during thin period, among ito 

 inhabitant*, some whose names are connected with the early literature 

 t f England ; Higden, the most celebrated of them, who lived in the 

 reign of Ed ward 1 1 1., i supposed to be the author of a set of mysteries, 

 or religious drama*, which were exhibited by the several trade* in 

 Chester from time to time, and of which copies have descended to 

 the present day. 



In the 84th of Henry VIII, writs were first Usued to Chester to 

 sad members to Parliament. The church of St Werburgh was sup- 

 .pressed along with the other monasteries ; but its revenues were not, 

 a* hi most other cases, wholly confiscated. Chester was erected into 

 an episcopal see, and the revenue* of the monastery were appropriated 

 to the rapport of the chapter. The church became the cathedral of 

 the new see. The diocese assigned to the bishop was the whole 

 county of Chester, which had previously been under the superin- 

 tendence of the Bishop of Lichfield, and the county of Lancaster, with 

 the archdeaconry of Richmond, part of the ancient diocese of York. 

 From the period of the Reformation, the only striking event in the 

 history of Chester is the protracted siege it endured in the civil war. 

 Charles I. was for a time in the city, and is said to have witnessed the 

 defeat of his army on Rowton Heath from one of the towers on the 

 walls. The history of the commerce of Chester is a hintory of its 

 steady decline coincident with the rise of that of Liverpool 



Chester is in many respect* ono of the most interesting cities in 

 England, especially to the antiquary. It consists of two great street* 

 intersecting at right angles, with others diverging regularly from 

 them, very much it is thought according to the plan of a Roman camp. 

 The city is one of the very few places in England which have main- 

 tained in a tolerable state of completeness the walls which were 

 Noted for their defence in remote ages ; at no other place are they so 

 entire a* at Chester. Though no longer useful for defence, they afford 

 an agreeable promenade, with pleasant views, at various points, of 

 the surrounding country ; they are nearly two miles in circuit To 

 a stranger the most striking objects in Chester are the walls and the 

 rows. The rows are a species of wide footpath, raised above the 

 level of the street, at the height of the first story of a house, and 

 covered over head by the second story of the house ; as though, in 

 fact, the front and partition walls of the first stories were taken away, 

 and the rooms converted into connected walks with shops at the back. 

 The two great intersecting street* are, for the most part, constructed 

 on this plan. A large number of the houses are the quaint half- 

 timbered houses with ornamented gables of the 16th century : and 

 they, with the rows, render the streets of Chester perhaps the most 

 picturesque of any English city. 



Chester cathedral does not rank among the finer of the cathedrals 

 of this country. The church of the abbey of St. Werburgh was altered 

 to fit it for the cathedral of the new see, but the Reformation is believed 

 to have put a stop to the work* before they were fully completed. It is 

 in the perpendicular style. It is constructed of the soft red-sandstone 

 of the district, and has become externally much weather-worn. Some 

 part* have been repaired and partly restored of late years. The cathe- 

 dral consists of a nave with side aisles ; a choir and lady-chapel at 

 the east end ; and on the north a cloister, chapter-house, and school- 

 room. The extreme length of the edifice is 375 feet, the breadth 200 

 feet The nave is 120 feet long and 41 feet broad. The tower is 

 127 feet high. The chapter-house, which is rectangular, is much older 

 than the cathedral, being in the early English style of the early part 

 of the 18th century. The interior i* very beautiful. There are nine 

 parish churches in Chester. Of these St John's, partly in ruins, is 

 the most interesting for its architecture. It is Norman, and was for- 

 merly collegiate. St Peter's has been recently enlarged and the older 

 part* restored. Christ church was erected about fifteen years buck. 

 The Wesleysn, Primitive, and New Connexion Methodist*, Presby- 

 terians, Independent*, Baptist*, Quakers, and Roman Catholic* have 

 places of worship. The Grammar school of Chester, founded in the 

 time of Henry VIII., and called the King's School, is attached to the 

 cathedral, and is under the direction of the dean and chapter ; it is 

 free to 24 foundation boys, and has an income from endowment of 

 2l a year, with 6 exhibitions. The number of scholars in 1852 was 

 48. There are also the Marquis of Westminster's school for 400 or 460 

 boys and girl*, a Diocesan school, and several National and Infant 

 schools. A Diocesan Training college for educating teacher* for 

 National achools provides accommodation for 70 students to be trained 

 as schoolmasters, and for 50 in the Commercial, Mechanical, and Agri- 

 cultural school attached to the college ; the number of student* in 

 residence in July 1 852 wa* 44. In 1 700 a Bine-Coat school was founded 

 for boys, and in 1750 another for girl*. 



Chester ha* numerous charities and benevolent institutions. Among 

 others aa infirmary, founded in 1761, supported by subscriptions and 

 the interest of about 20.00O/. in the funds ; a bouse of industry ; a 

 house of refuge ; public baths and waahhotue* ; a mechanics institute, 

 with a museum, which i* kept in one of the towers on the walls ; a 

 public library ; and a savings bank. 

 Of the castle built by Huph Lupus scarcely a vestige remain*. The 



present castle to modern ; it was erected from the designs of Mr. T. 

 Harrison. It to used as the shire-hall, the county jail, and military 

 barrack*. It is of great extent, and present* an imposing appearance. 

 The shire-hall is a noble room. The county lunatic asylum is situ- 

 ated in the Bath-road. Near the oaatle the Dee i* crossed by a very 

 handsome bridge of a single arch. The span of the arch is 200 feet, 

 being the largest (tone arch which ha* been constructed. The 

 architect was Mr. Harrison. The Chester and Holyhead railway 

 croMe* the Dee at Chester by an iron-girder bridge of rather peculiar 

 construction. 



The number and tonnage of vessels registered as belonging to the 

 port of Chester on December 81t, 1862, were as follows : Sailing 

 veesuln, under 60 tons, 57, tonnage 20H2 ; above 60 tons, 60, tonnage 

 8899 : steam vessels, under 60 tons, 6, tonnage 167 ; above 60 tons, 

 2, tonnage 342. The number and tonnage of vessels which entered 

 and cleared at the port of Chester during the year 1852 were SJB fol- 

 lows : Coasting trade, inward*, 1182 vessels, 56,297 tons ; outwards, 

 2110 vessels, 94,450 tons: colonial trade, inwards, 9 vessels, 

 tons: foreign trade, inward*, 10 vessel*, 1045 tons; outwards, 11 

 vessels, 1143 tons. 



Ship-building is carried on in Chester to some extent; also rope 

 and sail making. Chemical-works, soap-works, a shot manufactory, 

 and several extensive tanyards, afford considerable employment 

 Fringe, whips, thread, and tobacco are manufactured. In the neigh- 

 bourhood stone-quarries are successfully worked. The obstructions 

 to the navigation of the Dee form the chief hindrance to the com- 

 merce of Chester. The Ellesmere Canal affords ready water commu- 

 nication with Liverpool and the towns in its course, and in the course 

 of its connected canals. Chester has become the centre of an exten- 

 sive railway system, which affords facilities of oommuuication with 

 all part* of the kingdom. The railway station at Chester is a very 

 fine one. Market* are held at Chester on Wednesday and Saturday ; 

 fairs on the last Thursday in February, July 5th, and October 10th. 

 The July and October fairs continue for about a fortnight for the sale 

 of goods of every kind. Fairs for the sale of cheese are held monthly. 



Chester has always been the residence of many wealthy families, 

 and has at all times been celebrated for its amusements. In early 

 times the Chester mysteries and processions rivalled those of Co\ 

 It was one of the first place* noted for its horse-racing. The Roo-dee 

 is the oldest and also the most convenient race-course belonging to 

 any English city. It lies just beneath the wall, in a spot where the 

 whole running-ground is under the eye of the spectator. The Chester 

 races retain their ancient fame. Chester has also its theatre, assembly- 

 rooms, and other places of amusement In the vicinity are many good 

 mansions. Eaton Hall, the seat of the Marquis of Westminster," is the 

 most famous ; it lies within a rich park about three miles from Chester 

 on the Shrewsbury road. 



The diocese of Chester is in the province of York. The diocese 

 extends over the whole of Cheshire and part* of Lancashire, Cumber- 

 land, and Westmoreland, and comprises 486 benefices. It i* divided 

 into two archdeaconries, Chester and Liverpool : part of the arch- 

 deaconry of Richmond is in the diocese of Cheater, but it is to be 

 transferred to that of Carlisle. The chapter consists of the dean, the 

 archdeacons, 4 canons, 4 honorary and 4 minor canons, and a chan- 

 cellor. The income of the bishop is fixed at 45001. a year. 



(Ormerod, Cheshire ; King, rale Royal ; Lysons, Afagna Britannia ; 

 Cheeter Guida; Parliamentary Papert; Communifot ion frvtft Ckttttr.) 



CHESTER-LE-STREET, 'Durham, a village and the seat of a 

 Poor-Law Union, in the parish of Chester-le-Street and chiefly in the 

 middle division of Chester ward, is situated on the high north road, 

 in 64" 61' N. lat, 1 34' W. long., 6 miles N. from Durham, and 264 

 miles N. by W. from London. Fence House* station of the York and 

 Newcastle railway, which i* 8 miles from Chester-le-Street, is 249) 

 miles from London via York. The population of the township of 

 Chestor-le-Street in 1851 was 2580. The living is a perpetual curacy 

 in the archdeaconry and diocese of Durham. Chester-le-Street Poor- 

 Law Union contains 20 parish and township*, with an area of 31,066 

 acre*, and a population in 1861 of 18,336. 



By the Saxons Chester-le-Street was called Coneoeastre or Cune- 

 ceaatre, from the name of the brook Cone which flows past the village. 

 In the year 882 it wa* made the seat of a bishopric, which was re- 

 moved hither from Lindisfarne ; it retained its episcopal rank till 995, 

 when the Dunes, invading the country, drove away the bishop and hi* 

 clergy. The bishop afterwards fixed his seat at Durham. The village 

 is lighted with gas. The principal street extends about a mile along 

 the north road ; another more irregular line of houses runs along the 

 brook at right angles to the main street The parish church, dedi- 

 cated to St Mary and St Cuthbert, is a fine old gothic structure, 

 consisting of a nave with side aisles, a chancel, and a tower at the 

 western end, surmounted with an elegant spire. The north aisle con- 

 tains a continuous series of monuments of the Lumley family. There 

 are places of worship for Primitive Methodists and Independents; 

 National and Infant schools ; a mechanics institution ; a parochial 

 library ; and a savings bank. 



The neighbouring coal-mine*, an extensive iron and brass foundry, 

 a steam-engine factory, iron-works, fire-brick manufactories, and corn 

 and paper mills, afford employment to many of the inhabitants. 

 Numerous wealthy families reside in the vicinity. 



