WESTMINSTER WESTMORELAND. 



with London, that, in appearance, they form one 

 city, and, in ordinary speech, are mentioned as one, 

 though they have their separate jurisdictions. (See 

 London.) Temple bar separates the two cities. 

 Westminster lies in the west of London proper, 

 with which it formerly communicated by means of 

 the Strand, and forms the west end, or fashionable 

 residence of the nobility and gentry. The exis- 

 tence of Westminster is derived from the founda- 

 tion of the Abbey. In 1259, Henry III. granted 

 to the abbot and convent of Westminster Abbey a 

 market and fair, which was the origin of the city 

 and liberties of Westminster. At the general sup- 

 pression of religious houses by Henry VIII., it was 

 converted into a bishopric, which, however, was 

 transferred to Norwich in 1550. The city of West- 

 minster is comprised in two parishes, St Margaret 

 and St John, and the liberties consist of seven 

 parishes. The population of the city and liberties, 

 which return two members to Parliament, is, by 

 the census of 1841, 222,053. Here are Westmin- 

 ster hall, abbey and school, St James's palace, 

 Buckingham house, Carlton house, Whitehall pa- 

 lace, &c. Westminster hall, memorable as the 

 scene of so many interesting transactions, was built, 

 by William II., in 1097, and entirely repaired, with 

 many alterations, by Richard II., in 1397. The 

 hall exceeds in dimensions any room in Europe 

 unsupported by pillars, being 270 feet in length, 

 ninety in height, and seventy-four in breadth. Par- 

 liaments have often sat in the hall, and the courts 

 of chancery, exchequer, king's bench, and common 

 pleass, have been held here, in different apartments, 

 ever since the reign of Henry III. It has also 

 been used for the trial of peers, and other distin- 

 guished persons, accused of high treason, or other 

 crimes and misdemeanours, such as the late Lord 

 Melville, Warren Hastings, &c. In this hall, like- 

 wise, are held the coronation feasts of the kings of 

 England. The old palace, at the south end of the 

 hall, including the chapel of St Stephen, before 

 they were destroyed by fire, used to accommodate 

 the two houses of parliament. Westminster abbey 

 was built by Edward the Confessor, about 1050, 

 on the site of an old Saxon church ; but all that 

 part which extends from the eastern extremity to 

 the entrance of the nave was rebuilt in its present 

 state by Henry III. (12201269). The nave was 

 carried on slowly afterwards ; and the towers were 

 not completed till the time of Sir Christopher 

 Wren, who finished them as they now are. The 

 chapel, which bears the name of Henry VII., was 

 built by that monarch in 1502, as a royal sepulchre. 

 The general plan is that of a Latin cross, of which 

 the nave is 234 feet long from west to east, and 90 

 feet wide. The transept is 225 feet long from 

 north to south, and 100 feet wide. Beyond the 

 transept, towards the east, are five chapels. In 

 the poets' corner are the monuments of most of the 

 distinguished poets of England ; and in other parts 

 of the abbey are those of distinguished statesmen, 

 warriors, scholars, and artists. The kings of Eng- 

 land are crowned in the choir of the abbey. West- 

 minster school was founded by queen Elizabeth, in 

 1590, for the education of forty boys, denominated 

 the queens scholars, who are prepared for the uni- 

 versity. It is situated within the walls of the 

 abbey, and is separated into two schools or divi- 

 sions, comprising seven forms or classes. Besides 

 the scholars on the foundation, many of the nobility 

 and gentry send their sons to Westminster for in- , 

 struction, so that this establishment vies with Eton 



in celebrity und respectability. They have^nn up- 

 per and an under master, with numerous assistant*. 

 Of these masters many have been eminent in the 

 walks of literature, particularly doctor Busby, so 

 celebrated for his severity of discipline, and doctor 

 Vincent, the author of the Voyage of Nearchns. 

 See the History of the Abbey Church of St Peter, 

 Westminster, its Antiquities and Monuments (2 vols. 

 quarto, London, 1812); and Neale's History and 

 Antiquities of Westminster Abbey illustrated (1818 

 and 1823, with 61 engravings). 



WESTMORELAND; anorthern county of Eng- 

 land, is bounded on the east by Yorkshire and Dur- 

 ham, on the north and north-west by Durham and 

 Cumberland, and on the south-west by Lancashire, a 

 narrow stripe of which separates it from the sea. It 

 is of a very irregular shape, its greatest length being 

 about forty, and its greatest breadth thirty-five miles. 

 It contains 763 square statute miles, and 488,320 

 English statute acres. The county is divided into two 

 baronies, namely, that of Kendal, and that of West- 

 moreland, and into four wards, viz., those of Kendal, 

 and Kirkby Lonsdale, in the barony of Kendal, and 

 the east and west wards, in the barony of Westmore- 

 land. The general aspect of Westmoreland, presents 

 a great extent of bleak and barren fells and moors, 

 and groups of lofty, naked, and picturesque moun- 

 tains. Three-fourths of the county nearly consists 

 of uncultivated land. The mountain valleys, which 

 form the beds of the rivers, are moderately fertile, 

 and yield good crops of oats, and in some instances 

 of wheat and barley. Agricultural improvement 

 has advanced rapidly in this county. The clover 

 and turnip husbandry has made great progress, and 

 through a large portion of the bottom of West- 

 moreland, and in the parishes of Heversham, Bur- 

 ton, and Kirkby Lonsdale, considerable quantities 

 of wheat are annually raised. Many commons have 

 been inclosed, and immense tracts drained. The 

 cattle of this county are of the long-horned breed, 

 and attain a large size. The mountainous districts 

 support large flocks of sheep, which yield a coarse 

 wool, but the breed has been lately much improved 

 by crossing. Great numbers of geese are fed on the 

 moors, and along with hams are exported in great 

 quantities. The principal mountains in Westmore- 

 land are Crossfell, the highest of the chain on its 

 eastern boundary, and 3000 feet above the sea. 

 Helvellyn is 3100 feet high, Bowfell and Rydale- 

 head, each 3090, and the High Street is 2736 feet 

 high. This last mountain derives its name from a 

 broad green road along its summit, where the shep- 

 herds have annual horse races on the 10th of July. 

 The principal rivers of the county are the Eden, 

 the Lane, the Kent, the Eamont, the Winster, and 

 the Lowther, none of which are navigable. They 

 contain abundance of fish, and exhibit much pictur- 

 esque scenery. The principal lakes are Winder- 

 mere, Ulles-water, Grass-mere, Rydale-water, El- 

 ter-water, Hause-water, Red Tarn and Small-water, 

 and Skeggles-water. The mineral productions of 

 Westmoreland are lead, copper, coal, limestone, blue 

 slate, marble, gypsum, and freestone. The best 

 coal is found in the confines of the county in Stane- 

 more forest. An inferior slaty coal is found in 

 several places, but it is used only for burning lime. 

 Marble has been wrought near Kendal on both sides 

 of the Kent. The manufactures consist chiefly of 

 silk and worsted waistcoat pieces, knit worsted 

 stockings, flannels, cotton goods, gunpowder, and 

 tanned leather. The exports are principally coarse 

 woollen cloths, stockings, slates, tanned hides, gun- 



