RICHMOND. 



outlawed Englifiimcii in thole parts. Having no iflue by 

 his lady, the earldom of Brittany devolved to Conan le 

 Grofle, his fon by a fecond wife ; and Alan, furnamed the 

 Black, fon of Hawife by a former hufband, obtained the 

 earldom and eflates of Richmond. During the reigns of 

 our Norman kings this title and property were poll fled by 

 feveral difl irent families, fome of whom were allied to the 

 blood royal, both of England and France. Edward III. 

 conferred the cftate on his third fon, John of Gaunt, who 

 afterwards furrendered it in exchange for fome other lands. 

 The fame monarch gave Richmond, with his daughter, in 

 marriage to John, carl of Monttord and duke of Brittany, 

 who was furnahi 1 the Valiant. During the wars of York 

 and Lancafter, both the title and the eflates feveral times 

 chan leffors, and at length were vclted in the crown 



by the acceflion of Henry, earl of Richmond, to the throne, 

 under the title of Henry VII. By his lucce'lor, Henry 

 VIII., Richmond was conitituted a duchy in the perfon 

 of his natural fon, Henry, who died without ilfue in the 

 year 1535. 



Tin- town of Richmond is comparatively limited in ex- 

 tent and population; containing, according to the late par 

 liamentary returns, only 512 houfes, and 3056 inhabitants. 

 Its fine fituation, however, and the character oi its build- 

 ings, which are in general conftrucled oi itone, give it a 

 dignified and interfiling appearani . it occupies the top 

 and declivity of a loft-. from the 



river Swale, which winds round the town and the caltle in 

 a femicircular direction. The chief trade of this place is 

 that of knit woollen (lockings, in which men, women, and 

 children, are employed. The market day is Saturday, 

 weekly ; and there are belides four annual fairs. The 

 market here is one of the larger! in the north of England 

 for corn ; and the fairs are noted for a great fupply of 

 horfts, horned cattle, and fhcep. Richmond is a borough 

 by royal charter, and fends two reprefentatives to parlia- 

 ment, who are elected by " thole perfons who are <>.. 

 of ancient burgages in the faid borough, having a right of 

 pafture in a common field, called Whitecliff palture." The 

 nment of the town is veiled, by the charter of queen 

 Elizabeth, in a mayor, recorder, twi lve aldermen, tvi 

 four common council-men, and other in! ers. The 



petty feflions for the wapentake of Gilling Weft are 

 holden here. 



The caflle of Richmond ftands on the fou h of the 



town, on a bold eminence, overli v. hich 



runs in a deep vail eath. roflch 



to it is.fteep and difficult, 1 hi 



the afcent is gradual. The call 



condition, but it lliil retains the'i F former gran- 



deur and importance. The keep-tower, of which the lb. ell 

 is nearly entire, is of great altitude; and its exterior v 



v is fup- 

 ported by of (lone in 



fprii rculai he ftaircai only 



reaches to the firft chamber, the 1 

 as th lwo 1 fall< n in. In this 



keep is a we'll of 1 r. The r . 



■ parts of this in. In the fouth-eafi 



corner of the area is a ruil . bi low which 



dun 'co. , about fdui teen feet d [covered by 



:nt, and ie 

 property of the dujte of Richi >. nox. 



Thecountry around Richmond is extr | unique, 



.and a I ral \c& to the tourift and thi 



[uary. Clofe to the town, on the north, he 1 



mains of a houfe of Grey friars, which was founded, w 



1258, by Ralph Fitz-Randal, lord of Middleham ; and 

 adjoining is the fcite of a nunnery, now totally demolished. 

 About a mile to the ealtward are the fine ruins of St. 

 Agatha abbey, feated on the banks of the river Swale. This 

 monaflery was eftabliflied, in 1151, by Roaldus, conltablcof 

 Richmond caflle, and at the time of the reformation main- 

 tained feventecn monks of the Premonflratenfian order. 

 Richard Scroope, chancellor of England, was a great 

 benefactor to this monaflery ; for belides his manor of 

 Brumpton-upon-Swale, he granted 150/. a-year for the 

 fupport of ten additional regular canons, two fecular 

 canons, and twenty-two poor men. Near this priory flood 

 an hofpital, which being decayed in the reign of Henry VI. 

 was reftored by William Ayfcough, one of his judges, to 

 whom he had given the patronage of it. A cell for Bene- 

 dictines, dependent on the abbey of St. Mary of York, 

 was fituated on an eminence in this neighbourhood. It was 

 founded, in 1100, by Wymer, chief fteward to the earl 

 of Richmond. Many other religious foundations occupied 

 the banks of the Swale, which our limits forbid us to enu- 

 merate. The circumftance of the waters of this river hav- 

 ing been held facrcd, on account of the baptifm of 10,000 

 Saxons near Catterick, by bifliop Paulinus, in 627, o-ave 

 occafion to this multiplicity of religious foundations. Catte- 

 rick is fituated at the diltai.ee of five miles from Richmond ; 

 and is fuppofed by fevera! antiquaries to be the fcite of the 

 Roman Cataradtonium, or Catarafton, mentioned in the 

 Itinerary of Antoninus. Dr. Gibfon, however, fuppofes 

 that ftation Hood between the village and the river, and fome 

 exteniive Roman remains, on the ipot, he defenbes, feeins 

 to juflify his conjecture. This ftation continued for fome 

 time a Saxon town; but was totally deftroyed at an early 

 period by the Danes. The Roman road here divides itfelf 

 into two branches, one of which leads to Caldwell, diftant 

 about eight miles from Richmond, where vefticres of a large 

 town may yet be traced. The Roman name of this ftation 

 is unknown. A Tour in Scotland 1772, by Thomas Pen- 

 nant, efq. 4to. Lond. 1790. Beauties of England and 

 \\ airs, vol. xvi. by John Bigland. 



Richmond, a villa;;.' and parifh in the hundred of 



Kingfton, and county of Surrey, England, is fituated on 



the fouth bank of the river Thames, at the distance of ten 



W.S.W. from St. Paul's cathedral, London, it is 



at eel ! , b ith on account of the beauty 



of its fcenery, as well as from having been the fcite of a royal 



during feveral centuries. The iiril authentic men- 



oi the manor h in the reign of kin.; John, 



1 I il d aied Sheen, and was the pro- 



Mich 1 Belet, who held it by the fervice of be- 



' ■ rei jn of Edward I. it re- 



ii.i lince been generally poffefTed 



king, or fon if the 1 family. 



At what pr cif i Ipalao 



.1; for though Edwards I. and II. redded tor 



fome time in thi I pp.ar to have 



fture entitled to that appellation. Edward ill. 



•uli a palai ' ■. but 



- 1 f tl Vntii 



," inclim only improved and 



Be this as it may, it 



ho died Ik re the 2 ill ' .1 377 ; a . 



queen A me, th , Richard II. in 



,')4. Tl 1 much lb) r 



d luffered it to fall 

 : ■ 1 1 others affert, pulled it down. From tins 



period Sheen remained in a neglected Hate, till the accefi 



