W A K 



aft of parliament for building the church and enlarging the 

 town. The church was accordingly erefted, and a great 

 number of houfes, difpofed in ftreets and fquares, forming 

 a diftrift, which, as well as the church, is denominated 

 St. John's. In the town are three meeting-houfes for Dif- 

 fenters of the Prelbyterian, Calviniftic, and Methodift de- 

 nominations. Here is alfo a free grammar-fchool, founded 

 and endowed by queen Ehzabeth, but much improved by 

 private benefaftions : the fchool-houfe is a fpacious ftruc- 

 ture, erefted by the Savilles, anceftors of the earl of Mex- 

 borough. A charity-fchool is alfo eftabhfhed here for the 

 inftruftion and clothing of io6 boys and girls. Charitable 

 donations to this town are very confiderable, amounting to 

 looo/. per annum, under the direftion of fourteen truftees, 

 called governors : this money is apphed to the maintenance 

 of feveral exhibitions in both univerfities, to the apprenticing 

 of poor boys to various trades, to the fupport of aged and 

 infirm perfons, and to other benevolent purpofes at the dif- 

 cretion of the governors. At the end of Weft-gate, the 

 principal ftreet in the town, is the houfe of correftion for the 

 whole riding : this prifon is a fpacious ftone building, fur- 

 rounded by an outer wall, and contains above 150 cells. 

 A commodious feflions-houfe has been recently eredled ; and 

 great improvements are confequently taking place in the 

 adjacent ftreets. The quarter feflions for the Weft Riding 

 are held here in January ; and private feflions every fortnight 

 by the juftices in the vicinity. At the fouth-eaft entrance into 

 Wakefield is a ftone bridge, of nine large arches, over the 

 Calder ; it exhibits a fine fpecimen of the mafonry of Ed- 

 ward m.'s reign, in which period it was built. In the 

 centre of this bridge, projecting from the eaftern fide, and 

 partly refting on the ftarhngs, is an ancient chapel, formed 

 in the richeft ftyle of eccleliaftical architefture, about ten 

 yards in length and eight in breadth. The eaft window, 

 overhanging the river, is adorned with tracery, and the 

 parapets are perforated ; the windows on the north and fouth 

 are equally rich ; but the weft front facing the paffage over 

 the bridge exceeds all the reft in profufion of ornament, 

 being divided by buttreffes into compartments forming re- 

 ceffes with lofty pediments and pointed arches, with fpan- 

 drils richly flowered, and above is an entablature fupporting 

 five baflb relievos, the whole being crowned with battlements. 

 This chapel was built by Edward IV. in memory of his 

 father, Richard duke of York, and thofe of his party who 

 fell in the battle of Wakefield. This fuperb relic of an- 

 tiquity has of late years been ufed as a warehoufe, and its 

 embellifhments have received confiderable damage. 



Wakefield was noted in Camden's time for its extent, build- 

 ings, cloth trade, and markets, as well a* for the chapel 

 above defcribed. Since that period, the improvements in 

 the woollen-cloth manufafture, with the introduftion of thofe 

 of tammies, camblets, and fancy articles, have greatly in- 

 creafed its wealth and population. A handfome hall has 

 recently been ei-efted by fubfcription for the fale of the 

 ftuffs : it is two ftories high, extending in length about 

 feventy yards, and ten in breadth ; through the middle, in 

 each ftory, is a row of repofitories, in all about two hundred, 

 facing each way, and properly labelled, fo that the ftand of 

 anymanufafturer maybe readilyfound. Wakefield being fitu- 

 ated on the edge of the manufafturing diftrift, of which the 

 Calder forms the eaftern boundary, fcarcely a fingle manufac- 

 turer is feen to the eaftward. The navigation of the Calder 

 has greatly promoted the trade of this town, to which the 

 river was rendered navigable in 1698. Great quantities of 

 coals are carried hence by water for the fupply of York, 

 Hull, and the adjacent parts. In the population return of 

 the year i8n, Wakefield is ftated to contain 1959 houfes, 



W A K 



and 8j93 inhabitants. The manor of Wakefield is very ex- 

 tenfive, including that of Halifax, and ftretching from Nor- 

 manton weftward to the confines of Lancafhire : it is more 

 than thirty miles in length, from eaft to weft, and comprifes 

 1 18 towns, villages, and hamlets. By the Domefday-book it 

 appears to have been part of the royal demefnes of Edward 

 the Confeflbr, and at the time of the furvey it belonged to 

 the crown. During the four fubfequent centuries, it was 

 granted to various branches of the royal families, and other 

 diftinguifhed nobles. In 1461 it reverted to the crown in the 

 perfon of Edward IV., and remained in the pofteffion of the 

 kings of England till 1554, when it was united to the duchy 

 of Lancafter. In the reign of Charles I. it was granted to 

 Henry earl of Holland, who was beheaded in 1649, ^7 '^'^ 

 fentence of the high court of juftice. Being afterwards 

 granted to Robert earl of Warwick, the manor went, by the 

 marriage of his daughter, to fir Gervafe Clifton, who, in 

 1663, fold it to fir Chriftopher Clapham, from whofe heirs 

 it was purchafed in 1 700 by the duke of Leeds, in whofe 

 family it ftill continues. 



About a mile and a half to the eaft of Wakefield is the 

 village of Heath, which, for fituation, variety of feats, and 

 beautiful lawns, is juftly efteemed the fineft in the kingdom. 

 Here is an elegant feat of W. Farquier, efq. ; and at this 

 place was alfo the feat of the late right honourable 

 John Smyth, member for PontefraA, and a lord of the ad- 

 miralty. 



Two miles fouth of Wakefield is Sandal, a fmall village 

 chiefly remarkable for its ancient caftle, built in the reign of 

 Edward II. by John earl of Warren, and afterwards the 

 property of Richard Plantagenet, dukeof York, who, afpir- 

 ing to the crown, was flain before its walls, December 31, 

 1460, in the memorable " battle of Wakefield," fo called 

 from Wakefield Green being the fcene of aftion. The place 

 where he fell was inclofed with a wall, and on it was ereAed 

 a crofs of ftone, which was deftroyed in the civil war of 

 Charles I., in whofe behalf the caftle was garrifoned ; but it 

 furrendered after a fiege of three weeks in Oftober 1645, 

 and in the following year the caftle was demohfhed by order 

 of parliament. At prefent fcarcely a veftige is left of its 

 former ftrength and magnificence ; the principal remaining 

 part is occupied as a farm-houfe. — Beauties of England and 

 Wales, vol. xvi. Yorkfliire. By J. Bigland. 



Wakefield, a town of America, in the ftate of New 

 Hampfhire, and county of Strafford ; containing 1 1 66 inha;. 

 bitants ; 30 miles E. of Concord. 



Wakefield, Upper, a townfhip of Pennfylvania, in the 

 county of Bucks, containing 1271 inhabitants. 



Wakefield, Lower, a townfhip of Pennfylvania, in the 

 county of Bucks, containing 1089 inhabitants. 



WAKEFULNESS, or Watching, in/omnia.. See 

 Watching. 



WAKES, formed from the Saxon tutcce, vigUia, tx- 

 culite, luatch, •vigils, or country -wakes, are certain ancient 

 anniverfary feafts, in feveral parifhes ; wherein the people 

 were to be awake at the feveral vigils, or hours to go to 

 prayer. See Vigil. 



They are ufually obferved, in the country, on the Sun- 

 day next before the faint's day to whom the parifh-chutch is 

 dedicated. 



The learned Mr. Whitaker, in his Hiftory of Manchefter, 

 hath given a particular account of the origin of wakes and 

 fairs. He obferves, that every church at its confecration 

 received the name of fome particular faint : this cuftom was 

 praftifed among the Roman Britons, and continued among the 

 Saxons ; and in the council of Cealchythe, in 8 16, the name 

 of the denominating faint was exprefsly required to be infcribed 



