YORK. 



fon and fucceffor Conftantine, who, learning in Afia the m- 

 difpofition of his father, haftcned to York, where he ar- 

 rived in time to receive his laft inftrudions ; and was there 

 proclaimed emperor by the army. r t>. i 



Among the towns fpecified in the geograp'^y of Ptolemy, 

 the Itinerary of Antoninus, and the '"uch later work of 

 Richard of Cirencelter, Eboracum is ranked firit as a co- 

 lony, and afterwards as a municipal town. As a colony, or 

 fettiement of veteran troops, the inhabit as were citizens 

 of Rome, and governed by the laws of the ftate. When 

 advanced to the highelt ilation, that of mumcipium, the in- 

 habitants retaining the privileges of Roman citizens were no 

 longer under thofe particular laws, but invelled with the 

 power of felf.government, under niagillrates of their own 

 appointment. Befides Eboracum, Britain contamed but 

 one other municipal town, Verulamuim. In the hl\o"\o- 

 man troops Itationed in York, the fixth legion, called the 

 vidorious, appears to have been there for three fucceihve 

 centuries, down to 446, when the Romans finally renounced 

 all dominion in Britain. The Bi itilh name of York is loil ; 

 but although foftened into Eboracum by the Romans, and 

 by their colonies, who copied from them, traces of the origi- 

 nal may ftill be perceived in the Kair-Ebrauc of Nennius and 

 Henry of Huntingdon, and in the Cair-Effroc, or Efroc, of 

 the Welfh. In Britifh compouno appellations of places, 

 the defcriptive part precedes the proper name : in the lan- 

 guage of the Saxons a contrary mode prevailed. Hence 

 Cair-Effroc was by them converted into Efroc-wyc, and 

 Yevor-wyc, from which the prefent name of York feems to 

 be derived. 



York was the capital of Deira, one of the diftrifts into 

 which the Provincia Maxima of the Romans, or the county 

 of Northumberland, was divided ; and there, in the beginning 

 of the feventh century, refided Edwyn, who re-united thofe 

 kingdoms, and acquired the principal afcendency over Saxon- 

 England. To this prince are afcribed the conftruftion of 

 the caftle, and the foundation of the city of Edinburgh 

 (Edwyn's burgh), now the capital of Scotland. He alfo 

 founded a cathedral in York ; but in 63 3 he fell in the de- 

 fence of his dominions, againft the combined attack of the 

 Saxons of Mercia and the Britons of Wales. Under Of- 

 wald, who came to the crown in the following year, Nor- 

 thumberland was again united into one kingdom ; and after- 

 wards governed by the celebrated Egbert, who, in 827, 

 out of the Saxon heptarchy, formed the great kingdom of 

 England. After a long feries of difallers from Danifli 

 invaiion, and the internal diforders of the kingdom, York was 

 expofed to utter deftruftion from tlie memorable expedition 

 of Harold Hardrad, king of Norway. On the death of 

 Harold of England, an unfuccefsful attempt was made by 

 the people of York to place Edgar Atheling on the throne. 

 For this Hep, William of Normandy befieged the city in 

 1070, which, after many months, was compelled by famine 

 to furrender. The conqueror inflifted the mod horrible ven- 

 geance on the inhabitants, the furrounding country was laid 

 wafte, and cafUes were erefted within the walls, to keep the 

 conquered citizens in fubjeAion. With the exception of 

 the contefts between the metropoUtans of York and Canter- 

 bury, little is recorded of the former city until 1 137, when 

 the cathedral church, thirty-nine pariih -churches, and the 

 greater part of the houfes, were accidentally burnt down. 

 About 1 160, one of the firft parliaments of England was 

 held there by Henry II. ; and in the reign of bis fucceffor, 

 Richard I., in 1 190, occurred the horrible maffacre of the 

 Jews, which was perpetrated and accompanied with circum- 

 ftances of peculiar atrocity. In 1299, the courts of juftice 

 were removed from London to York by Edward I. during 



10 



In his reign this city was 

 England, and required to 

 fanguinary contefts be- 



th 



his expeditions againft Scotland 

 clafled among the fea-ports of 

 furnifh one ftiip for his ufe. In 



tween the houies of York and Lancafter, the former city 

 naturally efpoufed the caule of the white rofe ; and in 1483, 

 Richard III. was a fecond time crowned in the cathedral. 

 The ycajr 15C9 was diftinguiflied by tlie eilablifhment of a 

 printing prefs in the minfter-yard of York, near the place 

 where the royal prefles were afterwards eretted in 1642, 

 while king Charles refided in the city. Nothing of moment 

 relative to York is afterwards recorded until the 3 1 ft year of 

 Henry VIII., when commiflioners were appointed there 

 to condudV the fuppreffion of the, northern monalleries. 

 Adhering to the royal caufe, the city was, in 1644, befieged 

 by the parliamentary forces under fir Thomas Fairfax. But 

 on the approach of prince Rupert, the fiege was raifed ; 

 and on the 2d of July, the important battle of Marfton-moor, 

 about five miles off, was fought, in which the royal party 

 was completely defeated. Returning to the fiege, Fairfax, 

 at the end of fix weeks, obtained pofieflion of the city, or 

 moft honourable terms for the garrifon and inhabitants. 

 Notwithftanding the zeal for the royal caufe manifefted 

 by the citizens of York, their charter was fupprefled by 

 Charles II., and never rellored. A new charter, however, 

 confirming all tlie former rights of the city, was granted by 

 his fucceffor James II. in 1685. Down to the 30th of July, 

 1688, the inhabitants of York continued to exprefs the moft 

 determined attachment to James ; and on that day, the mayor, 

 aldermen, and commons, congratulated him, in the moft 

 energetic terms, on the birth of a young prince. 



Civ}/ Government — The government of York is vefted in 

 a mayor, who, like the mayors of London and Dublin, and 

 the provoft of Edinburgh, is authorized by the aft of 

 Richard II. to affume the title of lord ; a recorder, two 

 city-council, twelve aldermen, two ftieriffs, feventy-two com- 

 mon-council-men, and fix chamberlains. What is ftyled the 

 privy-council, or the upper houfe, confifts of the lord-mayor, 

 aldermen, and ftieriffs, together with thofe citizens who have 

 paffed the office of ftieriff. This body, whatever may be 

 its number, is ufually called the twenty-four. The mayor, 

 whofe office ceafes on the 3d of February, is chofen annu- 

 ally from thofe aldermen who have not borne that office 

 twice, nor within the fix preceding years ; and during his 

 mayoralty takes precedence of all perfons within his jurif- 

 ditlion. York was early diftinguiflied among the cities of 

 England : in the Domefday-book it appears to be exempted 

 from the payment of geld, except when the fame is paid by 

 London and Winchefter, and from paying reliefs. In 1396 

 king Richard appointed two ftieriffs, inftead of three bai- 

 liffs, for the government of the city, which was then confti- 

 tuted a county within itfelf. The earlieft charters of York 

 now preferved are, one granted in 1199, and another by 

 Henry III., who died in 1272 : but both recite preceding 

 charters of Richard I., Henry I., and Henry II. Repre- 

 fentatives in parliament for the city of York appear in the 

 fummons and returns of the 23d of Edward I. For the 

 parhament called to affemble at Shrewftiury, on the 30th of 

 September 1283, which was but the nth year of Edward, 

 two reprefentatives were fummoned from a number of cities 

 and towns, among which York ftands the fourth in order ; 

 thofe before it being London, Winchefter, and Newcaftle- 

 upon-Tyne. Under the jurifdiftion of the lord-mayor, 

 aldermen, and ftieriffs, befides the city, is a confiderable dif- 

 trift on the W. of the river Oufe, called the Ainftey, in 

 ancient writings, Ancitty ; but its origin and import are 

 now unknown. This traft was once a hundred or wapen- 

 take of the Weft Riding of Yorkftiire ; but in the 27th 



year 



I 



