CHE 
county of Durham, through which runs the great 
polt-road from London to Edinburgh, fix miles north 
from the city of Durham, and nine miles fouth 
from Newcaltle-upon-Tyne. It is pleafantly fitruated in 
a valley, upon the well tide of the river Wear. It de¬ 
rives much benefit from the great number of coal-mines 
carried on in its neighbourhood. The town confills of 
only one llreet, about three quarters of a mile long, 
running nearly north and fouth. Camden informs us, 
that it was a Roman Ration, and the firft wing of the 
Allures lay there in garrifon. It was. called Chejler on the 
Street, from its being on the Roman caufeway. The 
Saxons called it Concejlcr, or Conkchejier, from a rivulet 
called Cone, which runs through the north end of it, 
over which is a fmall itone bridge of three arches, no¬ 
ticed by Leland in his Itinerary. In the year 882, Ear- 
dulph, bilhop of Lindisfarn, or Holy Ifland, fled to this 
place with his clergy and the remains of St. Cuthbert, 
as a place of fafety from the cruelty of the Danes, who 
had pillaged Holy Ifland, and were carrying all before 
them with fire and fword. After railing a church of 
wood, the fee was fixed here, which continued for 113 
years, in a fucceflion of eight bifhops : and from hence 
it was removed in 995, by Aldhunus the lall bilhop, to 
Durham. Egelrick, the fourth bilhop, took down this 
church of wood and railed one of Hone 5 in digging the 
foundation of which, he found fuch a large fum of mo¬ 
ney (buried, as was fuppofed, by the Romans), that he 
gave up the bilhopric, and returned to the monallery of 
Peterborough, where he had been abbot. The church 
•was dedicated to St. Mary and St. Cuthbert, and was a 
redlory till 1286, when Anthony Beck, then bifhop of 
Durham, made it a collegiate church, with a dean, feven 
prebendaries, five chaplains, three deacons, and other 
minifters. The church, though low, is well built, and 
the infide is very neat. In the north aifle, is a very fine 
arrangement of monuments of the ancient and noble fa¬ 
mily of the Lumleys, beginning at Liulphus in the time 
of the Conqueror, down to the reign of queen Elizabeth, 
eredled, by John lord Lumley, in 1595. There is a fine 
fpire on this church, fuppofed to be the neatell in the 
north of England. 
About a mile eall, on the oppofite fide of the Wear, on a 
moll delightful riling ground, Hands Lumley Callle, the 
ancient feat of the Lumleys, but now of the right hon¬ 
ourable lord Scarborough. An anecdote of James I. has 
been handed down here with much pleafantry, and is re¬ 
garded as authentic. The king, with the bifhop of Dur¬ 
ham, paid a vifit to lord Lumley, 'at this callle, when 
his lordlhip entertained his majelly with Ihewing him a 
very beautiful, long, and uninterrupted, pedigree of his 
family. The king, wearied with its length, defired his 
lordlhip to allow him to digelt what knowledge he had 
got j “ for by my faul (exclaims his majelly) I did na ken 
that Adam’s name was Lumley.” 
CHES'TER RIDGE, a mountain of United America, 
in the ftate of Pennfylvania, in which iron and lead ores 
are found: 140 miles weft-north-well of Philadelphia. 
CHES'TERFIELD, the chief town in the beautiful 
and fertile vale of Scarfdale, and the fecond confiderable 
town in the county of Derby, is pleafantly fituated be¬ 
tween two rivulets, the Hyper and Rotlier, in a prolific 
foil. The Saxon name of Chejler proves it to be a place 
of antiquity. It contains, in the town and neighbour¬ 
hood immediately adjoining, near 1000 houfes and about 
50co inhabitants, and is a very flourilhing and increafing 
place. It has a filk and a cotton-mill, a manufadtory of 
worked and cotton llockings, carpets, &c. Ten potteries 
are eflablifhed here ; and near the town are large iron 
foundries, the ore and coal for which are dug in the 
neighbourhood. Large quantities of lead are fent from 
Cheiterfield by the new canal, cut from this place to the 
river Trent, which it joins below Gainlborough. This 
conveyance alio lerves for the iron and other heavy 
CHE 4 r 9 
goods; much corn, groceries, &c. are alfo brought up, 
to the great benefit of the town and neighbourhood. 
Cheiterfield was formerly an ancient demefne belong¬ 
ing to the crown. King John made it a free borough, 
and in the 6th year of his reign gave it his great favourite, ' 
William Biiever; he likewile granted it the lame privi¬ 
leges as were enjoyed by the towns of Nottingham and 
Derby. By his charter he eftsblilhed a fair during eight 
days, beginning a^the Exaltation of the Holy Croi's; and 
two weekly markets, on Tuefdays and Saturdays, the 
former of which has been long dilcontinued. In the year 
1294, a guild; of merchants was granted to the town, 
with all privileges appertaining thereto, and it was go¬ 
verned by an alderman and twelve brethren, until the 
reign ol Queen Elizabeth, who firft incorporated it under 
the name of the mayor, fix aldermen, fix brethren, and 
twelve capital burgeffes, who are alllfted by a town- 
clerk. It gives title of earl to the family of Stanhope. 
The church is a large handfome ftru&ure, with eight 
bells, built in the form of a cathedral, and dedicated to 
All Saints. The fpire, which rifes to the height of 230 
feet, is covered with lead ; and, by its extraordinary ap¬ 
pearance, (for, on whatever fide you view it, it appears 
not only twilled, but to lean,) furprizes every lpedlator. 
The free-fehool was founded in the reign of queen 
Elizabeth, and was formerly one of the largeft in the 
north of England. The mailer and ulher are both cler 
gymen. Here are feveral alms-houfes ; fix iituated within 
the Saltern-gate, and five others fituated in the church¬ 
yard.. 
Cheiterfield has more than once been vifited by that 
dreadful calamity the plague. It began in October 1586, 
and was called the great plague, to diftinguilh it from a 
lefs fatal infection which broke out in 1608-9. That ve¬ 
nerable antiquary, Dr. Pegge, has given a particular ac¬ 
count of this ; and has traced the Roman road called the 
Iknild, or Rignell-llreet, to the very fuburbs of the town, 
He has alfo given a particular account of the battle fought 
at Chefterfield in the reign of Henry III. in 1266, and 
publilhed feveral antiquities of the neighbourhood, which 
may be feen in the Archasologia. 
The market, which is on Saturdays, is large, and well 
fupplied with corn, provifions, &c. and the fairs are on 
January 27* February 28, the firft Saturday in April, 
May 4, July 4, September 25, N and November 25. Chef¬ 
terfield is diilant from Sheffield twelve miles, Derby 
twenty-fix, Buxton twenty-three, and 149 from London, 
Hardwick-Hall and Chatfworth, two noble feats be¬ 
longing to the duke of Devonlhire, are in the neighbour¬ 
hood of Chefterfield. 
Bolfover-Callle, the feat of the duke of Portland, is 
fix miles from this town; it Hands on a riling ground, 
and commands one of the finell profpefts in England, 
At the diftance of two miles, is Whittington, where the 
earl of Devonlhire, the earl of Danby, and their coad¬ 
jutors, uied to meet and confult on the means of bring¬ 
ing about the glorious revolution. The room called the 
plotting-parlour, and the chair in which the earl of De¬ 
vonlhire ufed to fit, is Hill to be feen. 
CHES'TERFIELD, a town of the American States, 
in Hamplhire county, Maffachulets, fourteen miles welt 
of Northampton. It contains, by the cenfus, 1183 inha¬ 
bitants. 
CHES'TERFIELD, a town cf the American States, in 
Chelhire county, New-Hamplhire, on the eall bank of 
Connecticut river, having Weftmoreland north and Hinf- 
dale fouth. It was incorporated in 175a, and contains 
1905 inhabitants. It lies about twenty-five miles fouth 
by weft of Charleftown, and 100 welt of Portfmouth. 
About the year 1730, the garrifon of fort Dummer was 
alarmed with frequent explofions and with columns of 
fire and fmoke emitted from Weft-river mountain, in this 
townlhip, and four miles diilant from that fort. The 
like appearances have been oblerved at various times 
fincej 
