defended against Lord Fairfax; and though at last compelled to surrender, it was on the most honourable terms that the garrison laid down their arms. castle, as we Sheffield Sheffield also appears to have had its learn from a history of that town, which says, "When the De Lovetot's family were lords of the manor, the town of Sheffield was of no great extent; a few straggling huts and smithies, forming an irregular street, extending from the castle and bridge to the Church-gate," &c. Again, "In the reign of Henry III., about 1276, the then baron obtained permission to convert the manor-house into a strong and embattled castle, the old castle having gone so much to decay as to be unfit for repairing." At that place, in his misfortune, Cardinal Wolsey, archbishop of York, was confined sixteen days, and within a week after leaving it he died in the abbey at Leicester, having reached it late at night, on the third day of his journeying from Sheffield castle. In the reign of Elizabeth, Sheffield castle and manor-house were again devoted to the detention of a state prisoner, in the person of the unfortunate Mary Queen of Scots, who remained there about twelve years. In less than three years after quitting it, she was beheaded at Fotheringay castle, in 1587. There was also a castle (or palace, as it was sometimes called) at Cawood, about seven miles from York, the residence of the once highly favoured, but subsequently disgraced and traduced Cardinal Wolsey. It is related of this celebrated man that once, when on his way from Scrooby to Cawood castle, he stopped two nights and a day at St. Oswald's abbey, where he confirmed the children of the vicinity in the church, from eight in the morning until noon, and then, so intent was he on his holy work, that, after a hasty dinner, he began again and continued until at length he became so exhausted that he found it necessary to call for a chair; yet he would not desist, but proceeded until six in the evening before he could complete the duty, so many applicants were there at that day for the benefit of the holy rite. On the ensuing day, whilst travelling towards Cawood, he stopped at every church on his way, confirming Castle. Cardinal Wolsey at Castle. Sandal Castle. Scarbro' Richmond nearly one hundred children on that day alone, even before he reached Ferrybridge, where, on an extensive plain, round a great stone cross, about a quarter of a mile from the town, there were assembled upwards of five hundred children for confirmation. The cardinal immediately alighted, and confirmed them all before he would leave the place, so that he did not arrive at Cawood castle until a late hour. Sandal Castle, which is said to have been built by John Earl of Warren and Surrey, in order to secure to himself the beautiful and meretricious countess of Lancaster, Isabel Fitz-Hugh, wife to Thomas Earl of Lancaster, was assigned, in the year 1333, to Baliol King of Scotland, by Edward III., as the place of his residence, until he had got ready a fleet and army, to be employed in restoring Balio to that throne from which Robert Bruce had driven him. There the exiled monarch of Scotland resided with the countess of Vesay, in that peaceful serenity seldom witnessed in the precincts of a court, during the six months in which Edward was preparing for the expedition, the result of which proved fatal to the unfortunate Baliol, who perished in the field of carnage contending for a crown. This castle was used as the court-house or manor-house of the extensive see of York, from its first erection to its demolition. There the Saviles, of Thornhill, in whom the office of steward was almost hereditary, occasionally resided to transact the business of the court. The manor-house, near which is the moot-hall, where the courts are held, is now in Wakefield, opposite the church, and forms a very humble successor to Sandal castle. Scarborough Castle stands upon a rock of stupendous height and magnitude, close on the verge of the sea. It was built in the reign of king Stephen. Edward II. took refuge in that castle, which, in his time, was esteemed the strongest in the kingdom. Richmond Castle was built by Alan, Earl of Bretagne, nephew of William the Conqueror. The site and surrounding lands were given him, as a reward for his services, after the battle of Hastings. The ruins of many parts of it yet remain. York Castle taken down in 1701 and re-built. But the castle which, of all others situated in this great York Castle. county, demands attention, is that of York, now the County Gaol, which stands about two hundred yards distant from the eastern bank of the Ouse, and close to the river Foss, which runs near it in a deep moat, rendering it inaccessible, except from the city on the north side. York had a castle prior to the Norman Conquest, which Drake, in his Eboracum, supposes to have been the Old Baile, on the opposite side of the Ouse. The same author supposes the castle on the present site to have been built by William the Conqueror, but probably on a Roman foundation. Having fallen into decay, it was rebuilt in the reign of Richard III. After it was no longer used as a fortress, it was converted into a county prison. It was taken down in the year 1701, and in its stead a structure was erected which, at the beginning of the present century, was considered to form one of the best regulated and most commodious prisons in the kingdom. In 1821 it was, however, presented for insufficiency, by the grand jury at the Lent Assizes; and this presentment was repeated at each succeeding assizes, until at length a resolution was passed, in the year 1824, that a competition of architects should be invited in order to procure the best plan for effecting the improvements proposed. Mr. Robinson, of London, was the successful competitor, and under his direction and superintendence the works were commenced in 1826. Enlarged in The peculiarity of the plan is, that the governors and turnkeys can pass unseen from the centre to any part of the prison, through secret passages in each of the buildings connected with a corridor of inspection, which surrounds and connects the whole. From these passages every thing that passes within the prison can be seen, and the governor and his assistants can always have their eyes upon the prisoners. The entrance gatehouse is flanked by circular towers of great strength, and extends seventy feet in front by forty-six in length. The prison is fireproof, the structure being entirely of stone. feet thick below, and three feet above, and the stone-floors extend from wall to wall. Each cell in the prison is covered with a single piece of stone, five inches thick, and they are divided The walls are five 1826. Diocese of Ripon created. Extent of the County. laterally by single stones nine inches thick. The doors are of wrought iron, and three guards are placed in each aperture in the thickness of the wall. The boundary wall surrounding the new prison, the old debtor's prison, and the court-house, is thirty-five feet in height above the ground, with towers at intervals to strengthen it. This wall is 1,350 feet in length, and is in itself a specimen of very superior workmanship. York Castle may be considered the strongest prison in England. The criminal side has accommodation for 160 prisoners, divided into eight classes of twenty cells. The airing courts are divided by walls of twenty feet in height. The whole building is well supplied with water, and efficiently ventilated. A short distance within the gateway there is a large mound, thrown up with prodigious labour, and surrounded with a strong stone wall. It appears to be elevated at least ninety feet above the level of the Ouse, and thirty feet above the site of the castle, and the adjacent parts of the city. On the summit of this mound stands an ancient tower, called Clifford's Tower, and according to tradition, one of that family was its first governor, after it had been built by William the Conqueror. Within that tower is a well of excellent water. There also was a dungeon so dark as not to admit the least ray of light. The diocese of Ripon, in the province of York, was created in 1836, from the extensive dioceses of York and Chester, and comprises more than one-half of the West Riding, extending over the liberty of Richmondshire in the North Riding. Yorkshire embraces several districts that are in some measure distinct counties, viz. Hallamshire, Holderness, Richmondshire, Craven, and Cleveland, the whole forming by far the largest county in England, being 130 miles long, 90 broad, and 460 in circumference, and containing 5,490 square miles. HISTORIC SKETCH OF THE CITY OF YORK. York, the ancient ca pital of the north. No CITY in the United Kingdom can present to the reflective mind so great a variety of wonderful events, or exhibit so many relics of former ages, as that of York, the ancient capital of the north, and the second city in the British empire. It is situated nearly in the centre of the island, at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss, at the distance of 198 miles from London, 24 from Leeds, 68 from Manchester, and 204 from Edinburgh. It stands in one of the richest vales in Europe. The antiquity of Its antiquity. York is almost beyond the limit of calculation; and the etymology of its name, like that of other ancient towns, is altogether conjectural. But its existence may be traced to a higher date than the days of Agricola, who in the year 79, having completed the conquest of the Brigantes, preferred the situation of York to that of Iseur, then the capital of the kingdom, which laid the foundation of its future greatness. In many respects York symbolizes Rome, though in miniature. It possessed an imperial palace and a tribunal. It had the like magistracy, and was governed by a similar mixture of civil and military authority. Little is known of York for many years after the Conquest by Agricola; but in the year 150, according to the itinerary of Antoninus, York was one of the greatest and most considerable stations in the province. Under the government of Marcus Aurelius, the British king Lucius, embraced Christianity, being the first crowned head in the world who became a convert to that religion. |