Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 24.djvu/799

Rh COUNTY.] YORK 749 ing Alan of Brittany, who held Richmond Castle, Ilbort de Lacy, and William de Percy. The district was at this period frequently invaded by the Scots. In 1138 David of Scotland laid waste the country to the gates of York ; but he was completely defeated by the English on 22d August of that year in the battle of the Standard at Northallerton. In 1312 Thomas Plantagenet, earl of Lancaster, raised an insurrection in Yorkshire against Gaveston, the favourite of Edward II., whom he captured in Scarborough and beheaded at Warwick on 19th June. The earl again in 1322 headed a party against the Despensers, but on 16th March was defeated and captured at Boroughbridge, and on 22d was beheaded at Pontefract. During the Wars of the Roses the county was the scene of frequent conflicts, including the battle of Wakefield (31st December 1460), in which Richard, duke of York, was defeated by Queen Margaret and slain, and the battle of Towton (29th March 1461), in which Edward IV. defeated Henry VI. In 1536 the county was the scene of the insurrection under Robert Aske, known as the &quot;Pilgrimage of Grace,&quot; caused by the dissolution of the monasteries. In 1569 a rising took place in Yorkshire under the earls of Westmorland and Northumberland in behalf of Mary Queen of Scots. During the Civil War the county was chiefly Royalist, although some of the most famous Parliamentary officers were Yorkshiremen, the more noted being Fairfax and Lambert. Bradford, Hull, Scarborough, Pontefract, and York sustained long sieges ; and on 2d July 1644 the great and decisive battle of the war occurred at Marston Moor. The annals of the county are destitute of further incidents of special historic importance. Lncient Of ancient strongholds or castles Yorkshire has still many inter- astles. esting examples in a more or less complete condition, including Barden Tower, built in the reign of Henry VII. by Henry Clifford, &quot;the shepherd lord,&quot; which has been in ruins since 1774 ; Bolton Castle, pronounced by Leland &quot;the fairest in Richmondshire,&quot; a square building with towers at the corners, erected in the reign of Richard II. by Richard Scrope, chancellor of England, occupied by Queen Mary while under the charge of Lord Scrope, besieged during the Civil War, and rendered untenable in 1647 ; the square tower or keep of Bowes Castle, supposed to have been built by Alan Niger, first earl of Richmond ; the gateway tower (erected in the reign of Henry VI.) of Cawood Castle, said to have been originally built by King Athelstan in 920 ; the keep and various portions of the walls of the extensive fortress of Conisbrough, of uncertain origin, but probably dating from Saxon times ; the remains of Dauby Castle, said to have been built shortly after the Conquest by Robert de Bruce ; Harewood, of great extent, originally founded soon after the Conquest, but now containing no portions earlier than the reign of Edward III. ; the keep, in the Early English style, and other remains of Helmsley, built in the 12th century by Robert de Roossurnamed Fursan ; detached portions, including the principal tower, of Knares- borough, probably dating originally from Norman times ; the pictur esque remains of the quadrangular fortress of Middleham, built soon after the Conquest by Robert FitzRanulph, afterwards possessed by the Nevilles, and rendered untenable by order of Parliament in 1647 ; the ruins of the ancient stronghold of Mulgrave, said to have been originally founded two centuries before the Conquest by a Saxon giant named Wade or Wada, dismantled after the Civil AVar ; the extensive remains including Rosamond s Tower, associated with the misfortunes of Fair Rosamond, the mistress of Henry II. of Pickering Castle, of unknown date, dismantled after the Civil War ; the ruins of Pontefract, formerly one of the most important fortresses of the kingdom, built by Ilbcrt de Lacy about 1080 ; a few remains of Ravensworth Castle, dating from before the Conquest ; the keep and other remains of the great Norman fortress of Rich mond, founded about 1070 by Alan Rufus of Brittany; the tower of Ripley, built in 1555 by Sir William Ingilby, included in the modern mansion ; slight remains of the fortress of Sandal, erected in 1320 by John, eighth earl of Warren ; the great tower, in the Roman style, and other remains of the extensive fortress of Scar borough, founded by William le Gros in 1136 ; the detached ruins of Sheriff Hntton, founded by Bertram de Buhner in the reign of Stephen ; slight remains of the ancient Skelton Castle ; Skipton Castle, of various dates, but originally Norman ; Slingsby Castle, originally built probably soon after the Conquest ; the ruins of Spoftbrth, originally erected by Henry de Percy in 1309 ; the founda tions of the keep and some fragments of the walls of Tickhill, built or enlarged by Roger de Busli in the llth century ; the remains of Whorlton, dating from the time of Richard II. ; and one side of the great quadrangular castle of Wressell, built by Thomas Percy, earl of Worcester, in the reign of Richard II. Ecelesi- At the time of the dissolution of the monasteries Yorkshire astical possessed 28 abbeys, 26 priories, 23 nunneries, 30 friaries, 13 cells, strue- 4 commanderies of Knights Hospitallers, and 4 preceptories of the tures. Knights Templars. The principal monastic ruins still existing are St Mary s, York (see YORK) ; Bolton Priory, generally called Bolton Abbey, one of the most romantically situated ruins in the kingdom, originally founded at Kmbsay, two miles distant, by William de .Meschines for Augustiniun canons, removed to its present situation by his daughter Alice over against the spot where her only son perished in the Wharfe ; the church and other ruins in the Early English style of Byland Abbey, founded for Cistercian monks in the 12th century ; the picturesque ruins of Easby near Richmond, containing interesting examples of Norman and Early English, founded in 1152 for Prsernonstratensians by Ronaldus, constable of Richmond Castle ; Egglestone on the Tees, founded in the 12th century for Prsemonstratensians ; Fountains Abbey, one of the finest and most complete among the monastic ruins of the kingdom, ex hibiting fine specimens of various styles of architecture from Norman to Perpendicular, founded in 1132 for certain monks of the Benedic tine abbey of St Mary s, York, who had adopted the Cistercian rule ; the eastern end of the church of Guisbrough Priory in the Pointed style, founded in 1119 by Robert de Bruce, the burial-place of many illustrious nobles ; the picturesque ruins of Jervaulx, exhibiting examples of Norman and Early English, founded in 1156 for Cis tercian monks by Conan, fifth earl of Richmond ; the gateway and other remains of Kirkham, founded in 1121 by Walter 1 Espec ; the beautiful ruins of Kirkstall, exhibiting remarkably fine examples of Norman, founded in 1152 by Henry de Lacy for Cistercian monks from Fountains Abbey ; the church, refectory, and other remains, in the Early English style with some traces of Norman, of Rievaulx Abbey, founded in 1131 by Walter 1 Espec. There are other monastic remains of less importance at Bridlington, Coverham, Marrick, Meaux, Monk Bretton, Mount Grace, Old Malton, Roche, Rosedale, Sawley, Selby, Watton, and Whitby. In respect of church architecture Yorkshire excels any other county in the kingdom for variety of style, and the size and importance of many of the buildings. Space forbids entrance into minute details ; but it may be mentioned here that, in addition to the cathedral churches of York, Ripon, and Beverley, there are several other churches on a very large scale, including St Mary s, Beverley, chiefly Perpendicular, very elaborate in style, originally built by Archbishop Thurstan in the 12th century ; the parish church of Bradford, a very fine ex ample of Decorated ; the priory church of Bridlington, containing fine examples of Norman, Early English, and Perpendicular ; Halifax parish church, chiefly of the 15th century ; St Augustine s church, Hedon, Early English, Decorated, and Perpendicular, with some transition Norman ; Howden, one of the finest in Yorkshire, chiefly 13th century with later additions ; Holy Trinity, Hull, one of the largest parish churches in England, of the 13th century, chiefly Early English and Perpendicular ; St Mary s, Masham, dating from Saxon times and having a fine Norman tower ; St Patrick s, Patrington, in the Decorated style, with a remarkably graceful spire, 189 feet in height; All Saints, Rotherham, a beautiful cruciform building, described by Rickman as &quot; one of the finest Perpendicular churches of the north&quot;; the abbey church, Selby, containing fine specimens of Norman, Early English, and Decorated ; the parish church, Sheffield, chiefly Perpendicular ; St Mary s, Thirsk, said to have been built out of the ruins of the old castle, chiefly Perpendi cular ; and Wakefield parish church, chiefly of the latter part of the 15th century, with a spire 250 feet in height, rebuilt in 1860-61. The bibliography of Yorkshire is very extensive. For histories of the several towns and districts reference may be made to Anderson s English Topography. The chief works relating to Yorkshire as a whole are Leland s Itinerary ; Allen s History of Yorkshire, 3 vols., 1828-31; Baines s Yorkshire Past and Present, 4 vols., 1871-77; and Smith s Old Yorkshire, 5 vols., 1881-84. Among numerous works on the geology, reference may be made to Phillips s Geology of the York shire Coast, 3d ed., 1875 ; Davis and Lees, West Yorkshire, 1878 ; Bird s Sketch of the Geology of Yorkshire, 1881 ; and Simpson s Fossils of Yorkshire, 1884. In the publications of the Surtees Society there are many volumes of genealogical or antiquarian interest relating to the county, and in Journ. Yorks. Arch. Soc. many valuable topographical and historical papers. See also Lefroy s Ruined Abbeys of Yorks., 1883, and Buhner s Arch. Studies in Yorks., 1887. (T. F. H.) YORK, a cathedral city and archbishop s see, the county town of Yorkshire, a county in itself, and a municipal and parliamentary borough, is situated on the river Ouse at its junction with the Foss, and on the main joint line of the North Eastern and Great Northern Railways, 188 miles north of London. The surrounding country is flat, but the plain of York is one of the richest and most fertile districts in England. While the special feature of York is the cathedral, the city generally has an antique appear ance, with narrow picturesque streets, the remains of ancient walls, and many churches and other buildings of consider able architectural interest. The Ouse is crossed by three bridges for general traffic, the Ouse bridge, of three elliptical arches, erected 1810-20 where a bridge had stood from time immemorial ; Lenclal bridge, opened in 1863, a handsome structure of iron, consisting of a single arch 175 feet in span ; and Skeldergate bridge, 1880, constructed of iron resting on stone piers. The Foss is crossed by five bridges. Of the old Roman city there are some remains of the fortifications, including ten sides of a thirteen-sided building called the multangular tower, occupying one of