Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VI.djvu/338

 330 DURHAM DttRINGSFELD to the close of the 14th century. The Galilee chapel at its W. end, built by Bishop Pudsey in the 12th century, contains the remains of the Venerable Bede ; those of St. Cuthbert, patron of the church, rest in the chapel of the nine altars. The old church of St. Nicholas, part- ly repaired and partly rebuilt in 1858, is one of the finest specimens of modern church ar- chitecture in the north of England. Opposite the cathedral stands the castle, founded by William the Conqueror for the purpose of maintaining the royal authority in the adjoin- ing districts and protecting the country from the inroads of the Scots. Many additions have been made to it, and it is doubtful whether any part of the original keep, except the founda- tion, now remains. For many years it was the residence of the bishop, but of late it has Durham Cathedral, north Bide. been given up to the uses of the university. The see of Durham was long the richest in England, and for the three years ending with 1831 the average annual net revenue of the bishop was 19,066; but in 1836 his income was fixed at 8,000, the surplus being added to the incomes of poorer bishops. The open- ing of collieries and construction of railways has given a powerful impetus to the trade and population of Durham. It has manufacto- ries of carpeting and mustard. By the Great North of England railway it is connected with Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and by the Newcastle and Tyne railway with the W. coast. In the vicinity are Neville's Cross, erected by Lord Neville in commemoration of the defeat of David II. of Scotland in 1346, and the site of a Roman fortress, called the Maiden castle. DURHAM, John George Lambton, earl of, an English statesman, born at Lambton Castle, county of Durham, April 12, 1792, died at Cowes, Isle of Wight, July 28, 1840. He was educated at Eton, served a short time in a regiment of hussars, and was returned to parlia- ment in 1813, where he was one of the most liberal members of the whig party. During the reform excitement of 1819 he advocated the cause of the people, not only in parliament, but in public meetings. He was one of the defenders of Queen Caroline, and in 1821 pro- mulgated a scheme of parliamentary reform, which, though then unsuccessful, was em- bodied in the reform act ten years later. In 1826 his feeble health compelled him to relax his labors; he passed a year in Naples, and on his return was raised to the peerage as Baron Durham. He was lord privy seal in Earl Grey's ministry of 1830, and was one of the four who prepared the reform bill of the ensuing year, and the duty of defending this and the succeeding bills in the house of lords devolved upon him. In 1833 he retired from the cabinet, and was made an earl. In 1836-'7 he was ambassador to Russia. In 1838 he was sent with extraordinary powers as governor general to Canada, then in a state of rebellion; but returned in December, 1839, in consequence of a disagreement with the home ministry. He prepared an elaborate re- port on Canadian affairs, setting forth liberal principles of colonial government, and pro- posing the union of the two provinces. DURINGSFELD, Ida yon, a German authoress, born at Militsch, Lower Silesia, Nov. 12, 1815. She early became proficient in modern lan- guages and literature, and in music, and com- menced her literary career at the age of 15 by writing for a Breslau journal. Her first works