Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/574

Rh LEICESTER. 566 LEICESTER. is only surpassed by five other counties. The chief articles of manufacture are woollen and cotton stockings, which are made principally at Leicester, Lutterworth, Hinckley, Loughborough, Shepeshead, and Seleby. Lace is also manufactured at the two first-mentioned towns. Market Harborough possesses worsted and carpet mills. Other articles, which are less extensively manufactured, are gloves, needles, pottery, fire-brick, and agricultural implements. There are also some iron foundries. Of the antiquities in this county, .the Roman roads and stations have already been mentioned, but besides these there are tumuli of Roman or British erection at Shipley, Syston, Gilmarton, and Medbourne. A little to the S. of Leicester there are two parallel embankments, known as the " Raw Dykes," extending for rather more than a quarter cf a mile, and about 16 yards apart. It has been supposed that they formed a British racecourse, but the fact is not certain. There are remains of abbeys at Leicester, Garendon, Croxton, and Owston, and of nunneries at Graeedieu and Ulvercroft. The church at Lutterworth is interesting, as possessing the pulpit from which Wickliffe preached. The churches of Horming- hold, Hallaton, and Melton Mowbray, are also of great antiquity, as is that of Bottesworth, where are the tombs of several of the Manners family. The only ancient castles of which any remains exist are those at Ashby ; Kirkby Muxloe, which belonged to the Hastings family ; Bradgate, whore Lady Jane Grey was born ; Donington, formerly the property of the Despencers^; and Groby. Frisby and Hallaton possess old market crosses. The chief seats of the nobility and gentry are Belvoir Castle, the Duke of Rutland ; Donington, Marquis of Hastings ; Stapleford, Earl Harborough ; Staunton Harold, Earl Ferrers ; Melton Mowbray, Earl Wilton ; Sysonby, Earl Bcssborough ; Bradgate, Earl Stamford ; Gopsall, Earl Howe ; Buckminster, Lord Huntingtower ; Market Bosworth, Dixie, Bart. ; Carlton Curlieu, Palmer, Bart. ; Coleorton, Beaumont, Bart. ; Great Glen, Robinson, Bart. ; Kirkby Belers, Burdett, Bart. ; Noseley, Haselrigge, Bart. ; Lowesby, Fowke, Bart. ; Skeffington, Skeffington, Bart. ; RoecliSe, Hey- gate, Bart. ; Wanlip, Palmer, Bart. ; Wistow, Halford, Bart. ; Austey, Martin ; Barkby, Pochin ; Beaumanor, Herrick ; Husband's Bosworth, Turville ; Braunston, Winstanley ; Brooksby, Wyndham ; Burleigh, Tatc ; Burton, Mundy ; Little Dalby, Hartop ; Enderby, Smith; Evington, Colmar ; Gaddesby, Cheney ; Garen- don, Phillips ; Kirby Frith, Pares ; Langley Priory, Cheslyn ; Laund Abbey, Dawson ; Lindley, Homing ; Lodington, Humfrcy ; Misterton, Franks ; Nether Seal, Gresley ; East Norton, Heycock ; The Oaks, Grundy ; Osbaston, Cope ; Overton, Turner ; Prestwould, Packe ; Quenby, Ashby ; Quorndon, Farnham ; Ravenstone, Creswell ; Rollestone, Greeve ; Rothley Temple, Babing- ton ; Shenton, Wollaston ; Stoughton, Keck ; Withcote, Palm; and Whaplode, Boulton. The chief line of railway in Leicestershire is the Midland, which enters the county to the W. of Lutterworth, and passes Leicester, Syston, Barrow-upon-Soar, Loughborough, and Nonnanton, on its way to the N. A branch line from Rugby to Peterborough passes along the south- eastern border, and has a station at Market Harborough, whence there is another line joining the main line about 3 miles S. of Leicester. The Leicester and Swannington" line passes through Kirkby Muxloe, Swannington, and Ashby-dc-la-Zouch, on its way to Burton-upon-Trent. The Syston and Peterborough leaves the main line at the former place, and, after passing Frisby and Melton Mowbray, turns southward through Rutlandshire, and unites with the Rugby and Peterborough line at North Luffenham. The line between Nottingham and Gran- tham passes through the projecting north-eastern corner of the county. The canals are the Leicestershire navigation, from Loughborough to Leicester, which is partly artificial, and partly the river Soar ; the Leicester and Melton Mowbray, which joins the above near Syston, and follows the course of the Wreko (from Melton it runs to Oakham under the name of the Oakham canal) ; the Leicestershire and Northampton- shire Union, from Aylstone to Foxtone, whence there is a Cut to Market Harborough, while the main canal continues southward, past Husband's Bosworth, under the name of the Grand Union canal ; and the Ashby- de-la-Zouch canal, from the Ashby and Moira collieries to near Nuneaton. There is also a small canal, which crosses Charnwood Forest. The roads and distances from Leicester are to Syston, 5 miles ; Melton Mow- bray, 15 miles ; Oakham, 25 miles ; Croxton Park, 21 miles ; Belvoir, 25 miles ; and Grantham, 31 miles : to Kibworth Harcourt, 8 miles ; Market Harborough, 14 miles ; and to Northampton, 29 miles : to Blaby, 4 miles; Lutterworth, 13 miles; and Rugby, 21 miles: to Lei- cester Forest, 5 miles ; Hinckley, 12 miles ; Market Bosworth, 12 miles; and Gopsall, 16 miles: to Brad- gate Park, 5 miles ; Bardon Hill, 10 miles ; Ashby, 17 miles ; and Burton, 25 miles : to Mount Sorrel, 7 miles ; Nottingham, 15 miles ; Loughborough, 12 miles ; Keg- worth, 18 miles ; Castle Donington, 20 miles ; and Derby, 28 miles. LEICESTER, the county town of Leicestershire, a municipal and parliamentary borough, with separate jurisdiction, a market and assize town, and the scat of ft Poor-law Union, is situated in Guthlaxton and Gartrce hunds., in 52 38' N. lat., and 1 8' W. long. It distant from London 97 miles by road, and 102| by Midland railway. The town stands on the E. bank the river Soar, and is surrounded by meadow land and spacious parks. Leicester has existed as a town from the earliest periods of English history. By the Britons the place was called Caer Loidcot, and is said to have been founded by King Lear, about 800 B.C. At the time of the Roman invasion it was the capital of the tribe Coritani, but was taken from them by the Romans, and used as a station on the Via Devana and the Fosse Way, both of which pass it. Many relics of Roman cccupa-' tion, as tesselated pavement, coins, arms, &c., hava been discovered in the town, and about 2 miles to the N. of it, on the Fosse Way, a curious cylindrical mile- stone of the time of Adrian was dug up. This has now- been fixed on a pedestal at the Belgrave Gate. Founi tions have also been discovered near St. Nicholas chur which are supposed to have belonged to a temple Janus. The Latin name of the town was Jlattc. U: the Saxon rule Leicester at first belonged to Mi under the name of Lcgraccustcr, and was made a bisho; in 680, but was subsequently annexed to Northum by Ethelfrith. In S8G it was taken by the Danes, occupied by them at intervals till the reign of Edm Ironsides, who finally drove them from this part of country in 1016. During the tenth and elov< centuries the town increased rapidly. A mint instituted by Athclstan, and continued in operation the reign of Henry II. Domesday Book menti it as Ledccester, stating that it possessed six chi and was held by Hugh de Grentemaisnel. castle was made part of the royal demesne, and siderably strengthened by William I. At his death Grentemaisnels held the castle for his son Robert, were attacked by William II., who destroyed the f< fications, which were rebuilt by Henry I., and a passing successively through the hands of Robert Bellomonte, first Eail of Leicester, Robert de liossu, founder of St. Mary's Abbey, 1143, the Montfort family, and John of Gaunt, the old castle was taken down in 1633 to repair the castle house. The Lai: princes frequently used Leicester as a royal n and parliaments were held there in 1414, 11 1450. The army of Richard III. were quart c: previous to the battle of Bosworth. The king slept at the "Blue Boar Inn," and the bedstead which he used is still preserved at Rotheley Temple. The abbey e St. Mary de Pratis, mentioned above, is the place of Cardinal Wolsey's death, but it is now merely a heap of ruins. Charles I. stormed the town in 1645, but it was taken again by Fairfax the san The principal streets of the town are wide and well- paved, and both the dwelling-houses and shops are c modern building, and chiefly constructed of red brick.