BARNSLEY (BLACK or properly BLEAK BARNSLEY), parlia mentary and county borough, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, 15m. N. of Sheffield. Pop. (1891) (1921) 53,661; of the extended county borough (census of 1931) 71,522. It is served by the L.M.S. and L.N.E. railways, and situated on rising ground west of the river Dearne and in the old parish of Silkstone, which has become an important local name. In Domesday Ilbert de Lacy held Barnsley by gift of William the Conqueror as part of the honour of Pontefract, and the overlordship remained in his family until the reign of Stephen, when it was granted by Henry de Lacy to the monks of Pontefract. Henry III. granted the prior and convent of Pontefract a market every Wednesday at Barnsley, and a fair on the vigil and feast of St. Michael and two following days, and Henry VIII. granted them a new fair on the day of the Conversion of St. Paul and two following days. The monastery evidently also held another fair there called St. Ellen's fair, for in 1583 Queen Elizabeth granted this fair and St. Paul's fair and the market "lately belonging to the dissolved monastery of Ponte fract" to one Henry Burdett and his sons. Before 1744 the chief industry had been wire-drawing, but this trade began to decrease about the end of the 18th century just as the linen trade was becoming important. With the development of the coalfield in the vicinity the importance of Barnsley grew enormously. The coal was used locally in textile mills and much exported, with coke, to London. The majority of workers in Barnsley are still em ployed in the coal mines. Iron, steel, and glass are important sub sidiary industries, and there are also bleachfields, printfields and sawmills. The town has connections with the Aire and Calder Navigation system of canals. The parish church of St. Mary was built in 1821 on an early site; the free grammar-school dates from 1665, and a philosophical society was founded in 1828. The park was presented in 1862 by the widow of Joseph Locke, M.P. Near the town is Monk Bretton Priory, a Cluniac foundation of 1157 retaining a Perpendicular gatehouse, some Decorated domestic remains, and fragments of the church. Barnsley was incorporated in 1869 and made a county borough in 1913. It is governed by a mayor and council of 36 members. Since 1918 Barnsley together with some outlying urban districts has returned one member to parliament. Area of county borough (1920 2,385 acres, of ter extension (19 24) 6,032 acres.