The shire court for Yorkshire was held at York, but extensive privileges were enjoyed at various times by the great landowners. In the i3th century the diocese of York included in this county the archdeaconries of York, Cleveland, East Riding and Rich mond. In 1541 the deaneries of Richmond were transferred to Henry VIII.'s new diocese of Chester. Ripon was created an episcopal see by act of parliament in 1836, and the deaneries of Craven and Pontefract were formed into the archdeaconry of Craven within its jurisdiction, together with the archdeaconry of Richmond. The archdeaconry of Sheffield was created in 1884. In 1888 the area of the diocese of Ripon was reduced by the creation of the see of Wakefield, including the archdeaconry of Halifax and the archdeaconry of Huddersfield. The diocese of Ripon now includes in this county the archdeaconries of Craven, Richmond and Ripon. The diocese of York includes the arch deaconries of York, East Riding and Cleveland. Between 1913 and 1919 the bishoprics of Sheffield and Bradford were created.
The woollen industry began after the Conquest, and historical details may be found under LEEDS, BRADFORD, etc. The time of the American War marked the gradual absorption by Yorkshire of the clothing trade from the eastern counties. Coal appears to have been used in Yorkshire by the Romans, and was dug at Leeds in the 13th century. The early fame of Sheffield as the centre of the cutlery and iron trade is demonstrated by a line in Chaucer. In the i3th century forges are mentioned at Rosedale and at Gisburn. In the i6th century limestone was dug in many parts of Elmet, and Huddlestone, Hesselwood and Tadcaster had famous quarries ; Pontefract was famous for its liquorice, Aber f ord for its pins, Whitby for its jet. Alum was dug at Guisborough, Sandsend, Dunsley and Whitby in the 17th century. Bolton market was an important distributive centre in the i 7th century, and in 1787 there were 1 i cotton mills in the county.
Architecture.--Of ancient castles Yorkshire retains many interesting examples. The fine ruins at Knaresborough, Pickering, Pontefract, Richmond, Scarborough and Skipton are described under their respective headings. Barden tower, picturesquely situated in upper Wharfedale, was built by Henry de Clifford (d. 1523). Bolton castle, which rises above Wensleydale, is a square building with towers, erected in the reign of Richard II. by Richard Scrope; it was rendered untenable in 1647. Of Bowes castle near Barnard castle, there remains only the square keep. Cawood castle, near Selby, retains its gateway tower erected in the reign of Henry VI. Conisborough castle stands by the Don between Rotherham and Doncaster. The ruins of Danby castle
are of various dates. Harewood castle in lower Wharfedale con tains no portions earlier than the reign of Edward III. The keep of Helmsley castle was built late in the 12th century. Other remains are :—The fortress of Middleham, Mulgraves castle, Ravensworth castle, Sheriff Hutton castle, Spofforth castle, Tick hill castle, Whorlton castle, the fortress of Wressell, the mansions Gilling, Ripley, Skelton and the Elizabethan hall of Burton Agnes.
In ecclesiastical architecture Yorkshire is extraordinarily rich. At the time of the Dissolution there were 28 abbeys, 26 priories, 23 nunneries, 3o friaries, 13 cells, four commanderies of Knights Hospitallers and 4 preceptories of Knights Templars. The prin cipal monastic ruins are described under separate headings and elsewhere. These are Bolton abbey (properly priory), a founda tion of Augustinian canons; Fountains abbey, a Cistercian founda tion, the finest and most complete of the ruined abbeys in Eng land; the Cistercian abbey of Kirkstall near Leeds (q.v.); the Cistercian abbey of Rievaulx, and the Benedictine abbey of St. Mary, at York. Separate reference is also made to the ruins of Jervaulz (Cistercian) and Coverham (Premonstratensian) in Wensleydale, and to the remains at Bridlington, Guisborough, Malton, Whitby, Easby near Richmond, Kirkham near Malton, Monk Bretton near Barnsley, and Mount Grace near North allerton. There are fine though scanty remains of Byland abbey, of Early English date, between Thirsk and Malton. There was a house of Premonstratensians at Egglestone above the Tees near Barnard castle. Other ruins are the Cistercian foundations at Meaux in Holderness, Roche, east of Rotherham, and Sawley in Ribblesdale; the Benedictine nunneries of Marrick, and Rose dale ; and the Gilbertine house of Watton in Holderness.
Agriculture and Manufactures.—Nearly nine-tenths of the East Riding is under cultivation, but of the North and West Rid ings only about three-fifths. The boulder-clay of Holderness forms the richest soil in Yorkshire, and the chalk wolds, by careful cul tivation, form one of the best soils for grain crops. The central plains bear all kinds of crops excellently. Wheat is grown in the East and West Ridings, but oats are the principal crop in these ridings, whilst barley exceeds wheat in the East and North. The bulk of the acreage under green crops is devoted to turnips and swedes but potatoes form an important crop, especially in the West Riding. Liquorice is cultivated near Pontefract. The propor tion of hill pasture is greatest in the North Riding and least in the East, and the North and West are amongst the principal sheep farming districts in England.