KENDAL, market town, municipal borough, Westmorland parliamentary division, England, 251 m. north-west of London on the L.M.S. railway. Pop. (1931) 15,575. The town, the full name of which is Kirkby-Kendal or Kirkby-in-Kendal, is the largest in the county. It is picturesquely placed on the river Kent, and is irregularly built. The white-walled houses with their blue-slated roofs, and the numerous trees, give it an attractive appearance. The church of the Holy Trinity, the oldest part dating from 1200, is Gothic, with five aisles and a square tower. Among the public buildings are the town hall, classic in style; the market house, and literary and scientific institution, with a museum. Educational establishments include a free grammar school, in modern buildings, founded in 1525 and well endowed; a blue coat school, science and art school, and green-coat Sunday school (1813). East of the town are the ruins of Kendal castle, attrib uted to the first barons of Kendal. It was the birthplace of Catherine Parr, Henry VIII.'s last queen. On the Castlebrow hill, an artificial mound probably of pre-Norman origin, an obelisk was raised in 1788 in memory of the revolution of 1688. The woollen manufactures of Kendal have been noted since 1331, and, although the coarse cloth known to Shakespeare as "Kendal green" is no longer made, tweeds, railway rugs, horse clothing, knitted woollen caps and jackets, worsted and woollen yarns, and similar goods are manufactured. Other manufactures are machine
made boots and shoes, cards for wool and cotton, agricultural and other machinery, paper, and, in the neighbourhood, gunpowder. There is a large weekly market for grain, and annual horse and cattle fairs.
The outline of a Roman fort is traceable at Watercrook. The barony and castle of Kendal, held by Turold, were granted by William I. to No de Taillebois, but the barony was divided into three parts in the reign of Richard II., one part with the castle passing to Sir William Parr, knight, ancestor of Catherine Parr.
After the death of her brother William Parr, his share of the barony reverted to Queen Elizabeth. The castle was in ruins in 1586. In 1745 the Pretender was proclaimed king here. Burgesses in Kendal are mentioned in and charters were granted in 1472, 1484 and the town was incorporated in 1576. Under the Municipal Reform act of 1835 the corporation was altered. A weekly market on Saturday granted by Richard I. to Roger Fitz Reinfred was purchased by the corporation from the earl of Lonsdale and Captain Bagot, lords of the manor, in 1885 and 1886. Of the five fairs which are now held three are ancient, that now held on April 29 being granted to Marmaduke de Tweng and William de Ros in 1307, and those on Nov. 8 and 9 to Christiana, widow of Ingelram de Gynes, in 1333.