Lancashire

During the i8th century the only town where maritime trade increased was Liverpool, where in the last decade about 4,500 ships arrived annually of a tonnage about one-fifth that of the London shipping. The prosperity of Liverpool was closely bound up with the slave trade. With the increase of trade, means of communication also improved. The latter half of the i8th cen tury saw the period of canal construction and in 1830 the first passenger railway in England was opened between Manchester and Liverpool, and other railways rapidly followed.

The first recorded instance of parliamentary representation in Lancashire was in 1295, when two knights were returned for the county, and two burgesses each for the boroughs of Lancaster, Preston, Wigan and Liverpool. Lancaster ceased to send mem bers in 1331, but renewed its privileges in 1529; from 1529 to 1547 there are no parliamentary returns, but from 1547 to 1867 Lancaster continued to return two members. Preston similarly was excused after 1331, but in 1529 and from 1547 onwards re turned two members. Liverpool and Wigan sent two members in 1295 and 1307, but not again until 1547. In 1559 Clitheroe and Newton-le-Willows first sent two members. Thus in all Lancashire returned 14 members. By the Reform act of 1832 Lancashire was assigned four members, two for the northern and two for the southern division. Lancaster, Preston, Wigan and Liverpool con tinued to send two members, Clitheroe returned one and Newton was disfranchised. The following new boroughs were created: Manchester, Bolton, Blackburn, Oldham, returning two members each ; Ashton-under-Lyne, Bury, Rochdale, Salford and Warring ton, one each. In 1861 a third member was given to South Lan cashire and in 1867 the county was divided into four constitu encies, to each of which four members were assigned, from 1885 to 1918 the county returned 23 members and since 1918, 18 mem bers. The boroughs returned from 1867 to 1885, 25 members, from 1885 to 1918, 34 members and from 1918, 48 members.

Ecclesiastical Antiqtrities.

The Cistercians had abbeys at Furness (q.v.) and, for a short time, at Wyresdale, and also one at Whalley which had been founded at Stanlawe, in Cheshire, in 1178 and removed thither in 1296. There are well-known re mains at Whalley and those at Furness are very impressive. Priories of Black Canons were founded at Conishead in the time of Henry II., at Burscough in that of Richard I. and at Cartmel. There are remains of these houses at Burscough and Cartmel. There were friaries of Dominicans at Lancaster, of Franciscans at Preston and of Augustinians at Warrington. An Austin priory existed at Cockerham; and at Cockersand, a hospital founded in the reign of Henry II. was changed to a Praemonstratensian abbey in 1190 and still shows its chapter house. Hornby had a Prae

monstratensian priory. Remains exist of Upholland (changed from a college of secular priests 1318), Benedictine priory, and the order had a priory at Lancaster (1094), a cell at Lytham (temp. Richard I.) and a priory at Penwortham. There was a Cluniac cell at Kensal.

Besides the churches discussed under the several towns the more interesting include Aldingham; Aughton; Cartmel priory church mentioned above (and see also FURNESS) ; Garstang; Halsall ; Hawkshead ; Heysham (which has a pre-Conquest chapel dedicated to St. Patrick and an ancient cross) ; Hornby; Huyton ; Kirkby, which has a very ancient font ; Kirkby Ireleth, late Per pendicular, with Norman doorway; Leyland; Melling (in Lons dale) Perpendicular; Middleton, rebuilt in 1524, but containing part of the Norman church and several monuments; Ormskirk; Overton, with Norman doorway ; Radcliffe ; Ribchester ; Sefton, Perpendicular, with fine brass and recumbent figures of the Moly neux family, also a screen exquisitely carved ; Stidd, near Rib chester, much Norman work; Tunstall, late Perpendicular; Up holland priory church, Urswick; Walton-le-Dale ; Warton, with old font ; Whalley parish church with fine stalls from the abbey.

Castles.

The principal old castles are those of Lancaster ; Dalton, a small rude tower ; two towers of Gleaston castle, built by the lords of Aldingham in the 14th century; Clitheroe (Nor man keep) ; Hornby and Thurland; the ruins of Greenhalgh castle, built by the first earl of Derby; the ruins of Fouldrey in Piel island near the entrance to Barrow harbour, erected in the reign of Edward III., now almost dilapidated.

Climate and Agriculture.

The climate in the hilly dis tricts is frequently cold, but in the more sheltered parts to the south and west it is mild and genial. There is a high rainfall in the hilly districts, the average figures for 3o years ending were 55 in. in the Rossendale forest and 3o in. in the south and west. The soil after reclamation and drainage is fertile; but, is for the most part a strong clayey loam. In some, especially the upland districts, it is more of a peaty nature and in the Trias districts of the Mersey it forms light sandy loam, well adapted for wheat and potatoes. In many districts the ground has been rendered unfit for agriculture by the rubbish from coal-pits. A low proportion, about two-thirds of the total area, is under culti vation and of this nearly three-fourths is in permanent pasture, cows being largely kept for the supply of milk to the towns, while in the uplands many sheep are reared. In addition to the cultivated area, 126,000 ac. are under hill pasturage. The acreage under oats occupies about three-quarters of the area under grain crops Of green crops the potato is the chief.