Manchester

The most important event in the modern history of the district is the creation of the Manchester ship canal (q.v.) by which Man chester and Salford have direct communication with the sea at Eastham, near Liverpool. The canal was opened for traffic in Jan. 1894. The corporation of Manchester has controlling power in the Ship Canal Co. whose new offices in King street are the highest in the city.

Municipality.

Manchester received a municipal charter in 1838, the title of city in 1853, and became a county borough in 1889. The mayor received the title of lord mayor in 1893. The water supply is controlled by the corporation. In addition to wells sunk into the New Red Sandstone, there are reservoirs at Longen dale (completed 1884), and extensive works at Lake Thirlmere at the foot of Helvellyn, 96 m. from Manchester. From Thirl mere the water is brought in four pipe-lines, and Manchester sup plies in bulk many local authorities in the district en route as well as a large area in north Cheshire. In consequence the supply was found to be inadequate, so powers were obtained and work com menced upon a scheme to obtain a further supply from Hawes water, north-west of Shap Fell. The work will be completed in 1934 and will involve 84 m. of aqueducts. The corporation has also established works for the supply of hydraulic and electric power and lighting. The gas lighting of Manchester is also a municipal undertaking.

The city has a stipendary magistrate who, in conjunction with lay magistrates, tries cases of summary jurisdiction in the police courts. There are also quarter sessions presided over by a re corder. Separate sessions are held for the Salford Hundred. Certain sittings of the court of chancery and of the divorce court are held in Manchester. In addition to the county court there is an ancient civil court known as the Salford Hundred court of record. Assizes have been held since 1866.

With the exception of the parliament of 1654, Manchester had no representation until the Reform Bill of 1832, when it sent two representatives. In 1868 this was increased to three, but each voter had only two votes. In 1885 the city was divided into six divisions and in 1918 into ten divisions, each returning one member.

History.

Very little is known with certainty of the early his tory of Manchester. (See MANCUNIUM.) Almost the only point of certainty in its history before the Conquest is that it suffered greatly from the Danes, and that in 923 Edward sent his Mercian troops to repair and garrison it. In Domesday Book, Man

chester, Salford, Rochdale and Radcliffe are the only places named in south-east Lancashire. The church of St. Mary and the church of St. Michael in Manchester are both named in Domes day, and some difficulty has arisen as to their identification. In 1301 Manchester received a charter from its baron, Thomas Gresley. The Gresleys were succeeded by the De la Warrs, the last of whom became rector of the town and made considerable addi tions to the lands of the church. The manorial rights passed to Sir Regina! West, a descendant of Joan Gresley, who was sum moned to parliament as Baron De la Warr. The West family, in 1579, sold the manorial rights to John Lacy, who, in 1596, resold them to Sir Nicholas Mosley, whose descendants enjoyed the emoluments derived from them until 1845, when they were pur chased by the municipality of Manchester. The lord of the manor had the right to tax all articles brought for sale into the market, but although thus taxed, the inhabitants had, in the court leet, nearly all the powers now possessed by municipal corporations. This court had control over the watching and warding of the town, the regulation of the water supply, and the cleaning of the streets.

The town appears to have steadily increased in prosperity, and it early became an important seat of the textile manufactures. Fulling mills were at work in the district in the 13th century, and woollen manufactures were carried on in Ancoats at that period. The college of Manchester was dissolved in 1547, but was re f ounded in Mary's reign. Under her successor the town became the headquarters of the commission for establishing the Reformed religion. In 1641 Manchester people purchased linen yarn from the Irish, weaving it, and returning it for sale in a finished state. They also bought cotton wool from Smyrna to work into fustians and dimities. An Act passed in the reign of Edward VI. regulates the length of cottons called Manchester, Lancashire and Cheshire cottons. These were probably all woollen textures. It is thought that some of the Flemish weavers introduced into England by Queen Phillippa of Hainault were settled at Manchester. The Flemish weavers were in all probability reinforced by religious refugees from the Low Countries. Cotton, in the modern sense, is first mentioned about 162o.