NEW CASTLE, a city of western Pennsylvania, U.S.A., the county seat of Lawrence county; 5o m. N.N.W. of Pittsburgh and 20 m. S.E. of Youngstown (Ohio), on the Shenango river and Federal highway 422. It is served by the Baltimore End Ohio, the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh, the Erie, the Penn sylvania and the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie railways. Pop. 44,938 in 1920 (19% foreign-born white) ; and in 1930, 48,674, a gain of 8.3%. New Castle is an important commercial and industrial centre, with a trade population of over ioo,000, and manufactures (notably tin plate and steel) valued in 1927 at $52,683,815. New Castle was founded in 5802. It was incorporated as a borough in 1869 and as a city in 1875.
market town, municipal and parliamentary borough, Staffordshire, England, 2 M. W. of Stoke-on-Trent by the L.M.S. railway. Pop. (1931) 23,246. The parish church of St. Giles was rebuilt (1876) by Sir Gilbert Scott, with the exception of the tower, which dates from the 12th cen tury. The free grammar school (1602), richly endowed, is now amalgamated with the Orme's school for girls. There is also a school of art. The manufacture of hats was once the staple trade. There are cotton and paper mills ; and tanning, brewing, malting and the manufacture of army clothing are carried on. Partly included in the parliamentary borough is the populous parish of Wolstanton, of which the fine church has good details of the 13th century, with a massive tower and spire. The mining town of Audley lies 4 m. N.W., with a fine early Decorated church.
Newcastle-under-Lyme (Neofchastell-sur-Lyme) is not men tioned in Domesday, but it was early important, as a charter was given to the town by Henry II. It owes its name to a castle built here in the 12th century to supersede an older fortress at Chesterton about 2 M. to the north, and to the fact that it was situated under the forest of Lyme. Henry III. (1235) con stituted it a free borough and other charters were granted in 1251, 159o, 1664, and 1835. Newcastle, which was originally held by the crown, was granted (1265) to Simon de Montfort, and subse quently to Edmund Crouchback, through whom it passed to Henry IV. In Leland's time the castle had disanneared "save nne great
ing and had a manufacture of hats. Grants of fairs were given by Edward I., Edward III. and Henry VI.
city and county of a city, borough and port, Northumberland, England, 272 m. N. of London, on the L.N.E. railway. Pop. (1931) 283,145. It stands on the Tyne. The mouth of the river is 8 m. below Newcastle and its banks are lined with docks and industrial towns.
Though Newcastle owes its origin to a Roman station, its modern growth has largely destroyed traces of antiquity. Of the old walls there are slight remains. The castle, from which the Town takes its name, was erected by Henry II. between 1172 and 1177 on the site of an older structure. It was originally the strongest fortress in the north of England, and its keep is now one of the finest specimens of a Norman stronghold remaining in the country. Fragments of its walls, with the principal en trance or Black Gate and the Watergate or southern postern remain. The keep, with walls 14 ft. thick, is in a state of good preservation, as is also the Norman chapel. The castle was pur chased by the corporation in 1809, and a portion of it is used as an antiquarian museum. Near the castle is St. Nicholas church, forming the cathedral of the diocese of Newcastle, instituted in 1882. The diocese covers practically the whole of Northumber land, with a small portion of Cumberland. The church, which is principally Decorated, consists of nave, aisles, chancel and tran septs, and the principal feature is the lantern tower, a fine speci men of early Perpendicular. Among other interesting old churches is St. Andrew's (11th century). St. John's is 14th century with an ancient front. A few fragments of the monastery of the Black Friars remain, and the chapel of the hospital of St. Mary at Jesmond is a ruin.