A monastery of Benedictine monks was built, or rather completed, at York in the time of William Rufus, which was in great part reconstructed about the end of the 13tl1 century. Its abbot had a miter and a seat in parliament. Some portions of the original building yet remain. Thirteen seceders from this monastery established, in 1131, the neighboring abbey of Fountains, near Ripon, under Cistercian rule. On the site of the Benedictine monastery now stand the museum and gardens of the Yorkshire philosophi eal society. The same order had a priory dedicated to the holy trinity in 3Iicklegate, and a nunnery outside the walls at Clementtborp. Besides these the DominiCans, Franciscans, Augustinians, and Carmelites had each is monastery, and the Gilbertines a priory, within the city. In the immediate neighborhood were 16 hospitals. At Oa; reformation, York contained 41 parish churches, 17 chapels, 16 hospitals, and 10 relig• ions houses. Twenty-two of the churches yet remain, and several new churches have been built. The Roman Catholics have a fine pro-cathedral. There are numerous dis seating places of worship.
The educational institutions of York are numerous and useful. Notable among them are St. Peter's school, founded in 1557; archbishop Holgate's free school, dating from Henry VIII. ; the blue coat school for boys, and the ,..ray coat for girls, supported chiefly by annual subscriptions; and the Yorkshire school for the blind, conducted in a palace originally built for the lord president of the council of the north. York publishes
one daily and three weekly newspapers.
A fine art exhibition was held at York in 1879; the building erected for itQontains a concert-hall and picture galleries. The Yorkshire philosophical society was formed in 1822, and possesses a handsome building and gardens on the site of St. Mary's abbey, with a museum, rich in antiquarian relics and specimens illustrative of natural history. Among other public institutions are the county hospital, the first established in England n. of the Trent; the lunatic asylum; the dispensary; the Friends' retreat; and many charitable foundations for the benefit of poor persons. The ancient castle, with the exception of its imposing Clifford's tower, is superseded by the modern and commodious assize courts. The Guildhall, a fine Gothic building, was erected in 1446. There are also convenient assembly and concert rooms, and a creditable theater.
Whatever the trade of York may have been in ancient times—and old writers speak of it in glowing terms—it counts for little now. The making of leathern gloves, combs, glass, etc., supplies employment to many; some find employment in iron-foundries, in flax-spinning, and the manufacture of linen; and of late, the construction of railway carriages has become part of the city industry.—See Drake's Eboracum; Browne's His tory of the Metropolitan Church of St. Peter's, York; Britton's Cathedral Antiquities- York; Hargrave's History of York; Gent's York; Wellbeloved's Eburacum, or York under the Romans.