BURY, a borough and market town in Lancashire, is pleasantly situated on the cast side of the river Irwell, about nine miles from Manchester, and 19• from Lon don. It. is a large and prosperous town, and principally noted for its manufacture of cotton in all its branches, and for coarse woollen goods, called half-thicks and kerseys. Numerous factories are established on the rivers and brooks in the vicinity ; and the conveyance, both of the raw material, and of manufactured goods, is greatly faci litated by the canal from Bury to Manchester. This town owes its wealth and commercial importance, in a great measure, to the laudable exertions of Sir Robert Peele, Bart., who has established extensive manufactu ring and calico printing works oft the banks of the Ir well, and who has given every encouragement to the in vention and improvement of useful machinery. The church of Bury, which was rebuilt in 1780, is rather a handsome structure; besides which, it has a chapel of case, and Methodist, Presbyterian, and Independent meet ing-houses. It has also a free school for boys with two
masters, and a charity school for boys and girls. A dreadful accident occurred here in 1787, by the falling of the theatre, when nearly 300 persons were buried in the ruins, many of whom were killed, and others terribly bruised. The population of Bury, by the increase of manufactures in its neighbourhood, was more than tri pled in less than 30 }ears. In 1773, it contained 464 houses, and 2090 inhabitants ; while, according to the census of 1801, there were 134 t houses, and 7072 inha bitants, of whom 4545 were returned as employed in trade and manufactures. It has three annual fairs, and a weekly market on Thursday. N. Lat. 53' 56', W. Long. 2`" 26'. See Beauties of England and (Vales, vol. ix. p. 291. (a.)