Besides these canals, several rivers in Lancashire have been rendered more fit for navigation than they naturally were. In order to render the Mersey, above Warrington, navigable as far as Manchester, through its communicating branch the lrwell, an act of parliament was obtained near a century ago ; and the object has been effected by means of wears, locks, &c. ; but the Duke of B ridgewater's canal has rendered this navigation of little use or profit. About the same time, the navigation of the river Douglas was also improved by artificial means; but this has been since pur chased by the proprietors of the Leeds and Liverpool canal, who have, in part, substituted an artificial cut for the natu ral channel of the river.
The most abundant and valuable of the minerals of Lan cashire are its coals. Immense beds of them are found in the southern parts, and towards the centre ; but none, as has been already remarked, beyond Preston. The hundreds of West Derby, Salford, and Blackburn, are most abounding in this valuable article. There is one species of it almost peculiar to Lancashire. This is called Cannel coal. It is found at Haigh, near It burns with uncommon brilliancy, without smoke. It is very apt to fry into pieces, if not placed on the fire in a particular position. It is very hard, and susceptible of a high polish. If broken trans versely, it presents a smooth conchoidal surface. Lime stone abounds in the north and north-east parts of the coun ty; but none is found in the south or western parts, except near Liverpool, where it is met with in small quantity, and at a great depth ; and near Leigh and Manchester, where lime peculiarly adapted for tarras occurs. Marie is abun dant in the south and western parts of the county. Stone of various sorts abounds in Lancashire. Quarries of an ex cellent sort are wrought near Lancaster. It bears an ex cellent polish. Lancaster is entirely built of it. At Hol land, near Wigan, there are quarries of flap and grey slates; and large quantities of blue slates are procured from the hills near Hawkshead. They form a lucrative branch of the export trade of the county. Scythe stones are obtained near Rainford. With respect to the metals, iron ore abounds in Furness ; and at Anglesark, near Chorley, is a lead mine, consisting of several veins, intersecting the strata of the county almost perpendicularly, and running in various di rections. These mines are noted for containing carbonate of barytes. In the north of the county some copper mines have been wrought, but not to much advantage.
It has been observed, that there is a greater length of roads in this county, in proportion to its extent, than in any other county in the kingdom : in the north, and north-eas tern parts, they are made of limestone : in the middle and southern parts, the roads are paved with stones, principally brought from the Welsh and Scotch coasts. On the road between Manchester and Liverpool, slag or copper scoria has been advantageously used.
Lancashire is the most manufacturing county, without exception, in the kingdom. Its staple manufacture is that of cotton in all its branches; but as we have entered very fully into a view of this manufacture, in our account of the Statistics of ENGLAND, our notice of it here must be brief and general. Manchester may be considered as the centre of the cotton spinning and manufacturing district. From this town this branch of trade has spread southwards into Cheshire, and northwards as far as Preston ; various branches of it are also carried on at Bolton, Chewbent, Bury, Wigam, Blackburne, &c. Besides those employed in spin ning and weaving cotton, there are bleachers, dyers, prin ters, tool and machine makers, &c. There are also in Lancashire, manufactories of woollen goods, hats. especial ly at Oldham, stockings, pins, needles, nails, watch-move ments, tobacco, and tobacco•pipes, snuff, eat then-ware, English porcelain, paper, &c. There are also large works
for smelting iron and copper, and for casting plate glass, and the making of common glass, white lead, lamp vitriolic acid, &c.
The commerce of Lancashire is also very great ; almost entirely from Liverpool to America, the West and East Indies, Africa, the Mediterranean, Spain, Portugal, Ire land, &c. Lancaster also enjoys some commerce, but the quantity is proportionally small ; and it seems to be de clining. The principal articles of export are the various manufactures of the county ; and the principal articles im ported, are cotton, wool, sugar, tobacco, rice, timber, corn from Ireland, Ste.
It is generally supposed that the Brigantes inhabited Lancashire at the period of the Roman conquest. According to the authority of Ptolemy, however, they were preceded by a tribe, whom he calls the Segantli. The Romans en tered their territory, under Julius Agricola, about the year A. D. 79 ; and Mr. Whitaker says, that the principal Roman stations were formed at this period, of which Man cunium, or Manchester, was one. The Romans also formed several excellent roads through the county. The whole of Lancashire, along with Yorkshire, &c. was called by the Romans Maxima Ca:sartensis, or Britannia Superior ; by the Saxons it was included within the kingdom of Nor thumbria. Soon after it was conquered by Egfrid. About the year 680, it was formed into a separate county. Soon afterwards it was divided into hundreds, tithings, Ste. South Lancashire was at first divided into three hundreds, and just before the conquest, subdivided into six. Previous to and under the early Norman sovereigns, this county was dis tinguished as an honour. Landed honours generally be longed to the king, but were sometimes granted in fee to noblemen. Soon after the conquest, three noblemen held the honour of Lancaster ; but king Stephen confirmed it on his son, and thenceforward it seems to have been attach ed to those of royal blood. In the time of Henry III. it was constituted an earldom ; and in the time of Edward IV. the dukedom of Lancaster was created. John of Gaunt procured it to be raised to the dignity of a county palatine. The antiquities of this county are by no means numerous _ or interesting.
In the year 1803, the poor's rate of this county amounted to 230,7651. : for the year ending 25th of March 1815, the sum paid by 449 places (for, in consequence of the great extent of its parishes, they are subdivided into townships) amounted to 383,2171. 3s. 101d. : returns had not been ob tained from three places. From comparing the returns in 1803 and 1815, it will appear, that the poor-rates of this county have not increased in a very great degree. In the year 1776, the sum of 56,1631. was raised ; and the average of the years 1783, 1784, and 1785, was 80,3011. In 1303, the number of persons relieved was 46,200, or 7 in the 100 of the population ; the money raised was 6s. 104d. per head on the population ; the rate at which each pauper was re lieved, was V. 9s. 31d. Nine hundred and fifty-seven friendly societies were enrolled at that time the num ber of members was 104,776, or 16 in the 100 of the popu lation ; the number of children in schools of industry was 1704.
The population of Lancashire was very thin before it became a manufacturing county. In the year 1700, it amounted only to 166 200 ; in the year 1750, it had in creased to 297,400 : in the year 1801, it had augmented extremely, being 695,100 ; and in the year 1811-828,309.
The population, in 1811, is nearly at the rate of 38u the square mile. The baptisms were 1 to 29, the burials 1 to 48. and the marriages 1 to 108. See Aikin's Manchester; Beauties of England and IVales ; and Dickson's .1gricul tura! Survey. (w. s.)