LANCASTER, a town of England, in the hundred of Lonsdale, in the county of Lancashire, lies in 54° North Lat. and 2° 56' West Long. It is 2394. miles N. N. W. from London. It is a borough, the civil government of which is vested in a mayor, 12 aldermen, a recorder, 2 bai,iffs, 12 common councilmen, or capital burgesses, &c. It returns two members to parliament. The right ol elec tion is vested in the freemen, who amount to about 1000. The returning officers are the mayor and two bailiffs. This town is situated on a gentle ascent, on the top of which stand the church and castle. The river Lune makes nearly an acute angle on the north side of the town. The direc tion of several of the principal streets are from it to the south, the church and castle being in some measure de tached. Hence it will appear, that the situation of Lancas ter is, upon the whole, striking. Toe houses are in gene ral good, being built of an excellent freestone found in the neighbourhood, and covered with slate. Many of the streets, however, are narrow. The most important, as well as the most interesting public building in Lancaster, is the castle. It is supposed, that the Romans first built a castle on the site of the present one, and that part of the old foundations are still visible ; and it is pretty well ascertained, that the large squ ire keep %% as the work of the Saxons. But the main building was the work of Edward III. and his son John of Gaunt, whom he created Duke ol Lancaster. Its wads cover an area of 380 feet from east to west, by 350 from north to south. At present, the whole is appro priated to the county gaol. The summit commands very extensive views, embracing the windings of the Lune, Morecambe hay, the mountains of Cumberland, Westmore land, and Yorkshire. The shire hall, a beautiful modern and the county courts, are attached to the castle. The other public buildings are, the town hall, theatre, cus tom-house, assembly-room ; and over the Lune there is a very grand bridge, which was built by the county at the expence of 12,0001. About a mile to the north-east of the town is the aqueduct-bridge of the Lancaster canal, which consists of five arches, and cost 45,0001. Barges of 60 tons can pass over it. This town has communication, by inter nal navigation, with the rivers Mersey, Ribble, Ouse, Trent, Dement, Severn, Humber, Thames, Avon, &c. This na vigation, including its windings, extends about 500 miles into the counties of Lincoln, Nottingham, York, Westmore land, Cheshire, Stafford, Warwick, Leicester, Oxford, Worcester, &e. There is scarcely any manufactory of consequence in Lancaster. It is chiefly celebrated for its cabinet ware. The spinning of twine, printing of cotton,
and weaving of sail cloth, is also carried on to some extent. Ship-building has been carried on to a considerable extent, and vessels of 450 tons have been launched here. The river being obstructed by shoals, only vessels of 250 tons can reach the quay. Its trade is principally to AmeriCa and the West Indies. In 1799, 52 vessels cleared out for the latter, with cargoes estimated at upwards of two millions ; but at present the trade is not so considerable. On the 30th of September 1800, the registered shipping consisted of 140 ships, 19,094 tons, navigated by 1926 men. In the immediate neighbourhood of the town is an excellent salt marsh, of about 501 statute acres, which belongs to 80 of the oldest burgesses, or their widows. In the year 1801, Lancaster contained 1601 houses, and 9030 inhabitants. In the y ear 1811, the returns were as follow :-1731 houses, and 9247 inhabitants.
mon councils ; the former consisting of nine, and the latter of fifteen members. It contains about 1000 houses, mostly of brick, and plain ; but, of late years, many elegant build ings have been erected. The streets are wide, and at right angles, and the town generally has the appearance of neat ness and convenience.
Lancaster is a place of considerable trade, being sur rounded by a rich and populous country. It has extensive manufactures of fire-arms, and several large tan-yards, dis tilleries, and breweries. The public edifices are a court house, and market, of brick ; and a strong stone jail : the former of these is erected in a hollow square, near the centre of the town, from which the four principal streets lead, in opposite directions. There are two banks, incor porated in 1814, with a capital of 1,200,000 dollars ; and also a branch of the Batik of Pennsylvania. It has seven places of public worship, belonging respectively to the Presbyte rians, Episcopalians, German Lutherans, German Calvin ists, Mot avians, Catholics, and AIethodists ; there is also a meeting-house belonging to the society of Friends, but the members of that society having generally left the place, their meetings have been discontinued several years. It is the scat of Franklin college, founded in 1787, and de signed to educate Germans in their own languag-e and habits.. In that year the state endowed it with 10 t)00 acres of land, worth about S30.000 ; and the following year added a public store-house, and two lots, valued at S2,000. The trustees consist of an equal number of Lutherans, Cal vinists, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians. The principal is a Lutheran, and the vice-president a Calvinist.