LEEDS, England, a municipal, parliamen tary and county borough and large manufactur ing city, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, on the river Aim 1851/2 miles north of London.
The river,' which is passing through the city is spanned by eight bridges, is navigable from its mouth in the Humber, and connects with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal (127 miles long) which gives communication with the west. The town extends for about seven and one-half miles from east to west and about seven from north to south. From the extent of the manu factures the town is naturally smoky, and on the whole its appearance is not prepossessing, although much modern improvement has been effected: ' The most conspicuous building is the Roman-Corinthian town-hall, considered 'one of the finest municipal buildings in the kingdom. The greater portion of one wing is allotted to the Free 'Public Library, to which has .been 'added the Fine Art Gallery. Other notable buildings are Leeds Infirmary, in the Gothic style; the new general post office, in the Renaissance style; the school-board offices, the Royal Exchange, the stock exchange, Leeds University (q.v.), the Leeds Institute of Science, Art and Literature; the Grand Theatre, the new Empire Theatre, the gram mar school, the Coliseum (a public hall), etc. Among the places of worship are the parish church of Saint Peter's; Saint George's, with a tower and spire 160 feet high; Holy Trinity, a fine building in the Early English style; some of the Dissenting places of worship, and the Roman Catholic church of Saint Ann's. Other institutions are the Leeds Medical School (1894), Young Men's Christian Institution, a large training college for students for the Wesleyan ministry and a literary and 'philo sophical society. There is an admirable central library with 24 branches. The grammar school dates from 1552. The charitable institutions of Leeds are numerous. Parks have been laid out by the corporation and recreation grounds, the chief 'being Roundhay Park (two miles from Leeds), 300 acres in extent and contain ing a lake of 33 acres. The fine ruins of Mrkstall Abbey (q.v.) (three miles from Leeds), a Cistercian foundation dating from 1152 with the adjacent grounds, presented to the town by Colonel North in 1889, form an attractive re sort. Adal Church; nearby, dates from 1140.
There are interesting Roman remains in the vicinity. The waterworks supply Leeds with water from the Washburn, a tributary of the Wharfe. The street car system, which is rail less overhead trolley, is owned and operated by the municipality, as is electricity supply. An extension of the city boundaries took• place in 1912, which brought in the Roundhay, Shadswell and Seacroft districts.
Leeds is and has been for generations the chief seat of the woolen manufacture of York shire and has become the Seat of other im portant industries. Chief of is the whole sile clothing trade, in which several thousand hands are employed, many being also employed in the steel works, iron foundries, rolling-nulls, tool and machine factories; in, the boot and shoe factories and the leather trade, and in the eloth-cap trade, which is -also becoming a great branch of industry. There are also locomotive works, tobacco manufactories, color-printing works, extensive chemical and glass works, important works for the making of drainage pipes, firebricks, ornamental ' terra-cotta and pottery ware, etc. One of the great sources of the wealth of Lteds 'is its abundant supplies of coal and iron. Nearly 100 collieries are *forked in the district.
The history of Leeds extends'over more than 1,200 years, the town being mentioned under the name of Loid or Loidis by the Venerable Bede as • the capital • of a small' British kingdom ahout 616. It 'first charter was obtained in 1308, arid. it 'was incorporated
Charles I in 1626. It was made a city in 1893, and its warm: was raisedlo the .tljg4i tY of lord-mayor in 1897. The vicinity is crowded with villages, most of the inhabitants of which are employed in manufacturing for the Leeds market- Pop. about 453,170. Consult the publications of the Thoresby Society; Jack son's'