CANTERBURY, England, cathedral city, a parliamentary and a municipal borough, and a county borough under the Local Government Act of 1888. It is situated in the eastern divi sion of the county of Kent, 55 miles distant by road from London and 62 by rail. It stands on the banks of the river Stour, is 14 miles from Margate and 16 from Dover. It is connected with Whitstable by means of a branch line of railway about seven miles in length. The town is on the lower London tertiaries.
The district is chiefly agricul tural. Canterbury was formerly noted for its silks, velvet and brocade manufacture. Breweries, linens and worsteds, leather, bricks and lime are the main industries. it is the centre of important corn and hop markets. Ex cepting the supply of electric light, there are no great municipal undertakings, not only the gas and waterworks but also the swimming baths being managed privately.
Churches, Buildings, Educational Institu tions, are 14 parish churches and various chapels. In addition to the churches, of which the most historic is Saint Martin's, built originally by the Romans, Canterbury con tains a number of interesting buildings, the principal of which are *The Guildhall* (built 1439, rebuilt 1697), Market House, Saint Augus tine's College, Chaucer's Inn, the 'Chequers of the Hope (1477), and the Crown Inn, erected by Prior Chillenden in the 15th century. The only remaining city gate is the West Gate, re built by Archbishop Sudbury, 1380, and now used as a Museum of Arms and Armory. Saint John's Hospital, East-bridge Hospital and Saint Nicholas Hospital at Harbledown are picturesque survivals of ancient charitable foundations.
The public library was established in 1858. The museum, which has been in existence since 1825, is, together with the public library, housed in the Beaney Institute. This institute was partially paid for out of a legacy of £10,000, left to the city by the late Dr. Beaney, a native of the city, who amassed a large fortune in Australia. The Cathedral library, which was founded in 1660, contains about 13,000 volumes, and the library at Saint Augustine's College has about 18,000 volumes. An art gallery was pre
sented to the town in 1882 by Mr. T. Sidney Cooper, the famous artist, who was born in the city. Attached to the cathedral is a school founded by Henry VIII, and until recently a bluecoat school founded by Queen Elizabeth, now merged into a scheme called the Simon Langton schools. Saint Augustine's Monastery has been restored and enlarged and is now used as a Church Missionary College.
Canterbury Castle, one of the largest in England, was of Norman construction, but all that now remains of it is the keep.
The The most remarkable ob ject in the city is the cathedral, which is one of the finest ecclesiastical structures in England. No part of the original building remains. The cathedral is built on the site of a Roman church, which was renamed Christ Church by Saint Augustine when he was elected arch bishop of Canterbury. The church was de stroyed by fire the year after the Norman Con quest, 1067, but rebuilding was commenced three years afterward and was completed in 1130. This was again destroyed by fire four years afterward. It contains the tomb of Edward the Black Prince, 1376, also that of Henry IV and his Queen in the 'Trinity Chapel; the stone chair in which the archbishops are enthroned; and some beautiful 13th-century stained glass. The principal historical event connected with the cathedral is the murder of Thomas it Becket, which took place in 1170. The archbishop of Canterbury is Primate of all England and metropolitan for all the dioceses south of the Trent. See CATHEDRAL and CHURCH.
Canterbury sends a member to the House of Commons and is governed by a mayor, aldermen and councillors. Several charters have been granted to the city from time to time, the first by Henry II and the last by Charles II, who granted a charter of incor poration in 1686. The first mayor was elected in the year 1448.