Being chosen by the Romans as an occasional residence and a centre of government, York and the surrounding country were supplied with many marks of their power and skill. They bestowed great attention upon the public roads. The Watling-street entered the county from Nottinghamshire near Bawtry, and, according to Baines, "it has been traced by Doncaster, over Scausby and Pigburn Leas to Barnsdale, through Pontefract to Castleford, a little below the junction of the Aire and Calder, from which point the road was conducted by Tad caster to York." Another military road led from Mancunium, now Manchester, to York, and passing by Stainland, about 5 miles S. from Halifax, and Almundbury, about 2 miles S.E. from Huddersfield, crossed the Calder about a mile below Dewsbury, and proceeded along the line of the present turnpike-road to Wakefield, whence it continued in the direction of the present road about half way to Pontefract, and then, turning to the left, joined the military way from Doncaster to York. The Romans had numerous other roads of minor import ance in the county. Traces of Roman encampments, as well as of Saxon and Danish encampments, may be found in several parts of the county ; and Roman antiquities have been discovered in many places, especially in York and its vicinity. The Wolds contain many tumuli ; and of the other prehistoric antiquities may be mentioned a curious assemblage of rocks called Bramham Crags, about 9 miles N.W. from Ripon, which from indications of rude sculpture have been by many supposed to have been a Druidical temple; and three gigantic obelisks or single atones, called the Devil's Arrows, noticed under BOROUGH. BRIDGE. The principal Roman stations were at Eboracum, now York ; Catarracton, or Cataractonium, now Catterick ; Cambodunum, at Slack; Isurium, at Aldborough ; Legiolum, a little below the junction of the Aire and Calder ; Danum, at Doncaster; Olicana, or Alicana, at Ilkley ; Calcaria, at Tadcaster ; Derveutio, near Stamford Bridge ; Delgovitia, near Londesborough ; and Prmtorium, at Flamborough.
Yorkshire formed part of the British kingdom of Deifyr, or Deira. The boundaries of the Saxon and subsequently the Danish kingdom of Northumbria, in which Deira was included, varied frequently with the fortunes of war, but it generally included the greater part of Yorkshire. Of the history of the kingdom of Northumbria, aud the varying governments of its principal divisions, Bryneich, or Bernicia, in the north, and Deifyr, or Deira, the southern or Yorkshire division of the kingdom, au account is given under NORTHUMBERLAND. Christianity appears to have been introduced into Yorkshire about the year 623, during the reign of Edwin, king of Northumbria. The history of this district down to the time of Harold, the last of the Anglo-Saxon kings, is noticed in the article NORTHUMBERLAND. Of the events] which followed Harold's victory at Hastings, so far as they relate to this county, some particulars are stated under YORK. In the Domesday Survey, Yorkshire is called Eurewickseire, and appears then to have comprehended very nearly its present limits.
In the year 1138, during the reign of Stephen, the north of England, as far as York, was invaded and ravaged by David, king of Scotland, who was defeated near Northallerton, at the famous battle of the Standard. Piers Oaveston, the favourite of Edward II., was taken prisoner in Scarborough Castle, by the earls of Pembroke and Warrco. In 1318 the
northern part of the county was ravaged by the Scotch under Douglas. In the followiog year another invasion of the Scotch, under the Earl of Mnrr..y, advanced as far as York, and set fire to the suburbs, an indignity which so roused the Archbishop of York, that he, accompanied by the Bishop of Ely and a great number of clergymen, collected an army of about 10,000 men, and pursued Murray as far as Myton on the river Swale, about 12 miles from York, where a battle was fought, in which the English were routed. Shortly after, in 1321, Thomas, earl of Lancaster, leader of the barons, was defeated and taken prisoner at Boroughbridge ; and he, with several of his party, was shortly afterwards beheaded at Pontefract. In 1347, David Bruce devastated the country as far as York, but was defeated by the English under Queen Philippa, at Neville's Cross, near Durham. Yorkshire formed the scene of many interesting events during the struggle between Richard IL and Bolingbroke, afterwards Henry IV. Richard IL, after hia deposition, was confined, successively, in the castles of Leeds, Koaresborough, and Pontefract In 1405 one of the conspiracies formed for the purpose of deposing Henry IV., by Percy, earl of Northumberland, Mowbray, earl marshal, and several other northern barons, and beaded by Scroop, archbishop of York, was defeated by some of the leaders being drawn into a conference, and taken prisoners, and beheaded. Percy escaped on this occasion, but in February,1403, being again in arms, he was defeated and slain at the battle of Bram ham Moor, near Tadcaater, by Sir Thomas Rokesby, then sheriff of Yorkshire. During the long war between the houses of York and Lancaster this county was the scene of several remarkable events, among which was the defeat of Richard, duko of York, by the army of Queen Margaret, in 1460, at the battle of Wakefield, in which he lost his life. In the battle of Towton, when Richard's son, Edward IV., defeated tho force. of Henry VI., the total number slain is reported to have been 36,776, including many leaders of distinction. Events having turned in favour of Henry, Edward fled to Holland in 1470 ; but in March of the following your he returned to England, landed at Ravenspurn with 2000 men, and, being well received, proceeded to York, where be planted a garrison, and thence marched towards London, and won the battle of which established him on the throne.
During the reign of Henry VII. an insurrection of the northern counties against a new laud-tax took place, but was eventually put down by the Earl of Surrey. In the following reign an insurrection was raised by Robert Aske, Lord D'Arcy, Sir Robert Constable, Sir Thomas Percy (brother to the Earl of Northumberland), and other powerful persons, to oppose the sweeping changes involved in the suppression of monasteries and other religious establishments ; and, in consequence of the sacred character of the objects for which, pro fessedly, they took up arms, they styled their march 'The Pilgrimage of Grace.' A similar but less important insurrection was raised in 1537 near Scarborough and Melton ; the rebels obtained possession of Hull. and held it for about a month. A third insurrection, raised in the same neighbourhood in 1548, was dispersed with less difficulty.