It has been estimated from the statements in Domesday Book that the population of York at the Conquest would amount to 10,000. Drake supposes further that the suburbs contained an equal number of persons, and thus reckons the whole population at 20,000. It must have been considerable in the reign of Richard IL, since, according to the chroniclers of the times, no less than 11,000 inhabitants were destroyed in 1390 by pestilence : but these statements must be received with much caution. In the beginning of the present century, when it had loot its importance as the metropolis of the northern counties, the population amounted to no moro than 16,000, or less than one-half the present amount.
The walls of the Roman station Eboracum were wholly on the left bank of the Ouse. What changes the walls underwent in the suc ceeding British, Saxon, and Danish times, cannot be ascertained. In the times of the Conqueror they inclosed two castles. In the architec ture of the walls there is nothing characteristic of any particular age; but the archway of the gates appears to belong to the Norman period. The barbicans, which were probably added in the reign of Edward have been removed from three of the gates. The walls, since they were extended, have never entirely surrounded the city, there being a space, on the eastern side, of nearly 500 yards, which till recently must have been a complete morass. The extent of the walls is about two miles and a half: a very considerable portion of them is accessible to the public, and forms a very pleasant and interesting walk. There are four principal gates, or bars, as they are usually called, and five postern gates. Two new entrances through the ramparts have been formed, one of them exclusively for the railway to the station ; another entrance, which had been closed since the time of Henry VII., has been re-opened. The castle has long since been converted into the county prison and the courts of justice for the county ; but some portions of the old work, besides the noble keep, are still remaining. The felons' jail is an entirely new building, consisting of four radiating double wards, with eight airing courts, the governor's house being in the centre. That York was also a place of trade even iu the times of the Romans, is by no means improbable; its situation being as con venient for commerce as for war. Alcuin, in the 8th century, calls it "a common emporium of land and sea ;" and says that it was then visited by vessels from the most distant lands. William of Malmes bury, who flourished ha the 12th century, speaks of York as being in his time a great and metropolitan city, to which trading vessels came from Germany and Ireland. York had its merchant-guilds as far back as the reign of Stephen ; and a charter of John confirms to the guild of merchants at York all the privileges which they and their 'houses' had before enjoyed. York was long famous for its manufacture of woollen goods. In the days of Henry II. and Henry ITT. the weavers of York paid a considerable ' farm' for their privileges ; and the manu facture was flourishing in the reign of Henry VIII. But this branch of trade has long ceased to flourish here, and York is not now the seat of any extensive manufacture. It has however been long celebrated for the making of leathern gloves, shoes, and combs and other articles of horn. Flax-spinning is carried on to some extent; many hands are employed in the manufacture of linens; and York bed-ticking supports a high character in distant places. Extensive business is carried on by several wholesale confectioners and druggists. The wholesale tea and coffee business is a very important branch of the trade of York. A considerable wholesale trade is also csrried on by the curriera of York , and large quantities of corn, and of flour ground here by steam power, are sent into the West Riding of Yorkshire. Among the trades carried on in the city are basket-making, brass-founding, brick-making, the manufacture of chicory, coaclobuilding, comb-making, dyeing, the glass manufacture, glove-making, iron-founding, machine-building, ing, nail-making, organ-building, the manufacture of railway carriages, rope-making, sail-making, soap-boiling, tanning, and the manufacture of umbrella+, watches and clocks, and whips. The traffio upon the Ouse is considerable. Trading vessels of from 110 to 150 tons burden regularly pass between York and London. York is still the permanent abode of many persona of independent income, a circumstance which exerts a favourable influence on its trade.
At. the period of the suppression of monasteries by Henry VIII., York contained 41 parish churches, 17 chapels, 16 hospitals, and 10 religious houses. Of the churches there remain 23. All Saints church, situated in North-street, is a spacious and handsome building, consisting of a nave and two aisles ; it has an elegant spire 120 feet high. In the south wall is a piece of Romau sculpture. All Saints, Pavement, a very ancient church, has been thoroughly restored. Christ church, King's-court, was formerly known as 'Saint Trinityes iu Conyng-garthe.' Holy Trinity, Ooodmm.gate, is a very ancient building. In the walls are wrought up large quantities of grit-stones, some of which are marked with fire, supposed to have been occasioned by the great fire which in the reign of Stephen destroyed the cathedral and 39 churchea, with a large part of the city. Holy Trinity, gate, is near the former site of the old priory of Holy Trinity. St. Crux. Pavement, belonged at one period to St. Mary's Abbey : the church was rebuilt iu the early part of the 15th century, except the tower, a square brick erection, surmounted with n small dome, which was erected about the close of the 17th century. St. Cuthbert's, Peaaeholme Green, a small neat structure, possesses a handsome altar piece. The church is 40 feet long by 31 feet broad ; the steeple is 54 feet high. St Dennis, Walmgate, has a fine Anglo-Normau porch, in good preservation. St. Helen's, Stoncgate, was extensively repaired about twelve years since. The font is a curious piece of Norman workmanship. St. John's, Micklegate, is of very aacicat date. St, Lawrence, without Walmgate Bar, is a small edifice without aisles ; it possesses a Norman porch, and an ancient and curious font. St. Mar garet, Walmgate, has a remarkable porch, but is concealed from general view by the houses built in front of it. The porch consists of four recessed circular arches with curiously-sculptured representations, and supported on light round pillars. On the top of the porch is a small stone crucifix. St. Martin-cum-Gregory, Micklegate, a commo dious and handsome edifice, coutaiva several fine examples of painted glass. St. Martin-le-Gmnd, Coney-street, consists of a nave and chan cel, with aide aisles, and a square tower at the south-west angle. St. Mary, Bishophill, the Elder, is a neat small edifice, with central pillars dividing it into two aisles; it has also a square brick tower. St. Mary, Bishophill, the Younger, has the largest square tower of any parish church in the city. St. Mary, Castlegate, has an elegant spire, 155 feet high, which, having been twice injured by lightning, has been repaired, and a conducting-rod has been attached to it. St. Maurice, Monkgate, has recently been restored. St. Michael, Spurriergate, an ancient huild ing, has been brought more into general view by the removal of houses which stood on the south side of the church, on the occasion of widen ing the approaches to the new bridge over the Ouse. St. MichaeLle Belfrey, Petergate, is the most spacious and the most elegaut of the York parochial churches; the present edifice dates from 1545. The nave is separated from the aisles by a row of lofty pillars on each side, and at the west end is a gallery. St. Olave, Marygate, is, with the exception of the Minster, the oldest ecclesiastical foundation in York. A monastery was founded here by Siward, earl of Northumbria, who was buried in it in 1005. The buildings were so much injured during the siege in 1644, that in 1732 they were taken down, aud the present church built out of the ruins of the abbey. St. Sampson, Church street, is an old church with a steeple. St. Saviour, St. Saviourgate, has recently been restored aud improved. Among the monuments iu this edifice are those of Sir John Hawley and of his lady, whose bequest for the promotion of religious instruction has been so much under discussion of late years in the Chancery courts. Besides these parochial churches there are several district churches and chapels of ease in the city and neighbourhood. A new church was completed in 1852 in the Holgate-road. The Wesleyan Methodists have four chapels; the Independents, Wesleyan Reformers, and Roman Catho lics have two each ; and the Primitive and Association Methodists, Quakers, Swedeuborgians, and Unitarians have one each.