CARLISLE, kiir-lil' (Brit. Cacr Lad, from veer, city, and Luel, connected with Irish Lug, name of a god. (Ill(;. loehon., to hire. Lett. Mgt, to pray: ef. the Lat. form• probably a translation, LI/guru/him 1. A Parliamentary and municipal borough and an episcopal city, the capital of the County of Cumberland, England, 7 miles from Solway Firth, 300 miles north-north•est of Lon don. 101 miles smith of Edinburgh, and miles west-southwest of Newcastle Alap: England, (' 2). It stands on an eminence in a wide plain at the confluence of. and nearly surrounded by, the Eden, C'aldew, and Petteril. The cathedral, a red freestone structure, was founded by Wil liam Rufus. and dedicated in 1101 by Henry I.; in 1133 it was made the cathedral chard of the newly formed diocese.. A great part of the orig inal Norman building was destroyed by fire in 1292. Two-thirds of the fine Norman nave. orig inally 141 feet long. were destroyed by Crom well: the portion that was left has long been used as a parish church. The choir is one of the finest in England, 13s feet long and 72 feet high, and consists of eight pointed arches. The east window. consisting of nine lights, is eon sidereal the finest decorated window in England. The tower is very low, rising lent one story above the choir. The castle was founded in 1092, and is now used as barracks: the remains of the keep form a massive lofty tower. with a very deep well. Mary. Queen of Scots, was con fined in the castle after the battle. of Langside. In spite of its antiquity, Carlisle is a thoroughly modern town in its appearance and facilities. Many fine new streets and buildings have been recently constructed. and the city has gradually come into possession of all the quasi-publie works. It owns its water and gas works, and since 15'99 has operated an electric-light plant.
Its markets and slaughte•-houses are a profit able source of municipal revenue, and it main tains a library. a museum, and technical schools. It sends one member to Parliament. Seven rail way lines enter Carlisle. which is connected by rail with the port of Silloth. 20 miles distant, where an extensive dock has been constructed on the Solway. The chief industries are the manufac ture of mantis and calicoes, iron-works. and dye ime. establishments. The salmon-fishing in the Eden is also of some importance. The United States has a resident consular agent. Population, in 1S51. 26,310; in 1S91, 39.200: in 1901, 45,500. Carlisle was a Roman station, under the name of Luguvallum. It was the seat of the ancient kings of Cumbria, and bore the British name of Caer Luel. It was frequently ravaged by the Picts and Scots, and about S75 it was destroyed by the Danes, after which it remained desolate for 200 years. Thence, to the union of England and seotland, it was closely connected with the border wars. and underwent many sieges. Du• ing the Civil War it declared for King Charles, and suffered severely at the hands of the Parlia mentarians. Carlisle, in 1745. surrendered to the Pretender. The Duke of Cumberland after wards took the city, and punished the leaders with death. The Carlisle tables of mortality, based on the deaths which occurred in Carlisle, 1779-87, were drawn up by Dr. Heysham, and have been ever since much used as a basis for life-insu•ance policies.
Consult: Creighton, Carlisle (London. 1SS9) Freeman, "Carlisle in History," in Archcrolollical Journal, Vol. XXXIX. (London, 18S21 Marks. "Piddle Works in Carlisle," in The Surveyor, Vol. XVII. (London, 1900).