Thomas de Morton held lands here, by homage, fealty, and a certain rent to the bishop's exchequer. John de Morton, Geoffrey Kellaw, John Dow, and other cottagers, are named in Hatfield's survey, in which John Cornforth and eighteen other bond tenants occur, with the usual services and payments. The Nevilles, the Eures, the Parkinsons, the Shepherds, the Dykes, and others, subsequently held lands here. The property is at present much divided. The principal proprietors are Arthur Meggitt, Esq., William S. Stowell, Esq., Thomas P. Pick, Esq., and others.

The Village of Cockerton is situated on a little stream, called the Cockerbeck, about a mile north-west of Darlington. Here is a Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, built in 1823; and another has since been erected by the Wesleyan Association. A school-room was built by subscription in 1825, and endowed with £5 per annum by the trustees of Lord Crewe's Charities. The village contains a post office, three public houses, and a few shops. Mr. W. S. Stowell, of Faverdale House, in this township, obtained four prizes at the cattle show held in Darlington, in December 1854. The first prizes wero for the best short-horned bullocks, and the two second for two heifers.

Carmel House Convent, formerly Cockerton Field House, situated south of the village, is occupied by a community of Carmelite or Teresian nuns. The estate was formerly possessed by the Hodgsons and Wetheralls; but has latterly become the property of R. W. Johnson, Esq., of Darlington. On the suppression of the monastic establishments, in this county, during the reign of Henry VIII., the Carmelite nuns took refuge at Antwerp; and, in 1648, a number of them proceeded to Lierre, in Belgium, where the community remained till the outbreak of the French Revolution. On the 23rd June, 1795, they were driven from their convent by the revolutionists, and, like many others, sought an asylum in their native country. They arrived in London on the 7th July, and, under the patronage of Sir John Lawson, of Brough, they settled at St. Helen's Auckland, in this county. In 1804, they removed to Cocken Hall, where they remained till 1830, when, in consequence of the opening out of a colliery in their neighbourhood, and other causes, they removed to Field House, near Cockerton. The community consists of about twenty members. The chapel is an elegant structure, in the early English style, and its interior is beautifully decorated. The eastern window is of stained glass, by Wailes, of Newcastle; the ceiling is richly ornamented with symbolic devices; and the altars, screens, &c., are simple, chaste, and highly finished. The establishment possesses extensive gardens, pleasure grounds, and an estate of about forty acres of land. Lady prioress-Mrs.

Coulson.

TOWNSHIP AND TOWN OF DARLINGTON.

The township of Darlington comprises an area of 3,569 acres; its annual value is £36,970 17s. 6d. Its population in 1801, was 4,670; in 1811, 5,059; in 1821, 5,730, in 1831, 8,574; in 1841, 11,035; and in 1851, 11,582 souls. There were at the latter period, 1,976 inhabited houses, 128 uninhabited, and 10 in process of erection. The Boldon Book is the first record in which Darlington is particularly noticed, and from this source we are informed that there were forty oxgangs of land there, in the hands of villain-tenants, for each of which the lord received 5s.; their service consisted in mowing the bishop's meadows, winning and leading the hay, enclosing the limits of the court, working at the mill, and bringing one load of wood for every oxgang, and carrying the bishop's baggage on his circuits, was also included in their services, together with carrying yearly three loads of wine, herring, and salt to the episcopal palace. There were likewise twelve tenants here who each held an oxgang of land, for which they paid the same rent as the villains, but did not render any services, except on the bishop's embassies. Besides the base-tenures, there were many tenants in capite, and by Bishop Hatfield's survey, we find that the free tenants were thirty-nine in number, and held sixty-seven pieces of land. The township is sub-divided into the constableries of Darlington, Borough, Bondgate, Priestgate or Prebend Row, and Oxenhall or Oxen-le-Field. The principal landowners are the Duke of Cleveland; John B. Pease, Esq.; Captain Robertson; Robert H. Allan, Esq.; Christopher Watkin, Esq.; Alfred. Backhouse, Esq.; William Backhouse, Esq.; Edward Pease, Esq.; W. L. Wharton, Esq.; William R. Bayley, Esq.; John Harris, Esq.; and Lady Byrom.

DARLINGTON is a neat and thriving market-town on the Great North-road, 18 miles south of Durham, 11 west-south-west of Stockton, 16 east-south-east of Barnard Castle, 12 north-west of Richmond, and 237 north-north-west of London. It is situated "near the junction of the upper new red sandstone, with the magnesian limestone. The former crops out in the bed of the Tees at Croft, three miles south of the town; at Middleton, five miles to the east; at Coniscliffe, four miles to the west; and at Aycliffe, five miles to the north. The level stra. tifications of superficial accumulations of sand, gravel, and clay, the latter in some places passing into marl, seem to be formed of the debris of the magnesian limestone; the clays, which belong to the red marl series, containing no dull and decomposing matter of magnesian limestone. The Vegetable soil, within a circuit of two miles, is fully up to an average; but beyond that distance, and particularly in the north-east and north-west directions, it is considerably under an average. The climate of Darlington is mild and somewhat relaxing; but it is favourable to longevity, for the depressing influence mainly depends upon removable causes. There is no reason why Darlington, if under judicious management, should not rank amongst the most salubrious towns in England." There are fifty-four streets in the town, with a total length of fourand-a-half miles; and there are 106 yards or courts. The population of Darlington in 1851, was 11,228, of whom 5,174 were males, and 6,054 females. There were at the same period, 1,921 inhabited houses, 128 uninhabited, and ten in process of erection. Half a century ago, this town was little better than a large village-very little better than Stokesley. At that time there were two manufactories; but now there are several. The iron-trade is about to be established in Darlington; and when that has become consolidated, no limits can be assigned to the prosperity of the town. It is the centre of many railways; there is a railway to the north, a railway to the south, a railway to the east, a railway to the west; and another is about to be made to the south-west to Barnard Castle. From these circumstances we may augur favourably as to the future prosperity of Darlington.

ANNALS OF THE TOWN. - Darlington, or, as it is sometimes written, Derlington, lays claim to considerable antiquity. Soon after the episcopal seat was settled at Durham, we are informed that Styr, son of Ulphus, gave this place, with its appendages, to St. Cuthbert, a donation made with such solemnity, that the king and Archbishop Wulstan were present when Aldune, the first bishop of Durham, received the gift; and it is from this grant that the bishop's manor here appears to have arisen. In 1082, Bishop William de Carileph removed the secular clergy from the church at Durham; and a part of them were provided with an asylum at Darlington. About the year 1164, Bishop Pudsey built a manor-house, or hall, on the banks of the Skerne at Darlington. In 1197, the temporalities of the see, during a vacancy, being in the king's hands, the borough of Darlington paid £8, and the bondmen 69s. 8d.

In 1291, Edward I. was at Darlington, and issued from thence his summons to fifty-seven of the chief military tenants of the north. They were to assemble with their retainers, at Norham Castle, and attend him in Scotland, during the accustomed period of military service; and in 1302, he here dated an address to the pope, appointing ambassadors and proctors to treat with him. When the Scots had penetrated into Stanhope Park, in 1327, "Archibald Duglas toke great prayes in the Bishopriche of Duresme, and encountered with a band of Englich men at Darlington, and killed many of them." In 1336 and 1338, Edward III. dated letters patent from Darlington.

In 1502, Margaret, eldest daughter of King Henry VII., then affianced to James IV., king of Scotland, was conveyed in great splendour through the counties of Durham and Northumberland. Being come into the neighbourhood of Darlington, she was met by Sir William Boummer, sheriff of the lordship of Durham, Sir William Ewers, and many other folks of honor of that contre, in fayr ordre, well-appointed of liverays and horst, to the nomber of six-score horsys. By the said company was sche conveyde to Darnton. And at the gatt of the church of the said place, war revested the vicayr and folkes of the church, wer doing as sche had done on the dayes beefore she was led to the manayer of the said byschop of Durham for that nyght. The XXth day of the said mouneth the qwene departed from Darnton in fayr aray, and with the precedente company went to the town of Durham."

On the 15th June, 1567, Queen Elizabeth, by charter, founded a grammarschool at Darlington, through the solicitations of Henry, Earl of Darlington, and Bishop Pilkington, whose influence the inhabitants had sought for that purpose.

The Rev. George Swallowell was executed at Darlington, on July 26th, 1594. He was born at the same place, in 1564, and was educated for the church. While curate or reader at Houghton-le-Spring, he went one day to visita gentleman who was imprisoned at Durham for recusancy, when a dispute took place, which ended in Mr. Swallowell embracing the Roman Catholic faith. He was shortly afterwards apprehended and committed to Durham gaol, and after a year's imprisonment, received judgment, which was to be hanged, drawn, and quartered at his native town.

In 1597, the plague made sad ravages in Darlington; the number of inter

:

the pa

sments in August being 89, and in September 137. It was again prevalent in 1605, and in 1644 and the following year the town and neighbourhood experienced a similar visitation, 135 being carried away within four months. In 1640, when the king's troops retreated before the covenanters, after the defeat at Stella Haugh, and abandoned Newcastle and Durham, the Earl of Stratford issued an order from Darlington, dated April 30th, to cause "all such quantities of butter, bread, cheese, and milk, as could be possibly furnished, to be brought into Darlington by four o'clock the next day for victualling his majesty's army; to break or bury all the upper millstones, and to remove the goods, and drive the cattle before the approach of the Scots." During the parliamentary wars in 1644, the cavalry of General Leslie's army came up with the rear of that of the Marquis of Newcastle, at Darlington, and made some prisoners. We find that the town was afterwards occupied by Cromwell's soldiers; and in 1650, the royal arms in the church were defaced. In May 1656, "the commissioners for the county of Durham for securing the peace of the Commonwealth," sat at Darlington, adjudicating on the property of the delinquents.

When the army under the Duke of Cumberland was advancing from the south in 1745, the members of the Society of Friends in Darlington, on learning that the soldiers were ill clothed and unprovided with necessary comforts, manufactured a great number of flannel waistcoats for them, which were ready on their arrival. In October of the same year, all the bakers were ordered to get bread ready for the troops. The duke, who travelled north by way of Pierce-Bridge, returned, after the battle of Culloden, through Darlington, in July 1746.

Mr. Wilkes having been liberated from prison in April 1770, there were great rejoicings in Darlington, on the 18th of the same month. The bells were rung all day, forty-five pieces of cannon were fired off, and in the evening there were bonfires and illuminations. On the 30th of August, 1798, the Darlington Volunteers were presented with new colours. A most destructive fire occured on the 2nd of February, 1817, by which the extensive woollen manufactory belonging to Messrs. Edward and Joseph Pease, on the site of the Old Bishop's Mill, and other property, valued at £30,000, were destroyed, and 500 people thrown out of employment.

On August 9th, 1822, Robert Peat, of Ravensworth, near Richmond, aged fifty years, was executed in front of the County Courts at Durham, pursuant to his sentence, for poisoning, by putting a quantity of laudanum into the broth of a relation named Robert Peat, at Darlington, from whom he had stolen his will.

On the 29th July, 1834, Mr. Green, æronaut, according to a promise he had made to the inhabitants of Darlington, in consequence of a failure in an attempt to ascend a few days before, ascended from the Market-place, with two females, in the car of his balloon, and descended at Pillmoor House, near Croft, about four miles from Darlington.

A fire broke out on the 12th August, 1837, in the premises belonging to Messrs. Middleton & Son, tanners and curriers. Although the alarm was soon given, and the fire engines brought to play upon it, the fire spread rapidly. Two engines were sent for from Stockton; but before they arrived, the fire was, in a great measure, extinguished, though not until damage to the amount of several thousand pounds had been sustained.

On the 28th June, 1841, an imposing cavalcade of electors accompanied Mr. Bowes, who had been elected M.P. on the 12th, on his entry into Darlington.

The following was the order of the procession: -Two gentlemen on horseback. The band playing "See the Conquering Hero Comes." The candidate and his friends about three-hundred horse-men, four abreast. A procession of carriages filled with electors, succeeded by two hundred voters on horseback, each decorated with blue and white rosettes, &c., the whole graced with a large collection of banners, with a number of mottoes. At two o'clock, Joseph Pease, Esq., the late member, appeared on the platform in front of the Sun Inn, and introduced Mr. Bowes, and the scene which ensued baffles all description. Stationed below the platform was a crowd of the opposition party who com menced hooting, and roaring in such a manner as to prevent any person from being heard. After the speaking, the streets were kept in a disorderly state by the mob; and on the police interfering, they were attacked, and compelled to fly in all directions. Two or three took refuge in the Town Hall, on which an attack was commenced and the windows smashed unremittingly, until past eleven o'clock, when their destruction being complete, a rush was made at the entrance door, which, after some delay, was broken in, and bad it not been for some gentlemen in the news-room at the south end of the building, who disguised the police, and got them out by a private door, when the mob rushed in at the north end, they would doubtless have been massa cred without mercy. Foiled in their attack upon the police, the mob tore up the bar-railings, broke the forms and chairs, and committed every kind of outrage. They then formed in parties, and on their way home, broke the windows of two private houses, before they dispersed. Another riot took place on the 5th of the following November, in consequence of a dangerous bonfire, being kindled in the Market-place, and a large quantity of fireworks being set off, in celebration of the gunpowder plot. The police were driven off by the mob, and the windows of the Town Hall broken.

During a tremendous thunder-storm, which occurred on the 10th of August, 1842, the electric fluid descended into the workshops of Messrs. Coates and Farmer, printers, and set fire to them, but being immediately discovered, the fire was soon extinguished. It also descended the chimney of the adjoining house, and forced the fire-grate out of its place.

Diarrhoea was very prevalent in Darlington, during the summer of 1846, and occasioned the revival of an old local superstition, that bread made on a Good-Friday is an infallible remedy for many of the complaints "which flesh is heir to." The older the bread is the better; and a most extraordinary cure is said to have been effected by some Good-Friday bread three or four years old.

The late Sir Robert Peel passed through Darlington on the 1st September, 1847, on his way to Wynyard Park, on the occasion of the marriage of the Earl of Portarlington, with Lvdy Alexandrina Vane. He was received at the Central Hall by upwards of 2,000 persons, and an address from the gentry, merchants, and inhabitants of the town was presented to him. Two years afterwards her majesty, the queen, passed through the old town, on her journey from Scotland to the Isle of Wight, on which occasion she was presented, by the borough bailiff, with a loyal address from the nobility, magistrates, clergy, gentry, and other inhabitants of Darlington. On 10th August, 1850, her majesty was again received at the railway station by a large assemblage of the local magistracy, and a large concourse of the inhabitants.

ST. CUTHBERT'S COLLEGIATE CHURCH, which, next to Durham Cathedral, is the most beautiful church in the county, is supposed to have been erected by Bishop Pudsey; but Billings observes, "this must be a mistake, because