Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 22.djvu/467

STAFFORD 443 By the Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885, the parliamentary representation of Staffordshire was arranged as follows: seven boroughs eacli returning one member, one borough returning three, and seven county divisions with one member to each, making seventeen members for the whole county. The county divisions are named respectively Burton, Handsworth, Kingswinford, Leek, Lichfield, North-West, and West. The following is a list of the boroughs, with populations given by or based on the census of 1881 : Wolverhampton (three members), 164,332 ; Hanley, 75,912 ; Newcastle-uuder-Lyme, 49,293; Stafford, 19,977; Stoke-on-Trent, 64,091; Walsall, 59,402; Wednesbury, 68,142; West Bromwich, 56,295. History and Antiquities. Much antiquarian learning has been employed in showing that Staffordshire was in early ante-Roman days famous for the presence and power of the Druids. Cannock Chase has been described as their headquarters in Britain ; and Barr Beacon has been generally accepted as one of their principal places of worship, of which Drood or Druid Heath by its name still preserves the tradition. At the time of Csesar's arrival in the island this part of England was peopled by tribes whom the Roman authors designate as Cornavii or Carnabii. The conquerors named the central part of the country, which included Stafford- shire, Flavia Ctesariensis. Two of their most famous roads, Watling Street and Icknield Street, passed through the county, the first-named from Fazeley through Wall (Etocduni) to Wroxeter (Uriconium], and the Icknield Street through Birming- ham to Wall, and by Burton-on-Trent to Derby. In Saxon times Staffordshire formed part of the great kingdom of Mercia, which was remarkable for the tenacity with which the people clung to their old faith and resisted the introduction of Christianity. The new faith, however, prevailed over paganism, and a cathedral was founded at Lichfield. Through the influence of OfTa, Pope Adrian in 786 made the see an independent archbishopric, but this honour was only possessed for a short period. Mercia was frequently invaded by the Danes, and several battles were fought in Staffordshire, notably at Tettenhall and Wednesfield (Woden's Field), and a large number of Danes settled in this part. So rapidly did they occupy the land that in 1016, when the Danish king Canute divided his conquests into four earldoms, Mercia was believed to have as many Danish as Saxon inhabitants. After the Norman Conquest the county was divided among the Conqueror's retainers, the barons De Torri, De Montgomery, Fitz-Ansculf, and Do Ferrers coming in for the lion's share. Of after historical events the most noted are the defeat and execution of the earl of Lancaster by Edward II. in 1322, and the battle at Blore Heath in 1459, in which the Yorkists were victorious over the Lancasterians. During the Civil War Lichfield cathedral was besieged in 1643, and Lord Brook was killed by a shot fired from the battlements of the great tower. Mary queen of Scots was imprisoned in Tutbury Castle from 1569 to 1572. In 1745 Charles Edward, the Young Pretender, in his attempt to win the crown of England, penetrated as far as Leek. Early British remains exist in various parts of the county ; and a large number of barrows have been opened in which human bones, urns, fibula:, stone hammers, armlets, pins, pottery, and other articles have been found. In the neighbourhood of Wetton no fewer than twenty-three barrows have been opened, and British ornaments have been found in Needwood Forest. Several Roman camps also exist in different parts. But of mediaeval times the chief legacy is the cathedral at LICHFIELD (q.v.), one of the most beautiful in the kingdom. Of other interesting places the most worthy of notice are Beaudesert, Bentley Hall, Chillington, Dudley Castle, Enville Hall, Ingestre, Stafford Castle, Tamworth Castle, Tixall, and Wrottesley Hall. More modern mansions are Ham Hall, Alton Towers, Shugborough, Patteshull, Keele Hall, and Trentham. Of famous personages belonging to the county are John Dudley (duke of Northumberland), Cardinal Pole, Archbishop Sheldon, Col. John Lane, General Harrison, Lord Anson, Earl St Vincent, Izaak Walton, Dr Samuel Johnson, David Garrick, Josiah Wedgwood, Miss Seward, Mary Howitt. ivpoyrvpnvsw ntsivry uj 0KUf vr ** snwv i IOAI , vnujici, mwuiui awtvrjr v/ t/'c County of Stafford, 1844 ; Laiigford, Staffordshire and Warwickshire, 1874; and the publications of the Salt Areliseological Society. STAFFOED, a parliamentary and municipal borough of England, and the county town of Staffordshire, is situated on the left bank of the river Sow, almost in the heart of England. It is 123 miles from London and 29J from Birmingham, and is in the southern division of the hundred of Pirehill. The principal trades of the town are tanning and the manufacture of boots and shoes, more especially for ladies. The oldest church is that of St Chad, said to be originally of Saxon origin. It was formerly a large and beautiful church, with chancel, nave, aisles, transepts, and a central tower, but has suffered severely from time, neglect, and rough treatment. Kestoration was begun in 1855, and the operations led to the discovery of some fine interlacing Norman arches and a beautiful Norman archway with some rich sculptured work between the nave and tower. These were restored in 1856 and a new roof was put on the chancel in memory of Izaak Walton. In 1874, the nave, arcades, and open-timbered roof were restored in memory of Mr Thomas Salt ; in 1874-75 the south aisle was rebuilt, and in 1884-85 the tower. The finest of the churches in Stafford is undoubtedly St Mary's, which was admirably restored in 1844-45 by Sir Gilbert Scott, at a cost of .30,000. It contains some good monuments, and seve- ral very fine memorial windows of stained glass. Other churches worthy of mention are Christ Church, St Paul's, and St Thomas's. The grammar school is a very old foundation, enlarged by Edward VL ; the present building was erected in 1862. The free library was opened in 1882, and is now fairly well supplied with books. The William Salt library contains a unique collection of books, deeds, autographs, engravings, and drawings relating to the county, collected by Mr Salt and presented by his widow. It contains some 7000 volumes, between 2000 and 3000 deeds, and more than 9000 drawings, auto- graphs, and valuable MSS., mostly relating to the history, topography, &c., of the county. The town also possesses a good museum, collected principally by Mr Clement L. Wragge, and called by his name ; specially interesting is its almost perfect collection of fossils. Stafford also contains a good school of art and a mechanics' institute. Other prominent buildings are the shire hall, in which the assizes and quarter sessions are held, and the borough hall ; the latter contains the municipal offices, and also has a large hall for public meetings. Stafford is well supplied with charitable institutions, among which may be mentioned the general infirmary, built in 1766; the county lunatic asylum in 1818; and the Coton Hill institution for the insane in 1854, beautifully situated on rising ground, which commands extensive views of some of the loveliest country in the county, while its own grounds are tastefully laid out. The householders of Stafford formerly possessed the right of using some very extensive common land situated north of the town ; in 1880, however, all that remained (134 acres) was enclosed, and is now held for the people by a committee of house- holders elected annually. A part of this land, called Stone Flat, is preserved as a public recreation ground. Of another common named Coton Field, consisting of about 180 acres, 70 acres were in 1884 transferred abso- lutely to the freemen, and have been divided into 401 garden allotments, which are let at a small rental to resident freemen or their widows. The parliamentary borough (area 774 acres, with population of 18,904 in 1881) was extended in 1885, and is now identical with the municipal borough. The area of this is 1012 acres, and the population, 14,437 in 1871, was in 1881 19,977. The Act of 1885 reduced the parliamentary representation from two members to one. Stafford was of considerable importance before the Conquest. The site was at first known as Berteliney or Betheney, from the island on which the earliest houses were built. As the town grew its name was changed into that of Statford or Stadford. In 913 Ethelfleda, sister of Edward the Elder, erected a fortification here, generally called a castle, but doubtless one of those de- fensive mounds which from their admirable positions were after- wards selected by the Normans as the sites of their castles and strongholds. About a year and a half afterwards Edward Elder built a tower, with walls and a fosse round it. Pennant says this was on the mount called Castle Hill by Speed. Stafford is mentioned in Domesday as a city paying 9 in customs There were 18 royal burgesses, and the carls of Mercia possessed twenty mansions. The number of houses entered is 178. Ailliam built a castle on the old site, of which he appointed Robert de lorn