216 CRANIA BEITANNIOA. [CHAP. VII.
Hair,
So. of
Persons.
Eyea Light.
Eyes
Light.
Eyes Intermediate. Eyes
Neutral.
Eyes Dark. Eyes
Dirk. Index.
Eod. Fair. Bm. Dark. Nig.
Bed. Fair. Bm. Dark. Nig.
Bed. Fair. Bni Dark. Nig.
Carlialo City 342 4-8 130 3.5-1 11-1 •e 66-2 •U 1-2 2-C 6-3 •6 10-0 •6 2- 8-3 lO-S 2-8 24-3 11-8
Carlisle Fair (Farmers) 100 4- 22' 34- 11- 1- 72- 2- 3- 3- 8- 1- 2- ñ- 10- 2- 20- - 1-
Carlislo Fair (Peaiants) 400 4-0 20- 36-1 12-3 73-3 "•2 1-9 6- 4-2 12-3 •3 •6 4-4 8- 1-1 14-4 - 1-2
Penrith, Town 130 3-1 17-3 31-0 10' 62-3 31 2-7 (5-.Í 12-3 10- 11-6 2-3 23-8 9-1
Keswieli, Town 134 R-2 14-9 37-7 7-1 64-9 1-6 ,1-6 6-6 12-7 1-5 0-2 140 1-1 224 0-4
Cockermouth, Town 184 4-3 20-1 32-1 i)-o "•3 66-3 •6 4-1 SB 8-1 i'-i) 1-9 8-4 12-5 M ió-S _ -1
PoasaiitiT of Cimiberland Dales... 247 6-3 14-2 38-3 8-7 •4 S7i) "•8 2* 4-1 3-7 '2 10-8 •4 •4 0-7 13-2 •Ü 21-3 3-9
Kendal, Town 150 4- 13-3 36-3 S'7 Gl-3 2* 9-3 G- 17-3 •7 00 13'3 •7 21-3 94
Kendal, Country l.W 6-3 16-7 38- 4-7 "•7 65-3 "•7 7- 15-7 8'7 16-7 4-7 12- 1-3 18- 0-
-iverages 1837 67- 12- 21- 4-8
Erom tliis Table it appears tliat the index of nigTescence of hair is low, averaging among tlie
1837 persons observed 4-8, and ranging from —'1 at Cockermouth, and —1' among the Ciimberland
farmers at the fair at 'Carlisle, to 11-8 among the citizens, who are at times of an extrinsic
derivation, from Scotland or more southern England. The averages of the colours of the eyes
are 67' per cent, light, 12" per cent, intermediate, and 21' j^er cent. dark.
The inhabitants of Cumberland are an acute, shrewd people, active, industrious, vigorous,
enterprising, trustworthy—whether in a virtuous or vicious coiu-so manifesting unusual energy
and determination. Everything about them is clean and respectable, not squalid, mean, and paltry.
I n aU these elements they are most unlike the Celtic races. Their native pastime, wrestliug, is
a iittiag sport for such a iiae, bold and athletic population *.
The people of Westmoreland are commonly tall, probably above the average of their countrymen
in most other parts of England; they are well made, and long-Umbed; with faces rather
oval than round, the cheek-bones not projecting; foreheads tending to the square form; noses
rather long and prominent; complexions often florid; hair frequently brown, very rarely red;
eyes light-coloured, grey or blue, occasionally hazel; and generally large skulls t-
A population very much of the same Idnd as that of Cumberland runs northwards into
Dumfriesshire and Boxburghshire; so that a belt of country, crossing this narrow portion of
the island almost from coast to coast, contains an exceedingly fine race. The peasantry of
Northumberland resemble the Cumbrians a good deal ia their form and appearance ; they are
less bony, more plump and shapely; both agree closely in their tastes, habits, and sjjorts. The
former have more of the general English character. Twenty natives of Glendale "Ward, North
Northumberland, were found to average 5 ft. 8'7 in. in stature, and 162-5 lbs. in weight. They
seem to have had large and broad heads; several had dark eyes and hair J. Those of the county
of Durham present a decided falling off. They are more stunted and broad, have paler countenances
and more haggard looks—aU which peculiarities they may owe to their occupation of
coal-mining. They are equally devoid of the high animal courage of their adjacent neigh-
* A confirmation of the traits of the Cumbrians here enumerated
will be found in Mr. Ferguson's able volume, p. 148 ;
with a great amount of other information respecting his countrymen.
(The Northmen in Cumberland, &c.)
A more minute delineation of the Cumbrian features, character,
and tastes, describes them thus. Countenance not very
expressive. Intellect shrewd and wary, but rather slow—not
bright, but safe, true and persevering—long in maturing. The
mathematical sciences have often been efficiently cultivated; but
in all those embraced in the dh-ision of helles lettres there is
mostly a betrayal of defective aptitude. (This agrees with
what was observed of the Norse people of Ness.) Little communicative,
not excitable, yet when roused by a sense of unfairness,
resolute. Of great integrity and honesty of purpose,
but not very candid or open; far seeing and acquisitive, but,
at the same time, warm-hearted, kind and "clannish." In the
enjoyment of fun they may be rude, but are not cruel. Severe
bodily exertion marks their pastimes, which constitute a Herculean
strife conducted with faultless honour—the manifestations
of strength of body and of mind.
t These brief, but clear and discriminative notes we owe to
the pen of Dr. John Davy, F.R.S.
J Dr. William Alexander, of "Wooler.
CHAP. VII.] ETHNOLOGICAL RELATIONS OE THE PRESENT POPULATION. 217
bours*. In the western parts of the county of Durham, in Weardale, where the population is
engaged in lead-mining, and have generally intermarried among themselves, a decidedly greater
resemblance to the Cumbrians prevails. The average stature of the men is estimated at 5 ft.
8 in., then- average weight is said to be about 175 lbs. Their occupation is unhealthy, and they
die at an early age; lience their usual slenderness is not to be considered a race-character. They
have long faces, fair complexions, long straight noses, square foreheads and prominent chins,
Kght hair, blue or grey eyes, and heads of good sizef.
The Berwickshire people are distinguished by great fairness, and evidently agree in most of
their physical features with the Cumbrians. That is the case mt h 20 men of Eyemouth, a
fishing village, whose average height is 5 ft. 8 in. and a small fraction, their average weight
172 lbs. Av., and the mean of the measurements of theii- heads as foUows:—cu-cumference
22-7 in., length 7-75 in., breadth 6' i5 in.+ Of 16 men of the district of the Merse, in the south-east
of the county, where the people are large and strongly made, the average height is 5 ft. 9-4)5 in.,
circumference of head 22'7 in., and length of head 7-64 in.§ Among 300 of the rural population
of this district, of both sexes, Dr. Beddoe's index of nigrescence descended as low as —3-3,
which, with the exception of the people of Boston ia Lincolnshire, another Scandinavian region,
is the lowest he has met with in Britain. The percentages of the colours of the eyes were 63-7
light, 13-7 intermediate, and 22'3 dark.
I n a former page (22) we quoted the conclusions to which Prof. John Phillips had been
conducted by his extensive intercourse with the population of Yorkshire. These conclusions,
the result of actual examination and observation, are that there are three distinguishable
varieties among them. The abundant substratum of the population in aU parts of the country,
" in the North Riding from the eastern to the western mountains," he says, is precisely the
same tail, fair race we have been describing as predominating in Cumberland,—which thus gives
support to the views we have been led to entertain from our own observations in the latter
county. The next, a more robust, fuU oval-faced variety, having a somewhat darker complexion
and coloui-, which, he says, especially prevails in the West Riding, most likely owes its discriminative
peculiarities to a slight mixture of blood—not improbably AjigKan. Whilst the third,
smaller, darker race are considered to inherit a strain which imparts their specialties from the
ancient Brigantes. Their peciiliarities are to be seen in a greater or less degree in many of the
Mid-Anglian regions, and indicate a mingHng, in these countries at a distance more remote from
the coasts, of the conquerors from Saxonia and Scandinavia with the native women, or more
gradually with their OATO serfs 1|.
The Yorkshn-e people are often taU, and sometimes bulky, yet they probably have a skeleton
somewhat finer and smaller than the Ciunbrians; their complexion is fair, and often florid; and
it is probable that a close investigation might reveal slight diversities from their Cumbrian
neighbours, as they may claim an origin more purely Danish.
If we were to attempt any description of the Yorkshire character, it would be pretty much
a repetition of that of the people of Cumberland. They are equally able, shrewd, and managing.
They are decidedly bolder in enterprise, and have a tendency to combine for gigantic undertakings,
in which they resemble their Lancashire congeners If. They are capable of high
* We have received much valuable assistance in this portion
of our labours from Dr. Robert Elliot, of Carlisle,
t Mr. John Davison, jun., of Wolsingham.
i Dr. Forsyth, of Eyemouth,
§ Dr. Charles Stuart, of Chirnside.
II Ante, p. 185.
If We have not enjoyed the opportunity to note the physical
appearances of the inhabitauts of the remote rural districts of
H