C h u r c h »
M a n u f a c t u r e .
Edinburgh. The town extends far in length, but not in breadtll
Here is only one church, fpacious, fupported by two rows 0!
o diagonal pillars, and fupplied with a handfome organ. Thl
Conqueror bellowed the lordihip ,of Wakefield*, of which thil
place is part, on his relation, William Earl of Warren and Sunl
who gave the church and manour to the abbot of 'Lewes; and hil
fueceffors conftantly held courts here from that time to the dil
folution -f-. The parilh is of vaft extent, contains above one an|
forty. thoufand inhabitants, and is fupplied with twelve chapell
In the town are feveral meeting-houfes ; one, called the chapel
is a neat and elegant building, ereited by the independents, and evel
lluccoed.
H a l i f a x rofe on the decline of the woollen trade at Riptm
which was brought from that town in the timé of a Mr. JohnWatm
houfie, of this place, who was born in 1443, a°d lived near a centurJ
In the beginning of his time, here were only thirteen-houfes, but i|
1556 above a hundred and .'forty houlholders paid dues to thl
vicar and in 1738, fays Mr .Wright, there were not fewer dial
eleven hundred families. The woollen manufactures flouriih he*
greatly ; fuch as that of the narrow cloth, bath-coatings, ihaloonl
everlaftings, a fort of coarfe broad cloth, with black hair lifts foj
Portugal, and with blue for Turky ; fayes, of a deep blue color, fol
Guinea: the laft are packed in pieces of twelve yards and a hala
wrapped in an oil-cloth, painted with negroes, elephants, &c. in 0I|
der to captivate thofe poor people ; and perhaps orie of thele but!
dies and a bottle of rum may be the price of a man in the in fam o ti
• Wright's H alifax, 102. + Wright y 8. % Ibidtraffic*.
traffic. Many blood-red clothes are exported to Italy, from whence '
they are fuppofed to be fent to Turky. The blues are fold to Nor-
Ly. The manufa&ure is far from being confined to the neighbor-
[hood, for its influence extends as far as Settle, near thirty miles diftant,
either in the fpinning or weaving branches. The great manufadtu-
rers give out a flock of wool to the artificers, who return it again in
yarn or cloth ; but many taking in a larger quantity of work than
they can finifh, are obliged to advance farther into the country in
fearch of more hands, which caufes thè trade to fpread from place to
place, which has now happily extended its influence ; but not all
jways alike, for it is bounded by the kerfies at Soyland, and by the
bays at Rochdale.
In palling thro’ the end of Halifax, obferve a fquare fpot, about 0 c t . 2.
four feet high and thirteen broad, made of neat alhler flone, acceifi-
bleon one fide by four or five fleps. On this was placed the Maiden, T he M aiden.
|or inltrument for beheading of criminals ; a privilege of great anti-
Iquity in this place. It feems to have been confined to the limits of
the foreil of Hardwick, or the eighteen towns and hamlets within its
precindls. The time when this cuilom took place is unknown ;
whether Earl Warren, Lord of this foreil, might have eftabliihed it
among the fanguinary laws then in ufe againfl the invaders of the
hunting rights, or whether it might not take place after the woollen
manufa&ures at Halifax began to gain ilrength, is uncertain. The
laft is very probable ; for the wild country around the town was inhabited
by a lawlefs fet, whofe depredations on the cloth-tenters
®ight foon ili fie the efforts of infant induftry. For the protecti n of
trade, and for the greater terror of offenders, by fpeedy execution,
this cuilom feems to have been eftabliihed, fo as at laft to receive the
A a a 2 force