been
carried on since early in the 18th century, and large ironworks grew up
in the latter half of the 19th century. In 1791 a canal was constructed
from Manchester to Bolton, and by an act of parliament (1792) Bolton
Moor was enclosed.

During the Civil War Bolton sided with the parliament, and in February
1643 and March 1644 the royalist forces assaulted the town, but were on
both occasions repulsed. On the 28th of May 1644, however, it was
attacked by Prince Rupert and Lord Derby, and stormed with great
slaughter. On the 15th of October 1651 Lord Derby, who had been taken
prisoner after the battle of Worcester, was brought here and executed
the same day.

Up to the beginning of the 19th century the market day was Monday, but
the customary Saturday market gradually superseded this old chartered
market. In 1251 William de Ferrers obtained from the crown a charter
for a weekly market and a yearly fair, but gradually this annual fair
was replaced by four others chiefly for horses and cattle. The New Year
and Whitsuntide Show fairs only arose during the 19th century.

BOLTON ABBEY, a village in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, 22 m.
N.W. from Leeds and 5-1/2 from Ilkley by the Midland railway. It takes
its name, inaccurately, from the great foundation of Bolton Priory, the
ruins of which are among the most exquisitely situated in England. They
stand near the right bank of the upper Wharfe, the valley of which is
beautifully wooded and closely enclosed by hills. The earliest part of
the church is of transitional Norman date; the nave, which is perfect,
is Early English and Decorated. The transepts and choir are ruined, and
the remains of domestic buildings are slight. The manor of Bolton Abbey
with the rest of the district of Craven was granted by William the
Conqueror to Robert de Romili, who evidently held it in 1086, although
there is no mention made of it in the Domesday survey. William de
Meschines and Cicely de Romili, his wife, heiress of Robert, founded and
endowed a priory at Embsay or Emmesay, near Skipton, in 1120, but it was
moved here in 1151 by their daughter, Alice de Romili, wife of William
FitzDuncan, who gave the manor to the monks in exchange for other lands.
After the dissolution of the monasteries the manor was sold in 1542 to
Henry Clifford, 2nd earl of Cumberland, whose descendants, the dukes of
Devonshire, now hold it.

See J.D. Whitaker, LL.D., F.S.A., _History of the District of