Manchester England

Manchester, England, is 31 miles E.N.E. of Liverpool and 187 miles N.W. from London by railway. It stands on the east bank of the river Irwell, being connected with Salford on the other side by numerous bridges. It was an important Roman station known as Mancunium, the Saxon name being Manceastre. The early history of the city is obscure, but it is known to have had some importance as a trading town as early as the 14th century. A fresh impulse was given to the increasing trade of Manchester by the opening of the Bridgewater Canal in 1761; but the modern epoch in its history dates, of course, from the subsequent introduction of machinery. In the first half of the 19th century the population more than quadrupled itself, and from the "largest village in England" it became the third or fourth town after the lapse of little more than a hundred years. In 1830 the Manchester and Sheffield Railway was opened; in 1832 Manchester became a parliamentary, and in 1838 a municipal borough; and soon after the formation of the bishopric in 1847 it was declared a city. The part which it took in the abolition of the Corn Laws, besides increasing its commercial importance, also made it a political centre; while the foundation of Owens College in 1851, the nucleus of the future Victoria University (q.v.). rendered it the educational headquarters of northern England. By the Reform Bill of 1867 Manchester gained two additional members; by that of 1885 the area of the political borough was increased, and it was divided into six single-member constituencies, Salford having also three of its own. Besides the tramways, the supply of water and gas is absolutely in the hands of the Corporation; and the town-hall, designed by Waterhouse and finished in 1883, is the finest municipal building in the world. Manchester and Salford with their environs draw their water supply partly from Blackstone Edge, and partly from Thirlmere Lake, in Cumberland. The chief buildings are the cathedral or "Old Church," which dates from 1422 and is celebrated for the beauty of its choir; the Roman Catholic cathedral of St. John's; the Royal Exchange, finished in 1874, having the largest exchange-room in Europe; the Assize Courts, designed by Waterhouse and finished in 1864; and the Free Trade Hall. There is a large and important technical school, and the Technical Instruction Act has been adopted. Manchester grammar school was founded in 1515, and is now rich in endowments, while the Hulme foundation also provides higher education. Besides the great cotton industry, woollen and silk fabrics are largely manufactured, and the making of machinery and chemicals employs thousands of people. The factories are almost all in the environs, the main part of the city being occupied by warehouses and offices. Manchester is, of course, a most important railway centre. The construction of the Ship Canal in 1887-91, connecting it with the sea, put the finishing touch to its immense commercial advantages.