NOTTINGHAMSHIRE is an inland shire intersected by the Trent, bounded on the north and north-west by Yorkshire, on the west by Derbyshire, on the east by Lincolnshire, on the south-east and south by Leicestershire. It is shaped like an egg, being 50 miles in length from north to south and 25 miles in its greatest breadth.

The area of the administrative county was altered under the provisions of the “Local Government (England and Wales) Act, 1888,” part of Pinkton being transferred to Derbyshire and part of Wallingwells added to it from the West Riding Yorkshire, making the area now 540,123 acres.

The population in 1801 was 140,350; in 1811, 162,964; in 1821, 186,873; in 1831, 325,327; in 1841, 249,910; in 1851, 270,427; in 1861, 293,867; in 1871, 319,758; in 1881, 391,815; in 1891, 445,823, and in 1901, 514,459, viz., males, 248,098, and females, 266,361. The number of houses in 1901 was, inhabited, 111,618; uninhabited, 6,366; building, 1,067.

This shire was under the Romans for many years; their great road, the Fossway, passes through it, and other smaller roads cross it: there were no great Roman towns, but many stations and camps. The chief settlements were-Broughton, Brough, Attenborough, Clarborough, Little-borough, Flawborough, Bilborough, Woodborough, Mulaleborough, Carburton, West Burton, Batford, Retford, Tuxford, Wilford, Gateford, Radford, Bridgeford, Rufford, Salterford, Langford, Spalford, Shelford, Stapleford and Stanford. Under the Saxons it formed part of the kingdom of Mercia. In the 9th, 10th and 11th centuries it suffered much from wars between the Northmen and the English; and a large body of the former were settled here (though not so many as in Leicestershire and Derbyshire): and there are many topographical names of Danish and Frisian stock; asby, thwaite, thorpe, with, holme, beck and low.

Nottingham was one of the commonwealth of the Five Boroughs or Seven Boroughs of the Danes. In the Middle Ages many abbeys and castles were built here. At Nottingham, Southwell, Newark, Worksop, Thurgarton, Blyth, and Mattersley were large ecclesiastical establishments, of which St. Mary’s church, Nottingham and Southwell minsters are the chief remains. The castles of Nottingham and Newwark were dismantled in the Parliamentary War.

The air is rather dry, as the clouds break on the Yorkshire and Derbyshire hills; seed-time and harvest are therefore earlier than in the other northern shires. The land mostly belongs to the valley of the Trent, and much of it is very low, particularly on the Lower Trent and the Idle, and is drained as fen land; but there is much hill land, as in Sherwood Forest, on the south-west, but not above 400 feet above sea level, which is mostly enclosed and makes about a fifth of the shire, being about 20 miles long by 8 broad and covering nearly 100,000 acres: it has some good woodland scenery with some fine timber. The soil of half the shire is gravel and sand; in Bassetlaw it is clay; near the rivers it is a rich sandy or gravelly loam or mould.

The principal river is the Trent, which enters on the south-west and flows in a north-easterly direction past Nottingham to Newark, then turning north it flows just within the county as far as North Clifton and thence forms the north-eastern boundary of the county; it is navigable throughout, and the tides run as far as Gainsborough, but the spring tides reach higher up: most of the rivers of this county run into it. On coming into the shire the Trent takes the Erewash from the north and the Soar from the south, both of which lie on the borders and are navigable. The Leen is a mill-stream, 12 miles long, flowing in at Nottingham, from the north side. The Dover beck empties itself into the Trent between Gunthorpe and Hoveringham. The Greet, likewise on that side, runs through Southwell. From the south the Devon falls in at Newark, swollen by the Smite, the Wapling and the Car; it is about 20 miles long. North Nottinghamshire is watered by the Idle, which runs parallel to the Trent, and then turning round to the east joins that river as it leaves the shire: the Idle is navigable from Bawtry to its junction with the Trent, and has for its feeders the Rainworth Water, the Maun or Man (rising at Mansfield), the Meden, the Wollen and the Poulter, also the Ryton, which runs along the north-west and then falls into it near Bawtry. The navigable Fossdyke touches the border on the east before it joins the Trent. Besides these navigable streams there are several canals belonging to the Trent, Idle, Erewash and Soar, and there is a canal in the south-east from Nottingham to Grantham, and the Chesterfield canal in the north-west by Worksop and East Retford; so that the shire has water-ways to the whole of England.

This county is well served by railways, having branches from the Midland, Great Northern, Great Central (late Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire), and a small section of the London and North Western. The first named centres in Nottingham, running from Derby through Trent Junction and Attenborough in the south-west; from Nottingham is a branch through Basford, Hucknall, Sutton Junction (for Sutton-in-Ashfield) to Mansfield, Shirebrook (from which is a short line to Tuxford), to Worksop and Retford; another through Carlton, Rolleston (with a loop line through Southwell to Mansfield), Newark and Lincoln; from Pye Bridge on the main line to Sutton Junction and Mansfield; from Chesterfield to Elmton on the Worksop branch; from Melton Mowbray through Broughton and Widmerpool on the south.

The Great Northern has three branches, one from Peterborough and Grantham, one from Market Harborough and Melton Mowbray, which unite at Newark and proceed thence in a north-westerly direction through Tuxford and Retford, leaving the county a little north of Scrooby, and the third is from Grantham to Nottingham through Bingham.

The Great Central occupies the Northern portion of the county, running branches from Lincoln and Grimsby into Retford, where the lines unite, and crossing the Great Northern line passes out of the county via Worksop (with a branch to Mansfield); the extension of this company’s line to London commences near Kirkby-in-Ashfield and passes through Hucknall Torkard and Nottingham, on the west of the county, to Loughborough and Leicester.

The Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway intersects the northern half of the county, running from Langwith on the west border through Warsop, Edwinstowe, Ollerton, Boughton, Tuxford, Fledborough, Clifton and Harby to Lincoln, which is as far as the line is at present (1904) constructed; at Tuxford it has connection with the Great Northern Railway at a station called the Dukeries Junction.

The London and North Western have a joint line with the Great Northern from Radcliffe by Bingham to Harby and Stathern and thence to Melton Mowbray.

Nottinghamshire yields coal, clay, gravel and sand, limestone and gypsum. The coal field is on the south-west border, near Mansfield and Nottingham; 8,656,570 tons of coal were raised in 1902, valued at £3,679,042. Pig iron smelting occupies seven furnaces, but only five in blast. Red and white sandstone, freestone, magnesium limestone, and an excellent moulding sand are quarried near Mansfield; elsewhere coarse paving stones. Fire clay was raised in 1902 to the extent of 12,570 tons, valued at £12,570, and brick clay, 460,561 tons, valued at £13,971, chiefly from quarries; 143,037 tons of gravel and sand were raised in 1902. In the north-east gypsum is worked for making floors, for manure and for plastering; 84,659 tons were raised in 1902, valued at £38,178; limestone was raised to the extent of 148,828 tons in 1902. Newark is famed for plaster. Much corn is grown, though grazing is chiefly followed, and cheese is made. The manufactures are of importance; framework knitting is carried on in all the towns and villages of the south, but Nottingham is the heart of the trade, as also the stocking, bobbinet and lace and thread trades are extensively carried on. There are likewise silk and worsted mills, cotton factories, sail-cloth works, potteries for earthenware, large iron and brass foundries, brickfields, paper works, malt-houses, breweries, tanneries, machine works, chemical works and bleach fields. Along the Trent a great trade is carried on, which passes through to Gainsborough, which is the haven for Nottinghamshire.

Nottinghamshire is in the Midland circuit, and it forms six wapentakes or hundreds-Rushcliff, Bingham, Newark, Broxtow, Thurgarton and Bassetlaw. These again are formed into divisions for magisterial purposes-namely, North and South Rushcliff, North and South Bingham, North and South Broxtow, North and South Thurgarton, and Southwell in Thurgarton; and North Clay, South Clay and Hatfield, in Bassetlaw.

The town of Nottingham is a shire by itself, and in it are held the assizes and quarter sessions; district quarter sessions are held at Nottingham, Newark and Retford, and the annual financial sessions for the county are held at Newark, which town also has a separate court of quarter sessions. There are 7 petty sessional divisions-Bingham, Mansfield, Newark, Nottingham, Retford, Southwell and Worksop.

Nottinghamshire is in the province of Canterbury and in the diocese of Southwell, formed February, 1884, and comprises an archdeaconry, sub-divided into the rural deaneries of Bawtry, Bingham, South Bingham, West Bingham, Bulwell, Gedling, Mansfield, Newark, East Newark, Norwell, Nottingham, Retford, Southwell, Tuxford and Worksop. There are 266 civil parishes. Nottingham is one of the largest towns of England, having a population of 74,693 in 1861, 86,621 in 1871, 186,575 in 1881, 213,877 in 1891, and 239,743 in 1901.

The municipal boroughs in addition to Nottingham are Newark, population in 1901, 14,992; Mansfield, population in 1901, 21,445, and East Retford, population in 1901, 12,340. Other towns are Southwell, 3,161; Sutton-in-Ashfield, 14,862 and Worksop, 16,112.

The Registration districts are: —

East Retford Union

The Midland Institution for the Blind, for the counties of Nottingham, Derby, Lincoln, Leicester and Rutland, standing at the corner of Clarendon street and Chaucer street, Nottingham, is a handsome square brick building with stone dressings, of two storeys, in the Elizabethan style; the charity was instituted in 1843, and the present building was commenced in 1853—and a new wing added, in 1889; the institution is supported by subscriptions and voluntary contributions and by a Government grant; a retail shop is maintained at 16 Chapel bar: there are now 57 indoor pupils and about 54 outworkers. Besides an ordinary education, including a kindergarten and clay modelling, the males are taught brush making, basket and mat making, chair caning and pianoforte tuning; the females knitting, sewing, chair caning and type writing. This is now a Technical Training Institution for fitting those blind persons who have passed the school age at 16, as far as possible, for gaining their own living. The articles made at the institution are sold the produce averages £6,000. H. W. P. Pine, superintendent and sec.; Miss Eliza Robinson, matron.

A new County Lunatic Asylum was opened July 29, 1902, at Radcliffe-on-Trent, and is at present available for 452 patients of both sexes; Arthur Molyneux Jackson B.A., M.D., M.R.C.S.Eng, medical supt.; Leonard Boyer M.B., CH.B. Edin. assistant medical officer; Rev. Harvey Staunton B.A. chaplain; J. F. Gell, clerk.

The Lunatic Hospital, The Coppice, Nottingham, is a brick building in the Elizabethan style, and was opened in 1859 for the reception of private patients, and has room for 104 patients: it is under the management of a committee, appointed by subscribers of £2 2s. yearly at an annual meeting of such subscribers held in February in each year. William Barney Tate M.D. Aberd., M.B.C.P. Lond., M.R.C.S.Eng, medical superintendent; Ernest Lionel Forward M.R.C.S.Eng., L.R.C.P.Lond, assistant medical officer; John Frederick Gell, clerk to the asylum; Rev. Cyril Beardsley, chaplain.

The Nottingham General Hospital, on Standard hill, Nottingham, erected in 1782 by public subscription, is a spacious building of red brick; was enlarged by the addition of wing in 1855 and raised; an additional pavilion was built in 1871 and another in 1879: it is surrounded by an extensive lawn and garden comprising two acres of land. The hospital practically consists of three distinct buildings, comprising the old hospital with chapel attached, the fever house and the new wing, which provides for 55 severe surgical cases; there is also a steam laundry: the total number of beds is 741; William Henry Ransom M.D. consulting physician; J. O. Brookhouse M.D., Henry IIandford M.D., C.M. and William B. Ransom M.D. hon. physicians; C. H. Cattle M.D., M.B.C.P.Lond & F. H. Jacob M.D., M.R.C.P.Lond. hon. assistant physicians; Thomas Wright M.D., M.R.C.S.Eng, and Joseph Littlewood M.R.C.S.Eng, consulting surgeons; Herbert Owen Taylor M.D., C.M., A. R. Anderson F.R.C.S. Eng., Joseph Thompson M.R.C.S.Eng. and Rupert Cecil Chicken F.R.C.S.Eng. hon. surgeons; R. J. Hogarth F.R.C.S.Eng. & W. M. Willis F.E.C.S.Eng. hon. assistant surgeons; Henry Blandy L.D.S.R.S.C.I. and F.P.S.Glas. surgeon-dentist; Joseph Wilkie Scott M.D., ch.B.Glas. senior resident medical officer and house physician; Charles Henry Allen M.B., ch.B.Edin. house surgeon; Erasmus M. Keeley, sec.; F. Carey Woods, resident assistant sec.; Rev. Martin Reed M.A. chaplain; Miss Gertrude Knight, matron.

His Majesty’s County Prison, Nottingham, between Hucknall road and Mansfield road, Sherwood, is a substantial building of brick for 200 male prisoners, erected at a cost of £20,000, together with the out-buildings, comprising store rooms, cooking kitchens and laundry, hospital &c. the whole being surrounded by a wall. A new block was added in 1894 for 40 females. Capt. R. E. Temple, governor; Rev. Walter Brain, chaplain; John Bathurst Okell M.R.C.S.Eng., L.R.C.P.Lond, surgeon.

The Nottingham and Midland Eye Infirmary, in St. James’ street, Nottingham, was opened in 1859 and is supported by subscriptions, and is open to persons from all parts of the-United Kingdom. New cases, in 1903, 5,310; 249 in-patients, and 846 operations were performed. Charles Bell Taylor M.D., Ernest Cory Kingdon M.B., C.M., M.R.C.S. Eng. and William George Laws M.B., C.M., F.B.C.S.Eng. hon. surgeons; Henry Blandy L.Ds.R.C.S.Rrel. hon. surgeon-dentist; H. Brooke, hon. treasurer; Robert Young, sec.; Miss Caroline Heaton, matron.

Parliamentary Representation of Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire formerly returned four members in two divisions, but under the provisions of the “Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885,” it now returns four members in four divisions.

No.1.-The Bassetlaw division comprises the sessional divisions of Retford and Worksop, the municipal borough of East Retford, the parishes of Clipstone, Sookholme and Warsop in Mansfield sessional division and Bilsthorpe and Eakring in Southwell sessional division.

No. 2.-The Newark division comprises the sessional division of Bingham, Newark and Southwell (except so much as is comprised in division No.1), the municipal borough of Newark and parishes of Bulcote, Calverton, Caythorpe, Epperstone, Gonalstone, Gunthorpe, Lowdham and Oxton in Nottingham petty sessional division.

No.3.-The Rushcliffe division comprises the sessional division of Nottingham (except so much as is described in divisions No. 2 and No.4).

No.4.-The Mansfield division comprises the sessional division of Mansfield (except so much as is comprised in division No.1) and the parishes of Annesley, Eastwood, Felley and Greasley in Nottingham sessional division.

By the above-mentioned Act the representation of the boroughs of Newark and East Retford was merged in that of the county, and Nottingham increased from two to three members in three divisions.

Military

Nottinghamshire is included in the North Eastern District Command; headquarters York, & the Infantry Militia & Volunteers form part of the 45th Regimental district, Sherwood Foresters (Derbyshire Regiment), the depot for which is at Normanton. Derby.

The Brigade comprises:

1st Vol. Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derbyshire Reigment); headquarters, Derby.

2nd Vol. Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derbyshire Regiment); headquarters, Bakewell.

1st Notts (Robin Hood) V.R.C.; headquarters, Nottingham.

4th (Nottinghamshire) Vol. Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derbyshire Regiment); headquarters, Newark.

Army Service Corps Company, Capt. F. E. Milthorp (1st Notts R.V.C.), in command.

Sherwood Foresters Bearer Co.42 Friar gate; Surg.-Capt. R. H. Luce, M.B. in command.

Fairs and Markets

Biggin, fairs for cattle on the Tuesday before the second Wednesday in September & on October 30th, unless it falls on Sunday, in which case it is held on the 31st.

Bingham, February 10 & 11, Thursday in Whitsun week, November 8 & 9 for cattle; statute fairs (Candlemas), Thursday & last Thursday in November.

Blyth, Holy Thursday & October 20 for cattle.

Gringley-on-the-Hill, December 13 for cattle.

Hucknall Torkard, market day, Friday.

Mansfield, cattle fairs the first Thursday in January & April & second Thursday in July; a cheese fair the second.

Thursday in October; pleasure fairs second Thursday in July & first Friday in November; statute fairs for hiring servants the first Friday in November; fat stock market on Monday & for corn & provisions on Thursday & Saturday.

Marnham, September 12 for horses & cattle.

Newark-upon-Trent, Friday after Mid-Lent Sunday, May 14, Whit Tuesday, August 2, November 1 & on Monday before December 11, principally for cattle; market on Tuesday for fat stock & Wednesday for corn & cattle; cheese market, Wednesday before October 2.

Nottingham, “Goose Fair,” first Thursday in October two following days, & is a large fair for cheese & cattle; market days, Wednesday & Saturday.

Ollerton, May 1 for cattle.

East Retford, March 23 & October 2 for horses, cattle, cheese & hops; last Thursday in July for lambs & Thursday after June 11 for lambs & second Thursday in December for cattle, sheep & horses; general market day, Saturday; cattle market, every Monday.

Southwell, third Monday in April & September.

West Stockwith, September 4 for horses & cattle.

Sutton-in-Ashfield, Easter Tuesday & the Tuesday before 2nd Thursday in October for horses & stock; statute fait November 27; provision market every Saturday.

Sutton-on-Trent, feast on November 1.

Tuxford, May 12 for cattle, sheep & drapery; market day, Monday.

Worksop, second Wednesday in April & October for cattle & horses; market day, Wednesday for corn & fat stock.

The following Table shows the acreage under each kind of crop, and the number of horses, cattle, sheep and pigs ill the County of Nottingham as taken from the Agricultural Returns, 1903: —

Nottingham County Council

Local Government Act, 1888, 51 & 52 Vic. c.41.

Under the above Act, Nottinghamshire, after the 1st April, 1889, for the purposes of the Act, except a certain borough, for which see below (a), became a separate and distinct administrative county (sec. 461-b), governed by a County Council, consisting of chairman, aldermen and councillors, elected in manner prescribed by the Act (sec. 2).

The chairman, by virtue of his office, is justice of the peace for the county, without qualification (sec.46).

The police for the county is under the control of a standing joint committee of the Quarter Sessions and the County Council, appointed as therein mentioned (sec. 9).

The coroners of the county are elected by the County.

Council, and the clerk of the peace is appointed by such joint committee, and may be removed by them (sec. 83—2).

The clerk of the peace for the county is clerk of the County Council (sec. 83—1).

The administrative business of the county (which would, if this Act had not been passed, have been transacted by the justices) is transacted by the County Council.

(a) The following large borough shall for the purposes of this Act be an administrative county in itself, to be called a County borough (sec.30), of which the municipal authority has the power of a County Council (sec.31)-Nottingham.

Meetings of the Council.

1.-The Council shall, in addition to the Statutory Meeting in March, hold four meetings in each year, to be held on the last Tuesday in the months of January, April, July, and October. Such four meetings to be held at 11 a.m. at Nottingham.

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SITUATION, BOUNDARIES, EXTENT, CLIMATE, &C

Nottinghamshire is an inland county, bounded on the north by Yorkshire; on the east by Lincolnshire; on the south by Leicestershire; and on the west by Derbyshire. It is about fifty miles in length from north, to south, and twenty-five in breadth, and about one hundred and forty in circumference.

The climate of this county is said to be remarkable for its dryness, less rain falling here than in any other county. The soil is of different qualities, from whence the county is divided into two parts by different denominations: the east-side, which is very fruitful in corn and pasture, is called the Clay; and is subdivided into two parts, by the names of the North-Clay and the South-Clay; and the western part of the county which is, in general, woody, or barren, is called the Sand. It principally consists of a large forest named Sherwood, in which are several towns, villages, and gentlemen’s seats.

NAME AND ANCIENT HISTORY

This county takes its name from Nottingham, the county town, which name is derived from a Saxon word, signyfying, a place abounding with caverns or holes dug under ground, several such caverns being found cut with great art into apartments, with chimnies, windows, and other conveniences, at the bottom of a steep rock under this town, which are supposed to have been contrived by the ancient inhabitants for places of retreat.

Nottinghamshire was anciently inhabited by the Coritani; by the Romans, it was comprised in the Flavia Cæsariensis; and during the heptarchy, it belonged to the kingdom of Mercia. There are some ancient camps; and the Foss-way from Devonshire, to the sea-coast of Lincolnshire, crossed this county.

POPULATION

The population of this county consisted, according to the late population act, of 140,350 persons, viz. 68,558 males, and 71,792 females; of which number 35,513 were returned as being employed in various trades and manufactures, and 23,904 in agriculture.

CIVIL AND ECCLESIASTICAL DIVISIONS

Nottinghamshire is divided into six wapentakes or hundreds, viz. Rushcliff, Bingham, and Newark, on the south side of the Trent; Basset Law (subdivided into North and South Clay and Hatfield divisions,) Broxtow and Thurgarton, on the north of the Trent. These hundreds contain the following market towns, Nottingham, the county town, Newark, Mansfield, Bingham, Worksop, Tuxford, and Southwell; and 450 villages; and 26,153 houses, occupied by 30,081 families. Nottinghamshire is included in the midland circuit, and in the province and diocese of York.

RIVERS

The principal rivers that water this county are the Trent, the Idle, and the Erwash.

The Trent is a river far superior in consequence and character to most in England, and inferior perhaps to none, except the Thames; whose leading features it may be said to imitate in the attendant circumstances, of a clear stream and a bold current, though the Trent exceeds the Thames generally in rapidity, yet without partaking at all in the nature of a torrent: this river pervades some of the most fertile districts of the kingdom, its proper rise being in the hills beyond Newcastle-under-Lme in Staffordshire, adjoining to the borders of Cheshire. Its course is at first nearly south-east, making a sudden turn by the east to the north between Wolsley bridge, Burton, and Swarkeston, from whence it divides Leicestershire from Derbyshire, penetrating also through the centre of Nottinghamshire in a north-east direction, which inclines gradually more and more to the north, with various windings, as the Trent separates Nottinghamshire from Lincolnshire. At length it reaches the borders of Yorkshire, some miles above Gainsborough, and joins with the aestuary of the Northern Ouse to form the Humber.

The Trent is generally a full transparent stream, gliding in silver beauty between rich meadows, and through populous districts, but it no where (except when increased by floods) resembles the torrents of the north, whose origin is mountainous. Its early course from the busy town of Newcastle, and the surrounding hills, covered with potteries, is graced by the highly ornamented domain of Trentham. where art has judiciously swelled it into a lake, so as almost entirely to fill the level part of the park, beneath a high spreading hill covered with oaks from its summit to the very margin of the water, and bounding the rich lawn, on which the stately mansion of the place is situated. Soon afterwards, the Trent meets the numerous canals which abound in the neighbouring manufacturing districts, and frequently follow a course parallel with it through the pleasant valley, it forms by Slone to the charming spot where the little bridge of Wolsley crosses it, beneath the spiral eminences of its wild park, connected with those of the adjoining chase of Cannock.

Lord Uxbridge’s superb seat of Beau-desert includes some of the most striking scenery in this forest-like district, and Mr. Anson, close to the Trent, has covered the valley and its adjoining hills with the ornamental buildings and plantations of Shuckburgh. Making its sweep to the north, the Trent now forms a larger vale, intersected by parallel canals, passing by Drakelow, to the old bridge, at the extremity of the long town of Burton, and afterwards beneath the extensive plantations of Foremark, and the wooded park and terrace of Castle Donnington to Cavendish and Sawley bridges. Having now received the Blythe, the Tame, the Soar, the Dove, the Derwent, and the Erwash, most of which influence its changes of direction, the Trent becomes a very considerable river, as it advances through a range of flowery meadows, bounded by high tufted hills, and checquered with villages, to the spreading rock on which the opulent town of Nottingham presents its bold semicircle to the south, one horn of which is crowned with the castle, and the other with the Gothic church of that-place. It flows afterwards through a rich-vale, with the hills of the forest of Sherwood on the left, in a hollow of which the ancient collegiate church and town of Southwell, appear from the banks of the Trent, which divides itself into two channels before it reaches the handsome town of Newark. One of these washes the walls of that place, the other passing by Kelham, at the end of a long connecting cause-way, over which the north road is carried.-The rich Gothic spire of Newark, and its ruined castle, are striking objects when viewed from Kelham, a house, the large mansion of the Manners Sutton family. A broad plain now extends itself around the Trent, abundant in population and villages, but gradually declining in beauty, as it becomes more level, in which the two branches unite; but the surrounding flat seldom allows the Trent, to be distinguished. Vessels of some size, with the assistance of the tide, navigate to Gainsborough, where it is crossed by a magnificent stone bridge, smaller craft having floated down its stream, from its early junction with the Staffordshire canals. It then divides a range of fens, without any distinguishing feature, till it makes a bold junction with the Ouse of Yorkshire, combining to form the grand æstuary of the Humber, and adding much thereto by its extensive trade and its large concourse of tributary waters.

The auxiliary streams, which contribute to increase the Trent, are numerous and their characters differ from each other.

The Idle is formed by several small streams issuing from the upper parts of the sandy district of Sherwood forest, contributing to adorn the extensive parks of Welbeck, Clumber, and Thoresby, in that outline; its course is north-east through the forest, then north by Rutland to Bawtrey, and then again inclining towards the east to meet the Trent at the entrance of the Isle of Axholme, beyond which the stream called the Old River Don, advances at the edge of the fens, almost parallel with the Trent, but not reaching it till near its mouth.

The Idle is a dull sluggish river, without any thing remarkable, except where it is improved by art; this is the last of all the streams which contribute to enlarge the Trent.

The Erwash forms the division of Derbyshire from Nottinghamshire during most part of its short course; it descends southward from the coal countries near Alfreton, and falls into the Trent a little below the Derwent, but is unmarked by any particular character.

CANALS

The Chesterfield Canal. —The course of this canal begins at Chesterfield and proceeds by Rickett's Mill, near Staveley-forge, by Staveley town and coal works, the Hague, and near Eckington and Killmarsh, to the beginning of the tunnel at Hartshill; and at the length of 3000 yards, comes out again near Peck’s Mill, and proceeds then by Shireoaks to Worksop, across the Royton river at Kilton. It thence takes a circuit to near Bilhy-hall, and round again to Babworth, and all round the town of Retford, except a very short space; and then turns from the south-west to due north, and passes by Welham, Clareborough, Clawarth, and round Crindley on the Hill, to Misterton, into the river Trent, near Stockwith; after traversing a course of forty-four miles and three-quarters, with a rise of forty-five feet from Chesterfield to Norwood, and a fall of 335 feet from Norwood to the river Trent.

The Grantham Canal commences on the east side of Grantham, passes Harlaxton, the Point, at the foot of Woolsthorp-hill, Stainworth, Redmile, along Belvoir Vale, by Barkestone, Plungar, Harby, Long Clawson, to Hickling, being from Grantham a course south-west; from Hickling it bends to the north, and passes through Kinnoulton, Coulton Basset, Crosswell Bishop, and joins the Trent, ai d is 300 miles, with 148 feet fall to the river. The branch to Bingham is more than three miles, and level.

The Cromford Canal begins at Cromford, runs some way parallel with the river Derwent, and passes Critch-Frithley, Tod-moor, Heage, Hartey, Lescoe, Heynor, and joins the Erwash Canal at Langley-bridge, which canal falls into the Trent near Nottingham.

The total length from Cromford to the junction is about fourteen miles; of which the first eleven are level, and the latter three, towards the juuction, have a fall of about eighty feet. There is a collateral cut to some coal-works, of three miles, and level; besides several small tunnels, there is one on this canal of about 3000 yards long. This canal is of great service to the coal-mines, &c. which abound in the whole of its vicinity.