|
than hilly, and subdivided by hedge rows, well
stocked with timber, into comparatively very
small enclosures, intersected by numerous paved
roads, which imply either a Roman origin, or per-
haps found necessary on account of the sandy
prevalence of the surface. On the north and east
side of the county about 100,000 persons are em-
ployed in the silk and cotton manufacture. See
Congleton, Macclesfield, and Stockport. The 250,-
000 tons of salt per annum exported, are convey-
ed bv the river Wever, into the Mersey, about 20
m. above Liverpool, at which port it is principally
shipped.
Cheshire, a county of New Hampshire, bound-
ed on the west by the Connecticut River, which
separates it from Vermont ; it is about 20 miles in
mean breadth, and :'s, upon the whole, a tolerably
fertile district; the south-end borders on Massa-
chusetts. Pop. 27,016. Keene, in the interior
of the county, 60 m. S. W. by AV. of Concord, is
the chief town.
Cheshire, is also the name of a town in Berk-
shire County, Massachusetts. Pop. 1,049. And
of another in New Haven County, Connecticut.
Pop. 1,764.
Cheshunt, a parish in Hertfordshire, England.
Pop. in 1821, 4,376. Waltham Cross, at the en-
trance of the parish from London, is 11 m. from
Shoreditch church, on the line of the great north
road.
Chester, a city of England, an ecclesiastical see,
and capital of the county of Cheshire, is situate
on the banks of the river Dee, at the western
extremity of the county, 183 miles N. N. W. of
London, and 24 due south of Liverpool. Chester
is one of the most' ancient and interesting cities
of England ; it is surrounded by a wall, nearly
two miles in circumference, still kept in a good
state of repair, the top affording, in its entire
circuit, a delightful promonade. It has four
gates, in the position of the four cardinal points,
two of them very ornamental, and the whole in-
teresting for their antiquity. Within the present
century, the city has undergone vast improve-
ments. Formerly, the houses in the principal
streets projected over the foot-path, forming a
covered way five or six feet wide ; which although
agreeable enough in wet weather, rendered the
shops and rooms on the ground floor dark and
disagreeable, and gave an uncouth feature to the
city. This defect is now wholly, or nearly so,
removed, whilst several public edifices, unequalled
in the British dominions for their architectural
taste and grandeur, ornament different parts of
the city; the most distinguished of these, are the
county gaol, on the site of the old castle, and
the county hall contiguous thereto; the porticoes of
these two edifices, in their appropriateness of de-
sign, exactness of proportion, and grandeur of
effect, have no parallel in Britain, and cannot be
surpassed in any part of the world. Here are a
public library an exchange, &c. The cathedral
is a venerable structure of reddish sand stone,
built in the 8th century; there are eight other
churches, and several dissenting places of wor-
ship, a county infirmary, and several schools. Two
annual fairs, in July and October, each of which
continues several days, are verv numerously at-
tended, giving rise to great traffic in linens from
Ireland, and woolen cloths and stuffs from York-
shire, and far the accommodation of which, a
commodious hall was erected in 1809, and an-
other in 1815. Chester, in 1825, had nine public
oreweries, seven establishments for the cutting of
corks, five iron founderies, two paper and four
extensive flour mills, six manufactories of pipes,
and nine of tobacco, and several other manufac-
tories of minor importance. The river Dee is
navigable up to the city for vessels of considera-
ble burthen ; and ships of 300 to 400 tons are
always in a course of building, and occasionally
eight or ten at a time ; on the whole, however,
Chester has more the character of a provincial,
than of a seaport town. The contiguity of Liv-
erpool having superseded it in hs latter character.
Its local jurisdiction is vested n a mayor and 24
aldermen; it returns two members to Parliament
by about 1,400 electors. The population, which
in 1801 was 15,052, in 1821 amounted to 19,949.
exclusive of about 1,500 in twTo adjoining oul
parishes. |
Chester, a county at the S. E. extremity of the
state of Pennsylvania in the E. District, bound
ed on the N. E. by the Schuylkill River, and in-
tersected by the Brandywine. The county is
about 35 miles from north to south, and 1*5 in
mean breadth. Pop. 50,908. A Vest Chester, on
the east border of the county, 18 miles from
Philadelphia, on the great western road to Pitts-
burg, is the chief town.
Chester District, a county or district in the
north part ofthe state of South Carolina, bound-
ed on the east by the Catawba River, and west
by Broad River, distant from each other about
25 miles. The district is about 20 north to
south. Pop. 19,182.
Chester, p.t. Rockingham Co. N. H. 43 m. from
Boston ; 30 from Portsmouth. Pop. 2,039. The
town is about 12 miles in extent, and ihe village
consists of a single street a mile long. Most of
the trade of the county centres here. Plumbago
of a good quality is found in this towin. Here
are two remarkable caves, one of which exhibits
columns of stalactites.
Chester, p.t. AVindsor Co. Vt. Pop. 2,320.
Chester, p.t. Hampden Co. Mass. Pop. 1,406
Chester, p.t. Orange Co. N. Y. There are 13
other towns and villages called Chester in the
U. States.
Chesterfield, a town in Derbyshire, England.
It has three establishments for the manufacture
of baskets or skips, much used in the xe2x80xa2conveyance
of cotton yarn from the mills to the dealers, five
tanneries, two iron founderies, nine potteries
chiefly coarse ware, some trifling manufactures
of hosiery, &c. and next to Derby it is the
most important trading town in the county. It has
mines of coal, lead, and iron in its vicinity, and
a canal, communicating with the Trent below
Gainsborough; a prison for debtors, a market-
house, town-hall and sessions-room are all com-
bined under one roof. In 1821 the town con-
tained 5,077 inhabitants, and the parish, which
includes eight contiguous townships and hamlets,
4,113 inhabitants more. It is 155 miles N. by W
of London, on the direct road from thence
through Nottingham to Sheffield, from which it
is distant 13 miles, and 26 from Nottingham.
Chesterfield, a county of Virginia bounded on
the east and north by James River, and south by
the Appomattox River. Pop. 18,637. The
court house of the county is 15 miles S. by
AV. of Richmond. The county contains about
300 square miles.
Chesterfield District, a frontier district of South
Carolina, hordering on North Carolina, bounded
on the east by the Groat Pedee River, and west
by Lynche s Creek; it contains 450 square miles |
