COCKERMOUTH, a town of Cumberland in England, situated in W. Long. 3. 12. N. Lat. 54. 35. It is a large town irregularly built, with broad streets. It is walled by the Derwent on the western side; divided in two by the Cocker; and the parts are connected by a stone-bridge of one single arch. The number of inhabitants is between three and four thousand: the manufactures are shalloons, worsted stockings, and hats; the last exported from Glasgow to the West Indies. It is a borough-town, and the right of voting is vested by burges tenure in certain houses: this is also the town where the county elections are made.—Here is a castle seated on an artificial mount on a bank above the Derwent. It is a square building, and strengthened with several square towers: on each side of the inner gate are two deep dungeons capable of holding 50 persons in either; they are vaulted at top, and have only a small opening in order to lower through it the unhappy prisoners into this dire prison; and on the outside of each is a narrow slit with a slope from it, down which were shot the provisions allotted for the wretched inhabitants. This castle was founded by Waldof, first lord of Aldeburgh, and son of Gospatrick earl of Northumberland, contemporary with William the Conqueror. Waldof resided first at Papecastle, which he afterwards demolished; and with the materials built that at Cocker-mouth, where he and his family long resided; but several arms over the gate-way, which Camden says are those of the Multons, Humfravilles, Lucies, and Pierces, evince it to have belonged in later times to
those families. It appears that it was first granted by Edward II. to Anthony de Lucie, son of Thomas de Multon, who had assumed that name, because his mother was daughter and co-heiress to Richard de Lucie; and afterwards, by marriages, this castle and its honours descended to the Humfravilles, and finally to the Pierces. In 1658, it was garrisoned for the king; and being besieged and taken by the rebels, was burnt, and never afterwards repaired.