DURHAM (bishopric of), one of the counties of England. Before the arrival of the Romans it was included in the British principality of the Brigantes, and after their arrival made part of the province of Maxima Cæsaricensis. During the Heptarchy it made part of the kingdom of Northumberland, the 5th established, which began in 547, and ended in 827, having been governed by 31 kings. It was not mentioned by Alfred in his division of counties, being at that time considered as a part of Yorkshire. At present it is included in the northern circuit, in the province of York; and is a diocese and principality under the go-
vernment of its own bishop, being a county palatine, the second in rank, and the richest in England. It is bounded on the north by Northumberland, on the south by Yorkshire, on the east by the North Sea, and on the west by Cumberland. It is 39 miles long, 35 broad, and 107 in circumference; containing 410,000 square acres, or 758 square miles; with 97,000 inhabitants, 80 parishes, 21 vicarages, one city (Durham), and 9 market-towns, viz. Stockton, Sunderland, Barnard-Castle, Darlington, Stanhope, Hartlepool, Auckland, Staindrop, and Marwood; besides 223 villages. It is divided into 4 wards, sends 4 members to parliament, pays three portions of the land-tax, and provides 400 of the national militia. It has 21 parks, 4 castles, and 20 bridges, with the rivers Tees, Tine, Were, Tame, Lune, Darwent, Gauntlets, Skern, &c. The Lune and Teesdale forests. Its principal products are lead, coals, iron, corn, mustard, salt, glass, fine ale, with excellent butter and salmon. The soil is various; the south is rich, but the western parts rocky and moorish.
Durham, as already observed, is a county palatine, governed by the bishop, who had formerly great prerogatives. He had power to create barons, appoint judges, convocate parliaments, raise taxes, and coin money. The courts of justice were kept in his name; and he granted pardons for trespasses, alienations, rapes, murders, and felonies of every denomination. He erected corporations, granted markets and fairs, created officers by patent, was lord admiral of the seas and waters within the county palatine: great part of the lands were held of the fee in capite. In a word, he exercised all the power and jurisdiction of a sovereign prince. How and at what period these prerogatives were obtained, it is not easy to determine. Malmesbury says, the lands were granted by king Alfred, who likewise made the church a sanctuary for criminals. This fee was anciently called the patrimony of St Guthbert, who had been bishop of Landisfarne or Holy Island near Berwick. His bones being transferred to Durham, were long esteemed as precious relics; and the people of the county considered themselves as Halwerk men, exempted from all other but holy work, that is, the defence of St Guthbert's body. Certain it is, they pretended to hold their lands by this tenure; and refused to serve out of the county either for the king or bishop: but king Edward I. broke through these privileges, and curtailed the prerogatives of the bishops, which were still further abridged by Henry VIII. Nevertheless, the bishop is still earl of Sadberg, a place in this county which he holds by barony. He is sheriff paramount, and appoints his own deputy, who makes up his audit to him, instead of accounting to the exchequer. He has all the forfeitures upon outlawries: and he and his temporal chancellor act as justices of the peace for the county palatine, which comprehends Creke in Yorkshire, Bedlington, Northam, and Holy Island, in Northumberland, the inhabitants of these places having the benefit of the courts at Durham. The judges of assize, and all the officers of the court, have still their ancient salaries from the bishop; and he constitutes the standing officers by his letters patent. He has the power of presiding in person in any of the courts of judicature. Even when judgment of blood
Durham. is given, this prelate may sit in court in his purple robes, though the canons forbid any clergyman to be present in such cases: hence the old saying, Solum Dunelmense stola jus dicit et ense. It was not till the reign of Charles II. that the bishopric sent representatives to parliament.