CHICHESTER, a municipal and parliamentary borough, episcopal city, and market town of Sussex, is situated at the foot of a small spur of the South Down Hills on the widest part of the plain to which it gives name. N. Lat. 50. 51.; W. Long. 0. 47. It is distant about 60 miles S.W. from London, and 14 N.E. from Portsmouth. Chichester is a corruption of Cissancester, the castle or stronghold of Cissa, an Anglo-Saxon chief who rebuilt the town after it had been destroyed by his father Ælla. It occupies the site of Regnum, an old military station of the Romans, by whom it is believed the walls which have a circuit of about a mile and a half were originally erected. The town is well-built, and consists of four principal streets, which meet at right angles at a central octagonal cross, reputed to be one of the finest structures of the kind in Great Britain. Of the public buildings most remarkable, there is the cathedral, which is 407 feet in length, 150 in breadth, and is note-worthy as having double aisles; the church of St Paul, a modern Gothic edifice; the guild-hall; the corn-exchange; the market-house; the infirmary; and the museum of the philosophical society. In the cathedral are a number of ancient and curious monuments, besides nine by Flaxman, one of which is in memory of the poet Collins, who was a native of the city. The diocese of Chichester includes the whole county of Sussex except a few parishes which are peculiars, and comprises nearly 300 benefices. The palace of the bishop (whose annual income is £4220) is in the city of Chichester. The Independents have two places of worship in Chichester, which also possesses National, British, and infant schools for boys and girls. The blue-coat school (with an annual income of £1300) boards and educates 28 boys. In addition to these there is a grammar-school, founded by Bishop Story in 1497.
Chichester communicates with the sea by means of a short canal. Its registered shipping amounted in 1852 to 38 vessels, with an aggregate of 1806 tons. Its coasting and foreign trade engaged in that same year 450 vessels, with an aggregate of 22,980 tons. Chichester returns two members to parliament. Its registered electors number 757. The city is governed by a municipal corporation, consisting of 6 aldermen and 18 councillors, from among whom the mayor is chosen. Pop. 8662.