LANCASTER, a municipal and parliamentary borough and seaport-town of England, capital of Lancashire, on the left bank of the Lune, about 7 miles from its mouth in Lancaster Bay. The town stands on the slope of a hill, on the summit of which is a fine old castle originally built in the eleventh century, but rebuilt in the reign of Edward III., by John of Gaunt, and now used as the county gaol. The
county courts attached to this building are chiefly of a modern date, and are very commodious. On the north side of the castle stands St Mary's Church, an edifice in the later English style, containing carved stalls, screen, and monuments. Though the town is finely situated, the streets are generally narrow, ill-paved, and inconvenient. The houses are generally well built, the material being obtained from the freestone quarries in the vicinity. Among the public buildings are a town-hall, lunatic asylum, theatre, assembly-rooms, public baths, custom-house, several alms-houses, and a free grammar school. The Lune is here crossed by a handsome stone bridge of five arches. The river is navigable for vessels of 300 tons up to the town. About half a mile N.E. of the town the Lancaster Canal is conducted over the Lune by means of a noble aqueduct erected by Rennie at a cost of £48,000. The Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway, forming a portion of the great north-western line stretching from London to Carlisle, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, passes through the town. Manufactures of cotton, silk, linen, and sailcloth; cabinet-making and upholstery and ship-building; marble-polishing works and iron foundries are carried on. On 31st December 1855, 88 sailing vessels of 8996 tons, and 9 steamers of 1148 tons, were registered as belonging to the port. During that year 1719 vessels of 127,443 tons entered, and 780 vessels of 78,475 tons left the port in the coasting trade; while 13 vessels of 3709 tons entered, and 8 vessels of 2751 tons left in the colonial and foreign trade. Lancaster is governed by a mayor, 6 aldermen, and 18 councillors; and returns two members to parliament. Pop. of parliamentary borough (1851), 16,168; municipal borough, 14,604.