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 washed by the Derwent on the western side; divided in two by the Cocker; and the parts are connected by a stone bridge of a single arch. The number of inhabitants is between three and four thousand: the manufactures are flaxlooms, 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 burgess tenure in certain houses; this is also the town where the county elections are held.

—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 victims into this dire prison; and on the outside of each is a narrow slit with a slope from it, down which were put the provisions allotted for the wretched inhabitants. This castle was founded by Waldo, first lord of Allerdale, and son of Godpatrick earl of Northumberland, contemporary with William the Conqueror. Waldo refired first at Papcastle, which he afterwards demolished; and with the materials built that at Cockermouth, where he and his family long resided; but several arms over the gateway, which Camden says are those of the Miltons, Humfrayvilles, Lucies, and Percies, 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 Milton, 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 Humfrayvilles, and finally to the Percies. In 1658, it was garrisoned for the king; and being besieged and taken by the rebels, was burnt, and never afterwards repaired.—Cockermouth is now in the possession of the Lowther family, who have here a great property in coal-works. The town sends two members to parliament.