which in Saxon signifies the ford of the army, the capital of Herefordshire in England, situated in W. Long. 2. 35. N. Lat. 52. 6. It is supposed to have risen out of the ruins of Kenchester, in its neighbourhood, which Camden believes to have been the Ariconium of Antoninus. It is very pleasantly situated among meadows and corn fields, and is almost encompassed with rivers. It seems to have owed its rise, or at least its increase, to the building and dedicating a church there to Ethelbert king of the East Angles, who was murdered in the neighbourhood, and afterwards taken into the catalogue of martyrs; soon after it became a bishop's see, and in consequence of that a considerable place. In 1055 it was sacked, the cathedral destroyed, and its bishop Leofgar carried away captive by Griffin prince of South-Wales, and Algar, an Englishman, who had rebelled against Edward the Confessor. Harold fortified it with a broad and high rampart; and it appears by Doomsday-book, that there were no more than 300 men within and without the wall. A very large and strong castle was built by the Normans along the Wye, and the city walled round. The present stately cathedral was founded in the reign of Henry I. by Bishop Reinelm, but enlarged and beautified by his successors. It suffered much in the barons wars; and was often taken and retaken in the war between King Charles I. and the parliament. This city is pretty large, and had once fix churches; but two were destroyed in the civil wars. It is not very populous nor well built, many of the houses being old. Its manufactures are gloves and other leathern goods; and its corporation consists of a mayor, fix aldermen, a high steward, deputy-steward, and town-clerk; who have a Hereford, fword-bearer and four serjeants at mace. Each of the companies enjoys distinct laws and privileges by their charter, and each has its hall. The cathedral, which was built in 1050, and destroyed by the Welsh in 1060, but rebuilt in the reign of the Conqueror, or, as some say, in that of Henry I. is a beautiful and magnificent structure, but being greatly decayed, part of it was destroyed by the fall of the tower in September 1786, and the spire on another tower was taken down to be rebuilt at the same time. Here is an hospital well endowed for 16 poor people; and two charity-schools, one for 60 boys, the other for 40 girls. The chapter-house, which was once a very elegant building, built about the year 1079, is now in ruins. Here were formerly two or three priories. Almost the only drink here is cyder, which is both cheap and good, the very hedges in the country being planted with apple-trees. The city gave the title of earl to the noble family of the Bohuns; then of duke to Henry of Lancaster, afterwards Henry IV. king of England; after him, of earl to Stafford earl of Buckingham; then of viscount to Devereux earl of Essex, which a collateral branch of his family still enjoys, and is thereby the premier viscount of England.