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THIS is an Inland County, which has Lancashire on the
South and South west; Cumberland on the West and
North-west; and Yorkshire and the Bishoprick of
Durham on the East and North-east. 'Tis commonly reckoned
30 Miles in Length, but not above 24 in Breadth, and about 120 in
Compass. containing 510000 Acres of Land. Mr. Templeman
makes it 36 Miles in Length, and 34 in Breadth, and gives it an
Area of 633 square Miles.
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'Tis divided into the Barony of Westmoreland, which is a
large, open, champain County, belonging to the Diocese of
Carlisle, twenty Miles long, and fourteen broad; and the
Barony of Kendal, which is full of Mountains, and belongs
to the Diocese of Chester. Both these are subdivided into
two Wards, each of which contains thirty-two Parishes, wherein
are many Chapels of Ease, eight Market-towns, of which one only
is a parliamentary Borough; and about 6600 Houses. In each of
these Divisions are several Deaneries and Constablewicks, but no
Hundreds, perhaps because anciently these Parts paid no
Subsidies, being sufficiently charg'd in the Border-service
against the Scots. The Gentlemens Houses in this County
are large and strong, and generally built Castle-wise, for
Defence of themselves, their Tenants, and their Goods, against
the Scots Incursions, which before the Time of King
James I. were very common.
The Barony, or Bottom (as 'tis also call'd from its low
Situation) of Westmoreland, which is the northern Part,
affords Plenty of arable Land, which bears good Store of Corn.
The Barony of Kendale, or Candalia, which is the
southern Part of the County, and so called from the River
Can, which runs along the Valley, is pent up for
some
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