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LANCASHIRE is in length from north to south 80 miles, in
breadth from east to west 32, and in circumference above
200, contains 1,150,000 acres, 40,000 houses, 240,000
inhabitants, 6 hundreds, 7 market towns, and but 36
parishes, as Mr. Camden, which is as few or fewer than
Rutland, or the little Welsh counties, but these parishes
are large and populous, and contain each several chapels.
Mr. Pennant says [a], in an excellent survey made in the
beginning of James I. there were 60 parishes. At the
Domesday survey this county was included in Cheshire and
Yorkshire. Leland says Lancastreshire conteineth five litle
shires [b]. It was made a county palatine by Edward III. in
favour of his fourth son John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster,
and has a court sitting in the dutchy chamber of Lancaster
at Westminster, where a chancellor takes cognizance of all
causes concerning its revenue, and a court of chancery [c].
The lower part of the county is wet and unfavourable to
sheep, but the hills breed very fine ones.
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Transcription picks up again when places closer to and in
Cumbria are mentioned.
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