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Charles Howard, Son and Heir of Sir William Howard,
a younger Branch of the Duke of Norfolk's Family, Earl of
Carlisle, in which Family it still remains, in his Great
Grandson, the present
Henry Howard, Earl of Carlisle; who marry'd a
Daughter of the Earl of Sunderland, and Sister to his
Grace the Duke of Marlborough.
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Cockermouth, almost surrounded by the meeting of the
Rivers Derwent and Cocker, is a good trading Market
Town, with a Castle, formerly belonging to the Earls of
Northumberland, and is 226 Miles computed from
London, and 288 measured. The Duke of Somerset, is,
at present, chief Lord of Cockermouth, in Right of his
late Duchess, the only Heiress of the ancient Family of the
Piercys, Earls of Northumberland. It is neatly
built, but of a low Situation between two Hills, upon one of
which is the Church, and upon the other, which seems to be
artificially raised on Purpose, stands the Castle, very strong of
itself, but more by its advantageous Situation.
This Town was anciently an Hamlet to Bridgeham. which
stands about a Mile off, and had then only a Chapel for the
Worship of God; but now it is a Parish, and hath had a Church of
its own, dedicated to St. Michael, and built by the
Lucy's, ever since the reign of King Edward III.
but this being much decay'd by Time, was rebuilt entirely from
the Ground, all but the Tower, in 1711, by a Collection made by a
Brief granted to the Inhabitants for that Purpose. The Tower is a
plain Building, supported with Buttresses, and coped at the Top
with Battlements, and slated, but has only three Bells. The
Houses in the Town are built with Stone, and slated, except some
few, and are ranged into two Streets, the one above the River
Cocker, in which are the Moot-Hall and Market-House, which
is used chiefly for Corn, and the other below, in which is the
Beast-Market. The Market is kept on Mondays; and the Fairs
are annually on September 29, and Whit-Monday.
This Borough is no Corporation; its chief Magistrate is a
Bailiff, chosen annually by a Jury of 16 Burghers, at the Duke of
Somerset's Courts. He is Returning Officer of the Members
of Parliament, who are elected by
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