Lancaster

(lan'kas-ter.) The name of a royal house of England, which commenced with Edmund, son of Henry III. and brother of Edward I., who D. in 1296; and gave 3 kings to England: Henry IV., Henry V., and Henry VI. During the reign of the last-named king, broke out the fouds of York and Lancaster, which ended in the union of the two houses in the person of Henry VII. See YORK. Lancaster, or LANCASHIRE, a large co. of England, b. W. by the Irish Sea; area, 1,766 sq. m. The E. part is mountainous, and generally barren. The S. part contains a rich coal-field, and is thickly studded with populous towns and villages. As a commercial and ımanıfacturingco., L. is superior to any other in the kingdom. It is the grand seat of the cotton manufacture, which has grown up with a rapidity wholly unexampled, and give nan importance to many of its towns which they could scarcely have attained from any other cause. The pp. towns are Manchester, Liverpool, Preston,Black burn, . The principal rivers are the Mersey, Irwell, Ribble, Lune, Wyre, Dodder, Roche, and Duddon; and it has two extensive lakes, called Winder mere and Con is ton Water. Pop. 2,818,904.-ItsC., Lancaster, isa seaport-town, situated near the mouth of the river Lune, 230 m. N.N.W. of London. It carries on a considerable trade, especially with the W. Indies. Pop. 17,248. Lan'caster, n Canada W., a vill. of co. Glengarry, on the St. Lawrence, 54 m. E. of Montreal. Pop. 1,250. -In Nebraska, a S.S.E. co.; area, 576 sq. m.; C. Lincoln. Pop. 7,074.-In Pennsylvania, a S.E. co., b. by Maryland; area, 950 sq. m. Kop. 121,426. - A fine and flourishing city, C. of above co., 62 m. W. of Philadelphia, and bet. the years 1799-1812 the seat of the State govt. Pop. 20,233.-In S. Carolina, a N. dist., skirted byN. Carolina; area, 690 sq. m.; C. Lancaster CourtHouse. Pop. 12,087.- In Virginia, an E. co., washed by Chesapeake Bay; area, 108 sq. m.; C. Lancaster Court-House. Pop. 5,355. B. in Lan'caster, JOSEPH, an English educationalist, London, 1772, was a member of the Society of Friends, and inaugurated a movement for the promotion of popular education which largely diffused itself throughout England and the U. States. D. in New York, 1838. Lan'caster Sound, a channel of Brit. N. America, 65miles broad, for in ing a junction bet. Barrow's Strait and Baff in's Bay, in N. Lat. 740, W. Lon. 80°. Lance,GEORGE, (lans,) an English artist, B. in E ex, 1802. He chiefly excelled as a painter of " still life," 1. e., of flowers, fruit, game, . His works command considerable prices. D. 1864. [s. 525]