sist of settlers from various quarters of England, from Ireland and Scotland. This fact is both important and interesting.

The increase of population, according to the ordinary calculation, for the whole country, is 1 per cent. per annum. In this and other manufacturing districts, however, the growth must be infinitely more rapid. Part of the population of Lancashire was not comprized in the returns of 1821, the militia force being out on training.

THE ANNUAL VALUE OF PROPERTY IN 1815 WAS ESTIMATED,

CHAPTER II.

Few topics of local history possess so much interest as those relating to internal improvements, their nature, extent, cost, and the fluctuations in the value of property which they induce. Such details have indeed an actual marketable importance, superadded to their amusing curiosity. The speculator may be assisted by them in pointing his enterprizes to a successful issue, whilst to those who love to revert to the days that are past these memorials of bricks and mortar, flagged paths and paving-stones, old court-ways and new squares, may furnish as much amusement at least as can be gathered from the study of exploded costumes or antique architecture. Surely, too, the magnates of the present day must be solicitous to know in what quarter of this growing metropolis their fashionable ancestors had their domiciles-where the penates of provincial aristocracy were planted, and how, when driven by the encroachments of trade from one favored locality, they reared the standard of gentility in another.

Not to range too far into the maizes of the past it may be stated, that the erection of the modern Collegiate Church, in the reign of Henry the Fourth, gave birth to the district of Fennel-street, the upper end of Long Millgate, Toad Lane, and Hyde's Cross. In "Aston's Guide" it is mentioned that within the memory of persons then living (1814) Hanging Ditch was literally designated, the water flowing copiously down the centre of the narrow cartway, and a raised causeway, guarded by a battlement, being

necessary to prevent foot-passengers from falling into the current. For many years this was the centre of the town, but the erection of St. Ann's Church, about 1709-10, opened new regions: a Square was formed from existing corn fields, and about 1735 the garden ground of the inhabitants was encroached upon by buildings, which now form the lower end of King-street, not then communicating directly with Deansgate, but terminating at Police-street. St. Ann's Square also was similarly cut off from the present Market Place, to which the only avenue for passengers was a dark entry, and for carriages a gateway, adorned by a cobler's stall; a narrow flight of steps led to the fashionable coffeeroom of the town, which overhung it. The passage for pedestrians was appropriately designated as the Dark Entry. About 1776-7, Exchange-street was formed; Cateaton-street, St. Mary's Gate, Old Millgate, then mere lanes, sufficient only for one carriage to pass, were widened to an extent marvellous for those days, but very insufficient for present necessities. These alterations, sanctioned by Act of Parliament, were effected by public subscription. In 1792, the centre of the town was further improved by the demolition of the old Exchange, which stood on the land, opposite the Commercial Room, now dignified by the appellation of Pennyless Hill, from the circumstance of the unemployed labourers congregating there daily in readiness for hire. This structure, on the exterior of which in former days had figured the heads of rebels, whilst its interior was devoted to the administration of justice and to other objects, had of late (says Mr. Aston) seldom been used for the purpose its name seems to designate, but was a harbour for vagrants and dirt. This writer adds, that the whole of the town, north-east of Scotland Bridge, Long Millgate and Shudehill, east of Market-street Lane, Church-street and Turner-street, and west of Deansgate, from Star Inn Yard, has been built since the year 1770,

and Salford has experienced a similar increase within that period.

Sir

Subsequently to the improvements under the Act of 1791, no material alteration was effected for many years. Early in the present century, Mosley-street and Lever's Row were the "west end" of Manchester. The more wealthy had already begun to reside on the outskirts, which "propensity contributed much to the increase of Manchester, for situations which twenty years ago were chosen for their rurality, are now enveloped in the surrounding bustle of the town." Thirty years before this time, the neighbourhood of St. Ann's and St James's Square, or King-street, were the best situated for warehouses. Peel-street was almost an outskirt of the town, and nearly the whole site was rented for £14 a-year. Robert, then Mr. Peel, by erecting a warehouse, in what was a "retired situation," first drew business to that quarter. At the same period, Cromford Court, Hodson's Square, &c., were covered by mean cottages or pig-sties; Pool Fold, before it became a market in 1781, was filled with gardens, barns and cottages-the latter, of which the Three Tuns public-house was a part, formed a small group, known by the name of Hyde Park. At the date of these remarks (1804) Grosvenor Square was being laid out and one house had been erected. Ardwick Green " which thirty years ago was a distant village" had become a conspicuous part of the town: and the Salford Crescent, then rising into existence, inspired the pen of a cotemporary writer with glowing eulogies of its circumjacent beauties:-"the fertile valley" enriched by the "meandering Irwell, and studded with rural cots," formed a landscape (says Mr. Aston) "which never fails to create an admiration that will reiterate as often as the eye looks over the fascinating picture.”

These changes were no doubt wonderful in those days, but how insignificant are they when placed in comparison

with the alterations which the last five and twenty years have witnessed. For every one of the elegant squares or spacious streets upon which this author dwelt with so much rapture, we may now exhibit vast suburbs, each of which might take rank as a town.

The great increase in the population of Manchester rendered it necessary to effect more extensive changes in the principal thoroughfares than could possibly be achieved by private voluntary subscriptions, and accordingly, in the year 1821 an Act of Parliament was obtained, which authorized the widening of Market-street Lane, King-street, Nicholas Croft, Toad Lane and Pool Lane. These improvements were not effected without a great outlay of money, but the expense has been amply compensated by the increased accommodation the inhabitants have derived from being enabled to pass with ease and safety along avenues (streets they could hardly be called) which were not unfrequently the scenes of serious disaster. Marketstreet was previously a mere "lane" along which two carriages could scarcely move in line: the houses were of antique structure, for the most part in a dilapidated state, and the flag-way was in many places hardly a yard wide. The taking down, widening and rebuilding, occupied many years: it was completed in 1834. Toad Lane was one of the filthiest suburbs of the town, so confined that the winds of Heaven could scarcely penetrate it. King-street was of its present width, but bounded at the bottom by a carrier's warehouse, which was removed to make the existing junction with Deansgate. Ten or fifteen years ago the footway of this street and other principal thoroughfares was paved like the carriage way, from which it was distinguishable only by a slight elevation. Toll Lane was a narrow avenue, through which a cart could hardly pass, connecting Police-street with Deansgate: a fine wide thoroughfare, in continuation of St. Ann's-street, has been