BOROUGHBRIDGE, a borough and market-town and
chapelry, in that part of the parish of ALDBOROUGH
which is in the lower division of the wapentake of
CLARO, West riding of the county of YORK, 17 miles
(N.W. by W.) from York, and 206 (N.N.W.) from London,
containing 860 inhabitants. This place, which has
risen into importance since the decline of Aldbdrough;-
within half a mile of which it is situated, derives its
name from a bridge erected here over the river Ure,
soon after the -Conquest, when the road was diverted
from Aldborough, and brought through this town. Near
this bridge a battle took place, in 1322, between the
forces of Edward II. and those of the celebrated Earl of
Lancaster, in which the latter were defeated. The earl
having taken refuge in the town, which was assaulted
on the following day, was made prisoner and conveyed
to Pontefract, where he was soon afterwards beheaded.
Of this battle, a memorial has been obtained in the
number of human bones, swords, fragments of armour,
and other military relics, which, in raising the bank of
the Ure, in 1792, were found near the spot. The town
is pleasantly situated on the southern bank of the river,
which is here navigable, and has been greatly improved
and enlarged by the erection of several respectable
houses on the opposite side of the river, over which a
handsome stone bridge has been constructed, on the site
of a former one, which was built of wood. The streets
are partially paved, and the inhabitants are amply supplied
with water from springs, and from the river.
There is a small subscription library at the Crown Inn;
and races are annually held in the vicinity.. The trackis
principally in hardware, but the town derives its
chief 'support from being situated on the high road to
Edinburgh. The market is on Saturday; and fairs are.
held on-April 27th, June 22nd, and October 23rd, each
for two days: the fair in June is chiefly for hardware and
woollen cloth f the others are for cattle and sheep. In
the market-place, which is conveniently situated in the
centre of the town, there is a handsome fluted column
of the Doric order, twelve feet high. A bailiff and other
officers are chosen annually at the court leet of the lord
of the manor, but they do not exercise magisterial authority.
The elective franchise was conferred in the
reign of Mary, since which time the borough has returned
two members to parliament: the right of election
is vested in the burgage tenants, in number sixty-five,
who are chiefly in the interest of the Duke of Newcastle;
the bailiff is the returning officer. The living is a perpetual
curacy, in the archdeaconry of Richmond, and
diocese of Chester, endowed with £800 royal bounty,
and £1200 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage
of the Vicar of Aldborough. There are places of worship
for Methodists. A National school, established in 1814,
is supported by subscription. To the west of the bridge
are three large pyramidal stones, ranged in a straight
line, in a direction from north to south, and each in a
separate enclosure, the central one of which is the
largest, being thirty feet and a half in height: they are
vulgarly called the Devil's Arrows, and were originally
four in number. The purpose of their erection is involved
in obscurity; some suppose them to have been
raised in memory of a reconciliation effected between
Caracalla and Geta, sons of the Emperor Severus, who
died at York. Camden considers them to have been
Roman trophies; though they may probably have been
used by that people as mette in the celebration of their
chariot races, yet their origin appears to be more
remote. Stukeley refers them to the earliest times of
the Britons, and is of opinion that here was the great
Panegyre of the Druids, where the inhabitants of the
neighbouring district assembled to offer the sacrifices.
From its proximity to Aldborough, a celebrated Roman
station, numerous relics have been found here, consisting
of tesselated pavements and coins; and, in the immediate
vicinity, the remains of a Roman wall are still
discernible.