The Society was formed in 1889 for antiquarian objects in connection with Leeds and District. Its publications include the Leeds Parish Church Register, Adel Register, Methley Register, Kirkstall Abbey Coucher Book, Calverley Charters, local Wills and Subsidy Rolls, Leeds Plans, and Miscellanea. Subscription, 10s. 6d. per annum. Life Fee, £5 5s. President and Hon. Treasurer: EDMUND WILSON, F.S.A., Red Hall, Leeds; Hon. Secretaries: G. D. LUMB, 65, Albion Street, Leeds; B. P. SCATTERGOOD, M.A., 7, Cookridge Street, Leeds. The following is a list of publications which may be purchased by members. Applications-accompanied by remittance-to be addressed to the Treasurer, Mr. EDMUND WILSON, Red Hall, Leeds. Of some of these the stock is very small. Plan of Leeds, date 1806, 1 Atkinson's "RALPH THORESBY, HIS TOWN AND TIMES," 2 vols., containing 886 pages, bound in buckram, 10/6 (by post 11/–). Published at 25/- net. A most interesting and valuable work. Wardell's "ANTIQUITIES OF THE BOROUGH OF LEEDS," coloured plates, 3/- Published at 7/6. Pettingell's Lithographed Bird's-eye View of Leeds, 40 inches by 15, and margin, 2/- Stooks Smith's "PARLIAMENTS OF ENGLAND," 3 vols. in 1, Stooks Smith's "PARLIAMENTS OF YORKSHIRE FROM THE Miscellanea. III. Leeds Register, 1612-1639. Miscellanea. V.-Adel Register, 1606-1812 VII. -Leeds Register, 1639-1667. VIII. Kirkstall Abbey Coucher Book. X.-Leeds Register, 1667-1695. XI. Miscellanea. XII-Methley Register, 1560-1812. XIII-Leeds Register, 1695-1722 (in progress). A "Waterloo" Map of Leeds. THE members will look with pleasure at the map which precedes this article. It is a facsimile reproduction of a map which I have called a "Waterloo" Map of Leeds, because it was published in 1815 by Robinson, Son & Holdsworth, of Leeds, from a survey by Netlam and Francis Giles, of New Inn, London. The transcription, reproduction and publication of documents relating to the town and neighbourhood of Leeds' is one of the objects for which the Society was formed; and there is no better way of showing the growth of a place than by the publication of plans. Pages of description may be accurate and may convey a fair idea of what they refer to, but a map presents the whole at a glance. We know that Leeds existed as a centre of population in the middle of the eleventh century, and it was then a place of sufficient importance to have "a church, a priest, and a mill of 4 shillings." We state this on the authority of the officers appointed by William the Conqueror to make a survey of his kingdom. Unfortunately, we have no map of eleventh century Leeds. The one which we now reproduce, is the fifth of the series now in the hands of members. The first, (which will be found at the beginning of volume ix) shows what Leeds was in the second year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth; but it shows it very roughly. It does not pretend to be an accurate survey, but it is interesting in several respects. It is drawn with the east at the top; it shows in what parts of the town houses then existed; and it shows the ownership of the land upon which a large part of the present city stands. It does not show the Parish Church, but it does show the Manor House; and it throws some light upon the question of whether there was a castle at Leeds, because the Manor House is called "Castyll Hill." There were then but few streets in Leeds. We see Briggate, Upper and Lower Head Rows, Kirkgate, Vicar Lane, a road running east from Timble Bridge, Lady Lane, Quarry Hill, and perhaps S Swinegate; and there appears to have been a road from the town to Sheepscar Bridge and thence to Potternewton, and another road in the direction of Woodhouse Lane. The next two maps in order of date are those which appear after page 204 of volume ix. These have been already described. It may be added that since the description of the Philosophical Hall Map was written, attention has been called to the fact that there is or was a similar map of York; it was called Cassins' Map, and had views of buildings at each side; and it is probable that it was drawn by the same hand as the map of Leeds in the Philosophical Hall, which is said to have been surveyed by 'John Cossins." The next map is one published by C. Livesey in 1806, which appears after page 136 of this volume. This is not an accurate map, for almost every street has been drawn with a ruler. The map which is now presented to the members is of about the same date, but it is a very different work. It appears to be the result of an accurate survey; and it has this special advantage, that the boundaries of the fields are shown. The Map of 1806 shows practically the same town drawn without much attempt at accuracy. It must not be supposed that on this account the Map of 1806 is of no value. It is probable that, though it does not show any buildings accurately, it shows what buildings then existed, and is therefore useful in showing the size of the town at the time when it was made. A comparison of the Map of 1806 with the one of 1815 will bear this out. The 1815 Map well deserves careful examination. Its accuracy and the fact that all the fields are carefully marked have already been mentioned. The closely built town may be roughly said to be bounded on the west by Park Row, on the north by the site of Mark Lane, Harrison Street and Lady Lane, and on the south by the river. These boundaries were, however, beginning to be extended. To the west we find the Park Square parallelogram-the land between Park Lane and Park Place, East Parade and Somers Street -being fairly closely built over. South Parade is shown, and the old Court House at the bottom of Park Row; but, with the exception of this and a few other buildings, the land between Park Row and East Parade was unbuilt upon. The coloured Cloth Hall, on the site of City Square, and the old Infirmary, at the bottom of East 1 See Walks Through the City of York, by Robert Davies, F.S.A. Parade, are shown, and the buildings opposite to the entrance to the Wellington Station, which were called Eye Bright Place. The introduction of steam power had already led to the erection of some large factories. What was Holdforth's Bank Low Mill is shown, as is also Benyon's Mill at Holbeck; and Gott's Mills-called Park Mills are shown, lying between Drony Laith and Bean Ing; and there are others. The 'pleasant hamlet' of Little Woodhouse is shown, and Denison Hall-then called Woodhouse Place-has pleasure grounds extending to Park Lane, and had an uninterrupted view down to the river, Gott's Mill being the only obstruction. Further east we find St. James Street, which is thus described in a Leeds Guide of the year 1808" Returning from an examination of these faint vestiges of former days, we have to notice a street on the west side of Woodhouse Lane, called St. James's Street, which is nearly in a line with the upper part of Providence Row. The situation of this street is extremely pleasant, and from its elevation the air of it is remarkably salutary and bracing, from which circumstance it is preferred by invalids to any part of the town, and of course lodgings in it are in great request. As this place is out of the reach of the waterworks, soft water is scarce, and its supply of spring water is not abundant. The west or bottom end of this street commands a very pleasant view of the Aire Dale, and also of the principal buildings at the west end of the town." Our map shows Sunny Bank, and Queen's Square was formed, though little more than one side was built. Providence Row and part of Grove Terrace are shown, and building operations are well begun at the lower end of Woodhouse Lane and Wade Lane. Along North Street also we find a number of buildings, and the names 'Nile Street' and 'Trafalgar Street' will, it is to be hoped, long remain to tell us when these streets were laid out. The triangle between Quarry Hill, Duke Street, and Marsh Lane was not half built upon, but the old parts of the town along Mabgate and on the Bank were fairly well covered with buildings. South of the river, there were many buildings along Meadow Lane and Hunslet Lane. Holbeck was still a village and Hunslet is not shown. It may be well to say a few words about the highways. The oldest streets in the town are no doubt those which are called 'gates.' Briggate, which then extended from the bridge to the end of Kirkgate, the upper part being divided by the Moot Hall and the Middle Row into two passages, called 'Shambles' and 'Back of Shambles'; Kirkgate, from Briggate to the Parish Church; Swinegate; Thoresby mentions another thoroughfare in this neighbourhood called 'Cripplegate'; and Mabgate. Most of the old thoroughfares are called lanes, originally pronounced "loin," and, in consequence, an inhabitant of Leeds was called a "Leeds Loiner." There are several lanes in the centre of the town-Boar Lane, Butts Lane, now called Basinghall Street, Lands Lane, Vicar Lane, High Court Lane and Call Lane. But many lanes lead from the town to the surrounding country; these are, beginning on the north and reading from west to east— Park Lane; (Chorley Lane, Leighton Lane and Kendall Lane, though shown on the map, are not named); Woodhouse Lane and the branches, Cankerwell Lane, Carlton Lane and Claypit Lane; Wade Lane, leading into Long Balk Lane (now called Camp Road); Sheepscar Lane, the southern portion of which was even in 1815 called North Street; Skinner Lane, Lady Lane, Marsh Lane; and on the south of the river from east to west, Bowman Lane, Hunslet Lane, Meadow Lane, and Water Lane, leading to Holbeck. Wellington Street had not then been formed, nor had Clarendon Road. Oxford Row was then called Wellington Street. Commercial Street from Briggate to Albion Street is shown, though the part of it between Briggate and Trinity Street is called Bond Street. What we now call Bond Street had not been formed. There are one or two names which suggest enquiry. What is now called Dyer Street, between George Street and St. Peter's Street, was called Jubilee Street. The west end of Boar Lane was called Quebec, and the island between the river and King's Mill Goit was called School Close. It probably belonged to a member of the Nevile family, for the streets laid out across it are named Nevile and Sandford Streets: the latter now covered by the North-Eastern Station. I would express May I say a word about the naming of streets? a devout hope that the good old names may not give place to new names copied from London thoroughfares. Leeds has already suffered in this respect. Butts Lane is now called Basinghall Street, probably because the Bankruptcy Court, which is there no longer, was once at its south end. |