HEMMED in on all sides by high hills, and occupying a position in the very heart of the manufacturing districts of Yorkshire and Lancashire, itself a large centre of population engaged in the woollen and cloth trades, is situated the town of Hud- dersfield, on a considerable extent of high ground sloping down to the River Colne, a tributary of the Calder. The import- ance of the town is mainly due to a plentiful supply of coal and water, exten- sive railway communication with all parts of the kingdom, and to canals in connec- tion with both the Mersey and the Hum- ber. That connecting with the Mersey is carried at the highest canal level in England, through a remarkable tunnel, three and a quarter miles in length, which pierces the chain of hills called the Penine Chain, or English Apennines, 652 feet beneath the surface, and is so straight that the light can be seen from end to end. Parallel with it, but at a slightly higher level, is the railway tunnel, at the end of which is Marsden Station.

The history of the West Hiding of York- shire, of which Huddersfield is one of the largest towns, is, considering its great size, very scanty in its materials, and very few of the remains of the original inhabitants, or of the Romans, are now to be seen. Of the few places of historic interest contained in the parish may be mentioned " Slack," the supposed site of the ancient city of Cambodunum, which occupied the attention and labours of the Huddersfield Archaeological and Topo- graphical Association during the latter part of 1865 and the early part of 1866, when several Roman remains were ex- cavated. Almondbury, about two miles from Huddersfield, was once a place of some importance, and, possessed a church built by Paulinus, the companion of St. Augustin, the only certain memorial of whose labours is the ancient stone cross at Dewsbury, which marks the spot where he first preached to the heathen, and afterwards baptized them in the River Calder. It was on this account that Dewsbury Church was and is still looked upon as the Mother Church of a large ecclesiastical district, including even Hud- dersfield, which owes allegiance and pays an annual tribute. Above the village of Almondbury is the Castle Hill, 900 feet high, where a castle, built in the reign of Stephen, is said to have existed formerly; no trace, however, of either building now remains. Kirklees Priory, distant about four miles, must not be omitted, as it is the only ruin of antiquity of its class in the neighbourhood. This Priory was founded in the year 1155 in the reign of Henry II., and is chiefly of interest from its association with the name of " Robin Hood." A small closet in this gate-house is pointed out as the room in which Robin Hood spent the last hours of his life, in company with his friend and counsellor Little John. Having been obliged to solicit surgical assistance from his cousin the Prioress of Kirklees, who, by the way, is said to have opened a vein in his arm while he was asleep, and finding his end approaching, Robin Hood made his last request to his friend that he would take his bow, and, opening the window, shoot an arrow, " And where the arrow down should fall There buried should he be." He is supposed to be buried in the park near a small plantation, through which a footpath to the left leads to the spot where Little John's arrow is said to have fallen. An epitaph is let into the wall of a small quadrangle protected by an iron railing, in which he is described as Earl of Huntingdon.

The earliest mention of the district in which Huddersfield now stands is in Domesday Book, where the town is re- ferred to under the name of " Oderesfelt " as belonging to one "Ilbert de Lacy," who received the barony of Pontefract from William the Conqueror when he divided the lands of the Saxons among his Norman followers. The original parish church is supposed to have been built by him in 1073. The most im- portant period of the modern history of Huddersfield was during the Luddite insurrection in 1811-12, which was brought about by the introduction of machinery for finishing cloth. Commenc- ing in Nottinghamshire, it soon spread to Yorkshire,- and Huddersfield was one of the towns most deeply engaged in it.

The greatest discontent prevailed through- out the neighbourhood owing to the com- mercial distress which existed for several years after the substitution of steam for manual labour; several acts of violence were committed, and several deeds of rebellion were agreed upon, but the insti- gators of the several movements were either captured or dispersed.

In 1842 the Plug riots, originated by a large number of operatives from Lan- cashire, commenced. These men marched across the country to Huddersfield, draw- ing the plugs out of the boilers at all the factories where they could. A meeting was held in the town to consider what further steps should be taken, but their deliberations were speedily brought to a close by the military, the Riot Act having been read.

For a manufacturing town, Huddersfield is one of the best built, most regular, and cleanest of all the prosperous towns in the North of England. Being entirely built of a good white freestone, and the fact of the land on which it is built all belonging to one owner, Sir John N. Ramsden, at whose offices all plans of proposed buildings have to be submitted, due attention to street architecture is ensured. The best part of the town is the open space in front of the station, in which is a statue in white marble of the late Sit Robert Peel. The inhabitants have the reputation of being a hard- headed, practical people, always ready to help every philanthropic work which commends itself to them, or to receive a stranger, when properly introduced, with the open arms of hospitality. They are passionately fond of music, and a band will always attract hundreds of the population in a few minutes. Nothing surprises a stranger to the locality more than their love of music. Not long since a Hussar regiment passing through Hud- dersfield en route for Manchester, was billeted for the night in the town. Next morning, when the regiment assembled on parade in St. George's Square, the band, which was formed up in front, struck up a selection of music which was very prettily played, and with the greatest taste. The large square was speedily thronged, much to the writer's surprise, with spectators, principally from the labouring class, who, at the conclusion of the performance, showed their delight by loud clapping of hands. The ser- vices in the churches and chapels, though musical, are thoroughly evangelical, and the most unpretending choir can perform an oratorio with credit; indeed, ministers would lose their congregations if the taste of the people for music were not recognised and satisfied. The service in the parish church is on Sunday evenings a sight well worth seeing, when every part of the building is thronged by all denomi- nations to listen to the powerful preaching of the vicar, the musical rendering of the service leaving nothing to be desired.

The large attendance of the working- classes at the Bible lectures on Sunday afternoons testify their appreciation of the vicar's worth and merits. A strong man is wanted in Huddersfield to combat the infidelity so prevalent, and all we can say is, the requirements of Huddersfield are well satisfied in this respect.

The staple trade is the fancy woollen cloth trade, but there are also large con- cerns engaged in the cotton, silk and iron trades. The manufacturing class has always shown itself alive to accept and utilize change of fashion, with the result that Huddersfield still retains a position far ahead of all its rivals in the supply of clothing fabrics.

Notwithstanding the long-continued de- pression in trade which has now extended over so many years, but which has only been comparatively slightly felt in Hud- dersfield because of the numerous occu- pations which the working classes are able to engage in, steady progress has been made by the town. A splendid supply of water has been obtained from works erected on the moors by the Cor- poration at a cost of 750,000?. Fifty years ago there was only one post office, one letter carrier, and one delivery a day; now there are in the same district fifty- eight post-offices and receiving-boxes, and forty-two letter carriers, besides supernumeraries who are at work all day.

In connection with the post-office we must not fail to call attention to the Post-Office Savings Bank, which in great measure owed its establishment to a Huddersfield man, Sir Charles W. Sikes, the managing director of the Huddersfield Banking Company. He first suggested the matter to Mr. Gladstone, who deputed the late Mr. F. I. Scudamore, C.B., then second Secretary of the Post-Office, to consult with Mr. Sikes, and together they elabo- rated the arrangements which Parliament made law in 1861. The result, after twenty-five years' working of the Act, is that upwards of 47 millions sterling now stand to the credit of the working classes, and the idea has been adopted by almost every civilized nation in the world. This brilliant success merited and received its due recognition in the honour of knight- hood conferred upon the author by Her Majesty the Queen.

As regards the educational departments, the Huddersfield Colleges for boys and girls are both large and successful. The two institutions have lately been united under one board of management, and they occupy conspicuous and handsome build- ings in the North Road. Great alterations have been and are still taking place for the enlargement of the railway station, in order to admit of the development of the traffic, and at the present moment 5000 trains daily pass in and out of Hudders- field. When the work is completed the station will be one of the finest in the kingdom. The town also possesses two fine parks, one the gift of Mr. H. F. Beau- mont, M.P., containing 20 acres of ground, upon which 30,0002. was laid out by the Corporation. The other park was bought from Sir J. H. Ramsden, and has alto- gether cost the town 66,000?.

All these provisions for the comfort and welfare of the inhabitants, and the steady and marvellous manner in which ;he population has increased, viz., from 7000 at the commencement of the century ;o 87,000 at the present time, bear wit- ness to the uninterrupted progress of the town.

At the head of the charities stands the infirmary. It has twice been enlarged since it was built fifty years ago, and it now contains 100 beds. The working classes contribute upwards of 1,0001. a year towards its support; it also has a long list of subscribers, and the interest accru- ing from nearly 40.000Z. bequeathed by friends at various times. A scheme for a third enlargement has just been brought out and has met with a munificent re- sponse. There are many other local charities on a smaller scale which are all well supported, particularly that in aid of the funds of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE- BOAT INSTITUTION, which obtained a local footing in 1866. In that year the resi- dents of Huddersfield, through the bene- volent exertions of Mr. THOMAS CRESS- WELL and others, presented 10342. to the Society for a Life-boat to be called the " Huddersfield." At that time the Institu- tion had decided to establish a Life-boat Station at Hasborough on the coast of Norfolk, it being a place where vessels in distress were frequently run ashore, and this money was appropriated to the pur- pose. A substantial house was built on top of the cliff to keep the boat in, and in July 1866 the Life-boat and transpoit- ing-carriage were forwarded to Hudders- field en route to their destination, were publicly exhibited in the armoury, and visited by large numbers of persons. The Life-boat was drawn on her carriage through the streets, attended by a proces- sion of volunteers and others. Her self- righting qualities were afterwards ex- hibited at the junction of the rivers Calder and Colne in the presence of not less than 20,000 spectators, the greatest enthusiasm prevailing throughout the proceedings. ¥01 some years after this the Institution did not receive much support from Huddersfield, and in 1872 the' annual subscriptions amounted to about 81. only. Mr. J. A. HARRISON was then appointed Hon. Secretary, and the contributions rapidly increased until at the time of his death in 1883 they amounted to 109Z. Mr. J. T. KILNER then undertook the vacant post, and thanks to his valuable and energetic co-operation, in conjunction with Mr. F. H. SHAW, the subscriptions have largely increased, and now amount to 1891.

The HUDDERSFIELD Life-boat has been instrumental in saving 50 lives.