Search results
Loidis, from which Leeds, Yorkshire derives its name, was anciently a forested area of the Celtic kingdom of Elmet. The settlement certainly existed at the time of the Norman conquest of England and in 1086 was a thriving manor under the overlordship of Ilbert de Lacy.
2 days ago · Leeds originated as an Anglo-Saxon township on the north bank of the Aire. It grew as a local market centre and was incorporated in 1626. By then the town was a cloth-finishing centre for a wide area where domestic weaving, introduced by 14th-century Flemish weavers, was pursued.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Leeds in The Middle Ages
- Leeds 1500-1800
- Leeds in The 19th Century
- Leeds in The 20th Century
- Leeds in The 21st Century
Leeds began as a Saxon village. By the time of the Domesday Book (1086), it had a population of around 200. By the standards of the time, Leeds was quite a large village. Many were much smaller. Then in 1207 the Lord of the Manor, Maurice De Gant, founded a new town at Leeds. At that time trade and commerce were increasing in England and many new t...
Leeds grew much larger in the 16th century. That was mainly due to the rapid growth of a woollen cloth industry in the town. The amount of cloth made in Leeds boomed and the population soared. By the late 16th century the population of Leeds had reached 3,000 and by the middle of the 17th century was probably about 6,000. From being a small and rat...
By 1801, the year of the first census the population of Leeds had reached 30,000. By the standards of the time, it was a large town. By 1851 it had reached 101,000. Leeds grew rapidly but many of the new houses built were dreadful. Overcrowding was rife and the streets were very dirty. As a result, there was a cholera epidemic in Leeds in 1832 whic...
In 1901 the population of Leeds reached 178,000 and it continued to grow rapidly. In 1903 a statue of the Black Prince was erected in City Square. So were statues of 8 nymphs. Leeds University was founded in 1904. Also that year St Annes RC Cathedral was built. Leeds City Market was also built in 1904. The first cinema in Leeds was built in 1905. I...
In the 21st century, Leeds continued to flourish. Millennium Square opened in 2000 and a new Leeds City Museum opened in 2008. Trinity Leeds opened in 2013. In 2023 the population of Leeds was 812,000.
The name derives from the old Brittonic *Lātēnses (via Late Brittonic Lādēses), composed of the Celtic root *lāt-"violent, boiling" and the borrowed Latin plural derivational suffix -ēnses meaning "people of the fast-flowing river", in reference to the River Aire that flows through the city.
Apr 17, 2014 · Leeds has existed since at least Anglo-Saxon times, due to its position as an important bridging point on the River Aire. The Venerable Bede, no less, referred to the small village of Loidis in the Welsh speaking Kingdom of Strathclyde.
- I'm From Yorkshire
A collection of articles exploring the history of Leeds, illustrated with unique and memorable books and other stock resources from the Leeds Libraries collections. Scroll to read an introduction, click a link to read more, or see our History of Leeds research guide for further resources.
Leeds is first mentioned in the records of the 8th century. In his study of the English people, the Venerable Bede wrote of a place called 'Loidis'. The next story in the history of Leeds dates back to the Vikings. When they arrived in the county of Yorkshire, they divided it into 'ridings'.
