stries include the
manufacture of woollens and confectionery, tanning and engineering, and
there is a considerable agricultural trade. There are coal mines in the
neighbourhood. A statue was erected in 1875 to the sixth earl of Mayo,
who represented the borough (abolished in 1885) from 1857 to 1868. There
is a Roman fort a mile west of the town, at Papcastle.

Cockermouth (_Cokermuth_, _Cokermue_) was made the head of the honour or
barony of Allerdale when that barony was created and granted to Waltheof
in the early part of the 12th century. At a later date the honour of
Allerdale was frequently called the honour of Cockermouth. Waltheof
probably built the castle, under the shelter of which the town grew up.
Although it never received any royal charter, the earliest records
relating to Cockermouth mention it as a borough. In 1295 it returned two
members to parliament and then not again until 1640. By the
Representation of the People Act of 1867 the representation was reduced
to one member, and by the Redistribution Act of 1885 it was
disfranchised. In 1221 William de Fortibus, earl of Albemarle, was
granted a Saturday market, which later in the year was transferred to
Monday, the day on which it has continued to be held ever since. The
Michaelmas Fair existed in 1343, and an inquisition dated 1374 mentions
two horse-fairs on Whit-Monday and at Michaelmas. In 1638 Algernon
Percy, earl of Northumberland, obtained a grant of a fair every
Wednesday from the first week in May till Michaelmas. The chief sources
of revenue in Norman times were the valuable fisheries and numerous
mills.

COCK-FIGHTING, or COCKING, the sport of pitting game-cocks to fight, and
breeding and training them for the purpose. The game-fowl is now
probably the nearest to the Indian jungle-fowl (_Gallus ferrugineus_),
from which all domestic fowls are believed to be descended. The sport
was popular in ancient times in India, China, Persia and other eastern
countries, and was introduced into Greece in the time of Themistocles.
The latter, while moving with his army against the Persians, observed
two cocks fighting desperately, and, stopping his troops, inspired them
by calling their attention to the valour and obstinacy of the feathered
warriors. In honour of the ensuing victory of the Greeks cock-fights
were thenceforth held annually at Athens, at first in a patriotic and
religious spirit, but afterwards purely for the love of the sport.
Lucian