Cleveland

Cleveland, a wild mountainous district, with some picturesque fertile valleys, forming the east part of the N. Riding of Yorkshire between Whitby and the Tees. In the south the hills rise 1300 to 1850 feet. An extraordinary change has been wrought in the aspect of the country by a rich discovery of ironstone in the Cleveland hills; since 1851, lonely hamlets have become populous towns. The ironstone is chiefly an argillaceous carbonate, inferior to that of the coal-measures. See MIDDLESBOROUGH, IRON. The title of Duchess of Cleveland was conferred in 1670 by Charles II. (q.v.) on his mistress, Barbara Villiers, and her eldest son (Fitzroy) was first duke. In 1827 the marquise of Cleveland was bestowed on William Harry Vane, Earl of Darlington (whose grandfather married a descendant of the first duke); in 1833 he became duke—a title extinct since 1891.