DONCASTER, the Danum of Antoninus and Dona Ceasier of the Saxons, a municipal borough and market-town of England, in the west riding of Yorkshire, 32 miles S. of York and 156 miles N. of London by railway, in the line of the ancient Roman road of Ermine street or, as some write, Watling street, is situated on the right bank of the Don, over which and an arm of it called the Cheswold it has two bridges. The parish church of St George, occupying the site of an older structure of the same name destroyed by fire in 1853, was finished in 1858 at a cost of £43,128; its tower is 172 feet high. Among the other public buildings are Christ Church and St James’s, the mansionhouse, market-hall, guildhall, theatre, grammarschool, infirmary, and jail. The commerce of Doncaster is mainly agricultural, and the com market is of consider-rable importance. The manufactures are iron and brass ware, sacking and linen, spun flax, ropes, and agricultural machines. About a mile to the south-east of the town is the race course, which is nearly circular, and has a circumference of 1 mile 7 furlongs and 70 yards; the principal races held annually commence on the Tuesday after the 10th of September. The grand stand, erected.in 1777, has been frequently altered and improved, but has lost much of its importance by the erection of minor stands. Races have long been held at Doncaster, and there was a stand on the course before the year 1615. The St Leger race takes its name from Lieut.-Gen. St Leger, who originated it in 1776; but it was not so named, till 1778. Doncaster received its first charter from Richard I. In 1399, after landing at Ravenspur, Bolingbroke, subsequently Henry IV., lodged for a time in the town. In 1871 the population of the municipal borough was 18,768. The area is 1691 ...