ILFELD

ilfeld, a town in germany, in the prussian province of hanover, situated at the south foot of the harz, at the entrance to the bahrethal, 8 m. n. from nordhausen by the railway to wernigerode. pop. 1600. it contains an evangelical church, a celebrated gymnasium, once a monasterial school, with a fine library, and manufactures of parquet-flooring, paper and plaster of paris, while another industry in the town is brewing. it is also of some repute as a health resort. ilfeld, as a town, dates from the 14th century, when it sprang up round a benedictine monastery. founded about 1190 this latter was reformed in 1545, and a year later converted into the school mentioned above, which under the rectorship of michael neander (1525-1595) enjoyed a reputation for scholarship which it has maintained until to-day. see forstemann, _monumenta rerum ilfeldensium_ (nordhausen, 1843); m. neander, _bericht vom kloster ilfeld_, edited by bouterwek (gottingen, 1873); and k. meyer, _geschichte des klosters ilfeld_ (leipzig, 1897). ilford [great ilford], an urban district in the romford parliamentary division of essex, england, on the roding, 7 m. e.n.e. of london by the great eastern railway. pop. (1891) 10,913, (1901) 41,234. a portion of hainault forest lies within the parish. the hospital of st mary and st thomas, founded in the 12th century as a leper hospital, now contains almshouses and a chapel, and belongs to the marquess of salisbury, who as "master" is required to maintain a chaplain and six aged inmates. the chapel appears to be of the date of this foundation. claybury hall is a lunatic asylum (1893) of the london county council. there are large photographic material works and paper mills. little ilford is a parish on the opposite (west) side of the roding. the church of st mary retains norman portions, and has a curious monumental brass commemorating a boy in school-going clothes (1517). pop. (1901) 17,915.