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MONTGOMERYSHIRE (Welsh Swydd Tre' Fal...

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Originally appearing in Volume V18, Page 785 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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MONTGOMERYSHIRE (Welsh Swydd Tre' Faldwyn, Baldwyn's See also:town See also:shire) , a See also:county of See also:Wales, bounded N. by See also:Denbigh, N.E. and E. by See also:Shropshire, S. by See also:Radnor and See also:Cardigan, W. and N.W. by See also:Merioneth. Its length from S.E. to N.W. is about 30 m.; N.E. to S.W. it See also:measures about 35 M. The See also:surface is broken, though the highest hills are only See also:round the county See also:borders—to the See also:north Berwyn (stretching into Denbighshire); to the See also:south-See also:west See also:Plinlimmon (q.v.); See also:east, the Breidden hills; south, the See also:Kerry hills. The See also:principal See also:rivers and streams are: the See also:Severn, flowing east and north; the Wye, farther south; the Dyfi, See also:Vyrnwy (Fyrnwy), Clywedog, Tanat and Rhiw. Except the Wye and Dyfi, the principal streams are tributaries of the Severn. See also:Lake Vyrnwy, formed in 1888, is the See also:chief See also:water-See also:supply of See also:Liverpool. The Montgomeryshire See also:canal, some 24 M. See also:long, is connected with the Shropshire See also:Union and See also:Ellesmere canals, The county was formerly a recognized source of See also:oak See also:timber for the See also:navy. Geologically, the county is occupied almost exclusively by Ordovician and See also:Silurian rocks. The latter, mainly See also:Wenlock beds bordered by a fringe of See also:Llandovery rocks, See also:lie in the See also:form of a complex syncline down the centre of the county from a few See also:miles north of Lake Vyrnwy through Llangadfan, Llanfyllin, Llanfair, Welsh-See also:pool, See also:Montgomery and See also:Newtown. The boundary is very irregular. Between Newtown and Kerry See also:hill See also:Ludlow beds come in, and on the edge of the See also:forest of Clun the Old Red See also:Sandstone just crosses the boundary into this county. North and south of the Silurian See also:tract the Ordovician rocks occupy the remaining See also:area; they contain bands of See also:andesite and See also:felsite in the Berwyn hills, also east of Criggion and south-west of Corndon.

In the last-named hill there is a large laccolitic See also:

mass of See also:dolerite and a similar See also:rock occurs at Criggion. At Machynlleth See also:slate is worked in the Ordovician, and numerous metalliferous mines exist in the neighbourhood of Newtown from which See also:lead, See also:silver and See also:zinc are obtained. Glacial deposits are prevalent over much of the county. The See also:climate is mild, and the See also:soil generally fertile, especially in the Severn valley, though towards Merionethshire there are See also:heath and See also:moss. Small holdings (under about 5o acres) tend to diminish The See also:hardy, small, See also:mountain See also:pony is still to be found here. Hunters and See also:cart-horses are bred. See also:Sheep-breeding is practised, and Shropshire See also:downs are superseding the little cluns. Of the relatively few See also:green crops potatoes are the most important; oats are the principal See also:grain. Permanent pasture covers a large area. Hill pasture is also extensive. Woollen See also:cloth and See also:flannel manufacture have revived considerably. The See also:Cambrian railway, entering Montgomeryshire in the north-east, by Llanymynech, crosses it to the south-west with branches to Llanfyllin, See also:Westbury and See also:Van.

There is also a See also:

branch from Caersws to Glandyfi (Glandovey) junction, with the coastwise branch of the same See also:company. The area of the See also:ancient and administrative counties is 510,111 acres, or 797 sq. m., with a See also:population of 54,901 in 1901. Many of the See also:people know no See also:English, and Welsh is everywhere the favourite speech. The county returns one member to See also:parliament, and includes the Montgomery See also:district of See also:parliamentary boroughs: Llanfyllin (pop. 1632), Llanidloes (2770), Montgomery (1034), Machynlleth, Newtown and See also:Welshpool (6121). The first three and last of these are municipal boroughs. The See also:urban districts are: Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn (65oo), and Machynlleth (2038). The county is in the North Wales and See also:Chester See also:circuit, assizes being held alternately at Newtown and Welshpool. Welshpool See also:borough has a See also:separate See also:commission of the See also:peace, but no separate See also:court of See also:quarter sessions. The ancient county (in See also:Bangor, See also:Hereford, and St See also:Asaph dioceses) has 59 ecclesiastical parishes or districts, with parts of 11 others. See also:History and Antiquities.—The Welsh name of Baldwyn's town shire is taken from a See also:Norman who did See also:homage to See also:William the Conqueror for this See also:division of Wales. The English name is from See also:Roger de Montgomery, See also:earl of See also:Shrewsbury (temp.

William See also:

Rufus). At the coming of the See also:Romans this county was See also:part of the Ordovices' territory (Britannia secunda), and there are remains of See also:Roman encampments and fortifications at Caersws, Mathrafal, and near Montgomery. The roads connecting these stations can often be traced. Vestiges of a Roman See also:camp are visible near Welshpool. Machynlleth was perhaps the Roman Maglona. Remains of old See also:British camps are to be seen at Dolarddyn, on Breidden hill and at Caereinion. There are many See also:cairns and barrows. See also:Crossing the county was the Via Devana, joined by other roads. From the Roman evacuation under Flavius See also:Honorius (d. A.D. 423) little is known of Montgomery until Wales was subdivided into three districts at the See also:death of Rhodri Fawr, when Montgomery was included in Powys (Powys Gwenwynwyn, Upper Powys). Powys See also:Castle was founded in I1o8.

About the end of the 11th See also:

century, probably, was built Baldwyn's Castle, taken later by the Welsh and retaken by Roger de Montgomery. In 1345 Roger See also:Mortimer held it. At Carno, 11 m. from Newtown and 17 from Machynlleth, a See also:battle decisive of North Wales See also:sovereignty was fought in 946, and in ro8r the rightful See also:heir, Gruffydd ab Cynan, together with Rhys ab Tudur, See also:prince of South Wales, here killed in battle Trahaern ab Caradoc, the usurper, and most of his men. At Machynlleth is seen See also:Owen See also:Glendower's See also:senate See also:house (1402) where he was crowned prince of Wales.

End of Article: MONTGOMERYSHIRE (Welsh Swydd Tre' Faldwyn, Baldwyn's town shire)

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