LEOMINSTER, a parish in the hundred of WOLPHY, county of HEREFORD, comprising the borough of Leominster, having separate jurisdiction, the chapelry of Ivington, and the township of Broadward, and containing 4646 inhabitants, of which number, 3651 are in the borough of Leominster, 13 miles (N.) from Hereford, and 137 (W.N.W.) from London. This place, according to Leland, partly derives its name from a minster, or monastery, founded here by Merwald, King of West Mercia, about 660; and that Saxon prince is said to have had a castle, or palace, about half a mile eastward of the town. A fortress was standing on the same spot in 1055, when it was seized by the Welch chieftains, and fortified. At the time of the Norman survey, the manor, with its appurtenances, was assigned by Edward the Confessor to his queen, Editha: in the reign of William Rufus, the fortifications were strengthened, to secure it against the incursions of the Welch; in the reign of John, the town, priory, and church, were plundered and -burned by William de Braose, Lord of Brecknock; in the time of Henry IV. it was in the possession of Owen Glyndwr, after he had defeated the Earl of March. In the next century, the inhabitants of the town took a decisive part in the establishment of Mary on the throne, for which service she granted their first charter of incorporation, about the year 1554. The monastery founded by Merewald having been destroyed by the Danes, a college of prebendaries, and, subsequently, an abbey of nuns, were established here; but these institutions were destroyed previously to the time of Edward I., who endowed the abbey of Reading with the monastery of Leominster, to which it afterwards became a cell: its revenue, at the dissolution, was £660. 16. 8. The town is situated in a rich and fertile valley, on the banks of the river Lugg, which bounds it to the north and east, the Kenwater and Pinsley, two smaller streams, passing through the town itself, and three other rivulets within half a mile; the streets are indifferently paved and lighted, but considerable improvements are in contemplation; several of the houses are in the ancient style of. timber and brick, the beams being painted black, and ornamented with grotesque carvings; and the inhabitants are well supplied with water from springs. A neat stone bridge has been lately erected across the Kenwater, at the estimated expense of £500, towards which, £100 was given by Lord Hotham, one of the representatives of the borough, and the remainder by the corporation. There are, a public reading-room, or subscription library, and a theatre recently erected. Near the town is a good racecourse, where races are held about the end of August. An agricultural society holds its meetings here. The manufactures chiefly consist of gloves and flannel: the wool produced in the neighbourhood is proverbially excellent; and the cider and hops are held in high estimation. The market is on Friday; and fairs are held on February 13th, the Tuesday after Mid-Lent Sunday, May 2nd, July 10th, September 4th, and November 8th; to each of which is attached a court of pie-powder; there is also a great market on the Friday after the llth of December. A neat market-house, for the sale of grain, was erected in 1803. The charter of incorporation received from Queen Mary was confirmed and extended by subsequent sovereigns; the last was by Charles II., in 1665, under which the corporation consists of a bailiff, chief steward, recorder, and twenty-four capital burgesses, with a chamberlain, town clerk, two Serjeants at mace, and other officers; the bailiff, the late bailiff, the recorder, and two aldermen elected annually by the corporation, are justices of the peace. A court of record is held every Monday, before the bailiff, or two of the burgesses, for the recovery of debts to the amount of A100 within the borough; quarter sessions for the borough are held in January, April, July, and October; and petty sessions, for the lower division of the hundred of Wolphy, are held here; there is also a court leet annually. This borough has sent two members to parliament since the 23rd of Edward I.; the right of election is vested in the bailiff, capital burgesses, and other inhabitants paying scot and lot: the number of voters is about seven hundred, and the bailiff is the returning officer. The town-hall, or butter-cross, is a singular building of timber and brick, supported by curiously-carved pillars of oak.; it was built in 1633. A new gaol was erected in 1750. The living is a discharged vicarage, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Hereford, rated in the king's books at £10. 3. 8., endowed with £200 private benefaction, and £200 royal bounty, and in the patronage of the Crown. The church, dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, is a spacious and irregular structure, exhibiting specimens of every style of Norman and English architecture; the tower stands at the north-west angle, and with other parts of the western front, is of Norman character at the base, in the pointed style above, and embattled at the top; the western doorway, which is extremely beautiful, is ornamented with pillars and receding arched mouldings; the windows are in the decorated and later English styles; the massive pillars in the north aisle, supporting round arches surmounted by Norman arcades, are particularly curious. The south side, which is modern, is appropriated to the performance of divine service: the expense of its erection amounted' to upwards of £ 16,000; the altar-piece is a painting of the Last Supper, from Rubens. The length of the church within is one hundred and twentyfive feet, and its breadth one hundred and twenty-four feet. There are places of worship for Baptists, the Society of Friends, Moravians, and Unitarians. The free grammar school was founded by Queen Mary, and the master, who mustj be a member of one "of the Universities, receives £20 per annum from the' corporation. There is a National school, for children of both sexes. An almshouse for four poor widows was founded and endowed by Hester Clark, in 1735, the inmates of which receive £5 per annum each. A spring has lately been discovered at the west end of the town, the water of which is impregnated with carbonate of soda, lime, and magnesia, and sulphate of lime, with sulphuretted hydrogen and iron, in minute proportions. This place confers the title of baron upon the Earl of Pomfret,! who styles himself Baron Lempster, that having been the ancient name of the town.