WELSHPOOL, a parish and borough and market-town and assize-town, having exclusive jurisdiction, in the union of FORDEN,
county of MONTGOMERY, NORTH WALES, 7 miles (N.) from Montgomery, and 175 (N. W. by W.) from London, on the road from
Shrewsbury to Aberystwith: the parish comprises the Upper, Middle, and Lower divisions and the township of Cyvronnydd;
and contains 4626 inhabitants, of which number 4549 are in the several divisions, Upper, Middle, and Lower, and the
remaining 77 in the township of Cyvronnydd. The original name of this place, written " Treqn," from the Welsh " Tre 'r
Llyn " was derived from its situation near a pool or lake of very great depth. From this circumstance, also, it obtained
its present English appellation of Pool; and, in order to distinguish it from the town of that name in the county of
Dorset, it has long been generally called Welshpool. The lake, which is now within the park of Powis Castle, is nearly
three hundred feet in depth, and, from the dark colour of its waters, has obtained the designation of Llyn DU, or' " the
Black Lake," since corrupted into " Llyndy PooL" The town is of ancient origin; the first notice of it occurs in the Welsh
annals of 1109, when Cadwgan ab Bleddyn ab Cynvyn, a powerful native chieftain of Powys, having succeeded, even during the
state of anarchy prevailing at that time, in reducing his territories to some degree of order and tranquillity, by a rigid
and impartial administration of justice, repaired to this place, and began to erect a castle, which he intended to make
his principal residence, and the seat of his government. But this virtuous prince, whom Camden dignified with the epithet
of the "renowned Briton," was, during his abode here, suddenly attacked by his nephew Madoc, a lawless chieftain of North
Wales, at the head of a numerous band of desperate and profligate followers, who, taking him by surprise murdered him
before he hadlime either to defend himself, or to take measures for his escape. On the death of Cadwgan, the castle which
he bad begun was left unfinished; but the work was resumed and completed by Gwenwynwyn, who succeeded his father, Owain
Cyveiliog, in the government of the southern part of Powyslaud. In the year 1191, in resentment of various depredations
which had been committed by the Welsh on the English vassals in the marches, Hubert, Archbishop of Canterbury, in the
absence of Richard L in the Holy Land, besieged this castle with a powerful force. The garrison made a determined
resistance, and held out till the walls were undermined, when they surrendered on honourable terms. The archbishop, having
taken possession of the fortress, repaired the damage it had sustained during the siege, strengthened the defences, and,
placing in it a strong, garrison, returned into England. Gwenwynwyn, its rightful owner, determined to use every effort
for the recovery of this castle, which was the most important fortress in his dominions, laid siege to it in 1197, and
soon compelled the English garrison to surrender it to him, upon the same terms as had been granted to his own soldiers.
At this time the castle was distinguished by the appellation of " Gwenwynwyn's Castle at the Pool," and became the chief
residence of that prince and his successors. In the reign of John, Gwenwynwyn having con424 sented to become a vassal of
the English crown, and to hold his territories in capite under that monarch, his son and successor Grufydd, on his
accession to the government, did homage to the English king, and by his tenure was bound to aid and assist him in his
endeavours to subjugate the principality to the authority of the English government. Llewelyn ab Iorwerth, Prince of North
Wales, incensed at the defection of Grufydd from the interests of his countrymen, in the year 1233, attacked and
dismantled his castle at Pool, called at that time, from the colour of the stone of which it was built, Y Casten Coch, or
" the Red Castle," an appellation it still retains among the native Welsh. Upon this occasion Llewelyn banished Grufydd,
and gave his territories to Grufydd ab Madoc, Prince of Upper Powys, and Lord of Dinas Brim. Owain ab Grufydd, grandson of
Gwenwynwyn, still, under the protection of the English, appears nevertheless to have retained possession of his father's
territories as an English vassal; and at his death he bequeathed them to his only daughter and heiress, Hawys, surnamed
Gadarn, or " the Hardy." After her father's decease the title of Hawys to the principality of Powys was disputed by her
four uncles Llewelyn, John, Grufydd Vychan, and David, all alleging the ineligibility of a female to succeed to that
dignity. Under these circumstances Hawys appealed to Edward IL, the reigning English monarch, who gave her in marriage to
John de Charlton, whom the king ennobled by the title of Baron Powys, and in whose descendants the proprietorship of the
castle and its dependencies remained for several generations. It was probably at this period that the fortress first
obtained the appellation of Powys, now changed to Powis, Castle. The barony and castle were, by marriage with Jane, eldest
daughter of Edward, Lord Powys, conveyed to Sir John Grey, of Heton, who was slain at the unfortunate battle of Baugde, in
1421; and in the reign of Elizabeth, Edward Grey, an illegitimate son of Edward Grey de Powys, who had inherited the
estates by virtue of a settlement on his mother, sold them to Sir Edward Herbert, second son of William Herbert, Earl of
Pembroke. Sir Edward, on his death, was interred in the church of Welshpool, and was succeeded in his titles and estates
by his son William, who was made Knight of the Bath at the coronation of James I., and by Charles I. created-Lord Powys.
On the breakin5 out of the civil war of the seventeenth century, Piercy, Lord Powys, declared himself an advocate of the
royal cause, fortified his castle, and placed in it a strong garrison, of which he took the command in person. It was soon
afterwards besieged by a strong party of the parliamentary forces, under Sir Thomas Myddelton; and its outer walls having
been materially damaged by the artillery of the assailants, it was at length reduced; the noble commander of the garrison
was made prisoner, and the place given up to pillage. Upon this occasion the castle and lordship were confiscated; and,
according to the general orders issued at the time, the proprietor of the estate was allowed to compound with the
parliament, by which means he regained possession of them. It appears by a manuscript in the library at Yowls Castle, that
this fortress, together with that of Montgomery, with their outworks, were ordered to be demolished; but in a decree of
the council, dated April 28th, 1660, it is stated that the " Red Castle in Wales" did not belong to the state, and that
the owners and proprietors thereof having given security that it should not be employed or made use of to the disturbance
of the peace of the nation, or prejudicial to the parliament and commonwealth, "it is commanded that the former order made
for demolishing the above-named castle shall be null and void, so far as regards the Red Castle, with the exception only
of the outworks, and the making of some breaches in the walls, in order to render it indefensible in case of any future
insurrection against the government and authority of the parliament." After these injunctions had been carried into
effect, it was delivered into the possession of its legitimate proprietors, in whose descendants it still remains, the
Right Hon. the Earl of Powis being the present proprietor. The TOWN, which Leland describes as being, in the reign of
Henry VIII., " the best market in Powys," still retains that character, in addition to which, it may be justly regarded as
the modern capital of the county. It is situated for the greater part in a hollow, which opens towards the river Severn,
and extends up the acclivity of an eminence towards Powis park and castle; and consists of two towns, called respectively
Pool town and Welsh town, but which are now so entirely united as to form only one. It is large and populous, and well
lighted with gas; and consists of one long and wide street, intersected at right angles by another of similar character,
and also by several streets of smaller extent, all well paved, and amply supplied with water: the houses are handsomely
built of brick, and with an unusual degree of regularity for this part of the country; and the whole has a cheerful and
prepossessing appearance, having more the character of an English than of a Welsh town. This impression, which strikes the
stranger on his entrance, is strengthened both by the prevailing language and the manners of the inhabitants, the Welsh
language being spoken by few, except such as come from the upper part of the country upon business. The flannel
manufacture is carried on here, though upon a scale much inferior to its extent either at Llanidloes or Newtown '  and the
town has long been the principal mart for the sale of the flannels made throughout the whole of the manufacturing district
of North Wales. A considerable trade is also carried on in malt, for the making of which there are several kilns in the
neighbourhood; there are likewise some tanneries upon a large scale; and at the extremity of the town are quarries of
excellent stone, near which is a military depot for one thousand stand of arms. The river Severn is navigable to within a
short distance of the town  and the Montgomeryshire canal, which passes dose to it, joins the Ellesmere canal near
Oswestry, affording a facility of communication with Shrewsbury and all parts of the kingdom. The market, which is amply
supplied with provisions of every kind, is on Monday; and fairs occur on the second Monday in March, April 17th, June 5th,
the first Monday after the 10th of July, September 12th, and November 16th, for horses, cattle, and pedlery; on the day
preceding each of which a fair is held for the sale of sheep and pigs: a fair also takes place on the first Monday after
the 20th of September, exclusively for the sale of butter and cheese; and there is a great cattle market on the first
Monday after St. Hilary, and also on the Monday before Christmas-day. The flannel market is held every alternate Thursday,
in a spacious room appropriated to that purpose in the town-hall, and has hitherto been attended by numerous dealers and
manufacturers from Llanidloes, Newtown, Ste.: the average quantity sold at these markets is a thousand pieces, of which
the finer sort generally measures about a hundred and twenty yards in length. Welshpool is supplied with coal from, the
north-western parts of Shropshire, by means of the Montgomeryshire canal; and the river Severn commences its navigable
course at only a short distance from the town, at a place called Pool-Quay. The inhabitants received a charter of
INCORPORATION at a very early period, from the lords of Powys, who invested them with various privileges and immunities,
which were subsequently confirmed by a charter granted by James I. in the 12th of his reign, and confirmed and .enlarged
by Charles  II. The corporation, under this charter, consisted of two bailiffs, and an indefinite number of aldermen and
burgesses, with a high steward, recorder, town-clerk, coroner, two sergeants-at-mace, two yeomen, and other officers. By
the act of the 5th and 6th of William IV., c. 76, however, the corporation, now styled the " Mayor, Aldermen, and
Burgesses," consists of a mayor, four aldermen, and twelve councillors, together forming the council of the borough. The
council elect the mayor annually on November 9th out of the aldermen or councillors; and the aldermen triennially from
among the councillors, or persons qualified as such, one-half going out of office every three years, but re-eligible: the
councillors are chosen by and out of the enrolled burgesses, on November 1st, one-third Tetiring annually. The aldermen
and councillors must have each a property qualification of £500, or be rated at £15 annual value. Occupiers of houses and
shops who have been rated for three years to the relief of the poor are entitled to be burgesses, if resident within seven
miles; and a valid tide to a burgess is acquirable by descent, marriage, marriage.settlement, devise, or promotion to any
benefice or office, in which ease occupancy and payment of rates by the predecessor may be reckoned. A recorder is
appointed by the crown; two auditors and two assessors are elected annually on March 1st, by and from among the burgesses;
and the council appoint a town-clerk, treasurer, and other officers on November 9th. This was originally one of the
contributory be. roughs, which, with Montgomery, returned a member to parliament under the statute of the 27th of Henry
VIII.; and the right of election, vested in the burgesses generally, continued to be exercised from that time till the
year 1728, when the borough was disfranchised by a resolution of the House of Commons, which, however, being in direct
opposition to a previous resolution, by which, in 1680, the right had been confirmed, the burgesses were empowered,. by
the act of the 28th of George III., to assert their claim to vote for a member for Montgomery before any future committee
of the House, and to enter an appeal against any future decision, within twelve calendar months; but no measures were ever
taken to regain the franchise. By the act of 1832, "to Amend the Representation," Welsh-pool has, however, been again made
contributory with Llanidloes, Llanvyllin, Machynlleth, Montgomery, and Newtown, in choosing a member. The right of
election is now in every person of full age occupying, either as owner or as tenant under the same landlord, a house or
other premises of the annual value of not less than ten pounds, provided he be capable of registering as the act directs;
and the present number of such tenements within the electoral limits of the borough, which are less extensive than the
ancient municipal boundary, and are minutely detailed in the Appendix, is about two hundred. The exclusivejurisdiction of
the borough extends over the parishes of Pool and Buttington; the hamlets of Gungrog-Vechan, 'Frelydan, and Trevnant-
Vechan, with parts of those of Garth, Hendrehen, Llan, Tmwscoed, Llanerchrochwell, Tirymynach, and Varchwel, in the parish
of Gulls- field; the hamlets of Gaer, Sylvaen, Trev-Helyg, and Trevnant, with parts of those of Cwm and Castle, in the
parish of Castle-Caer-Einion; and the hamlet of Brithdir, in the parish of Berriew. The corporation hold courts of
quarter-session for deter+ mining on all offences committed within the borough, the punishment for which does not extend
to the loss of life or limb; and a court of record every alternate Tuesday, for the recovery of debts to any amount; and
the assizes for the county, and the petty-sessions for the hundreds of Pool and Cawrse, are also held in the town. The
town-hall, erected at the expense of a few gentlemen residing in the vicinity, to avoid increasing the county rate, which
was previously overcharged, is a handsome building of brick, in the centre of the principal street, with a colonnade in
front: the basement story is appropriated to the use of the corn market, with an amplefor the sale of various articles of
merchandise, antr acespacious courtroom for holding the assizes, the borough sessions, and other courts; and in the upper
story is a commodious room, originally sixty-two feet in length, twenty-five wide, and eighteen high, but enlarged in
1824, for the holding of the Eisteddvod, and now a hundred and two feet long, in which public meetings take place, the
business of the corporation is transacted, and the flannel market is held, and in which also balls are occasionally given.
The PARISH is bounded on the east by Butting-ton, south-east by Forden, south by Berriew, southwest by Castle-Caer-Einion,
north-west by Llangyniew, and north by Guilsfield; and contains by computation 6500 acres, of which 2000 are amble, 3300
meadow and pasture, 600 wood, and about 600 gardens, roads, water, &c. The surface presents mountain, and good arable
upland, with woody dells, and extensive meadows on the banks of the river Severn; the soil on the lower grounds is a rich
loam, and in other parts rather shaly, and produces wheat, barley, oats, and hay; the prevailing timber consists of oak,
ash, and elm. The annual value of the rateable property has been returned at £11,422, of which £5651 is the amount for the
town, or middle division. The LIVING is a vicarage, rated in the king's books at £13. 5. 21.; present net income, £273;
patron, Bishop of St. Asaph: the tithes of the parish, including the township of Cyvronnydd, have been commuted for a
rent-charge of £643. 17., of which a sum of £476 is payable to the Dean and Chapter of Christ Church, Oxford, who have
also a glebe of 2f acres, £165. 12. to the vicar, who has a glebe of a quarter of an acre, and £2. 5. to the parish-clerk.
The church, dedicated to St. Mary, and, with the exception of the chancel and the tower, rebuilt in 1774, is a spacious
and handsome structure, with a lofty square embattled tower, and consists of a nave, chancel, and north and south aisles;
it was enlarged by the addition of galleries in 1824. The ceiling of the chancel is divided into compartments, embellished
with rich carved work, and from the roof of the north aisle grows some pendant ivy, which has a very singular appearance.
The nave is 85 feet long, by 50 wide, and the chancel 20 feet by 10; and there are about 400 free sittings, 230 of which
are occupied by the children of the National schools. Among the communion plate is a chalice of fine gold, containing one
quart, and valued at £170; engraved on it is a Latin inscription, stating it to have been presented by Thomas Davies,
Governor-General of the English colonies on the western coast of Africa, in gratitude for the preservation of his life
during his residence in that unhealthy clime. There is a gradual ascent from the flat part of the town to the church,
which stands at the base of a loftier eminence; so that the cemetery, which lies on the acclivity, is in some parts higher
than the church itself, and commands a fine view of the town beneath. A handsome church, in the Anglo-Norman style, has
been recently erected at the upper end of the town; it consists of a nave and north and south aisles, with clerestory
windows; the length of the nave is 80 feet, and the width 50. There are places of worship for Baptists, Independents, and
Calvinistic and Wesleyan Methodists. A National school for children of both sexes, founded in 1821, and supported by
subscription is held in a building situated a short distance from town, on the road to Newtown, a handsome stone edifice,
occupying 'three sides of a quadrangle, and consisting of two commodious and spacious schoolrooms, with apartments for,
the master and the mistress; about 140 boys and 90 girls are at present gratuitously instructed. Richard Tudor, Esq., bee.
queathed £100 for teaching ten boys, and Edward Parry, in 1770, £100 for teaching eight; the interest of which sums is
appropriated to the maintenance of a school where 18 children are educated gratuitously, and about 14 others paid for by
their parents; the salary of the master is £9, and that of the mistress, £1. 16., per annum. There are also ten other day
schools, in which 270 children are taught at the expense of their parents; and three Sunday schools, attended by about 550
males and females, are supported by subscription. Mr. Tudor further left £80, directing the produce to be appropriated to
the apprenticing of one poor boy annually. In 1761, an act was obtained for inclosing and allotting Pool Common, in the
parishes of Pool and Guilsfield, on which the burgesses of the town possessed the right of pasturage for their eattle,
under a charter of John de Charlton, Lord of Powys, in the 17th of Edward II.; and after the passing of the measure, the
common was accordingly divided by the commissioners appointed for the purpose, when lands eonsisting of 11 fields and a
small wood, containing in the whole 75 acres, at present yielding a rent of £136. 15. per annum, were awarded to the
corporation. By a provision of the act, the rents and profits were to be for the benefit of poor burgesses, after part had
been applied to building, enlarging, and beautifying public edifices; and in 1824 the corporation, under this clause,
borrowed £300 to be appropriated towards the enlargement of the town-hall, and in the year after a further sum of £500,
employed in the erection of a more commodious court-house. for holding the assizes. After deducting the interest of these
sums, the rent is generally applied to the relief of distressed burgesses. Near the church is an almshouse, founded by the
late Mr. Parry for eight persons, and which consists of eight rooms, each occupied by an aged female who is a decayed
housekeeper; a small endowment of 10s., payable to each, has been discontinued since 1799. About £19. 5. are distributed
on the 1st of January among the poor in small sums; chiefly arising from £10, the rent of an estate consisting of a house
and 31 acres of land, purchased with a bequest of £100 by Elijah Philipps in 1755; and from the interest of £90, left by
Miss Elizabeth Lloyd, of £50 by Joseph Pursell, and of a similar sum by Robert Tudor. Besides these charities, there is a
rent-charge of £4, by Thomas Langford, for supplying clothing to eight persons on the first Sunday in November; and a
dispensary has been established, which is well sup_ported by subscription. Fowls CASTLE, the seat of the Earl of Powis, a
stately but irregular pile of building, of great extent, and venerable for its antiquity, is pleasantly situated in a
well-wooded park, at the distance of a mile from the town, on the right of the road leading to Montgomery, and occupies an
elevated and comr mending position on a ridge of rock overlooking a vast tract of richly diversified country, the greater
part of which was formerly subject to its lords. It is built of red sandstone, from which circumstance it derived the
appellation of Castell Ceeh, which it still retains among the Welsh. The damage it sustained during the parliamentary war
has been amply repaired, and the whole edifice fitted up in a style of grandeur; and much improvement has been of late
years made in its external appearance, under the auspices of its present proprietor, by removing the sash windows, which
had been inserted more than a century ago, and restoring others of the original shape, more in conformity with the
prevailing style of architecture, and by a considerable addition to the height of the tower on the -moth side. The
entrance is by an ancient gateway, flanked by two massive circular towers, into an extensive paved area, round which the
principal apartments are ranged. The ascent to these is by a magnificent staircase embellished with paintings by Lanscroon;
the walls on each side are adorned with mythological and allegorical subjects, among which are representations of
Neptune, Amphitrite, Apollo, and Venus, and emblematical personifications of Poetry, Painting, Music, the Fates, and other
subjects; the ceiling is painted with the coronation of Queen Anne. In the lower part of the hall is a painting of Aurora,
and near it a marble figure of Cybele, in a sitting posture, about three feet high, on a pedestal of marble, exquisitely
sculptured, which was brought from Herculaneum; and on the upper landing of the staircase is a beautiful statue of Apollo
Belvidere. This stair case leads to a gallery, one hundred and seventeen feet in length, and twenty feet wide, in which
are ranged the busts of the twelve Closers, brought from Italy, wo mosaic tables from Rome, and four small figures in
marble, of very great antiquity. The walls of the gallery are of panelled oak, enriched with armorial bearings of
different branches of the family; and the ceiling is an ancient relic of the elaborately ornamented style in plaster. One
end of the gallery communicates with the state bed-room, which is preserved in the same order as when prepared for the
reception of Charles I., who was expected to sleep here when on his route to Chester. The dining-room, saloon, and
library, are all splendidly decorated, and contain some  beautiful and valuable antiques, among which are some exquisite
sculptures from the ruins of Herculaneum. The ceiling of the dining-room is highly embellished with painting, in which the
daughters of William, second Marquess of Powys, are represented in various characters, and with appropriate attributes. In
the room is a full-length portrait of Roger Palmer, Earl of Castlemaine, in the costume of his day, and numerous family
portraits by the best masters; and in the library is a manuscript history of the life of Lord Herbert. The ballroom, of
the same dimensions as the gallery, was formerly connected with the main structure by a portion of the castle, which was
destroyed by fire, so that it is now detached from it: many of the original windows in that portion of the building are
still remaining, though almost concealed by the ivy with which they are overspread. At the end of the ballroom is a
billiard-room, the walls of which are ornamented with glass cases, containing an elegant variety of stuffed birds, and
other curiosities. On the east side of the castle are terraces in the rock on which it is built, rising in succession
above each other, and laid out in flower gardens, with green and hot houses, comprising a choice collection of rare and
valuable plants. The lower terrace leads to a delightful walk, shaded with trees of every variety; and from the north-east
angle of the castle is a terrace, most probably formed by the excavation of the tack for the stone with which the castle
is built, and commanding a fine prospect of the Vale of the Severn, with the town of Welshpool, beyond which appear the
'Relit and Moel-y-Golva, and the Breiddin hills, and an extensive tract of the surrounding country. The park, which is
very large and richly wooded, lies on the acclivity of a hill, of which the summit is two miles distant from the castle,
and from which, in clear weather, may be viewed the mountains of Plinlimmon, Ceder Idris, Snowdon, the Arens, the Arenigs,
and various others. A winding road through it leads to the castle, which is frequently lost to the spectator on his
approach, and is seen emerging again from the luxuriant foliage by which it had been concealed. The park is ornamented
with numerous rustic seats, and the walk through these delightfully varied grounds, which are open to the public, is a
source of much enjoyment to the inhabitants of the town. Among the gentlemen's seats in the neighbourhood is Llanerchyddl,
a modern castellated mansion of stone, beautifully situated on the acclivity of a bill rising gradually from the town,
from which is an ascent by a winding road, commanding magnificent prospects; the grounds are tastefully laid out, and
comprehend much picturesque scenery. At a short distance from the town was the ancient monastery called Monachlog Ystrad
Marchell, or Strata Marcella, instituted in 1170, by Owain Cyrveiliog, son of Grufydd, for monks of the Cistercian order;
but, according to other authorities, by Madoc, another son, to whom Tanner attributes the refounding of it, though, by his
charter, he appears only to have granted to it a portion of land on which to establish a cell. In the early part of the
reign of Edward III., the Welsh monks were removed to England, and English ones introduced into this monastery, which was
made subject to the abbey of Buildwas, and flourished till the dissolution, when its revenue, according to Dugdale, was
£64. 14. 2., and according to Speed, £73. 7. 3.: there are no remains of the edifice, and the only memorial of it is
preserved in the site, which is still pointed out. At a short distance to the east of the town are the remains of a
British encampment, in a good state of preservation; and on the summit of the mound which it comprises are some stately
elm trees. Dr. William Morgan was appointed vicar of the parish in 1575. He was afterwards removed to Llanrhaiadr-yn-
Mochnant, and, in 1595, preferred to the see of Llandaf, from which he was translated in 1601 to that of St. Asaph, where
he died in 1604: he bad a principal share in the translation of the Welsh Bible printed in 1588, which, revised by Dr.
Parry, Bishop of St. Asaph, in 1604, with the assistance of his chaplain, Dr. John Davies, and reprinted in 1620, is, with
some slight variation, the version now in general use.