MOLD, a parish, comprising the borough and market-town of Mold, and the chapelries of Nerquis and Tryddin, in the union of
HOLYWELL, hundred of MOLD, county of FLINT, NORTH WALES; and containing 10,653 inhabitants, of which number 3557 are in
the town, 6 miles (S.) from Flint, and 200 (N. W.) from London. The British name of this place, Y Wyddgrag, signifying "a
lofty and conspicuous hill," and also its Roman appellation of Mons altus, of like import, were derived from a high
mound on the north-western side of the present town, now called the Bailey Hill, a lofty eminence, partly natural and
partly artificial, upon which a fortification appears to have been erected at a very early period, but whether originally
by the ancient Britons, or by the Romans, is not accurately known. The only plausible arguments for ascribing it to the
Romans are, the eligibility of its site for a place of defence, its proximity to the seat of their mining establishments
in this part of the principality, and the discovery of a gold coin of the Emperor Vespasian near the spot. The advantages
of the situation caused it to be subsequently the site of a more stately castle, erected by the Normans for the defence of
the territories which they afterwards obtained .possession of in this part of the country, and who, in their own language,
describing its elevated situation, designate it "Montauk" of which its present name is supposed to be a contraction. The
historical events connected with this place refer to a very remote period. Soon after the final establishment of
Christianity in this part of the principality, a severe conflict took place between the combined forces of the pagan
Saxons and Picts, who were carrying desolation through this portion of the country, and the inhabitants, who had been
recently converted, and of whom thousands had been but lately baptized. The latter calmly awaited the approach of the
enemy at a spot within a mile of the town, since called Maes Garmon, or " the Field of Germanus," under the command of
Bishops Germanus and Lupus, the former of whom, having given his troops orders to repeat after him the word " Alleluiah,"
led them on to battle. This triumphant shout, uttered by the whole army, struck such terror into the hearts of the pagans,
that they fled on all sides; numbers perished by the swords of their pursuers, and many, attempting to escape, were
drowned in the adjacent river. This celebrated victory, which occurred in Easter week, in the year 420, has been
distinguished by historians with the appellation of " Victoria Alleluiatica;" and the memorial of it has been perpetuated
by the erection of a pillar, in 1730, upon the piece of ground where St. Germanus is said to have stood, on the base of
which is a Latin inscription commemorative of the event. From this period till after the Norman Conquest little is known
of the history of Mold, of which, under its present name, the first notice is in the 9th year of the reign of William
Rufus, when that monarch granted it to his vassal, Eustace de Crider, who did homage to him for the territories of Mold
and Hopedale, which be erected into a kind of inferior lordship marcher, and for the defence of which newly acquired
territories be built several castles, and among them, in all probability, the castle of this place. In the time of Henry
I., Mold formed part of the extensive possessions of Robert, Seneschal of Chester, surnamed, from his residence here,
Robert de Montault, or Montalto. During his occupation of the castle it sustained many severe attacks from the Welsh; but
it was so strongly fortified, both by nature and by art, that it resisted every effort to reduce it; and in numerous
subsequent sieges, during a period of fourteen years, it opposed an impregnable barrier to the attempts of the native
Britons to repossess themselves of the lands of which they had been despoiled by the Normans. The garrison, which was very
numerous, made repeated inroads on the adjacent territories of their Welsh neighbours, till, in 1144, Owain Gwynedd,
Prince of North Wales, in retaliation for their depredations, invested the castle with a large body of forces, which he
commanded in person, took it by storm, put all the garrison to the sword, and is said to have levelled the walls with the
ground: it is, however, stated that he occupied it by a small body of troops in 1149, when be advanced to give battle to
Ranulph, Earl of Chester, whom he defeated with great slaughter. It appears to have been subsequently rebuilt by the
English, from whom, in 1198, it was again taken by the Welsh, under the command of Llewelyn ab Iorwerth, who kept
possession of it for some time. After remaining alternately in the bands of the English and the Welsh till the year 1240,
it was stipulated in the treaty of peace concluded at that time between Henry III. and Davydd ab Llewelyn, Prince of North
Wales, that the latter should surrender all such territories as had been claimed by the vassals of the former, except
those of Mold, which he was suffered to retain in fulfilment of a treaty previously made between him and the Seneschal of
Chester. The year following Henry revoked this treaty, and entered into a new agreement, by which he compelled Davydd to
deliver up to Roger de Montalto, Seneschal of Chester, the whole of his lands in the lordship of Mold, together with the
castle and all its dependencies. In 1245, Davydd besieged the castle, which he took by storm, and put the whole of the
garrison to the sword: Roger alone escaped the carnage, being fortunately absent from the castle at the time of its
surrender. The castle, always an object of obstinate contention between the native princes of North Wales and the English,
appears soon afterwards to have fallen into the possession of the latter, who held it till the year 1263, when it was
besieged and taken by Grufydd ab Gwenwynwyn, Lord of Powysland, who razed it to the ground. It was again rebuilt by the
English, and restored to the family of De Montalto, and was placed under the custody of Roger de Clifford, justiciary of
Chester, against whose oppressive tyranny, and that of his deputy, Roger Scrochil, the inhabitants of Ystrad-Alun, or
Molesdale, were loud in their complaints, a short time previously to the final sulljection of the principality. by Edward
I. In 1322, Sir Grufydd Llwyd, who had been knighted by that monarch for bringing him the news of the birth of his son in
the castle of Carnarvon, and who, for some time after Edward's death, had continued a faithful adherent to the government
of his son Edward II., finding the English yoke no longer tolerable, took up arms; and having assembled a large body of
his countrymen, and overrun all North Wales and the marches, he seized upon this castle, but kept possession of it only
for a very short time: his insurrection was not attended with success, and he was soon afterwards defeated and taken
prisoner. From this time little more occurs of any military movements in which the castle of Mold had a share; it remained
in the hands of the descendants of Robert de Montalto, who in 1302 did homage for it to Edward, Prince of Wales, at
Chester; but in 1327, the last baron, in failure of male issue, conveyed it to Isabel, queen of Edward II., for life, and
afterwards to John of Eltham, younger brother of Edward III., after whose decease without issue it reverted to the crown.
It appears to have continued an appendage of the crown till the time of Henry IV., by whom the castle and lordship,
together with those of Hope and Hopedale, were granted to the Stanleys, afterwards Earls of Derby. Its final demolition,
as a place of strength, is supposed to have occurred during this reign, and is attributed to Owain Glyndwr, who, in the
course of his determined efforts to overthrow the government of Henry IV., committed depredations upon most of the estates
in the principality belonging to the partisans of that monarch. On the first division of the principality into counties,
in the time of Henry VIII., Mold was annexed to the county of Denbigh; but in the thirty-third year of that monarch's
reign it was assigned to the county of Flint, of which it has ever since that period continued to form a part. During the
civil war in the 17th century, the ancient mansion of Gwysaney, near the town, was garrisoned for the king; but in 1645
it was taken by the parliamentarian forces under Sir William Brereton. The lordship of Mold remained in the possession of
the Stanleys till the death of James, the seventh earl, a zealous adherent to the cause of Charles I., and who, after the
battle of Worcester, was made a prisoner, and beheaded at Bolton, in Lancashire. Upoh his death the lordship was sold by
the parliament; and a proposal having been made for re-purchasing it by the Earl of Derby, the conditions of which that
nobleman failed to fulfil, Charles II., in 1664, ordered that the former purchasers should retain it. The rows is
pleasantly situated on a gentle acclivity in a small but fertile plain, watered by the river Alyn, which is here crossed
by several bridges, and surrounded by rugged eminences, rich in mineral treasure: it consists principally of one long
street, intersected at right angles by two smaller ones; is tolerably well paved, but indifferently supplied with water:
the houses are not distinguished either for their regularity or style of building; but in the environs are numerous
handsome seats and elegant mansions  and the surrounding scenery is richly diversified, and highly embellished with
features of picturesque beauty. The views from the higher grounds, though confined, extend over a tract of country richly
cultivated and varied with objects of interesting character and romantic appearance. The parish contains, independently of
the chapelries of Nerquis and Tryddin, 14,124 acres, but including these, above 15,000, of which it is computed that 7000
are arable, 6000 pasture, and about 2000 woodland. On the north it is bounded by Northop, on the west by Kilken, on the
east by Hawarden, on the south-east by Hope, and on the south-west by Llanverras' between which two last parishes the
chapelries of Nerquis and Tryddin are situated: the mail-roach road from Chester to Holyhead intersects the parish and
passes through the town, from which also branch off turnpike-roads to Ruthin, Denbigh, Wrexham, Holywell, &c.; and the
river Alyn flows through die parish in a south-east direction, and is joined by the river Fent. A bold undulated surface
especially marks the southern portion; clay and a wheat soil predominate in the east and south, but a tighter kind of
land prevails in the west and north. The parish abounds with mineral wealth: the western district is rich in lead-ore'
which is generally found imbedded in limestone or cliertz; but the operations are much impeded by the subterraneous
stream of the Alyn, which here runs under ground for the space of somewhat less than a mile: the eastern part of it
contains coal and iron-stone of excellent quality, which are procured in great quantities for the supply of the
neighbouring works; and some fine seams of cannel coal exist within two miles to the south of the town: calamine is also
obtained. In the townships of Argoed and Bistre, in the north-eastern part of the parish, is potters' clay in abundance;
and large manufactories of earthenware and fire-bricks 'have been established, that Near employment to the poor in that
district. Near these works are others for smelting lead; and almost adjoining the town are some extensive cotton-mills.
These mills, for the spinning of cotton-twist, are situated on the river Alyn; they were erected in 1792, lighted with
gas in 1812, and greatly enlarged in 1825, and at present afford occupation to more than three hundred persons. Upwards
of four thousand acres of waste land were inclosed in the phrish under the provisions of an act obtained in 1792. The
market days are Wednesday and Saturday; and fairs are held on February 13th, May 12th, August 2nd, and November 22nd. By
the act of 1832, for " Attending the Representation," Mold was constituted a ht. rough, contributory with Flint and other
places in the county in the return of a member to parliament: the right of voting is vested in every male person of full
age occupying, either as owner or as tenant an-der the same landlord, a house or other premises of the annual value of ten
pounds and 'upwards, provided he be capable of registering as the act directs; and the present number of such tenements
within the limits of the borough, which are co-extensive with the township of Mold, and include an area of about five
hundred and seventy acres, is about a hundred and fifty, of which a 'hundred and forty ate in the town. Though Flint is
the county town, yet, from the want of a hall there, and the central /0121. ation of this place, which is now within the
North Wales circuit, the assizes are held here, in a handsome shire hail lately erected. The LIVING is a vicarage, rated
in the king's books at £10; patron, Bishop of St. Asaph; impropriators, R. Knight and P. D. Cook, Esqrs.: the tithes have
been commuted for a rent-charge of .£2015. '8. 11., of which a sem of £1645. 8. 11. is payable to the impropriators,
subject to rates, averaging £270. 3., and one of £370, aithject to lutes that average £57. 2. 9., to the vicar, who has
likewise a glebe of 2 acres. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, and said to have been erected in the early part of the
sixteenth century, is a .spacions and handsome structure, in the purest character of the later style of English
architecture, consisting of nave, north and south aisles, and a chancel, with * lofty square embattled tower, enriched
with sell* ture and crowned by pinnacles, and which, though of more recent erection, precisely corresponds with the
general design. In taking down the old tower, the workmen discovered, at the depth of a foot below the ground, a layer of
burst wheat, barley, rye, and beans, three inches thick, upon an earthen floor from four to five yards square, under which
was deposited in regular order a great number of human bones, about half a yard in . a , and a stone that had been worked
into the faun n, whereon was inscribed " Here lieth the body of Givenllian, daughter of Evan ab David ab Yorwerth." The
walls of the church are crowned with an elegant pierced parapet, under which are the figures of various animals finely
sculptured in stone. The interior 'of the edifice; which contains 1100 sittings, is richly embellished with architectural
details and sculptured ornaments; the nave is separated from the aisles by a fine rang of seven light clustered columns
with foliated cap tals, supporting on each side a series of obtusely pointed arches, the spandrils of which are adorned
with finely sculptured devices of angels bearing shields charged with emblematic allusions to the Passion of our Saviour,
among which is a representation of the Veronica, and with the armorial bearings of such benefactors as contributed towards
the erecilea of the church, among which the arma of the Stanley family are conspicuous. The aisles are lighted by spacious
and lofty windows of elegant design, enriched with tracery, and corresponding in form to the arches of the nave; and at
the extremity of each aisle are three canopied niches, in which were formerly statues now destroyed. The niches in the
south aisle are almost concealed by monuments, in-eluding a very superb one to the memory of Robert Davies, of Llanercb,
Esq., who died in 1728, on which is his effigy in an erect posture, habited in Roman costume. Near this is a mural
monument to his grandfather, Robert Davies, of Gwyssiney, the ancient residence of the family prior to their acquisition
of Llanerch, in the Vale of Clwyd. In the same aisle is an ancient tablet to the memory of Robert Warton, otherwise
Parfew, abbot of Bermondsey, in Surrey, and afterwards Bishop of St. Asaph, from which see he was translated in 1554 to
that of Hereford, where be died, in 1557, and was interred: above his armorial bearings, in a shield on which are also
quartered the arms of the see of St. Asaph, is a label, inscribed " Robins pmissione ,Divina Epus Asset'," supported at
one end by an angel, and at the other by a bishop, In the churchyard was dug up a stone, bearing the inscription 'c
Fundamentum Bee-kite Christi's," and underneath It the signature " W. H. Bps.," supposed to have been that of Bishop
William Hughes, who died in the year 1600. There are four chapels within the parish; namely, one at Nerquis, three miles
from the town; another at Tryddin, about five miles distant; and two re. gently erected, one for the townships of
Leeswood and Hartsheath, at Pout Bleiddyn, which contains 406 sittings; and the others at Waen, for the townships of
Gwernafield and Hendrebiffa, containing 524 sittings. A church, also, has been built for the townships of Bistre and
Argoed, the first stone of which was laid in June 1841, and the whole was completed in 1842, in the English style, with a
square bell turret, and contains 656 sittings, 449 free; it was commenced under a specific grant from Her Majesty's
Commissioners. l'here are places of worship for Independents, and for Calvinistic and Wesleyan Methodists, all of which
are well built, particularly that for the last-named sect. In the perish, independently of Nerquis and Tryddin chapelries,
Are eight National schools, supported partly by an endowment of about £19 per annum, arising from a rent-charge of £11 by
the Rev. Hugh Lloyd, in 1744, and bequests of £100 each from James Hughes, in 1728, and Mrs. Martha Dodd, in 1780, partly
by annual subscriptions, and partly by a payment of ld. per week from each child: one of the schools was originally a
dissenters' chapel; it was purchased for £360, of which £260 were raised by subscription in 1819, and a sum of £100 was
added by the National Society; and a stable attached was converted into the girls' school. The old charity school-house
was formed into a savings' bank, the upper part being occupied by the parish-clerk; and tle whole pays a rent of £4,
received by the schoolmaster. There are also seven Sunday schools, maintained by subscription, and containing about 900
males and few males, who are for the most part taught by gratuitone teachers; one is supported by the vicar, who has
given by deed £6 per annum for ever, and the rest appertain to different denominations of the dissenters. An estate called
Pentrobyn, or Ventre-Robin, in the lordship of Ewloe, county of Flint, comprising 21i acres, let at £17. 17. 6. per annum,
was purchased, in 1726, for £146. 10., principally a bequest of Thomas Williams; and the produce is distributed in
clothing among poor persons on the 1st of January. Several parcels of land in the parish of Caerwys, containing in the
whole 251 acres, producing a rent of £22 per annum, were devised by Griffith Jones, in 1729, for a weekly distribution of
bread, which is accordingly carried Into effect to the extent of 5r. weekly, the residue, for want of suffi, cknt
applicants, being carried to the clothing fund. Another estate, termed Ty'n-y-Bryn, in the township of Arddynwent,
containing about 44 acres, (a part being an allotment under the Mold inelosure act, in 1792), now paying a rent of £6. 10,
exclusively of a cottage on the land given to a poor widow and her family, was purchased in 1758, with £150, the amount of
charitable bequests then in the hands of the vicar. Jane Williams, in 1671, left a rent+ charge of £2 on land called
Tynryn, in the parish of Llenverras; the Bev. Dr. Wynne, of Tower, in 1776, bequeathed £50, which were invested in the
Broughton and Mold turnpike trust; Thomas Wynne, in 1721, gave a rent-charge of £1; Robert Williams de* vised a similar
sum in 1729, to be expended in buying 15 hats, to be given to as many poor persons on Christmas eve; and, in 1755, John
Ryan: bequeathed £60, the interest to be appropriated in purchasing shoes for the poor. Independently of these, there were
numerous other bequests, by several persons, of sums varying from £70 to £3, amounting altogether to above £500, which
went to purchase the PentreHobin and Ty'n-y- Bryn estates; and the whole annual income of the charities now amounts to
£62. 17. 6., which sum is chiefly distributed in flannel, shoes, and other clothing among the poor. An entry on the
benefaction table states, " 1789, ltIrs. Louise Bertrand left by will to the vicar and churchwardens the remainder of
£500, navy stock (sold for £590 sterility), after defraying her funeral expenses;" but in consequence of the will not
being more specific, the minister and wardens of the period divided the amount as a legacy between them. Of the ancient
castle not a vestige at present can be discerned, and its very site is completely covered with thriving plantations: the
three fosses by which it was formerly defended are still traceable, and from these it dppears to have originally consisted
of the upper and lower ballium, and an elevated donjon, or keep, each of which was separated from the others by a deep
fosse. The Bailey Hill, on which it stood, though at present difficult of ascent, was rendered still more arduous by the
erection of strong ramparts and the formation of a deep moat: from the summit of this hill a fine view of the surrounding
vale is obtained, and in the distance the bare summit of Moel Vamma, towering amidst the Clwydian range of mountains, is
seen to great advantage. Offa's Dyke enters the parish from Denbighshire, pursuing its course through a small valley on
the south side of BrSrn Yorkyn mountain, to Coed Talwrn, and Cae Twn, a farm near Tryddin chapel, beyond which it ceases
to be here traceable. Numerous tumuli are found in various parts of the parish, affording evidence of the obstinacy with
which the possession of the Vale of Alyn was contested by the various hostile parties who overran this part of the country
in the earlier periods of its history. Several of these have been opened, and found to differ materially in their
construction and contents; thus proving that they were raised at various periods and by different races of people: one
near the town is remarkable for having contained a gold corselet, supposed to be unique, and which was lately purchased
for £90 by the trustees of the British Museum. The environs of the town are enlivened by numerous ancient mansions and
handsome seats, the residence of some of the principal families of the neighbourhood, and with the remains of others which
are now occupied by farmers. The ancient house of Gwysaney, formerly the residence of the family of Davies, of Llanerch,
and already noticed as having been garrisoned for the king during the_parliamentary war, is in the parish. Tower, or Bryn
Coed, formerly the seat of Dr. William Wynne, though small, presents a singular specimen of the style of domestic
architecture during the ages of lawless violence in which it was erected: it consists of an ancient square tower of three
stories, and appears to have been designed as a place of fortified habitation. During the war between the houses of York
and Lancaster, it belonged to Reinalt ab Grufydd ab Bleddyn, one of the captains who defended Harlech castle for Henry
VI., and who was constantly engaged in feuds with the people of Chester. In 1465 a considerable number of the latter came
to Mold fair, and a fray arising between the hostile parties, great slaughter ensued on both sides; but Reinalt, who
obtained the victory, took the mayor of Chester prisoner, and conveyed him to his mansion, where he hung him on the staple
in his hall. To avenge this affront, a party of two Tntdred men was dispatched from Chester to seize Reinalt, who,
retiring from his house into the adjoining woods, permitted a few of them to enter the building, when rushing from his
concealment, he blocked up the door, and, setting fire to the house, destroyed them in the flames: he then attacked the
remainder, whom he pursued with great slaughter, and such as escaped the sword were drowned in attempting to regain their
home: the staple on which the mayor was hung still remains fixed in the ceiling of the lower apartment. Lees Wood is a
large handsome mansion, beautifully situated on a fine slope, and surrounded with woods and pleasure-grounds tastefully
laid out; the entrance is through a magnificent gateway, and the grounds comprehend much finely-varied scenery. Pentre-
Hobin, a fine old family mansion, built in 1540, and formerly the property of Trevor Lloyd, Esq., retains much of its
ancient character. Hartsheath is situated on a long eminence in the Vale of Alyn, of which it commands a fine view: the
*wands, which are thickly wooded, and tastefully disposed, combine a pleasing variety of picturesque scenery; and the
views embrace many interesting objects of romantic character, among which is the isolated rock of Caergwrle, abruptly
rising from the vale, and crowned with the ruins of its ancient castle. Nerquis Hall, a good family residence, built in
1638 by John Wynne, Esq., is pleasantly situated; the grounds comprehend some varied scenery, in which the spire of
Nerquis chapel, at no great distance, forms an interesting feature. _Ritual, an ancient family house noticed by Leland,
now occupied by a descendant of the founder, was erected in 1634, by Evan Edwards, Esq.; the house, which is substantially
built, contains some good paintings, among which is a portrait of the founder by Vandyke. Plds Teg, formerly the property
of the Trevors, is a stately mansion, said to have been built in 1610, from a design by Inigo Jones: it consists of a
centre flanked at the angles by square towers, the whole five stories high; the hall is forty-three feet long and twenty-
three feet wide, and above it is a dining-room of the same dimensions, to which the ascent is by a spacious and noble
staircase; in each of the towers is an apartment twenty-two feet long and nineteen feet wide, and the whole building has
an air of great regularity, and an appearance of simple grandeur. In the various mines in the parish are found impressions
of fern and other vegetable plants in great perfection, a variety of marine shells of pearly freshness, and fossil remains
of various kinds, in great abundance. Wilson, the celebrated landscape painter, who lived in the adjoining parish of
Llanverras, was interred in the churchyard of this place, near the north door of the church.