Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/884

Rh MONTGOMERY. MONTROSE. The principal roads which pass through the county are the London road vid Shrewsbury, which crosses the north-eastern side of the county through Llanfyllin and Llangynnog to Bala in Merionethshire ; the Barmouth road, which, running through the centre of the county by Wolshpool and Llanfair, goes to Diuas-y-Mowddy in Merionethshire, with a branch to Machynlleth ; the Towyn road branches from the Barmouth road between Welshpool and Llanfair ; the Aberystwith road passes through the town of Montgomery, and following the valleys of the Severn and Wye passes into Cardigan- shire. The old road from Machynlleth to Llanidloes over the Plinlimmon range, and the road across the Berwyn mountains, command views of Plinlimmon and Cader Idris. There are other roads from Bishop's Castle, through Montgomery to Welshpool, and from Newtown to Llanbrinmaer and Towyn. The chief towns are, Montgomery, the county town, Llanfyllin, Llanidloes, Machynlleth, and Welshpool, heads of Poor-law Unions and new County Court districts, also Newton, Llanfair, Caereinion, Llanbrynmair, and Caer Sws. MONTGOMERY, a hund. in the co. of the same name, contains the borough of Montgomery, and the pars, of Kerry, Moughtrey, Snead, and parts of Church- Stoke, Ilyssington, Lydham, and Mainstone. MONTGOMERY, a par., market town, municipal and parliamentary borough, locally situated in the lower div. of the hund. of ' Montgomery, but exercising separate jurisdiction, being the county town of co. Montgomery, 6 miles from Welshpool, 7 from Newtown, and 22 from Oswestry by the Cambrian railway, on which it is a station. The town, which is of great antiquity, is situated on arising ground backed by an eminence, whence there is an extensive prospect over the vale, extending to the hills of Shropshire. It would seem to have been origin- ally a British town, for at a short distance from the present castle is a very extensive British fort, the approach of which is guarded by four deep dykes, with two or three entrances to the main work. In later times it was called Tre-Faldwyn, or " the town of Baldwyn," from a lieutenant of the Marches in the time of William the Conqueror, who built a castle here. This castle was garrisoned by William Rufus, and having been several times taken and destroyed by the Welsh, was rebuilt by Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury, in a more commanding position on the northern side of the town. The fortress is said to have been a very imposing struc- ture, perched upon the extremity of a lofty projecting eminence, and defended by four deep fosses, cut out of the solid rock. The present fragments consist of a small part of a tower at the S.W. angles, and a few low broken walls. It was subsequently held by the ancestors of Lord Herbert of Chirbury, who made it their principal residence, and during the civil war of Charles I. it be- came the ground of fierce contention. Being garrisoned for the king, it was attacked by the parliamentarians, and soon yielded to Sir Thomas Myddleton ; but he, being threatened by Lord Byron, who had advanced with superior forces, was compelled to leave the castle, and make a precipitate retreat to Oswestry. The royalists then laid siege to it ; but meantime Sir Thomas Myddle- ton's army, reinforced under the conduct of Brereton, Meldrum, and Fairfax, made a countermarch to relieve the place, when a general engagement succeeded, in which 500 royalists were slain, and 1,400 taken prisoners. The castle shortly after met the fate of others, being dismantled by order of parliament. The town was walled in the 16th century, as described by Leland. The walls have now entirely disappeared, but in other respects the town is probably very little different from what it was at that period, having no trade and not being a thoroughfare to any place of importance. It is one of the most diminu- tive of county towns, having a population of about 1,200. The streets are wide, and the houses for the most part built of brick. The principal buildings are the guildhall, in the upper part of the town, in which the sessions are held alternately with Welshpool, and the county gaol, a modern stone building near the site of the ancient castle. It was first incorporated by Henry III., and is governed by a high steward, 2 bailiffs, and 12 burgesses, under thu style of " the bailiffs and burgesses of Montgomery." It joins with Welshpool, Llanidloes, Llanfyllin, Ma- chynlleth, and Newtown in sending one member to par- liament. The living is a rect. in the dioc. of Hereford, val. 347, in the patron, of the lord chancellor. The church, dedicated to St. Nicholas, is a venerable cruci- form structure, with a tower added by Lord Clive in 1816, at the cost of XI, 700. It contains a carved screen and ancient rood-loft, removed from the priory of Chir- bury at the dissolution of that establishment ; also two effigies belonging to the Mortimer family, ' about the time of Richard II., and a monument to the memory of Richard Herbert, father of the celebrated Lord Herbert of Chirbury, and Magdalene his wife, sheltered by a once richly-ornamented canopy. The charities include an endowment of 10 per annum for education, besides other benefactions bequeathed by Earl Powis. There are National and other schools. A little below the town is the site of Blackball, recently consumed by fire, but once the hospitable residence of the Herbert family, and the birthplace of the pious and learned George Herbert. At a short distance on the road to Churchstoke is Lymore Park, the eastern side of which is bounded by Oll'a's Dyke, here separating Montgomeryshire from Salop. It was formerly the seat of Lord Clivo, but now of Lord Powis. The house is a good specimen of the domestic architecture of the 16th century, and contains much of the original panellings and wainscots. Dr. Abraham Rees, editor of the well-known Cyclopaedia, was born at Montgomery in 1743, and the chivalrous and philosophic Edward Herbert, first Baron of Chirbury, in 1583. Tues- day is market day. Fairs are held on the 26th March, first Thursday in May, 7th June, 4tk September, and 14th November. MONTIAGHS AND ISLANDS, a par. in the bar. of East Oneilland, co. Armagh, prov. of Ulster, Ireland, 9 miles N. of Richhill. Derrymacash is its post town. It is 5 miles long, and its greatest breadth is 4 J miles ; containing the vil. of Charlestown. The surface is low and boggy. The parish is partly bordered by the river Bann, and a large portion of Lough Neagh is included within the limits ; several islands in the lough belong to this parish. The interior is traversed by the road from Lurgan to Stewartstown. The living is a rect. in the dioc. of Dromore, val. 53, in the patron, of the bishop. The church was erected partly by means of a loan from the late Board of First Fruits in 1785. There are four or five day and a Sunday school. This parish is the property of Lord Lurgan, of J3rownlow. MONTKEEN, a mountain summit of the Grampians, in co. Aberdeen, Scotland, 5 miles S.E. of Ballater. It has an elevation of 3,180 feet, and is remarkable for a wild descent called the Ladder. MONTPELIER, a vil. in the par. of Monkstown, in the bar. of Rathdown, co. Dublin, prov. of Leinster, Ireland. It stands on the Dublin and Kingstown road, within a short distance of the latter. Montpelier House was the residence of Sir William Bethain, the well- known antiquary. MONTPELIER, a vil. in the par. of Stradbally, in the bar. of Clanwilliam, co. Limerick, prov. of Munstrr, Ireland. It stands opposite O'Briensbridge, on the bank of the Shannon. Fairs are held on 8th May and July, and 7th September and December. MONTPELIER, a limit, in the par. of St. Andrew's, Bristol, co. Gloucester, adjoining Bristol. The living is a perpet. cur.* in the dioc. of Gloucester and Bristol, val. 150, in the patron, of the bishop. The church is modern. MONTREAL, the scat of Earl Amherst, in the hund. of Codsheath, lathe of Sutton-at-Hone, co. Kent, 1 mile N.W. of Sevenoaks. It is situated in a hilly country near the river Darent, and was rebuilt by the first Lord Amherst after he returned from his campaign in Canada, where he took Montreal in 1760. In the grounds is a column in commemoration of that event. MONTROSE, a par., post and market town, bonding port, and royal and parliamentary burgh, having sq.;i-