Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/802

Rh WEXFOED. 790 WEYBOURN. thurstown, besides numerous branch roads. The geolo- gical formations of Carlow and Wicklow extend into this county, the mountain ridges in the N.W. consisting chiefly of granite, and the lower declivities of metamor- yhio rocks. The central parts of the county belong to the transition series, consisting principally of clay slate, graywacke, and graywacke slate, and extending east- wards to the Atlantic. The strata in the southern parts of the county are considerably inflected, in the northern maintaining a uniform north-easterly and south-westerly direction, with a dip to the S.E. The S.E. corner of the county is composed of quartz rock alternating -with clay slate, except about Carnsore Point, where granite again appears, and in some places green- stone is found among the clay slate, and limestone in a few districts in the S., the latter being the surface rock of Hook Head, where it contains numerous bivalves and corallites. The principal minerals are copper ore, which exists near Woxford, and in the Forth mountains, plumbago and asbestos at Greenfield, near Enniscorthy, iron ore and lead in the Forth mountains and at Cairme, and silver and galena have been raised at Clonmines. The horns and bones of the moose deer have been found in the alluvial districts in the S. and W., and a per- fect fossil skeleton of the Cervus Megaceros, or gigantic deer of Ireland, was found at Ballyhuskard, near the bog of Itty. The climate is mild, healthy, and gene- rally favourable to grain crops, though the south-eastern parts are exposed to storms, and suffer in winter from heavy rains. The soil is mostly of a cold clayey nature, the parts near the mountains are gravelly, but a rich belt lies along the coast. Agriculture is principally attended to, and dairies are numerous. In 1866, 210,106 acres, or 46 per cent, of the arable land, was under crops. There were 19,135 acres of wheat, 68,138 of oats, 38,886 of barley, bere, and rye, 4,673 of beans and pense, 29,341 of potatoes, 20,249 of green crops, 379 flax, and 59,305 meadow and clover. Much coarse woollen cloth, principally for domestic use, waa formerly manu- factured in various parts of the county ; and there is at present n cotton factory with 5,100 spindles and 130 looms, in which nearly 100 persons are constantly em- ploj r ed. The fishery belongs principally to the district of Wexford, but partly to those of Arklow and Water- ford. The Wexford district had in 1863 251 registered vessels, employing 1,214 men and boys, while that of Arklow had 296 vessels, employing 1,686 persons. The county is chiefly in the dioc. of Ferns, which is united to the sees of Ossory and Leighlin, but a small part belongs to the dioc. of Dublin. In the Roman Catholic distribution, Ferns continues an independent see, and is suffragan to Dublin. Of the population in 1861, 12,759, or 8-8 per cent, were members of the Established Church, 130,103, or 90-4 per cent, were Homan Catholics, and 1,092, or 07 per cent, belonged to other denominations. The county returns four members to parliament, two for the county at large, constituency 6,368 in 1866, and one each for the boroughs of Wexford and New Ross, constituency 307 and 194 respectively. It is divided for civil purposes into 10 baronies, Ballaghkeen, North and South, Bantry, Bargy, Forth, Gorey, Scarawalsh, Shel- burne, and Shelmaliere East and West, and contains 144 parishes. Its government is entrusted to a lord- lieutenant and custos rotulorum, vice-lieutenant, high sheriff, arid 23 deputy-lieutenants, assisted by one resi- dent and about 121 local magistrates. It is in the Leinster circuit, the assizes being held at Wexford, where are the county gaol and county infirmary. Quarter sessions are held there and at Enniscorthy, Gorey, and New Ross, and petty session at 12 places. The county is in the military district of the Curragh, and there are barracks a| Wexford, New Ross, and Duncannon Fort. Fairs are held at 49 places, and there are 6 market towns. The principal seats are Courtown, Earl of Cour- town; Dunbrody Park, Lord Templemore; Edermine House, Power, Bart. ; Johnstown Castle, Power, Bart. ; Prospect, Fetherston, Bart. ; besides numerous mansions of the resident gentry. WEXFORD, a seaport, market town, municipal and parliamentary borough, and the county town Wexford, prov. of Leinster, Ireland, 82 miles of co. S. of Dublin, and 14 S.E. of Enniscorthy, the terminus of the Dublin, Wieklow, and Wexford railway, from which coaches run to Wexford. It is situated on the S. bank of the Slaney, where that river discharges itself into Wexford Harbour, lat. 52 Q 20' N., long. 6 27' W. Its population in 1851 was 12,471, and in 1861, 11,673, in- habiting 2,018 houses. The town is said to be of Danish origin, and was formerly called Weisford. The prin- cipal matters connected with its history have been re- ferred to in the notice of the county. The town consists of a quay, with two streets running nearly parallel with it, from which others branch off. The principal public buildings are the county-court house, townhall, gaol, union workhouse, infirmary, and fever hospital, theatre, and barracks. Along the quays and in the modern parts the houses are regular and well built, but in the older districts the streets are narrow and badly paved. The town is lighted with gas and well supplied with water. The corporation consists of the mayor, 3 alder- men, and 18 councillors, elected from 3 wards. The borough returns one member to parliament, and in 1866 had a constituency of 307. Of the population in 1861, 958 wore members of the Established Church, 10,573 were Roman Catholics, 41 Presbyterians, 85 Methodists, 10 of the Society of Friends, and 6 of other persuasions. There are two parish churches, St. Iberius aud St. Selskar. There are four Roman Catholic chapels, also Presbyterian, Methodist, and Independent meeting- houses. The places of education are St. Peter's Roman Catholic College, an endowed school, and National schools. The assizes for the county are held here, as well as quarter and petty sessions. Malting is carried on, and there are two steam corn mills and a distillery. The harbour is of an oblong shape, formed by the estuary of the Slaney ; it extends 8 miles from N. to S., and is 4 miles wide, comprising an area of 14,000 acres ; the entrance is less than a mile in width. It is admirably situated for commerce, but the traffic is limited by a bar across the mouth, having only 18 feet of water at high tides. The quays extend 1,000 yards in length. The export trade, which is confined to cattle, grain, butter, and other agricultural produce, is considerable. In 1863 the number of sailing vessels belonging to the port was 93, tonnage 9,022, also 4 steamers, tonnage 646. There is a dockyard with patent slip, where shipbuilding is carried on. The river is crossed by a wooden bridge of 733 feet in length, the ends of which rest on two cause- ways, 650 and 188 feet long respectively. The bridge is supported by 23 wooden piers, and has a drawbridge near the town end to admit vessels up and down the Slaney. Some part of the old walls of Wexford are yet standing, and the gates still remain, together with some ruins of abbeys and religious houses. The Poor-law Union comprises 33 electoral divisions. Market days are Wednesdays and Saturdays. Fairs are held on 25th February, 17th March, 1st May, 3rd and 29th June, 24th August, 29th September, 1st November, and 8th December. WEXHAM, a par. in the hund. of Stoke, co. Bucks, 2 miles N.E. of Slough. The soil is a deep rich mould, on a substratum of ragstone. The living is a rcct. * in the dioc. of Oxford, val. 200, in the patron, of the crown. The church is dedicated to St. Mary. WEY, a river of cos. Hants and Surrey, rises near Alton in Hants, and passing by Godalming, -n here it becomes navigable, joins the Thames at Weybridge. It gives name to the Wey and Arun canal, which, by joining these two rivers, opens a navigation between the Thames and the English Channel. WEY, a stream of co. Dorset, rises near TJpway and falls into the sea at Weymouth. WEYBOURN, a par. in the hund. of Holt, co Norfolk, 3 miles N.E. of Holt. It is bounded on the N. by the German Ocean. Part of the land is in heath and sheep-walks. The village is situated on the coast in a deep bay, sheltered by a semi- lircular range of lofty hills. It contains a brewery,