MONTGOMERYSHIRE, an inland county of North Wales, having on the E. Shropshire, N. Denbighshire and Merionethshire, W. Cardiganshire and Merionethshire, and S. Radnorshire. It is of an irregular form, its greatest length from E. to W. being about 40 miles, and its greatest breadth from N. to S. 36 miles. Its area measures 755 square miles, and contains 385,290 statute acres. It is thus third in point of size of the Welsh counties.
This county, traversed as it is throughout its entire length by one of the largest of British rivers, the Severn, possesses scenery of the most varied and attractive character. It has few very lofty mountains; but the whole county is diversified with a succession of hill and dale and the most beautiful river scenery. Towards the English border there are extensive tracts of finely-cultivated land, and everywhere the surface is beautified by fine woods, chiefly of oak. The parks of Lord Powis, Lord Sudeley, and other large landed proprietors in this county, vie in beauty with any in the British Islands. The principal mountain range is that of Plymlymmon, 2463 feet in height, which gives birth to the rivers Severn and Wye. The Dovey, the Tanat, and the Vyrnwy are the other principal streams. There are but few lakes of importance.
The climate is for the most part mild; and agriculture has made greater progress in this than almost any of the other divisions of the principality. Many of the farms are of large size, and are cultivated in a spirited manner. Mr Naylor's model farm at Leighton Hall, near Welshpool, is one of the most complete establishments of the kind the British Islands can boast of. The cultivated crops consist of wheat, barley, oats, buckwheat, and rye; vetches, peas, beans, clover, and clover-seed; mangold, carrots, turnips, and potatoes; flax and rape. There are also extensive orchards. Montgomeryshire has long been famous for its breed of hardy horses and ponies, for which high prices are
obtained. The cattle are chiefly of the Hereford breed, and the sheep the Shropshire Downs; but there is a breed of small sheep produced on the borders of this county known as "Cluns," which are highly prized.
The lead mines of this county are very important, and are now (1857) yielding largely. At Llangynog the famous Llangynog Mine, in the hands of Sir Hugh Middleton, yielded for a long period more ore than all the other mines in Britain, furnishing those immense resources which brought the New River to London, and which greatly contributed to the wealth of the then lords of Powis. The ore was quarried like stone in great open quarries. These mines afford the finest example of what is called a "gash" vein known in the world. The whole county rests upon the Upper and Lower Silurian group of rocks; but there are numerous outcrops of intercalated beds of trap, affording, when investigated by means of the mines, a curious and most interesting study to the geologist.
This county is connected with the Dee at Chester by the Chester and Ellesmere Canal. It has also lately completed a small railway from Newtown to Llanidloes, and has got acts for two others.
Besides Montgomery, the principal towns are,—Welshpool, Newtown, Llanidloes, Machynlleth, and Llanfyllin. Welshpool is the thriving, general business town of the county. Newtown and Llanidloes are chiefly devoted to the manufacture of Welsh flannels, of which they form the chief seat, and possess mills of great size, which are worked by the newest and most improved machinery. Montgomeryshire returns one member to Parliament, and has done so since 1536. It possessed 2986 registered electors in 1852; and the political influence is wholly in the hands of Sir W. W. Wynn and the Earl of Powis.
The population, by the last census, was 67,335, of which 33,634 were males, and 33,701 were females. The population was less in 1851 by 1300 persons than in 1841. In 1851 there were 13,350 inhabited houses, 716 uninhabited, and 25 building. These figures give 89 persons and 18 houses to a square mile, or 7.2 acres to each person and 36.2 acres to a house,—nearly the same proportions as Brecon possesses.
The amount of real property assessed for income-tax in 1851 was £1,340,192; amount of property rented to the poor, £280,833. It is computed that 15 per cent. of the population live by agriculture, and 10 per cent. by trade. About one-fourth are labourers, servants, &c.; 400 persons are in professions; and 1000 possess independent means.
The total number of churches in Montgomeryshire in 1851 was 346, with 62,886 sittings. Of the former, 66 belonged to the Church of England, 191 to the Methodists, 58 to the Independents, and 26 to the Baptists. According to the census of 1851, there were in Montgomeryshire 1272 day schools, with 6194 scholars (3857 males and 2937 females), of which 72 schools, with 4854 scholars, were public. Of the public schools, 3, with 136 scholars, were supported by general or local taxation; 18, with 1264 scholars, were supported by endowments; and 51 schools, with 3554 scholars, were supported by religious bodies. There were also 312 Sunday schools, with 23,001 scholars (11,612 males, and 11,389 females); and 6 evening schools, with 130 scholars. English is more spoken in this county than Welsh, owing probably to its manufacturing industry.