MORPETH, a municipal and parliamentary borough
and market-town of England, county of Northumberland, on
the north side of the River Wansbeck, 15 miles N. by W. of
Newcastle. It is irregularly but not ill built, and is nearly
surrounded by the river, which is here crossed by a hand-
some stone bridge of three arches, and also by a suspension-
bridge. The two principal streets meet in the market-
place, in the centre of the town, where there is a square
tower with a clock and a chime of bells. The parish church,
which stands on the side of the Wansbeck, half a mile out
of the town, is a fine old building of the fourteenth century.
There are also churches belonging to Presbyterians, Inde-
pendent, Wesleyan Methodists, and Roman Catholics.
Morpeth has a free grammar school, founded by Edward
VI. in 1552, which had 80 pupils in 1853; besides national
and infant schools, and two others which are supported by
subscription. There is a town-hall, erected in 1714 by the
Earl of Carlisle, after designs by Sir John Vanbrugh; and
the county jail, a large and handsome building on the south
of the river, was built in 1829, at the cost of £70,000.
Near the latter building the gateway and a few other re-
mains of the old castle of Morpeth are still to be seen. The
town has a public library, a mechanics' institution, a dispen-
sary, and a union poor-house. Tanning, iron-founding,
brewing, and the manufacture of woollen stuffs are carried
on here; and five annual fairs are held. Morpeth was
burned by its inhabitants in 1215, in order to harass King
John in his operations against the insurgent barons; and it
was again injured by fire in 1689. It is remarkable as the
birthplace of Turner the botanist, and of Morrison the
Chinese missionary. The borough is governed by a mayor,
3 aldermen, and 12 councillors; and formerly returned
2 members to Parliament; but by the Reform Act the
number has been reduced to one. Pop. (1851) of the par-
liamentary borough, 10,012; of the municipal, 4096.