a market town of Anglesey in North Wales, which sends one member to parliament. W. Long. 4. 15. N. Lat. 53. 25.

It is, as the name implies, pleasantly seated on a low land at the water's edge; is neat and well built, and one street is very handsome. Edward I. created the place; for after founding the castles of Caernarvon and Conway, he discovered that it was necessary to put another curb on the Welch. He therefore built a fortress here in 1295; and fixed on a marshy spot, near the chapel of St Meugan, such as gave him opportunity of forming a great fosse round the castle, and of filling it with water from the sea. He also cut Beaumaris a canal, in order to permit vessels to discharge their lading beneath the walls: and as a proof of the excellence of such a convenience, there were within this century iron rings affixed to them, for the purpose of mooring the ships or boats. The marsh was in early times of far greater extent than at present, and covered with fine bulrushes. The first governor was Sir William Pickmore, a Gafcon knight appointed by Edward I. There were a constable of the castle, and a captain of the town. The first had an annual fee of forty pounds, the last of twelve pounds three shillings and fourpence; and the porter of the gate of Beaumaris had nine pounds two shillings and sixpence. Twenty-four soldiers were allowed for the guard of the castle and town, at fourpence a-day to each. The constable of the castle was always captain of the town, except in one instance: in the 36th of Henry IV. Sir John Boteler held the first office, and Thomas Norreys the other. The castle was extremely burthenfome to the country; quarrels were frequent between the garrison and the country people. In the time of Henry VI. a bloody fray happened, in which David ap Evan ap Howel of Llwydiarth, and many others, were slain. From the time of Sir Rowland Villeville, alias Britayne, reputed base son of Henry VII, and constable of the castle, the garrison was withdrawn till the year 1642, when Thomas Cheadle, deputy to the earl of Dorset, then constable, put into it men and ammunition. In 1643, Thomas Bulkeley, Esq. soon after created Lord Bulkeley, succeeded: his son Colonel Richard Bulkeley, and several gentlemen of the county, held it for the king till June 1646, when it surrendered on honourable terms to General Mytton, who made Captain Evans his deputy-governor. In 1653, the annual expence of the garrison was seventeen hundred and three pounds. Edward I. when he built the town, surrounded it with walls, made it a corporation, and endowed it with great privileges, and lands to a considerable value. He removed the ancient freeholders by exchange of property into other counties. Henlys, near the town, was the seat of Gwerydd ap Rhys Goch, one of fifteen tribes, and of his posterity till this period, when Edward removed them to Boddle Wyddan in Flintshire, and bestowed their ancient patrimony on the corporation. It sends one member to parliament. Its first representative was Maurice Griffydd, who sat in the seventh year of Edward VI. There is very good anchorage for ships in the bay which lies before the town, and has seven fathom water even at the lowest ebb. Vessels often find security here in hard gales. The town has no trade of any kind, yet has its customhouse for the casual reception of goods. The ferry lies near the town, and is passable at low water. It was granted by charter to the corporation in the 4th of Queen Elizabeth. There is an order from Edward II. to Robert Power, chamberlain of North Wales, to inspect into the state of the boat, which was then out of repair; and in case it was feasible, to cause it to be made fit for use, at the expense of the bailiwick; but if the boat proved past repair, a new one was to be built, and the expense allowed by the king. It appeared that the people of Beaumaris paid annually for the privilege of a ferry thirty shillings into the exchequer; but by this order. it seems that the king was to find the boat. After passing the channel, the distance over the sands to Aber in Caernarvonshire, the point the passenger generally makes for, is four miles. The sands are called Traeth Telynau, and Wylofaen, or the place of weeping, from the shrieks and lamentations of the inhabitants when it was overwhelmed by the sea, in the days of Helig ap Clunog. The church is dependent on Llandegyan, which is in the gift of Lord Bulkeley. The former is called the chapel of the blessed virgin; yet in ancient writings one aisle is called St Mary's chapel, and another that of St Nicholas.