MONTGOMERY. 
31 ftinguilhed for the remains of former magnificence, 
which are yet apparent. x A market is held on Saturdays, 
(Oldfield lays Tuefdays ; Wilkes ^hurl'days ;) and there 
are eight fairs, viz. firft Monday in March, March 26, 
Saturday before G.ood-Friday, firft Thurfday in May, 
June 7, September 5, Oftober 24, and November 12. 
Montgomery was made a borough-town in the reign of 
Henry III. The corporation conlifts of two bailiffs and 
twelve capital burgefles, or Common council-men ; and 
one member is returned. As to the right of election, it 
was declared in parliament, June 10, 1680, “ That the 
eleftion of a burgefs to fcrve for this (hire town, doth not 
belong to the burgefles of Montgomery only. That the 
leveral boroughs of Llanydloes, Welfhpool, and Llanvyl- 
ling, have a right to vote at the election of a burgefs to 
derve in Parliament for this fliire town.” But, April 16, 
1728, “ That the right of election is in the burgelfes of 
the J'aid Jhire town only." The town of Machynleth, 
though an ancient borough alfo, and entitled to vote un¬ 
der the ftatute of 27 Henry VIII. does not appear by the 
journals to have claimed its right at either of the above 
periods. 
The tow'n of Montgomery, then, like all the others 
in Wales which were privileged to fend members to par¬ 
liament, had its eontributary boroughs, who participated 
in the invaluable right of eleftion, until the year 1728, 
when a refolution of the houfe extended the disfranchifing 
arm of authority over Machynleth, Llanydloes, Llanvyl- 
ling, and Welfhpool, which are now ftripped of their an¬ 
cient privileges, and the right declared to be in the bur¬ 
gefles of Montgomery 'only. The number of electors is 
now not more than eighty; confequently the independ¬ 
ence of its parliamentary chara&er is at an end, and the 
Borough, like that of Beaumaris, is entirely at the dif- 
pofal of a patron, the earl of Powis. Of the boroughs 
disfranchiled by the refolution of the committee of privi¬ 
leges in 1728., Welfhpool contains 5johoufes; Machyn¬ 
leth 241 ; Llanvylling 437 ; Llanydloes 480 houl’es ; and 
the four boroughs united, have a population of 7516 per- 
ions, who were all deprived of the right of representation,, 
to confine it to Montgomery, a place with about 1000 in¬ 
habitants. The other boroughs were all equally entitled 
to theexercife of this privilege, by 27 Henry VIII. which 
empowered Wales to lend twelve reprefentatives for the 
counties, and as many for all the ancient borough*... 
Welfhpool, Machynleth, Llanvylling, and, Llanydloes, 
were four of thefe ancient boroughs,; they continued to 
exercife the right of voting from the year 1536 to 1727, a 
period of 191 years, when it was refolved, that the right 
of eleftion. was in the borough of Montgomery only. In 
the fame manner have the inhabitants of many other bo¬ 
roughs in England been deprived of the fame right; and 
what renders this grievance the more inexplicable and op- 
preflive is, that almoft every committee has differed from 
the former one in its determination. The journals are 
crowded with thefe contradictory refolutions ; and, in the 
cafes of Saltalh and Steyning, two members have been 
fitting in the houfe at the fame time, who have been elect¬ 
ed by different deferiptions of conftituents, and both have 
been determined, by fucceeding committees, to pofiefs 
the exclufive right of election. This plainly demon- 
lirates, that the original right of the people has been loft 
fight of, and that thefe determinations originate in an ig¬ 
norance of the conftitution of parliament, though there 
are not wanting perfons who attribute them to other mo¬ 
tives. If the Grenville-aft had repealed all thefe refolu- 
tions, and edlabliflied the right in the houfeholders of all 
the boroughs, it would have re'tored the ancient right of 
eledion, and laved a million of money that has fince been 
.e-xpended in conteft and litigation. In the mean time it 
is proper to obferve, as a general eleftion may loon be ex¬ 
pected to take place, that, the two laft refolutions of 1680 
and 1728 being at variance with each other, the burgefles 
of Llanydloes, Welfhpool, and Llanvylling, and alfo 
thofe of Machynleth, have a powef to all’evt their right 
Vol. XV. No, 1079. 
737 
of voting for a membeV for Montgomery, before another 
committee of the houfe of commons, by tile ftatute of 
e8 George III. and alfo an appeal within twelve calendar 
months, againft any future decifion, is given them by the 
faid aCt. Oldjield's Ileprcfentaiive Hift. —Montgomery is 
feven miles Weft of Newtown, eight north of Welfnpool, 
eight and a half fouth-eaft of Bilhop’s Caftle, twenty-one 
north-eaft of Shrewlbury, and 161 north-eaft of London. 
Lat. 52. 27. N. Ion. 3. 7. W. 
Lymore, an ancient feat of earl Powys, is within half 
a mile of this place; and. in the neighbourhood are a great 
number of gentlemen’s feats.—Within two miles eaft of 
this place is Cherbury, a pretty large handfome village ; 
here was formerly a monaftery and caftle, fuppofed to 
have been built by Ethelfleda, a lady of the Mercians ; 
and it gives title of baron to the Powys family. Cher- 
bury Priory was founded in the reign of king John, for 
monks of the order of St. Bennet; and at the general 
diflolution was granted to Edw'ard Hopton and his wife 
Elizabeth; but the reCtory and parfottage were both 
loon afterwards bellowed on the grammar-fehool at 
Shrewlbury. 
On the fame fide of the town with the caftle, but at a 
fiiort diftance, is a ilupendous encampment, which pro¬ 
bably has been a Britifh poll. The fituation is on the 
fummit of a lofty hill, lufficiently defended on one fide by 
its abrupt afeent, and on the more acceflible parts by 
deep folfes which run direftly acrofs it. The approach 
was further defended by four fhorter folfes, having two 
entrances communicating with the main work. In the 
vale between this hill and that on which the caftle flood, 
are the remains of a fmall fortification, which Mr. Evans 
conjectures to have been the lite of the fortrefs built by 
Baidwyn, becaufe “ partaking of the Norman manner in 
defign and fliape.”—The mountain Mynydd, or Cefn- 
Digoll, about five miles to the north-eaft, on the confines 
of Shroplhire, is dillinguilhed in the military hillory of 
Wales as the feene of a defperate engagement, in which 
Madoc, prince of that country, was defeated and fiain. 
Beauties of England and Wales, vol. xvii. Wilkes's Britijk 
Directory, vol. iii. 
MONTGOM'ERY, a county of United America, in 
the Hate of New York, bounded on the north by the 
counties of Clinton and St. Lawrence; on the eaft by 
the counties of Elfiex, Walhington, and Saratoga ; on the 
fouth by the counties of Albany, Schoharie, and Otfego; 
and on the weft by the county of Herkemer; eighty miles 
from north to fouth, and about thirty-four from eaft to 
weft. This county was firft called Tryon ; and the name 
was changed to Montgomery, by aft of congrefs, in 1784. 
Johnllon is the chief town. 
MONTGOM'ERY, a county of the Hate of Georgia, 
on the north-eaft fide of the Alatamaha. It contains 
twelve towns, and about 3180 inhabitants. 
MONTGOM'ERY, a county of Pennfylvania, thirty- 
three miles long, and feventeen broad, north-well of Phi¬ 
ladelphia. It is divided into twenty-eight townlhips, and 
contains 24,150 inhabitants. 
MONTGOM'ERY, a county in the Hate of Maryland, 
with 15,058 inhabitants, including 6288 Haves. 
MONTGOM'ERY, a county in the Hate of Virginia; 
about one hundred miles in length, and forty-four in 
breadth. It contains 8076 free inhabitants, and 968 Haves. 
In it are fome lead-mines. 
MONTGOM'ERY, a county of the Hate of Tennaflee, 
with 2899 inhabitants. 
MONTGOM'ERY, a county of the Hate of Kentucky, 
with 6999 inhabitants, including 749 Haves. 
MONTGOM'ERY, a county of North Carolina, with 
7680 inhabitants, of whom 1370 are Haves. 
MONTGOM'ERY, a town of Maflachufetts: fifteen 
miles from Bofton. 
MONT'GOM'ERY, a town of New York, in Orange- 
county : forty-eight miles.north of New York, Lat. 41. 
31. N. 1021.44. 17. W. 
9 B 
MONT- 
