738 M O N T G O M ERYSfilRE. 
MONTGOMERYSHIRE, one of the counties of North 
Wales, is bounded on the eaft and liofth-eaft by the 
county of Salop in England; on the fouth-eaft by Rad- 
norfhire; on the well and fouth-weft by Merionetlifhire 
and Cardiganlhire; and on the north by Denbighlhire. 
It extends, according to the molt accuratefurveys, thirty- 
live miles in length, from the fartheft point of Llangurig, 
on the borders of South Wales, to Piityll-Rhaiadr, a noted 
cataract in the Berwyn-hills; and in breadth, from the 
town of Montgomery to that of Machynleth, thirty miles. 
The fuperficial area, according to the official accounts 
publilhed in 1811, is 98a Iquare miles, or 628,480 acres. 
Of this extent only 60,000 acres are under cultivation, 
and 180,000 laid down in pafturage. The remainder of 
the county is either in a waite condition, or is appropri¬ 
ated to woodlands. 
The firlt inhabitants of this diftriCt, of whom mention 
is made in hiftory, were a portion of the Oraovices, whole 
territories extended at one time over the whole fix coun¬ 
ties of North Wales, with the exception of a fmall part 
of Flintlhire, which belonged to the Carnabii. This 
people, naturally brave, and defended by the lofty hills 
.and almolt impaflable ravines with which their country 
abounds, contrived, notwithstanding their deficiency in 
military (kill, to baffle, for a period of two centuries, ail 
the efforts of Roman difcipline and courage to fubdue 
them. Agricola, the celebrated general of Domitian, 
however, at laft effected, by his confummate and indefa¬ 
tigable conduit, what his predeceffors had in vain at¬ 
tempted; and not only compelled this county, but the 
moft remote corner of Wales, to fubmit to the Roman 
yoke. But, though conquered, their ancient valour and 
love of country ftill continued to animate them, fo that, 
no fooner were the mighty conquerors of Europe forced 
to abandon their diftant provinces, and concentrate their 
troops for the defence of Italy, than the natives again 
alferted their independence. At this period, however, 
their country became divided into two feparate king¬ 
doms, or principalities; of which Poivis-lmul was, for 
many years, the moll powerful and extenfive; and in¬ 
cluded Montgomerylhire. During the heptarchy many 
defperate battles were fought, either within this county 
or on its borders; efpecially in the reign of Offa king of 
Mercia, who, having routed the Powiiians in feveral ac¬ 
tions, compelled them to abandon all their poflefiions in 
Shroplhire; and, in order the more efteCtually to reltrain 
their incurfions, built the celebrated dyke, which is ftill 
vilible at the eaftern boundary of the county. Though 
thus reftrained, however, the Powifian monarch*, wdio 
now fixed their refidence at Mathraval, in the vale' of 
Meivod, ftill continued to be objeCts of terror to their 
Mercian neighbours. The dyke of Offa was frequently 
a fcene of the moft dreadful carnage. At Buttington, 
the generals of Alfred completely deftroyed a large body 
of Danes, who, having penetrated through Mercia, had 
ported themfelves here upon the approach of the Saxon 
army. By this time the integrity of the kingdom of 
Powis-land had been again invaded, by its feparation 
into two fmaller principalities, of which Montgomery¬ 
lhire alone formed that diftinguifhed by the name of 
Powis-Wenwynwyn. This diftriCt, fubfequent to the 
.Norman conqueft, fhared the fate of all the border coun¬ 
ties, being compelled to fubmit to the feudal domination 
of the lords marchers, after a long and defperate ftruggle 
to maintain its liberty. It ftill continued, however, to 
be diftinguifhed by its ancient name, till the divifion of 
Wales into counties, in the reign of Henry VIII. when 
it received the appellation of Montgomeryftiire, from the 
town of Montgomery, which forms the fubjeCt of a pre¬ 
ceding article. 
The greater proportion of this county affumes a moun¬ 
tainous charaCteriitic. This is particularly the cafe with 
the midland, weftern, and fouth-weflern, parts, which are 
extremely bleak, and unfavourable to cultivation. A 
range of mountains, commonly diftinguifned by the title 
of “ the back-bone of Montgomeryfhire and Merioneth- 
lhire,” commences in the fouth-weftern diftriCt, and, run¬ 
ning nearly through the whole fhire, in a curvilineal 
direction, enters the county of Merioneth near Aran 
Fowddwy. The Freiddin or Bridden hills, and the Long 
Mountain, rear, their lofty heads on the eaftern fide of 
the county, and form a natural boundary throughout 
their extent, between it and Shropfhire. The Biga Moun¬ 
tains are feen on the north, ftretcbing themfelves along 
the northern fide of the valley of the Severn, till they 
reach a collateral ridge of Plinlimmon. Befides thefe, 
there are numerous inferior ranges, ufually feparated by 
long narrow' valleys, and a few ifolated hills, which rife 
to a very confiderable height, like artificial mounts, in 
the centre of a level traCt of country. The fubftrata of 
thefe hills vary, but not fo much as in the adjacent coun¬ 
ties. Limeftone rarely enters into their compofition, ex¬ 
cept in the vicinity of Llanyinech and Porthwaun, at 
both of which places a confiderable quantity of lime is 
wrought, chiefly for the purpofes of manure. Slate ftrata, 
on the other hand, are very abundant, and indeed con- 
ftitute the principal portion of all the mountains in the 
county, which are not pre-eminently lofty. Many quarries 
have been opened in different diftriCts for the manufacture 
of this material; but the principal ones are confined to 
the hills around Llangynnog, where the bell Hates, per¬ 
haps in England, are procured. From the elevated fitua- 
tion of thefe quarries, the conveyance of the flates from 
thence to the plain? below is a talk of confiderable difficulty 
and hazard. The method in ufe here to accompliffn that 
objeft is not a little remarkable, and, to an obferver un- 
accuftomed to the fight, muff: appear fraught with extreme 
danger. The flates are placed on a fmall fledge, adapted 
to the work, which is faftened to the fhoulders of a man 
who has the care of delivering the cargo at the bale of the 
mountain b>y means of a rope, of which he lays fall hold 
with both hands, and then, turning his face towards the 
load, he begins to move, gradually receding backwards 
till he reaches the bottom. Apparently dangerous, how¬ 
ever, as this operation is, long experience has rendered it 
fo familiar to the workmen in general, that accidents are 
very uncommon ; and to many of them it is equally eafy 
as conducting a common wheelbarrow on level ground. 
The other mineral productions of this county are coal, 
lilver, lead, and copper. The coal-mines are chiefly at 
Coedwae, on the borders of Salop; filver is moft plentiful 
at Efgair-hir, where, as well as at Craig-y-Mwyn, near 
Piftyll-Rhaiadr, Dolydan weft from Llanbryn-Mair, and 
Llanydloes, lead-mines have been opened; the only cop¬ 
per-mine is fituated in the vicinity of Efgair-hir, on the 
confines of Cardiganlhire. 
Montgomerylhire is abundantly fupplied with rivers; 
indeed it may juftly be faid that more ftreams take their 
rife in this county than in any other of fimilar extent in 
Great Britain. Of thefe rivers the principal are the Se¬ 
vern, the Wye, the Vyrnwy, and the Tanat. The Severn, 
rifing on the fide of Plinlimmon-hill, runs in a north- 
eafterly direction through a very confiderable portion of 
the county, and during its courfe receives the waters of 
feveral auxiliary ftreams. The Wye, which likewife has 
its fource from the fame ridge, taking a fouth-eaft direc¬ 
tion, is joined by the Bedw rivulet at Llangerrig; whence 
flowing more to the louth it foon enters Radnorlhire. 
The Vrynwy rifes near Bwlch-y-Groes, and, after a very 
changeable courfe, during which it is joined by the Tanat, 
falls into the Severn near Llandrinio. This river is re¬ 
markable for the multiplicity and variety of fifli which 
frequent it. Of thofe rivers which pals through the 
county, but have their fprings in another, the principal 
are, the Maw, the Traethbach, the Cieriog, the Dee, and 
the Dovey : ail of which will be found more particularly 
noticed in our account of the refpeCtive counties to which 
they feem more properly to belong, under their appro¬ 
priate names. 
It has already been obferved, that not above one-half 
of 
