Somersetshire is by no means deficient in mineral products; the Mendip Hills abound with lead, coal, and calamine. The lead is chiefly exported for the purpose of making bullets and shot, and the calamine is used by the brass manufacturers of Bristol. The coals supply the cities of Bath and Wells, and the towns of Frome and Shepton Mallet. Lead is also raised on the Cheddar Bills of a finer quality than that of Derbyshire. Manganese, bole, and red ochre, are found on the Mendip Hills, and copper ne• Sto wey. Limestone, fuller's earth, and marl, are pro cured in other parts of the county.
Somersetshire is almost entirely a manufacturing county. At Frome, Shepton Mallet, and their neigh bourhood, there arc extensive manufactories of cloths of Spanish and Saxon wool. llminster, Chard, Taun ton, and Wellington, produce woollen cloths of a mid dle quality, while others of an inferior description are made at Weveslcombe, Milvarton, and Watchel. Linen goods, such as dowlas, bedtickings, and sail cloths, are manufactured at Yeovil, Crewkerne, Mon (acute, and Martock. There are silk mills at Bruton and Taunton; and gloves are made at Yeovil. Chard and Wells both possess manufactories, one for wove lace, the other for fine paper; a quantity of valuable articles arc made at the glass houses near Bristol. At Bridgewater, there is a foundry and a braziery, which give employment to a number of people.
The foreign commerce of this county is chiefly car ried on at Bristol, which is the place from which such goods as are eligible for the foreign market are gene rally exported, with the exception of the woollen ar ticles made at Taunton and Wellington, which are exported from Exeter. Bridgewater enjoys a trade
with Ireland, and many of the smaller sea-coast towns, a coasting trade which they turn to a considerable account. The greatest part of the productions of the county, both agricultural and manufactured, which are not destined for home consumption, find a ready sale at the markets of the adjacent counties. The cattle, butter, and cheese, arc sent to the metropolis. Wales and the western counties are supplied with the linen and woollen manufactures.
The parliamentary representatives are two for the county, and two for each of the undermentioned towns, viz: Bath, Wells, Taunton, Bridgewater, II chester, Minchead, and Milboru Port, and two for Bristol, which is partly in this county, and partly in Gloucestershire.
Ilchester is considered the county town, as the elections are held there, and as it contains the gaol and county court, although the assizes are held at Taunton in spring, and in the summer season at Bridgewater and Wells alternately.
The population in 1821, was 355,314, of whom there were 152,447 males, and 165,357 females. The inhabited houses were 61,852, the uninhabited 1974, and houses building 850. The number of the families was 73,537, of whom 31,448 were employed in agri culture, 27,132 in trade, and 14,957 in neither of the above classes. See Bellingsley's .Recount of the dgri culture of Soniersetshire, and the Beauties of England mid Wales, vol. xiii.