SWANSEA, a town of South Wales, in the county of Glamorgan, " which, from its population and commercial importance, is entitled to be rank ed as the metropolis of the county, if not of the principality of Wales." It is situated on the west bank of the Taw, on a point of land near the junc tion of that river with the sea. It is nearly two miles long, including the suburb of Greenhill, and half a mile broad. There are many streets, with a great proportion of well built houses. The church is a handsome building, with a suitable aisle, two side aisles and a large quadrangular tower at one end. It is 72 feet long, and 54 wide. The town hall, erected on a part of the castle in closure, in the middle of the town, is a spacious and elegant modern building. A commodious theatre, and some public rooms have been lately erected. The latter form a misshapen pile of buildings. The castle is situated on an elevated spot in the middle of' the town, and would have a grand appearance, were it not buried among houses. A lofty circular tower is the principal portion that remains. On the eastern side of the tower a large part of the original building is stand ing, surmounted by an elegant parapet with arched openings. The habitable apartments form a poors' house and a debtors' goal.
Swansea is the resort of numerous bathers, and warm and cold salt water baths have been made in the burrows, and near the pottery by the river side. Handsome lodging houses, the chief of which are at Mount Pleasant, and the Burrows, have been erected for the same purpose. There. are at Swansea, places of worship for various senters, and the Presbyterian meeting house is one of the oldest in South Wales. There is here a public library, a free school, and several Lancaste rian and other schools for the poor. A weekly
newspaper has been long established here.
There are in Swansea various important manu factures, arising from the abundance of coal and iron in the neighbourhood. There are two pottery establishments, on a large scale, furnishing almost every article of the Staffordshire ware, of' the first quality. There are also two large copper houses, to which ships of 200 tons can sail, an iron foundry, two roperies, several tan yards, a soap manufactory, an extensive brewery, and a dry dock. Swansea carries on an extensive commerce, which is greatly aided by the Swansea canal, and the Oystermouth railway, both of which we have already described in our article NAVIGATION, Inland.
The number of vessels which cleared out in the following years, are as below:— Vessels. Tons.
1788 694 30,631 1790 1697 74,926 1800 2590 154,264 1810 2717 171,672 Swansea is a corporate town, and shares the privileges of Cardiff as a contributory burgh, in returning the member for that place. It is gov erned by a portrieve, twelve aldermen, two com mon attornies, a town-clerk, and two sergeants at mace. The population, in 1821, of' the town and franchise, with the hamlet of St. Thomas, which has only 248 inhabitants, was as follows:— No. of Houses, 2,049 Families, 2,124 Families in Trade, 739 Total population, 10,355 The increase of population since 1811, in the town and franchise of Swansea, which is 2082, is attributed to the improved state of trade and com merce in that town and port, and to the public spirit of the inhabitants of its vicinity. See the Beauties of England and Wales, vol. xviii. p. 720; NAVIGATION, Inland, Vol. XIV. p. 285; and GLA MORGANSHIRE, Vol. IX. p. 741.