TEWKESBURY, a market and borough town of England in Gloucestershire, is situated in the vale of Evesham, on the east bank of the Avon. The town consists of three spacious streets composed chiefly of brick houses. The high street is long, spacious, and elegant. The houses which are good, are chiefly modern,though some specimens of the an cient style remain. The principal building is the abbey church, a fine specimen of early Norman arch itecture, which contains many rich monuments erect ed to its patrons, or to the nobility who fell at the battle of Tewkesbury. It is 300 feet long, and the tower is 152 feet high. The other religious build ings are meeting houses for Independents, Quakers, Baptists, and Methodists. The town hall is a hand some edifice, the ground floor being appropriated for the quarter sessions, and the principal story for a banqueting or ball-room. The new jail is a neat building, and there is an elegant school house on Dr. Bell's plan. The house of industry is spa
cious. There are also here a free grammar school, an endowed charity school, several almshouses, a dispensary, a lying-in-establishment, and schools on the plans of Bell and Lancaster. The principal manufacture here is that of stocking frame work knitting, chiefly in cotton. Nails are likewise made, and a considerable malting business is car ried on. There are several commodious bridges near the town, and that over the Avon is of great length. The town sends two members to parliament, who are elected by about 500 votes. The population of the borough in 1821 was 1044 houses, 1172 families, 865 families in trade, 122 ditto in agriculture, total population, 4962. An account of the battle of Tewkesbury will be found in our article ENGLAND, VOL VIII. p. 467. See the Beauties of England and Wales, Vol. V. p. 683, Ste.