BERWICK-ON-TWEED, England, sea port town, once forming a county of itself, but now incorporated in- Northumberland, on the north or Scottish side of the Tweed, within half a mile of its mouth. It is surrounded by a complete series of ramparts, which are well pre. served, and along which is an agreeable prome nade. The ramparts are in the main of Eliza bethan construction, with parts dating from Edward I. The streets are for the most part narrow, steep, straggling and irregular, though some of the principal ones are wide and open.' The Tweed is crossed at the town by an old bridge of 15 arches, 1,164 feet long and only 17 wide, and by a magnificent railway viaduct of stone, 667 yards long and 184 feet in ex treme height with 28 semicircular arches built by Robert Stephenson in 1850. The chief in dustries are tron-founding, the manufacture of engines and boilers, agncultural implements, feeding-cake, manures of various lciztds, ropes, twine, etc. The chief exports are grain, arti ficial manttres, and herrings. A dock affording accommodation for large -vessels was opened in 1876, but its shipping remains unimportant In the beginning of the 12th century, during the reign of Alexander I, Berwick was part of his realm of Scotland, and the capital of the dis trict called Lothian. Soon after this date it
became populous and wealthy, was the chief seaport of Scotland, contained a strong castle, churches, hospitals and monastic buildings, and was created one of the four royal burghs of Scotland. In 1216 the town and castle were stormed and taken by King John. During the competition between Balliol and the elder Bruce for the Scottish throne the English Parliament sat in Berwick; and in the hall of the castle Edward I pronounced judgment in favor of Balliol. King Robert Bruce retook the town and castle in 1318; but, after undergoing various sieges and vicissitudes, both were sur rendered to Edward IV in 1482, and have ever since remained part of the soil of England. From 1482 to 1885 the borough sent two mem bers to the English Parliament, when it was merged in the Berwick division of Northumber land. The borough includes the watering places of Tweedmouth and Spittal, situated on the south bank of the Tweed. Pop. (1911) 13,075.