SWANSEA, Glamorganshire, a market-town, municipal and parlia mentary borough, and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, iu the pariah of Swansea, is situated on the right bank of the river Tawe, at its entrance into Swansea Bay, in 51" 37' N. lat., 3" 56' W. long., distant 43 miles W.N.W. from Cardiff; 206 miles W. by N. from London by road, and 216 miles by the Great Western and South Wales railway. The population of the borough of Swansea in 1851 was 31,461. The borough is governed by 6 aldermen and 18 councillors, ono of whom is mayor; and, in conjunction with Laugher, Aberavon, and Kenfig, returns one member to the Imperial Parliament. Swansea Poor-Law Union contains 27 parishes and townships, with an area of 103,769 acres, and a population in 1851 of 46,907.
The Welsh name of Swansea is Aber-Tawe, from its position at the mouth of the river Tawe. The harbour may be described in general terms as a square basin, of the dimensions of nearly half a mile each way. It has received considerable improvements of late years. On the western pier there are a lighthouse and watchhouse. Communi cation between the two banks of the river is maintained by a ferry. On the north-east and north-west the bay is backed by lofty hills, and the beach consists of an extensive level of firm sand. Swansea is the port of a rich mineral district. The principal branches of industry are the smelting of copper-ore and the export of coal. Copper-ore is brought from Cornwall, Devonshire, parts of Wales, Irelnud, Australia, and elsewhere. There are 17 smelting-works in the Swansea district, of which number eight are close to the town. Besides the works for smelting copper, there are iron foundries, zinc-works, tin-plate works, yards for building and repairing ships, roperies, tanneries, breweries, and two potteries. The South Wales railway and the Vale of Neath and Taff Valley railways afford great facilities to the staple manu factures of Swansea. Several canals and traturonda communicate with the inland parts of the county. A canal about 17 miles in length runs along the valley of the Tawe into Brecknockshire; another con nests the Neath River and Canal with Swansea Harbour; and a third communicates with collieries on the north-east of the town. On the western aide of the harbour is a tramway, 7i miles long, which passes along the coast to Oystermouth and the Mumbles, the western head land of the bay. At the Mumbles is a lighthouse. The trade of the town has increased very rapidly during the present century. Swansea is now a thriving place ; the town is well paved and lighted with gas.
The number and tonnage of vessels registered as belonging to the port of Swansea on the 31st of December 1854, were—Sailing-vessels, under 50 tons, 65, tonnage 1946; above 50 tons, 103, tonnage 14,799: steam-vessels, under 50 tons, 6, tonnage 141 ; above 50 tons, 4, ton nage 332. During 1854 the returns of vessels entered and cleared at the port were as follows :—Coasting trade, inwnrda, sailing-vessels, 3017, tonnage 246,260; steam-vessels, 301, tonnage 48,175: outwards, sailing-vessels, 6771, tonnage 428,806; steam-vessels, 261, tonnage 51,957. Colonial and foreign trade, inwards, sailing-vessels, 724, tonnage 93,677; steam-vessels, 2, tonnage 694; outwards, sailing vessels, 887, tonnage 120,106; steatn-vessels, 4, tonnage 1339. The corporation claims to be a corporation by prescription. The market days are Wednesday and Saturday ; fairs are held in May, July, August, and October. A county court is held in the town.
St. Mary's church is 72 feet by 54 feet, aud has a lofty square tower. St. John's is a small edifice; it was formerly a chapel belong • ing to the Knights' of Jerusalem. There is another church of recent erection. The Wesleyan Methodists have chapels, one of which, erected in 1840, is said to be the finest chapel in Wales belonging to that body. The Roman Catholics have a new gothic chapel, opened in 1847. The Unitarians have a chapel in the Tudor style. also opened in 1847. There are besides, places of worship for Welsh Baptists, Independents, Calvinistic Methodists, Quakers, and Jews. National and Infant schools for 800 children were opened in 1848. The Free Grammar school, founded in 1682, for which a handsome new school-honse has just been erected, had 72 scholars in 1854. Swansea possesses a Normal college, supported on the voluntary prin ciple, an asylum for the deaf and dumb, a literary aud scientific society, a society for the acquirement of useful knowledge, a mechanics institute, a savings bank, and a dispensary. The principal public buildings are the town-hall, erected in 1827, the South Wales Royal Philosophical institution, the infirmary, the theatre, the house of correction, the assembly-rooms, and the spacious and handsome new guildhall and assize-courts. A market-place was opened in 1830, the cost of the construction being about 20,0001.; a now fish-market was opened in 1847. The only remains of the ancient castle are a massive square tower; the town-prison and the Union workhouse occupy a part of the site of the old castle.