The county returns four members to the Imperial Parliament—two for the county at large, and one for each of the boroughs of Wexford and New Rosa. It is In the Leinster circuit. The assizes are held in Wexford, where is the county jail ; quarter sessions are held there, and at Enniscorthy, New Ross, and Gorey, in which three towns there are bridewells. Petty sessions are held in eleven places. The District Lunatic Asylum, to which the county is entitled to send 44 patients, is in Carlow. The county infirmary is in Wexford. The fever hos pitals are in Wexford, Arthurstown, Enniscorthy, Corey, New Rosa, Newtownbarry, and Oulart; 28 places have dispensaries. Thera are savings banks in Wexford and Gorey; and two loan-funds in Wexford, two in New Ross, and one each in Bona, Euniscorthy, and Gorey. The union workhouses are at Wexford, Enniscorthy, Gorey, and New Ross. The county is in tho military district of Kilkanuy; the barrack-stations are at Wexford, Duncannon Fort, and New Ross. The staff of the county militia is stationed at Wexford, which is also the head-quarters of the county police. The police force consists of 256 men and officers, distributed over 43 stations, in 7 districts. In September 1852, there were in the county 117 National schools, attended by 7229 male and 7440 female children.
History and Antiquitie&—lu the time of Ptolernteus the greater part of the present county of Wexford was inhabited by the lieuapii, whose chief town, Menapia, is supposed to have occupied the site of the present town of Wexford. The county was anciently styled Corteizb, Moragh, and Laighion. The term Leinster was chiefly applied to Wexford by Irish, Danish, and Latin writers towards the close of the middle ages. The present name appears to come from Weisford, a name given by the Danes to the chief town, when, after predatory incursions in the county, during which they burnt the preeioss, capital, Ferns, they chose that as the centre of a permanent setilans–nt. Wexford Is distingui-hed as containing the first landing place sued by the English, when, in )170, or, according to other autboritiu, 1169, they invaded Ireland under the command of Robert FitaSteplian. The English armament landed at Baginbun, near Fethard. and shortly afterwards attacked the Danes at Wexford, of which place. after a contest of four days, they obtained possession. ]iseMurrough than confirmed a grant which he had previously made of Wexfinsl and some adjoining parts to the English adventurers, wiles. settlement In the country so alarmed the other native princes, that they formed a confederacy for driving out Maelfurrough and his English allies. But the invaders had obtained too firm a footing to be thus got rid of, and their conquests were soon greatly extendedby the prowessof Richard de Clare, surnamed Strongbow, who married Eva, the daughter of Mac3furrough, after whose death, in 1172, he became Lord of Leinater, a title which was confirmed to him as a palatinate by floury IL of England, when he visited Ireland shortly after.
Wexford was formed into a county by King John in 1210, and it formed part of the possessions inherited by William he Manschal through his marriage with the daughter of Strongbow. On the extinction of the male line his possessions were divided among his daughters, and subsequently underwent frequent changes of proprietorship.
In 1641 tho Royal forces, under Ormond, were defeated in an attempt upon New Ross in the early part of the war, and subsequently Duneannon Fort was taken by the Catholics. In 1649 the whole county was reduced to subjection by Cromwell, who put the garrison of Wexford to the sword. This county was the chief seat of the rebellion of 1798, and the scene of many severe conflicts. The insorgenta possessed themselves of Enniscorthy and Wexford. The head-quarters of their army were formed at Vinegar Hill, near Ennis corthy ; but in their attack ou New Rosa they were repulsed with much lose, and the Royal forces having collected their strength from various quartera, made a simultaneous attack upon Vinegar Hill, and forced the insurgents to retreat. Wexford was afterwards retaken ; and this complete defeat of the main body of the rebels put an end to the insurrection in this district.
The county of Wexford, especially the southern part, abounds with antiquities of Danish, Saxon, and Norman origin, though compara tively few can be assigned to a period prior to the arrival of the English in the country. Two tumuli, or rathr, remain in the neigh bourhood of Enniscorthy, at Salvino or Montabeg, and Donamoro : two others, of considerable size, near Dunbrody ; and one near New Rose. There are remains of monasteries at Wexford, Enniscorthy, St. John's (sonth of Enniscorthy), Ferns, Dunbrody (near the con fluence of the Suir and the Barrow), Ross, and Clonmines. Of other ecclesiastical edificea, Tintern Abbey, near the Bannow, has been converted into a dwelling; Ballyhack, Carnsore, and Clonmore are turned into pariah churches ; and the ruins of Glascarrig are partly used as a farm. There aro ruins of an ancient chapel, called St. Vanes's, near Carnsore. Ruins of castellated buildings are numerous; we have mentioned many in our notices of tho towns and villages ; 130 are said to exikt in only four of the baronies. Among other military remains is Strongbow's fort or camp, near Duncormuck Castle, on Baginbun Head, where intrenchments are yet visible. Of more recent objects of interest in the county may be mentioned a great pile of stones at Wicklow Gap, near its northern extremity, marking the burial-place of those who fell in a sanguinary conflict between the insurgents and the Royal troops in 1793.