WREXHAM, Denbighshire, North Wales, a market-town, parlia mentary borough, and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, in the parish of Wrexham, is situated on the Gwenfrwy Brook, a feeder of the Clywc dog, which is itself an affluent of the river Dee, in 2' N. let., 2' 59' W. long., distant 23 miles S.E. from Denbigh, 179 miles N.W. by W. from London, and 185 miles by the North-Western and Bir mingham, Shrewsbury, and Chester railways. The population of the parliamentary borough in 1851 was 6714. The living is a vicarage, in the archdeaconry and diocese of St. Asaph. Wrexham Poor-Law Union contains 44 parishes and townships, with an area of 78,592 acres, and a population in 1851 of 40,078.
Wrexham is advantageously situated in the mining district of Denbighshire, and is one of the most important towns in North Wales. The church ia a handsome and spacious building, in the perpendicular style. The tower, which has a very striking appearance, has an eleva tion of 135 feet, and has on three sides rows of saints in richly sculptured niches. The church was formerly collegiate. The English and Welsh Independents, Welsh Calvinistic Methodists, Baptists, and Roman Catholics have places of worship. There are a Grammar
school, National schools, and a Roman Catholic school. The town hall is a plain brick building: there are a county house of correction, an infirmary, a new market, a literary institute, and a savings bank.
Wrexham has a considerable flannel manufacture; and in the parish there are quarries, lead-mines, collieries, and iron-works. Brewing, malting, and tanning are carried on, and there is a factory for making patent flat and round rope. Markets are held on Thursday and Saturday. Faire are held eight times in the year. The fair held on March 23rd is kept up for many days, and is one of the most import ant in North Wales : cattle and horses, Welsh flannels and other woollens, Irish linens, Manchester cotton goods, Yorkshire woollens, and especially hardwares from Birmingham and Sheffield, are sold at this fair. By the Reform Act Wrexham was made a contributory borough to Denbigh. A county court, and petty sessions for the hundreds of Bromfield and Yale, are held at Wrexham.
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