CARDIFF ( Caer-Taff, Fort •of the Taff). A Parltamentary and municipal borough. seaport, and capital of Glarnorganshire, South Wales, sit uated on the river Taff, near its mouth in the estuary of the Severn, 170 miles west of London by railway (Map: Wales, C 5). Its most nota ble building is the castle. built in the Eleventh C'entury, in which Robert Curthose. Duke of Nor mandy, died. after captivity in various fortresses during twenty-eight years. It has been carefully restored, and is occasionally used as a residence by its owner, the Marquis of Bute, to whose fam ily Cardiff owes much of its prosperity. Other edifices of interest are the Church of Saint .101m, dating from the Thirteenth Century, with a fine perpendicular tower, and the free library, erect ed in 1SS2, which contains a museum and art gallery.
Although the construction of the Glamorgan shire ('anal may he taken as having marked the first step in the development of the town from an insignificant village to one of the most impor tant ports of the United Kingdom, it was not until after the opening of the first great dock, in 1839, that its possibilities as an outlet for the mineral wealth of the surrounding region were fully realized. The docks and basins arc five in number, and cover an area of more than 110 acres. They are owned by Lord Bute, but the town derives a considerable annual revenue from harbor clues. The municipal authorities have kept pace with the rapid growth of the town by obtaining an excellent water-supply, by in troducing electric lighting, establishing public baths and a gymnasium, markets, slaughter houses, a sewage farm, and a cemetery. In Car diff • there are several technical schools and a higher grade school, and a central free library, with six branches, all maintained by the corpora tion. The importance of the town lies in its commerce, especially in its coal and iron trade, although there are also ship-building yards. iron, steel, and tin plants. The export of coal to
foreign countries increased from 1,451,000 tons in 1365 to 10,115,000 in 1891. In 1898 there was a temporary decline, on account of the great coal strike, the total export of coal and coke amounting to only 9,109,515 tons, as compared with 12,443,44S tons in 1897. The total number of vessels and their tonnage entering the port in 1899 was 15,359 and 9.590,000 respectively, as compared with 13,353 vessels and 6,612,000 tons in 1S91. The number of vessels cleared in 1599 was 15,418, with a tonnage of 9,797.000, as com pared with 13,474 vessels and 6,938.000 tons in MI. The port in 1 S90 owned 270 vessels with a tonnage of 212.000, only about 2 per cent. of the tonnage belonging to sailing vessels, of which there were GI. The number of vessels shows a decline from the 306 vessels in 1891. but the tonnage capacity has increased about 25 per cent. Besides coal, the chief exports are iron and steel manufactures, machinery and mill work, railway cars and wagons, sacks, etc. The imports com prise cattle, grain, copper, and iron ores, petrole mn, timber, and market produce. The total value of imports and exports during 1900 was £17,799. 500 (SS3,997,500). The United States is repre sented by a consul. Cardiff is adequately provid ed with railway facilities. being connected by the Taff Vale and Rhymney lilies with the min eral fields of South Wales, and by the Great Western with London. Population, in 1800, about 2000; in 1850, 18,000; and in 1901, 164,400.
The town probably existed during the Roman occupation. It was a place of importance under the Normans. During the Civil War the castle was alternately in the hands of the Royalists and the Parliamentarians. In 1648 Cromwell cap tured it after a bombardment lasting three days.
Consult: Stuart. "History of Cardiff," in _Irehcrological Journal, Vol. XXVIII. (London. IS71) ; "Architecture of Cardiff," in Builder (London, March, 1897).