Shrewsbury, the county town of Shropshire, on the Severn, 36 miles SSW. of Crewe, 42 W. by N. of Birmingham, and 163 NW. of London. The river here makes a serpentine curve and is spanned by the English Bridge (rebuilt 1774), the Welsh Bridge (rebuilt 1795), the iron bow and girder Kingsland Bridge (1882), which lead to the suburbs of Abbey-Foregate, Coleham, Frankwell, Castle-Foregate, and Kingsland; and the Greyfriars iron foot-bridge (1879). With its steep, narrow streets, and its wealth of black and white half-timbered houses, Shrewsbury is picturesque as very few English towns. Its Norman castle, built by Roger de Montgomery, still stands, though greatly modernised; and coeval with it is Holy Cross or Abbey Church, belonging to a Benedictine abbey (1083). Of the other eight Anglican churches the chief is St Mary's, Norman to Perpendicular in style, with a Jesse window, the tomb of Admiral Benbow, and a spire 222 feet high. Noteworthy also are the Roman Catholic church (1856), by Pugin; the council-house (1501-60), where Charles I. stayed in 1642, and James II. in 1687; the old market-house (1595); the new market-hall (1868); the shire-hall (rebuilt 1836, and again, after fire, 1883); the corn exchange (1869); the post-office (1877); the county infirmary (1747-1830); the eye, ear, and throat hospital (1881); the 'Raven' Hotel, where Farquhar in 1704 wrote the Recruiting Officer; the 'Quarry,' a pretty park of 23 acres, with its lime-tree avenue (1719); a Doric column (1816) to Lord Hill, 134 feet high; and a bronze statue (1860) by Marochetti of Clive. The county museum and a free library now occupy the old buildings (1630) of the grammar-school, which was transferred to a fine new site of 26 acres (now 50 acres) in 1882, since which time the number of the boys has increased from 170 to over 300. Founded by
Edward VI. in 1551, though not actually opened till 1562, and augmented by Queen Elizabeth in 1571, this school was recognised as one of the seven great public schools in the Public Schools Act of 1868, and owes its greatness partly to its rich endowment (£3100 per annum), but still more to the exertions of two successive headmasters, Dr Samuel Butler (1798-1836), afterwards Bishop of Lichfield, and Dr Kennedy (1836-66). Among its alumni have been Sir Philip Sidney, Fulke Greville, Wycherley, Judge Jeffreys, the Marquis of Halifax, Charles Darwin, Bishop Fraser of Manchester, Archbishop Thomson, Earl Cranbrook, H. C. Raikes, Stanley Weyman, and such famous scholars as B. H. Kennedy, F. A. Paley, H. A. J. Munro, R. Shillete, and J. E. B. Mayor. A statue of Darwin, in front of it, was unveiled 1897. Glass-painting, malting, iron-founding, and the making of farm implements are industries; and 'Shrewsbury cakes' have long been held in esteem. Chartered by Richard I., the borough returned two members from Edward I.'s reign till 1885, when the representation was reduced to one. Pop. (1851) 19,681; (1881) 26,481; (1891) 26,967. The Cymric Pengwerne ('alder hill'), after its capture in 778 from the king of Powys by Offa of Mercia the place changed its name to Scrobbesbyrig ('town in the wood'), of which the modern name is a corruption. Thenceforward it has figured often in history, having been visited by most of the English kings, and repeatedly besieged—e.g. by Llewellyn (1215) and the parliamentarians (1644). In the battle of Shrewsbury, fought at Battlefield, 3 miles NE., on 21st July 1403, Henry IV. (q.v.) routed Hotspur and his confederates. For the earls of Shrewsbury, see TALBOT, and SHEFFIELD.
See works by T. Phillips (1779), H. Owen and J. B. Blakeway (1825), H. Pidgeon (1857), W. Phillips (1878), and G. W. Fisher (1899).