To MANCHESTER, LIVERPOOL, CHESTER AND MONTGOMERYSHIRE, the Shropshire Union Railway and Canal Co. from their wharf, Water lane, three times a week To THE POTTERIES, the Shropshire Union Railway and Canal Co. three times a week—Pickford & Co. agents To SHREWSBURY, the Shropshire Union Railway and Canal Co. three times & week OLDBURY SEE WORCESTERSHIRE. OSWESTRY, WITH THE VILLAGES OF WHITTINGTON, MORDA AND NEIGHBOURHOODS. OSWESTRY is a borough corporate, market town and parish, having separate jurisdiction, locally in the hundred of its name; 171 miles N.W. from London, 18 N.W. from Shrewsbury. 16 N. from Welchpool, 15 S. from Wrexham, and 12 S.E. from Llangollen. It lies on the main road from London to Holyhead, upon higher ground than any other town in Shropshire: the country around is delightfully varied with hill, dale, wood, and water—exhibiting some remarkable rich and picturesque scenery. Oswestry is of great antiquity, and its present appellation, which is a corruption of _Oswaldstree_, was derived from the name of St. Oswald, King of Northumberland, who was defeated and slain here by Penda, King of Mercia, A.D. 642. Subsequently, when the great Offa constructed the barrier still known by his name, Oswestry stood between it and Watt’s dyke, which ran parallel to the former, at the distance of two miles: it was thus rendered a border town, and hence became frequently the scene of contest, first between the Saxons and the Britons, and afterwards between the latter and the Normans. In 1212, under its Lord Fitz-Alan, it was taken and burnt by King John, also by the Welch prince, Llewellyn, in 1233. During this period it was encircled by a strong wall, which had four gates, fronting the four cardinal points: some traces of the former may still be seen, but the gates were entirely demolished about the year 1783. Of the castle, which stood on a lofty artificial mount at the west side of the town, only a few fragments now remain; these, however, are sufficient to indicate its primitive strength, and consequent importance, as a station of defence. It may be said of Oswestry that it ranks as the birth-place of the Stuart race of Kings. Walter Fitz-Alan, founder of Paisley monastery, whose descendants took the name of Stewart, from their office of high ‘Stewards,’ of Scotland, was born here and flourished in the reigns of Stephen, and Henry II. A great part of the town was destroyed by casual fires which occurred in 1542, 1544 and 1567. Oswestry has been much improved since the year 1810, when an act was obtained for widening, paving and lighting the streets, which gave an impulse to the spirit of building. In 1825 gas was introduced; and the ancient structures of timber and brick have given place to respectable modern edifices. Additional improvements have since taken place, and large and commodious market-places have been erected for the sale of butter, cheese, poultry and butchers meat, for which the locality is well