MONMOUTH

Welsh Trefynwy town, historic and present county of Monmouthshire (Sir Fynwy), southeastern Wales, at the confluence of the Rivers Wye and Monnow on the English border. The town of Monmouth, granted its first royal charter in 1256, became important as the market for a rich agricultural region. Historical features include remains of an 11th-century Benedictine priory, a 13th-century gateway on Monnow Bridge, a boys' school founded in 1614, the 17th-century Wye Bridge, and the Shire Hall (1724). On nearby Kymin Hill the Naval Temple was built (1800) to honour 18th-century admirals. Lord Nelson had many associations with Monmouth, and the town's Nelson Museum houses a fine collection of his relics. Monmouth is the historic county town (seat) of Monmouthshire. Pop. (1991) 7,246. district, Gwent county, Wales, extending from the River Usk valley in the west to the River Wye valley in the east and including both the plain of Gwent in the south and part of the mountainous Brecon Beacons National Park in the north. It borders the Bristol Channel to the south and the districts of Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, and Newport to the west; Brecknock to the north; the English districts of South Herefordshire and Forest of Dean to the east. Created in 1974, Monmouth district covers an area of 321 square miles (831 square km). Constituting the southern end of the Welsh Marches (border country), the region has long been of strategic value as a gateway between England and South Wales. The Normans recognized the importance of the river crossing on the Wye in the area and began construction of Chepstow Castle (in Chepstow) shortly after their landing at Hastings in 1066. The district is primarily agricultural, with dairying important in the Usk valley and on the coastal fringe, while sheep are raised on the uplands. Administrative offices for the district are located in Pontypool, in neighbouring Torfaen district. Abergavenny is a market town with some light engineering and printing. The town of Usk, on the River Usk, is noted for angling. The district has excellent motorway and railway connections with London, the Midlands, and other parts of South Wales. Pop. (1991 prelim.) 75,000. city, seat (1836) of Warren county, western Illinois, U.S. Established in 1831, it was named to commemorate the American Revolutionary War battle fought at Monmouth, N.J. (June 28, 1778). Its economy has an agricultural base: livestock, corn (maize), processed meats, and pet foods, with some light manufacturing, chiefly pottery. Monmouth College was founded in 1853. Wyatt Earp, the well-known gunfighter, was born in Monmouth. Inc. village, 1836; city, 1852. Pop. (1990) 9,489. county, east-central New Jersey, U.S., bounded by Raritan and Sandy Hook bays to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. It comprises a coastal lowland drained by the Manasquan, Shark, Navesink, Swimming, Shrewsbury, and Millstone rivers. The county is forested primarily with oak, hickory, and shortleaf pine. Sandy Hook, a peninsula extending northward from the northeastern corner of the county, is part of Gateway National Recreation Area. The lighthouse on its northern tip, built in 1764, is the oldest in operation in the country. Algonquian-speaking Delaware Indians inhabited the region before it was permanently settled by Europeans. Freehold, the county seat, was the site of the Battle of Monmouth Court House (June 28, 1778) during the American Revolution. Allaire State Park contains a restored 19th-century iron-making village. Ocean Grove was founded in 1869 as a Methodist summer resort. West Long Branch is the home of Monmouth College (founded 1933). Other communities are Middletown, Howell, Long Branch, Neptune, Marlboro, Manalapan, and Asbury Park. Monmouth, one of New Jersey's original counties, was created in 1683 and named for Monmouth, Wales. The primary economic activities are services, retail trade, and agriculture (nurseries and greenhouses). Area 472 square miles (1,222 square km). Pop. (1990) 553,093; (1996 est.) 591,182.