EDGEWORTHSTOWN

EDGEWORTHSTOWN, or MOSTRIM, a market and post-town, and a parish, in the barony of ARDAGH, county of LONGFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 6 ¾ miles (E. by S.) from Longford, on the road to Mullingar, and 52 (W. N. W.) from Dublin; containing 4744 inhabitants, of which number, 1001 are in the town, which takes its name from its proprietors, the family of Edgeworth, distinguished for their literary talents.

In 1798 it was entered by a party of the insurgents, after the landing of the French in Kilcummin bay, when the mansion, from which the family had hastily retired, was left untouched. It contains 167 houses, and has a neat and improving appearance, the greater part having been rebuilt. It has a constabulary police station, and a dispensary. The market is on Wednesday; and fairs are held on the day before Shrove-Tuesday, May 5th, July 2nd, Sept. 12th, Nov. 5th, and the third Wednesday in December. The parish comprises 8126 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act.

Edgeworthstown House, the seat of Lovell Edgeworth, Esq., is a handsome mansion in tastefully disposed grounds, laid out in lawns and plantations; it is also the residence of Maria Edgeworth. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Ardagh; the rectory is partly impropriate in Messrs. Greville and Kearney, and Sir J. B. Piers, Bart., and partly united with the vicarage, which is in the patronage of the Bishop. The tithes amount to £329. 10. 9., of which £117. 4. 7. is payable to the impropriators, and £212. 6. 2. to the incumbent.

The church is a handsome edifice, with a spire of iron framework covered with Welsh slate; it was erected by aid of a gift of £150, and a loan of £500, from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1811, and contains a mural tablet to the memory of the late Richard Lovell Edgeworth, Esq., who died in 1817. In the R. C. divisions the parish is united to part of Killoe; the chapel is a large handsome building. There are two schools supported by subscription, and one by Miss Edgeworth; in these about 25 boys and 60 girls are instructed, and there are six private schools, in which are about 270 boys and 110 girls.