Market Drayton, is a small market town and parish, partly in the hundred of Bradford-north, in the county of Salop, and partly in the in the hundred of Pirehill; Pop. 4,619, principally employed in the manufacture of paper, and hair-cloth for seating; An.As. Val. 416,777 Market on Wednesday; fairs. Wednesday before Palm Sunday. September 19. October 24, for horned and other cattle, horses, and bempen and woollen cloth. Though now but a small township, it was formerly a British city of considerable dimensions, known under the name of Caer Draithon. Blore-heath, two miles from here, was the scene of an obstinately contested battle between the Yorkists, under the command of the Earl of Salisbury, and the Lancasterians, under Lord Audley; the forces of the latter were nearly double those of the former, who, however, defeated them with great slaughter, and in this case exhibited more than the usual talent of the commanders of those times, having gained the victory entirely by his superior generalship. The business of this once prosperous town, has of late years sensibly fallen off, the opening of the Grand Trunk Canal having, it is supposed, diverted the tide of its prosperity, and enabled other towns to rival it with success.
The Church, dedicated to St. Mary, is a very ancient edifice, and dates its origin from the early part of the 12th century; the living is a vicarage, in the archdeaconry of Salop, and diocese of Lichfield and Coventry; K.B. £12 10s. 7d.; P.R. £130; patron. R. Corbet, Esq. In the
