- Monmouth
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/mon"meuhth/, n.1. James Scott, Duke of, 1649-85, illegitimate son of Charles II of England and pretender to the throne of James II.2. a city in W Illinois. 10,706.3. Monmouthshire.4. former name of Freehold.
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city, seat (1831) of Warren county, western Illinois, U.S. It lies about 60 miles (100 km) northwest of Peoria. Established in 1831, it was named to commemorate the Battle of Monmouth (Monmouth, Battle of) (New Jersey) fought during the American Revolution (June 28, 1778). When the city was originally to be named, three potential names (Kosciusko, Isabella, and Monmouth) were placed in a hat. Kosciusko, for Polish officer Tadeusz Kościusko (Kościuszko, Tadeusz) (who gained fame for his role assisting American forces during the Revolution), was drawn, but residents decided the name was too difficult to spell, and it was withdrawn; Monmouth was subsequently drawn. The city's economy has an agricultural base centred on livestock, corn (maize), and soybeans. Food processing is a major industry, and there is also some light manufacturing, including wood pallets and pottery. The city is the seat of Monmouth College (1853), affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Monmouth hosts popular maple (July) and beef (September) festivals. Wyatt Earp (Earp, Wyatt), the legendary American West frontiersman, was born in Monmouth; his birthplace has been restored as a museum. Inc. village, 1836; city, 1852. Pop. (1990) 9,489; (2000) 9,841.Welsh Trefynwytown, 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 (Nelson, Horatio Nelson, Viscount) 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. (2001) 8,877.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 (Monmouth, Battle of) (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. (2000) 615,301; (2007 est.) 642,030.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
