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Berwick (More fully BER- WICK-ON-TWEED)

or more fully, BER- WICK-ON-TWEED, a seaport town of England, formerly a Parliamentary borough, but now incorporated with Northumberland, and giving name to a Parliamentary division of the county.

It stands on the N. or Scottish side of the Tweed. It is surrounded by walls of earth faced with stone, along which is an agreeable promenade. The Tweed is crossed by an old bridge of 15 arches and by a fine railway viaduct. The chief industries are iron founding, the manufacture of engines and boilers, agricultural implements, feeding cake, manures, ropes, twine, etc.; there is a small shipping trade. In the beginning of the 12th century, during the reign of Alexander I., Berwick was part of Scotland, and the capital of the district called Lothian.

In 1216 the town and castle were stormed and taken by King John; Bruce retook them in 1318; but, after undergoing various sieges and vicissitudes, both were surrendered to Edward IV. in 1482, and have ever since remained in possession of England. Pop. about 15,000.