MIDDLESBOROUGH, situated near the mouth of the Tees, on its south bank, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, has now become the principal seat of the English iron trade. It is a municipal and parliamentary borough, locally governed by a mayor and corporation, and returns a member to parliament. The earlier history of the place is meagre. Where Middlesborough now stands (Graves s History of Cleveland) there were at one time a small chapel and priory founded by Robert de Brus of Skelton Castle. These were dedicated to St Hilda, and with some lands were given by De Brus to the abbey of St Hilda at Whitby in 1130. The priory fell into ruins at the time of the Reformation, and no trace now remains beyond some stones built into the wall of a brewery. The mayor’s chair also is made from a fragment. In 1801 there were upon the site of Middlesborough only four farm-houses. In 1829 a company styling itself the Middlesborough Owners bought 500 acres of land, and commenced building the town. In 1830 the Stockton and Darlington Railway was extended from Stockton to Middlesborough; four years later the town was lighted with gas; and after six years more a public market was established. The census of 1831 showed the population to be 154; that of 1841 showed 5709. In 1842 the opening of the docks gave additional importance to the town. First containing an area of 9 acres, they were extended in 1872 to 12 acres, with 1700 feet of quays. Vessels of 3000 tons burden can be accommodated. From the year 1851, when J. Vaughan discovered the presence of ironstone in the Eston Hills, the town advanced with rapid strides. When the jubilee of the town was held in 1881 (a year late) the population had risen to 55,934, the area to 2731 acres, and the rateable value to £140,000, the population of ...