WIDNES  , a municipal

borough in the Widnes parliamentary division of Lancashire, England, on the Mersey, 12 M . E.S.E.from Liverpool, served by the London & North-Western and Lancashire & Yorkshire railways and the Cheshire lines . Pop . (tool) 28,580 . It is wholly of modern growth, for in 1851 the population was under 2000 . There are capacious docks on the river, which is crossed by a wrought-iron bridge, s000 ft. long, and 95 in height, completed in 1868, and having two lines of railway and a footpath . Widnes is one of the principal seats of the alkali and soap manufacture, and has also grease-works for locomotives and waggons, copper works, iron-foundries, oil and paint works and sail-cloth manufactories . The barony of Widnes in 1554-1555 was declared to be part of the duchy of Lancaster . The town was incorporated in 1892, and the corporation consists of a mayor, 6 aldermen and 18 councillors . Area, 3110 acres .