MARKET DRAYTON

market drayton, a market town in the newport division of shropshire, england, on the river tern and the shropshire union canal, 178 m. n.w. from london. pop. (civil parish of drayton-in-hales, 1901), 5167. the wellington-crewe line of the great western railway is here joined by a branch into staffordshire of the north staffordshire railway. the church of st mary has norman remains but is modernised by restoration. the town is a centre of agricultural trade, and there are large iron foundries. it is in the parish of drayton-in-hales, a name sometimes applied to it; and it is also known as drayton magna. it is an ancient town, of which the manor was held successively by the abbots of st ebrulph in normandy and combermere in cheshire. on blore heath, 3 m. east in staffordshire, audley cross marks a great battle in the wars of the roses (1459), in which the yorkists were successful and lord audley fell.