The Ancient Parish of Glossop in 19th Century Trade Directories



Slater's Directory 1850.

Glossop with Howard's Town, Whitfield with Hadfield, Charlesworth and Neighbourhoods.

Glossop is a village, township and parish, in the hundred of High Peak; 184 miles NNW from London, 50 NNW from Derby, 25 NW from Sheffield and 13 SE from Manchester; situated a short distance from the main line of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway, with which it is connected by a branch of about a mile in length, terminating at Howard's Town, where there is a handsome covered station. This village, which is populous, and of great manufacturing consequence, is situated on a rising bank, springing from one of the deepest valleys in the Peak. The country around is very pleasing, and many of the views may be considered romantic; thriving plantations ornament the home scenery, and the lands in the low grounds are fertile, but the mountainous parts are covered with heath and abound with grouse - the land, however, is gradually being cultivated. In Glossop and its adjunct Howard's Town (which latter has become far more populous and important that its parent village) are numerous establishments for spinning cotton, and the manufacture of various fabrics from that article; for calico printing, also, there is an extensive concern at Dinting Vale, and woollen goods are made to a limited extent: there are, besides, three paper mills in the neighbourhood. Coal is obtained from mines about three miles hence, and that article is regularly transmitted by the railway. Howard's Town owes its rapid rise, to the enterprising spirit of John Wood, Esq., whose manufacturing establishments are on a gigantic scale, and exceed by but few in the kingdom. The place, which is of comparatively modern date, now boasts a handsome town hall, a convenient market place, gas works and a commodious railway station, with warehouses. The Duke of Norfolk is lord of the manor, and holds courts leet at Easter and Michaelmas; at the latter period a constable and head borough used to be appointed, for the government of the townships, but parochial constables have now superseded the authority of those officers. Glossop is within the jurisdiction of the Tutbury court of pleas; but being also included in the eighth circuit of County Court towns, for the recovery of debts to any amount not exceeding £20., the ancient court has become inoperative; the new court is held monthly; and the magistrates, for the division, assemble in petty sessions once a fortnight. Glossop is a polling station at the election of members to represent North Derbyshire. The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire railway is carried over Dinting Vale by means of a bridge of sixteen arches; the centre five are constructed of wooden planks, ingeniously bolted together, and resting upon massive stone piers - this bridge is justly reckoned among the "railway wonders," and is indeed, well worth the inspection of the curious in these matters.

The parish church of All Saints is an ancient edifice; the body has been rebuilt, and public worship was performed in it, for the first time, after the completion of the repairs, in September, 1832; the living is a discharged vicarage, in the presentation of the Duke of Norfolk, the Rev. -- Manson is the present incumbent. In the church was a monument, by Bacon, to the memory of Joseph Hague, Esq. of Park Hall, near Hayfield, who bequeathed the interest of £1,000, towards clothing twenty-four poor men and women, of this and some of the adjacent townships: this monument has been removed to Hayfield. Glossop Hall, the property of the Duke of Norfolk, is near the village. His Grace has erected here, at his own expense, a Roman Catholic chapel - a neat edifice, in the Tuscan order, capable of seating six hundred persons. On Wednesday, the 30th of July, 1834, the neighbourhood of Glossop was visited by a tremendous tempest; the village appeared, at one time, to be enveloped in a continuous blaze of lightning, while the thunder, pealing amongst the hills, was unusually loud and terrific, and the rain and hail poured down in such quantities as to cause an overwhelming flood, which swept down the valley with impetuous force, carrying devastation, and striking with dismay the inhabitants. Several mills received great injury; and two young women and a child, belonging to one of these works, perished in the flood. Extensive damage was done to the fields, gardens, fences, roads and bridges, of which last four were entirely destroyed. A fair, for cattle and various commodities, is held on the 6th of May. The parish of Glossop contained, by the returns for 1831, 13,766 inhabitants, and in 1841, 14,575 - of which last number 3,548 were returned for the township.

Whitfield is a village about one mile from Glossop - to which parish it formerly belonged, but in 1844 was constituted a parish under Sir Robert Peel's act, and now includes Hadfield, part of Padfield, Dinting and Chunal. In 1846, a new church was consecrated for the district, and dedicated to St James: the living is in the gift of the Crown and the Bishop of the diocese alternately; the Rev John Teague is the present incumbent. A charity school was founded at Whitfield by the late Mr. Joseph Hague; since the appointment of Mr Ball, the present master, the school premises have been raised, and there is now an upper school wherein the classes are taught. The population of the new district parish is estimated at 8,000 persons.

Charlesworth erected into a parish under the same act that conferred a similar distinction upon Whitfield, &c, was previously a hamlet, in the parish of Glossop, situated three miles from that town. The new church is dedicated to St John, and the patrons of the living are the same as those at Whitfield; the rev Goodwin Purcell is the present incumbent. The population of the new parish is about 3,500.

Post Office, Howard's Town, Joseph Oates, Post Master - Letters from all parts arrive (From Manchester), every morning at half-past eight, and afternoon at half-past four, and are despatched thereto, at one and half-past five in the afternoon.

Conveyance by Railway:

Carriers:

Hayfield and Neighbourhood.

Hayfield, an independent chapelry, generally included in the parish of Glossop, is 5 miles S from that town, and about the same distance north from Chapel-en-le-Frith. It is a populous manufacturing district, having several large cotton factories, one for woollen goods, and works for calico printing. Some of the county magistrates assemble here monthly, on Thursday, and the commissioners of taxes and turnpike roads hold their annual meetings at the George Inn occasionally

The church, a handsome modern edifice, rebuilt by the inhabitants in 1818, is very much admired for its neatness: the living is a perpetual curacy; the resident freeholders have the privilege of nominating the minister: This peculiar right it seems was granted by Richard II, in the year 1386; the present incumbent is the Rev. Samuel Wasse, MA. The Methodists have a chapel here, with a Sunday school; and connected with the church is a large grammar and Sunday school, having an endowment for the education of a limited number of free scholars. About a mile from Hayfield, on the Glossop road, is Park Hall, the beautiful seat of John White, Esq., a magistrate for the county. A fair for cattle is held on the 12th of May. The chapelry of Hayfield contained, in 1841, 3,637 inhabitants; and the township 1,715 of that number.

Post Office, at the George Inn, Rachael Quarmby, Post Mistress - Letters from all parts arrive (from Stockport) every morning at a quarter past nine, and are despatched thereto at half-past five in the afternoon.

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Carriers:

Mellor with Marple, Marple Bridge, Compstall Bridge, Ludworth, Romily and Neighbourhoods.

Mellor is a chapelry, in the parish of Glossop and hundred of the High Peak - the village is 6 miles SW from Glossop, 8 NNW from Chapel-en-le-Frith, 7 E from Stockport, and 14 SE from Manchester. Many factories are established within the chapelry, and the spinning of cotton, and the manufacture of cotton goods, employ a large number of the working class of both sex. At a short distance from the village is the church (or chapel) of St James, a neat stone structure: the living, a curacy, is enjoyed by the Rev. Matthew Freeman. The Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists have each a place of worship here. The population of the chapelry has been decreasing for several years: in 1821 it contained 2,099 inhabitants, in 1831, 2,059, and, in 1841, 2,015.

Marple and Marple Bridge, commonly called Upper and Nether Marple, (Nether Marple or Marple Bridge being in the county of Derby), form a chapelry in the parish of Stockport, about 5 miles ESE from that town. Cotton spinning, bleaching and calico printing, are carried on to some extent in the chapelry and neighbourhood; and upon the river Goyt are some corn mills. Not far from the village is a noble aqueduct of three arches, which bestrides the river Mersey. A branch from the Peak Forest canal to Macclesfield, was opened here on the 9th November, 1831; it joins the Mersey canal at Lawton. Wyberslegh Hall, now a farm house, is notable as the birth-place of John Bradshaw, who was president of the high court of justice that sentenced Charles I to the scaffold. In the register of Stockport church his birth is thus entered: 1602, John the Sonne of Henry Bradshaw, of Marple, was baptized the 10th of December. The probate copy of his will, which may still be seen at Marple Hall, contains a bequest of £700 to purchase an annuity or maintaining a free school, at Marple; the changes with regard to property, brought about at the restoration, prevented this provision from being available; Henry Bradshaw, however, who survived his brother, founded a small school here and endowed it with the interest of £100., which has since been augmented by other benefactions. Marple Hall is a noble old house, finely situated on the rise of a hill above the Goyt, and is, as well as Wyberslegh Hall, the property of the Isherwood family, descendants of President Bradshaw. The chapel of ease, here, was some years since rebuilt of stone, and the tower furnished with the old bells of Stockport church; the living is a perpetual curacy, in the gift of the rector of Stockport. The Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists have each a place of worship. The chapelry contained, in 1831, 2,678 inhabitants, and in 1841, 3,462.

Two miles from Marple, in the parish of Stockport, is the village of Compstall Bridge, the inhabitants of which are, for the most part, employed in the cotton mills, and calico printing works. The Episcopal chapel of St Paul, and a meeting house each, for Primitive and Wesleyan and Methodists, are the places of worship. Thirty or forty years ago Compstall consisted of only a few straggling cottages; but since the establishment of the cotton manufacture, it has been gradually increasing - its population, now, amounts to 2,000 or upwards.

Romily is a township, also in the parish of Stockport, from which it is distant about four miles; situated on the hills bordering on the county of Derby. Chadkirk chapel is in this township, nearly opposite to Marple Hall; and there are places of worship for Independents and Wesleyan Methodists. The living of Romily, or Chadkirk, is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the rector of Stockport. The number of inhabitants, in 1831, was 1,290, and, in 1841, 1,465.

Post Office, Marple, Joseph Rowbottom, Post Master - Letters from all parts arrive every morning at a quarter past eight, and are despatched at half-past six in the evening.

Post Office, Compstall Bridge, William Greaves, Post Master - Letters from all parts arrive (from Stockport) every morning at ten, and are despatched thereto at five in the afternoon.

Post Office, Romily, Charles Ridgway, Post Master - Letters from all parts arrive (from Stockport) every morning at half-past nine, and are despatched thereto at half-past five in the afternoon.

Coaches &c. Calling at the Jolly Sailor, Marple:

Conveyance by Railway: Carriers:

New Mills, Disley and Neighbourhoods.

New Mills is an extensive hamlet in the parish of Glossop, in the hundred of High Peak; 6 NW from Chapel-en-le-Frith, nearly 8 SE from Stockport and 14 miles SE from Manchester - pleasantly situated on the confines of Derbyshire and Cheshire. This is a place of modern date, having within a comparatively few years risen to importance in the manufacturing district - cotton spinning being carried on here to a considerable extent, affording employment to numerous persons. The factories are in a great measure hid from public view in passing through the village - being built at the foot of the stream, under high towering rocks. Good house coal, as well as other kinds for the purpose of machinery, is obtained in the vicinity. The village is built chiefly upon a stone quarry, but the soil in many parts is fertile, producing good crops of wheat and potatoes. New Mills was originally known as Bowden-Middle-Call, and comprised seven hamlets: about a century ago it was subdivided - three of the hamlets were attached to Hayfield, and the other four, Beard, Olerset, Whitle and Thornsett, were formed into a township. A new mill was then erected for the use of the inhabitants, upon the river Kinder, and the name of New Mills was, in consequence, conferred on the four before-mentioned hamlets.

The places of worship are, a district church, erected some few years since; and chapels for Independents, Primitive Methodists, those of the Old Connexion and Warrenites, and Roman Catholics. The church, dedicated to St George, is a handsome stone edifice, in the gothic style: the cost of its erection amounted to about £3,500, of which sum £2,500 were granted by the church commissioners, and the ground for its site was given by Lord George Cavendish: the living is a perpetual curacy , in the presentation of the vicar of Glossop. A charity school, for the gratuitous instruction of nine poor children, is in the hamlet of Whitle; and there is an allotment of land for the support of another school. Fairs, for cattle, are held May 11th and October 22nd. In 1831 the population of the hamlets comprised in New Mills was 3,538, and, by the returns for 1841, 3,591.

Disley, or Distley, anciently spelt Dystelegh-Stanlegh, is a village and chapelry, in the hundred of Macclesfield and parish of Stockport (Cheshire), about six miles SE of the latter town. In the time of Edward I, Disley was held by Jordan de Dystelegh, and a hamlet on the north side by Grym de Stanlegh; hence the compound modern appellation of Disley-Stanley. The situation of the village is very pleasant, on the immediate borders of Derbyshire, upon the high road to Derby. Several cotton spinning and printing works are in the neighbourhood. Saint Mary's chapel here was rebuilt in 1558 and has been subsequently enlarged and repaired at three different periods. The tower, which is of stone, contains a peal of six bells and the chancel window some beautiful specimens of heraldic stained glass. The living of Disley is a perpetual curacy, of which Thomas Legh, Esquire, is the patron: Lyme Hall, the seat of this gentleman, is about two miles hence. The population of the chapelry, in 1831, was 2,037, and, in 1841, 2,191.

Post - New Mills, James Fielding, Receiver - Letters from all parts arrive (from Stockport) every morning at nine, and are despatched thereto at six in the evening.

Post - Disley, Charles Atkinson, Receiver - Letters from all parts arrive (from Stockport) daily at twelve noon, and are despatched thereto at half-past two in the afternoon.

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Conveyance by Railway: Carriers:

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Last updated: 25 January 2012