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Bradford, Yorkshire, England. Geographical and Historical information from 1835.
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BRADFORD:
Geographical and Historical information from the year 1835.
"BRADFORD, a parish in the wapentake of MORLEY, West riding of the county of YORK, comprising the market-town of Bradford, the chapelries of North Bierley, Hawarth, Heaton, Horton, Shipley, Thornton, and Wilsden, and the townships of AUerton, Bowling, Clayton, Eccleshill, and Manningham, and containing, at the census of 1821 (since which time the population has considerably increased), 52,954 inhabitants, of which number, 13,064 were in the town of Bradford, 34 miles S.W. from York, 10 E.S.E. from Leeds, and 196 (N. N.W.) from London. This place derives its name from a ford on the river Aire, at the western extremity of the town. During the civil war in the reign of Charles I., the inhabitants embraced the cause of the parliament, and on two occasions repulsed a detachment of the royal troops, sent against them from the garrison at Leeds. Sir Thomas Fairfax coming afterwards to their assistance, with eight hundred infantry and sixty cavalry, the Earl of Newcastle, with a powerful army, invested the town, and attempted to storm it in several places. After a vigorous defence, in which he had spent all his ammunition, Fairfax offered to capitulate; but the earl refusing the conditions, he, with about fifty of his horse, cut his way through the lines of the royalists, and escaped. The town is pleasantly situated at the junction of three beautiful and extensive vallies; the streets, though narrow, are well paved, and. lighted with gas, under an act obtained in the 3rd of George IV., subject in its conditions to one passed in the 43rd of George III., for paving, lighting, watching, and improving the town and neighbourhood. The houses, mostly of stone, and roofed with brown slate found in the neighbourhood, are handsome and well built; and the inhabitants are plentifully supplied with water, conveyed by pipes from a fine spring at the distance of three miles. The air, though sharp, is very salubrious; and the neighbourhood abounds with pleasing and picturesque scenery. Assemblies are held in rooms in the Exchange, a handsome building of freestone, recently erected, and containing also a subscription news-room and a library. Music meetings of the Philharmonic Society are held monthly in the Exchange buildings. Bradford is in the centre of the manufacturing districts, and the inhabitants are employed principally in the manufacture of woollen cloth, worsted stuffs, and cotton goods, in the spinning of worsted yarn, and in making ivory and horn combs. The neighbourhood abounds with coal and iron-stone; and about three miles to the south-east of the town are iron-works on a very extensive scale. A branch of the Leeds and Liverpool canal has been brought to this place, and affords great facility to its commerce. The market is on Thursday: the markethouse is a handsome stone building, enclosing a spacious area for the sale of provisions and various kinds of merchandise. Fairs are held on June 17th and the two following days; December 9th and the two following days, for pigs; and March 3rd and 4th, for cattle, &c. The town is within the jurisdiction of the magistrates for the West riding; two constables are appointed annually at a vestry meeting held in the parish church; a court of requests is held under an act passed in the 33rd of George III., for the recovery of debts under 40s.; and a court for the recovery of debts under £5, within the honour of Pontefract, on the Wednesday in every third week. The court-house is a handsome stone building in Darley-street. The Midsummer quarter sessions for the West riding arc held in the Piece-hall, a spacious building in Kirkgate, divided into two apartments, one of which, besides being used for holding the courts, is for the exhibition and sale of stuffs and other articles of manufacture, which are deposited in the other. The living is a vicarage, in the archdeaconry and diocese of York, rated in the king's books at £20, and in the patronage of Richard Fawcett, Esq. The church, dedicated to St. Peter, is an ancient structure in the decorated style of English architecture. Christ-church, a chapel of ease erected in 1814, by parliamentary grant, is a neat building in the decorated style, with a low tower crowned with pinnacles. There are places of worship for Baptists, the Society of Friends, Independents, Primitive and Wesleyan Methodists, UnitarianH, and Roman Catholics. The free grammar school, founded in the reign of Edward VI., and richly endowed, was rebuilt by act of parliament, in 1818: it is a spacious and handsome edifice, with a neat house for the master, and a library for the use of the students. The management is vested in thirteen governors resident in the town and neighbourhood; and, by a charter of Charles II., bearing date October 10th, 1662, the Archbishop of York was constituted visitor. This, is one of the twelve schools that have the privilege of sending candidates for Lady Elizabeth Hastings' exhibitions at Queen's College, Oxford. The dispensary, a large handsome building, was erected and is supported by voluntary contributions. The learned and eloquent Dr. John Sharp, Archbishop of York in the reign of William III., was born at Bradford, in the year 1644."
"ALLERTON, a township in the parish of BRADFORD, wapentake of MORLEY, West riding of the county of YORK, 4 miles W.N.W. from Bradford, containing 1488 inhabitants."
"BOWLING, a township in the parish of BRADFORD, wapentake of MO'RLEY, West riding of the county of YORK, If mile S.W. from Bradford, containing 3579 inhabitants. The Spinning of worsted, and the manufacture of worsted goods, are extensively carried on in this township, in which there are also some ironworks. Bowling Hall, an ancient and stately mansion, was the head-quarters of the Earl of Newcastle, during the siege of Bradford, in 1642."
"CLAYTON, a township in the parish of BRADFORD, wapentake of Mo RLE Y, West riding of the county of YORK, 3 miles S.W. from Bradford, containing 3609 inhabitants, who are chiefly employed in the manufacture of cotton and worsted goods. There are places of worship for Wesleyan Methodists here and at Clayton Heights."
"ECCLESHILL, a township in the parish of BRADFORD, wapentake of MORLEY, West riding of the county of YORK, 3 miles N.N.E. from Bradford, containing 2176 inhabitants. Wesleyan Methodists and Independents have each a place of worship here. There are several scribbling and worsted-mills in the township."
"HAWORTH, a chapelry in the parish of BRADFORD, wapentake of MORLEY, West riding of the county of YORK, 4 miles S.W. from Keighley, containing 4668 inhabitants. This chapelry is situated in a district abounding with manufactories for cloth and worsted. Fairs are held, July 22nd and October 14th. There ar places of worship for Baptists and Wesleyan Methodists."
"HEATON, a chapelry in the parish of BRADFORD, wapentake of MORLEY, West riding of the county of YORK, 2 miles N.N.W. from Bradford, containing 1217 inhabitants. Here is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists."
"HORTON, a chapelry in the parish of BRADFORD., wapentake of MORLEY, West riding of the county of YORK, 2 miles W.S.W. from Bradford, containing 7192 inhabitants. The living is a perpetual. curacy, in the archdeaconry and diocese of York, endowed with £200 royal bounty, and £1800 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of the Vicar of Bradford.. There is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. The manufacture of cotton and woollen goods is carried on here. The free grammar school was founded and endowed by Christopher Scott, in the reign of Charles I., with a school-house and an annuity of £18, since augmented to £ 68 per annum: all applicants are admitted, and about two hundred children are instructed here; but classical education has been discontinued.. A schoolroom and dwelling-house were erected in 1805, and endowed with £600, raised by contributions, for the education of children and young persons residing in the hamlets of Stanbury and Haworth: the income is £30 per annum, and there are sixty free scholars."
"MANNINGHAM, a township in the parish of BRADFORD, wapentake of MORLEY, West riding of the county of YORK, 1 mile N.W. from Bradford, containing 2474 inhabitants, who are principally employed in the spinning of worsted yarn and the manufacture of woollen goods."
"NORTH BIERLEY, a chapelry in the parish of BRADFORD, wapentake of MORLEY, West riding of the county of YORK, 2 miles S.S.E. from Bradford, containing 6070 inhabitants. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry and diocese of York, endowed with £1800 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of Miss Currer. The chapel lately received an addition of three hundred and twenty free sittings, toward defraying the expense of which the Incorporated Society for the enlargement of churches and. chapels granted £200. There are extensive iron-works within this chapelry, and throughout the entire parish the woollen manufacture prevails to a very considerable extent."
"SHIPLEY, a district (parochial), in the parish of BRADFORD, wapentake of MORLEY, West riding of the county of YORK 3 miles N.N.W. from Bradford, containing 1606 inhabitants. A church was founded in 1825, under the authority of His Majesty's Commissioners, and in 1828 it was constituted a district church; the estimate, including incidental expenses, was £7622. 7. There are places of worship for Baptists and Wesleyan Methodists. A branch of the Leeds and Liverpool canal passes through the township, in which the manufacture of worsted, woollen cloth, paper, &c., is carried on to some extent."
"THORNTON, a chapelry in the parish of BRADFORD, wapentake of MORLEY, West riding of the county of YORK, 4 miles W. from Bradford, containing 4100 inhabitants. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry and diocese of York, endowed with £400 private benefaction, £600 rOyal bounty, and £400 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of the Vicar of Bradford. The chapel, dedicated to St. James, is principally in the later style of English architecture. There are quarries of freestone in the neighbourhood, and the manufacture of worsted is carried on to a considerable extent. A school, erected by subscription, is endowed with £ 50 per annum, arising from the produce of divers benefactions, the principal of which are those of George Ellis and Samuel Sunderland: about eighty children are instructed, some of them in the classics."
"WIBSEY, a chapelry in the parish of BRADFORD, wapentake of MORLEY, West riding of the county of YORK, 2 miles S.S.W. from Bradford, with which the population is returned. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry and diocese of York, endowed with £600 private benefaction, £400 royal bounty, and £300 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of the Vicar of Bradford. The chapel, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, has lately received an addition of five hundred sittings, of which three hundred are free, the Incorporated Society for the enlargement of churches and chapels having granted £250 towards defraying the expense. The manufacture of worsted is extensively carried on here."
"WILSDEN, a township in the parish of BRADFORD, wapentake of MORLEY, West riding of the county of YORK, 4 miles S.S.E. from Keighley, containing 1711 inhabitants. The first stone of a new chapel was laid here in 1823, which was finished in 1825, at an expense of £7710. 13. 6., defrayed by the parliamentary commissioners; it was made a district church in 1838, the right of presentation being vested in the Vicar of Bradford. There are places of worship for Independents and Wesleyan Methodists. The spinning of worsted and cotton is extensively carried on, and there are also manufactories for cotton and linen goods."
[Transcribed by Mel Lockie © from
Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1835]