Halifax Parish

MARSHAW BRIDGE, in the township of Erringden, and parish of Halifax, Morley-division of Agbrigg and Morley, liberty of Wakefield, 9 miles from Halifax.

The Chapel, which was built here in 1814, and consecrated by the present Archbishop of York, Oct. 1815, is entitled the Chapel of St. John, in the Wilderness, and to which the Vicar of Halifax presents. It is situated in a remote, and obscure valley, not devoid of romantic beauty, called Turvin.

The native propensity of the inhabitants, and the almost inaccessible nature of the place, about half a century ago, rendered this valley, and the adjoining wild, unhappily notorious, and at length attracted the notice of government: for here the current gold coin of England and Portugal, was clipped and defaced, while the clippings and filings, during several years, were melted down and restruck in dies. They had no screw presses for the purpose, but fixed their dies in heavy blocks. The impression was produced by the stroke of sledge hammers, which were nightly heard on every side, no one daring, for some time, to interrupt so powerful and desperate a gang. At length, the atrocious, murder of a poor exciseman, who had boldly done his duty, in attempting to bring some of the parties to justice, produced a general alarm; two of the murderers, and afterwards a third, were convicted, and executed. --Whitaker.