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Keighley, Yorkshire, England. Geographical and Historical information from 1868.

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KEIGHLEY:
Geographical and Historical information from the year 1868.

"KEIGHLEY, a parish, market and post town, in the E. division of the wapentake of Staincliff, West Riding county York, 9 miles S.W. of Bradford, and 212 N.W. of London. It is situated under Blackstone Edge, on the banks of the river Aire, here crossed by a stone bridge, and on the old road from Bradford to Skipton. It is a station on the Colne and Skipton branch of the Leeds and Bradford railway, and the Leeds and Liverpool canal passes within a short distance, thus affording communication with all parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire. The parish is very extensive, being 10 miles in length and 4 in breadth, with an area of upwards of 10,000 acres, most of which is in a high state of cultivation. It contains the villages and hamlets of Bogham, Braithwaite, Dockroyd, Eastwood, Exleyhead, Fell Lane, Hare Hill, Knowle, Laycock, Newsholme, Oakworth, Slippery Ford, Skyes, Thwaites, and Utley. Keighley is situated in the midst of a manufacturing district, its chief industry being worsted and cotton spinning, for which there are several extensive mills, affording employment to most of its inhabitants. The latter was introduced by the celebrated Sir Richard Arkwright, who erected the first cotton factory here in 1780. A great part of the machinery used in the several factories is manufactured in the town, and there are two paper mills and several large corn mills. The town, which stands in a valley near the confluence of the rivulets Worth and North Beck, has many houses built of stone, is well paved, lighted with gas, and plentifully supplied with water. It is the seat of a Poor-law Union, and the head of County Court and superintendent registry districts. Petty sessions and county courts are held weekly, and the Board of Guardians meets on Wednesdays. It is a polling place for the West Riding elections. The town is governed by a board of health, under whose control are the lighting, paving, and cleansing. It contains a court-house, sessions-house, market-place, mechanics' institute, working men's hall, Odd Fellows' hall, bank, savings-bank, and union poorhouse. There is also an agricultural society, which holds its annual meetings in September. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Ripon, value £358. The parish church, dedicated to St. Andrew, is a Gothic structure built on the site of an older one. It has an octagonal tower containing a clock and eight bells, and in the interior was until recently a tomb bearing date 1023. In addition to the parish church, there are three district churches, viz: Ingrow with Hamworth, Eastwood, and Oakworth, the livings of all which are perpetual curacies* varying in value from £150 to £145. The former is in the patronage of the bishop, and the latter two of the bishop and crown alternately. The parochial charities produce about £607 per annum, of which £342 was bequeathed by Mr. Bowcock for apprenticing boys of the parish; besides which are the endowments for the following schools:-Drake's free grammar school, £160, founded in 1713; Tonson's free school, £41; and Sarah Heaton's free school at Harehill, £33. There are chapels for Wesleyans, Baptists, and several other dissenting denominations. There are National schools for both sexes, also schools in connection with some of the chapels. Isaac Butterfield, a native of this place, who died in 1783, aged two years, weighed 8 stone, and was 3 feet high when he was only twenty months old. Many Roman coins were discovered at Elham Grange in 1775. Keighley supports two periodicals, the Keighley Visitor, published monthly, and Keighley Guardian, fortnightly. There is a cemetery for the use of the parish about a mile from the town, on the river's bank. The Duke of Devonshire is lord of the manor. Wednesday is market day. Fairs are held on the 8th and 9th May, and the 7th, 8th, and 9th November."


"BOGTHORN, a hamlet in the parish of Keighley, wapentake of Staincliff and Ewcross, in the West Riding of the county of York, not far from Keighley."


"BRAITHWAITE, a hamlet in the parish of Keighley, wapentake of Staincliff and Ewcross, in the West Riding of the county of York, not far from Keighley."


"DOCKROYD, a hamlet in the parish of Keighley, in the West Riding of the county of York, 34 miles S.W. of York."


"EASTWOOD, a township in the parish of Keighley, West Riding county York, near Keighley. The Lancashire and Yorkshire railway has a station here. The living is a perpetual cure in the diocese of Ripon, value £150, in the patronage of the crown and bishop alternately."


"EXLEY HEAD, a hamlet in the parish of Keighley, West Riding county York, a short distance from the town of Keighley."


"HARE HILL, a hamlet in the parish of Keighley, West Riding county York, 2 miles from Keighley."


"INGROW, a hamlet in the parish of Keighley, West Riding county York, 2 miles from Keighley. The hamlet is situated in a valley near the confluence of the rivulets Worth and North Beck. The living is a perpetual curacy* in the diocese of Ripon, and in the patronage of the bishop. The church is modern."


"KNOWLE, a hamlet in the parish of Keighley, wapentake of East Staincliff, West Riding county York, 3 miles from Keighley, and 35 W. of York."


"LAYCOCK, a hamlet in the parish of Keighley, West Riding county York, 2 miles W. of Keighley."


"NEWSHOLME, a hamlet in the parish of Keighley, wapentake of East Staincliffe, West Riding county York, 2 miles from Keighley, and 34 W. by S. of York. It is situated in a valley under Blackstone Edge."


"OAKWORTH, a hamlet in the parish of Keighley, wapentake of East Staincliff, West Riding county York, 3 miles from Keighley, and 33 W. by S. of York. It is situated in a vale under Blackstone Edge, near the river Airs. Some of the inhabitants are engaged in the cotton and worsted mills. The living is a perpetual curacy* in the diocese of Ripon, value £150, in the patronage of the crown and bishop alternately. The, church is a modern edifice. The Wesleyans have a chapel. There are National and other schools."


"SLIPPERY FORD, a hamlet in the parish of Keighley, West Riding county York, near Keighley."


"SYKES, a hamlet in the parish of Keighley, West Riding county York, near Keighley."


"UTLEY, a hamlet in the parish of Keighley, West Riding county York, 1 mile N. of Keighley."

[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868]
by Colin Hinson ©2013