Mirfield, Yorkshire, England. Geographical and Historical information from 1834.

MIRFIELD:
Geographical and Historical information from the year 1834.

"MIRFIELD, is a village, and a parish-town of no dependent township, in the wapentake of Agbrigg and honour of Pontefract, West Riding, is 3 miles west from Dewsbury ; pleasantly situated in a fertile, opulent and respectable neighbourhood, and is one of the seats of the woollen manufacture ; a great quantity of malt is also made in the parish, and there are several corn mills. Its name is supposed to be derived from Moor-field or Mire-field, probably at one time corresponding with its situation upon a moor or morass. The river Calder runs through the middle of the parish, Mirfield being on its north and Hopton on its southern bank. Up to the year 1261 Mirfield formed a part of the Saxon parish of Dewsbury, from which it was separated at the intercession of the Lady of Sir John Heton with the Pope, who going to mass before dawn on Christmas day, to the parish church of Dewsbury was way-laid and robbed, and her principal attendant murdered, at a place called Ravensbrook-layne. Sir John was at Rome at the time of this outrage, and entering into the feelings of his lady, procured the Pope to sanction the erection of a chapel at Mire-field, which, in process of time, became the parish church, and this ancient edifice, which contains some interesting monuments, is dedicated to St. Mary ; some few years since it received the addition of about five hundred sittings, of which nearly three hundred are free. The living is a discharged vicarage, in the patronage of Sir G. Armytage, Bart. The parish contained in 1821, 5,041 inhabitants, and in 1831, 6,496."

[Transcribed by Steve Garton ©2000 from
Pigot's directory (Yorkshire section) 1834]