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Penistone, Yorkshire, England. Geographical and Historical information from 1868.
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PENISTONE:
Geographical and Historical information from the year 1868.
"PENISTONE, (or Peniston), a parish and market town in the wapentake of Staincross, West Riding county York, 4½ miles from Wortley, 13 S.E. of Huddersfield, its post town, and 8 W. by S. of Barnsley. It is a station on the Manchester and Sheffield railway. It is situated on the S. bank of the river Don, and on the Sheffield and Halifax turnpike road. The parish, which is very extensive, comprises the townships of Penistone, Denby, Gunthwaite, Hunshelf, Ingbirchworth, Oxspring, Langsett, and Thurlestone. Penistone is a union and polling town, and formerly had an extensive woollen trade, which is now extinct, and the cloth hall converted into shops. The two streets of which the town consists cross each other at right angles, and contain several good houses. Many of the working population are employed in the collieries and in the cutting of flagstones, which are quarried to a considerable extent, and of which large quantities are sent to London. There is a large portion of moorland, and about 100 acres of woodland and plantations. The soil is chiefly clay, but tolerably fertile. The land is distributed between arable and pasture, the latter being in the proportion of two-thirds. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Ripon, value £147. The church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, is an ancient stone structure with a lofty square embattled tower, containing a clock and six bells. The parochial charities produce about £226 per annum. There are a grammar school for boys, and a National school for girls; the former is endowed with an annuity of £140, and the latter £20 per annum. There is a Friends' meetinghouse, and places of worship for the Wesleyans and Independents. Sanderson, the blind professor, was born here in 1682. The viaduct of the Sheffield railway, which crosses the estate of Water-Hall, consists of 29 arches, 76 feet in height. F. W. S. V. Wentworth, Esq., is lord of the manor. Agricultural and horticultural shows are held in August for the exhibition of stock and vegetables. Market day is Thursday, chiefly for cattle and moorland sheep. Fairs are held on the Thursday prior to the 28th February, the last Thursday in March, Thursday preceding the 12th of May, and the Thursday following the 12th October--the last being famed for its horned sheep. A statute fair for the hiring of servants is held on the Tuesday following the first Saturday in November."
"CARLCOATES, a hamlet in the township of Thurlstone, parish of Penistone, in the wapentake of Staincross, in the West Riding of the county of York, 1 mile from Penistone. The Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire railway, on which Penistone is a station, passes by it."
"CLAY'S GREEN, a hamlet in the township of Oxspring and parish of Penistone, in the West Riding of the county of York, 1½ mile E. of Peniston."
"DENBY, a township in the parish of Penistone, wapentake of Staincross, in the West Riding of the county of York, 2½ miles N.W. of Penistone and 7¼ N.W. of Barnsley. It includes the townships of Ingbirchworth, Gunthwaite, and Denby Dale, at which last place is a station on the Huddersfield section of the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire railway. The living is a perpetual curacy in the diocese of Ripon, value £98, in the patronage of the Vicar of Penistone. The church, dedicated to St. John, is a modern building. The charities amount to £12 per annum. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans. The trustees of the Savile estates are lords of the manor."
"DENBY DALE, a township in the chapelry of Denby, in the parish of Penistone, wapentake of Staincross, in the West Riding of the county of York"
"DRYHILL, a hamlet in the township of Denby, in the parish of Penistone, wapentake of Staincross, in the West Riding of the county of York, 3 miles N.W. of Peniston."
"ECKLANDS, a hamlet in the township of Thurlstone, and parish of Penistone, wapentake of Staincross, West Riding county York, 2 miles W. of Peniston. The village is considerable; and the inhabitants are chiefly engaged in the woollen and hair cloth manufacture, and in the fulling mills."
"EXLEY GATE, a hamlet in the township of Denby and parish of Penistone, West Riding county York, 3 miles N.W. of Penistone."
"GUNTHWAITE, a township in the parish of Penistone, wapentake of Staincross, West Riding county York, 7 miles W. of Barnsley. This was formerly a seat of the Bosville family, through whom it came to Lord Macdonald."
"HIGH FLATTS, a hamlet in the township of Denby, and parish of Penistone, West Riding county York, 3 miles N.W. of Peniston, and 7 from Barnsley."
"HUNSHELF, a township in the parish of Penistone, wapentake of Staincross, West Riding county York, 2 miles S. of Penistone. This township, which is hilly, is situated near the river Dun and the Sheffield railway. It contains the hamlets of Green-Moor and Snowden. Here are stone quarries, and extensive steel-wire works at Stock's Bridge. Red and black fire-clay are found in this township. The Methodists New Connexion have a place of worship at Green-Moor. Lord Wharncliffe is lord of the manor."
"INGBIRCHWORTH, a township in the parish of Penistone, wapentake of Staincross, West Riding county York, 2 miles N.W. of Denby. There is a Wesleyan chapel in the village. Lord Scarborough is lord of the manor."
"LANES, a hamlet in the parish of Penistone, West Riding county York, 2 miles W. of Peniston. It is situated near the Sheffield line of railway. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in the woollen manufacture, and in the neighbouring fulling mills."
"LANGSETT, a township in the parish of Penistone, wapentake of Staincross, West Riding county York, 5 miles S.W. of Penistone, its post town, and 12 S.E. of Huddersfield. The township adjoins the county of Chester on the W. The village, which is small, is situated on the river Dun or Don, which has its chief sources in this township, and the Manchester and Sheffield road. A few collieries exist in this neighbourhood. Brickmaking is carried on. There is a large portion of moorland, affording only rough pasture. Sir L. M. S. Pilkington is lord of the manor. An Act was obtained in 1820 for enclosing the common, which has only been partially accomplished."
"OXSPRING, a township in the parish of Penistone, wapentake of Staincross, West Riding county York, 1, mile S.E. of Penistone. It contains the hamlets of Roughbirchworth, Claysgreen, and Storrs. The village, which is of small extent, is wholly agricultural. There are places of worship for the Independents and Wesleyans. G. W. B. Bosville, Esq., is lord of the manor."
"ROUGHBIRCHWORTH, a hamlet in the township of Oxspring, and parish of Penistone, West Riding county York, 2 miles E. of Penistone."
"STORRS, a hamlet in the township of Oxspring, parish of Penistone, West Riding county York, 1 mile E. of Penistone."
"THURLSTONE, a township in the parish of Penistone, wapentake of Staincross, West Riding county York, 1 mile W. of Penistone, its post town, 8 miles S.W. of Barnsley, and 2 W. of Hazlewood station on the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire railway. The village, which is spacious and well built, is situated on the N. bank of the river Don, on which are several mills. The township comprises 7,740 acres, a considerable portion of which is wild, uncultivated moor, extending to the confines of county Chester. It contains the hamlets of Carlcoats and Ecklands. The cultivated lands are fertile, and the neighbourhood abounds in springs. The substratum consists of grit-stone, ironstone, and coal, the last being of an excellent quality, from a bed named the Halifax. Many of the inhabitants are employed in the woollen manufacture, which has long been the staple trade of the place. There is a school for both sexes, at which divine worship is performed on Sunday evenings. The Independents and Wesleyans have chapels, and the former a school. Nicholas Saunderson, the eminent blind mathematician, was born here in 1682. The Earl of Scarborough is lord of the manor."
"UPPER BAGDEN, (and Lower Bagden) a village in the parish of Penistone, wapentake of Staincross, West Riding of the county of York, 5 miles N.W. from Barnsley."
[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868]
by Colin Hinson ©2013