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Frodsham

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"FRODSHAM, a parish in the second division of the hundred of EDDISBURY, county palatine of CHESTER, comprising the market-town of Frodsham, the chapelry of Alvanley, the lordship of Frodsham, and the townships of Helsby, Kingsley, Mauley, Newton, and Norley, and containing 5451 inhabitants, of which number, 1556 are in the town of Frodsham, 10 miles (N. E. by N.) from Chester, and 192 (N. N. W.) from London. Frodsham is mentioned in Domesday-book as being the property of the Earl of Chester. The town, situated on an eminence on the banks of the river Weever, near its confluence with the Mersey, consists of a broad street, a mile in length, extending along the road from Chester to Warrington, and another branching from it and leading to the church; at the east end is a stone bridge of four arches, over the Weever, which is here navigable, and at the west end anciently stood a Norman castle. A charter was granted about 1220, by Ranulph de Blundeville, sixth earl of Chester, to the burgesses of Frodsham, ... ; but the manor having been separated from the earldom about the beginning of the seventeenth century, the chartered privileges of the burgesses expired. Courts leet and baron are now held twice a year, and there are two presentments, one for the borough and fee, and the other for the borough and lordship; and for each of these townships a constable is appointed and sworn in court. The lord of the manor has the tolls of a market held on Saturdays, and of two fairs, on the 15th of May and the 21st of August: the market, owing to the vicinity of Warrington, is inconsiderable. The principal branch of trade carried on is the refining of salt, besides which here are flour-mills and cotton factories. In the township of Manley is a quarry of excellent freestone. The living is a vicarage, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Chester, rated in the king's books at £23. 13. l1., and in the patronage of the Dean and Canons of Christ Church, Oxford. The church, dedicated to St. Lawrence, is situated on elevated ground, adjacent to the village of Overton, but within the township of Frodsham; it is built of red freestone, and appears to be of high antiquity, as the nave displays manifest traces of Norman architecture. An organ was erected in 1790, .... Wesleyan Methodists have a place of worship here. There is a free school, built about 1860, near the church: the master is chosen by twenty-four feoffees, consisting of the vicar and churchwardens, with four feoffees out of the township and lordship, three out of Kingsley, and two each from Norley, Newton, Alvanley, Manley, and Hellesby: he has a good house in Overton, and a salary of more than £100 per annum from lands at Frodsham, and a rent-charge on an estate at Christleton: the usher receives £7 per annum from an estate in Overton. Mrs. Gastrell bequeathed a rent-charge of £10 per annum, upon an estate near the town, to the Warrington Society, for the relief of widows and orphans of the clergy in the archdeaconry of Chester; and there are various charitable benefactions of less importance." [From Samuel Lewis A Topographical Dictionary of England  (1831) ©Mel Lockie]

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  • Frodsham, also  a township in Frodsham ancient parish, Eddisbury hundred (SJ 5177), became a civil parish in 1866.
  • It includes the hamlets of Frodsham Bridge, Frodsham Marsh, Marsh Green, Newtown and Snidley Moor.
  • The population was 1250 in 1801, 2179 in 1851, 2728 in 1901, 5245 in 1951, and 8982 in 2001.
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Civil Registration

  • Runcorn (1837-1974)
  • Vale Royal (1974-98)
  • Cheshire Central (1998-2007)
  • Cheshire (2007-09)
  • Cheshire West & Chester (2009+)
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Court Records

  • Eddisbury (1828-1974)
  • Vale Royal (1974-2012)
  • West Cheshire (2012+)
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Description & Travel

You can see pictures of Frodsham which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

"FRODSHAM, a parish in the second division of the hundred of Eddisbury, county palatine Chester, 4 miles S. of Runcorn, and 10 N.E. of Chester. It is situated on the southern bank of the river Weaver, at the point where that river unites its waters with those of the Mersey, the latter forming the western boundary of the parish. It is a station on the Manchester, Warrington, and Chester railway. The parish is very extensive, and includes the townships of Alvanley, Helsby, Manley, Newton-by-Frodsham, Norley, and the lordship of Frodsham. Delamere Forest lies to the S. Frodsham was formerly a market town, but owing to the facilities of railway transit, Warrington has become its mart, and the weekly market has been discontinued. At the Domesday Survey it belonged to the Earls of Chester, and a strong Norman castle stood here, which was destroyed by fire in 1642, and of which there are now-no traces. It is a polling-place for the southern division of the county. The town consists chiefly of one principal street running E. and W., with some good shops; the houses for the most part are ancient. There are several excellent inns, a townhall, savings-bank, and post-office. The river Weaver is here crossed by a stone bridge of four arches, thus communicating with the parish of Sutton-in-Runcorn, on the opposite bank. In the neighbourhood is a lofty eminence called Overton Hill, from which there is a beautiful and varied prospect of the surrounding country for many miles; during the summer months it attracts a large number of visitors. Frodsham gives name to a deanery in the archdeaconry and diocese of Chester. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Chester, value £590, in the patronage of Christ Church, Oxford. The church is an ancient stone edifice of great beauty, in the Norman style of architecture, and dedicated to St. Lawrence.

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Historical Geography

Places associated with Frodsham ancient parish with separate pages

 

  • 1883 March 25 — Lost eight detached parts to Frodsham Lordship (108 acres, pop. 150 in 1891, including Brecon Hill and Five Crosses), and gained seven detached parts of Frodsham Lordship (159 acres, pop. 0 in 1891)
  • 1936 April 1 — Gained the whole of Frodsham Lordship (2630 acres, pop. 1563 in 1931) and of Lands common to Frodsham and Frodsham Lordship (289 acres, pop. 0 in 1931)
  • 1988 April 1 — Lost part to Helsby.
  • 2015 April 1 — Gained parts of Kingsley and Sutton (near Runcorn).
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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SJ526754 (Lat/Lon: 53.273075, -2.712765), Frodsham which are provided by:

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Politics & Government

  • Runcorn Rural Sanitary District (1875-94)
  • Runcorn Rural District (1894-1974)
  • Vale Royal (1974-2009)
  • Cheshire West & Chester (2009+)
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Runcorn
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Voting Registers

  • South Cheshire (1832-67)
  • West Cheshire (1868-85)
  • Eddisbury (1885-1948)
  • Runcorn (1949-74)