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Runcorn

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"RUNCORN, a parish in the hundred of BUCKLOW, county palatine of CHESTER, comprising the chapelries of Aston by Sutton, Daresbury, Halton, and Thelwall, and the townships of Acton-Grange, Aston-Grange, Clifton, alias Rock-Savage, Hatton, Keckwick, Moore, Newton by Daresbury, Norton, Preston on the Hill, Run corn, Stockham, Sutton, Walton (Inferior), Walton (Superior), and Weston,and containing 7738 inhabitants, of which number, 3103 are in the township of Runcorn, 4½ miles (N. by W.) from Frodsham. ...More" [From Samuel Lewis A Topographical Dictionary of England  (1831) ©Mel Lockie]

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  • Runcorn, also a township in Runcorn ancient parish, Bucklow hundred (SJ 5381), became a civil parish in 1866.
  • Since 1974 it has been an unparished area.
  • It includes the hamlets of Higher Runcorn, Runcorn Heath, Stenhills and Westfield.
  • The population was 1379 in 1801, 8688 in 1851, 16491 in 1901, 23931 in 1951, and 58503 in 2001.
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Cemeteries

  • Runcorn Cemetery, Greenway Road. Opened 1857 (13 acres).
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Churches

There are more than 30 churches identified in this place. Please click here for a complete list.
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Civil Registration

  • Runcorn (1837-1974)
  • Halton (1974+)
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Court Records

  • Bucklow (1828-39)
  • Daresbury (1839-67)
  • Runcorn (1867-1974)
  • Halton (1974+)
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Description & Travel

You can see pictures of Runcorn which are provided by:

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Directories

Transcription for Runcorn from Samuel Lewis - A Topographical Dictionary of England (1831)

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Gazetteers

The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

"RUNCORN, a parish, market town, and seaport in the hundred of Bucklow, county Chester, 17 miles E.S.E. of Liverpool, 15 N.E. of Chester, and 187 from London by road, or 182 by the London and North-Western railway, which has stations on either side of the river. The Lancashire and Cheshire, and Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire lines also have stations here-the latter at Widnes. The parish, which extends over a large surface, contains, besides the town of Runcorn, which formerly comprised two townships, the four chapelries of Aston, Daresbury, Halton, and Thelwall, and the townships of Acton Grange, Aston Grange, Clifton or Rock Savage, Kekewick, Moore, Newton-by-Daresbury, Norton, Preston-on-the-Hill, Stockham, Sutton, Walton Inferior, Walton Superior, and Weston. The town, consisting of two divisions, higher and lower, is situated near the confluence of the Weaver and Mersey, on the left bank of the latter river, which at this point is contracted to about 400 yards wide at high water, by a projection from the Lancashire side called Runcorn Gap. It is much resorted to during the summer months by persons from Liverpool and the surrounding neighbourhood as a bathing-place. It was called Runcora by the Saxons; and Ethelfleda, a daughter of Alfred the Great, refounded the town and built a castle here in the early part of the 10th century, every vestige of which has since disappeared, though the rock on which the castle stood still retains the name of the Castle Rock. In 1134 a priory was founded by William Fitz-Nigel, which was subsequently removed to Norton. The commercial prosperity of Runcorn, however, is of comparatively modern growth, having originated with the construction of the Duke of Bridgewater's, the Mersey and Irwell, and Trent and Mersey canals, towards the close of the last century. The level of the water in the canal being considerably above that of the Mersey, it here suddenly falls by a series of ten locks.

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Historical Geography

Places in Runcorn ancient parish with separate pages

 

  • 1883 March 25 — Lost a detached part to Halton (2 acres, pop. 0 in 1891)
  • 1884 March 24 — Gained three detached parts of Halton (3 acres, pop. 400 in 1891)
  • 1936 April 1 — Gained parts of Clifton (14 acres, pop. 0 in 1931), Halton (567 acres, pop. 674 in 1931) and Norton (36 acres, pop. 3 in 1931), and the whole of Weston (1023 acres, pop. 3783 in 1931)
  • 1955 April 1 — Gained parts of Halton (131 acres, pop. 0 in 1951) and Sutton (82 acres, pop. 0 in 1951)
  • 1967 April 1 — Gained the whole of Halton (462 hectares, pop. 1467 in 1961), and parts of Aston (64 hectares, pop. 53 in 1961), Daresbury (51 hectares, pop. 17 in 1951), Dutton (4 hectares, pop. 40 in 1961), Moore (92 hectares, pop. 186 in 1961), Norton (774 hectares, pop. 126 in 1961), Preston Brook (151 hectares, pop. 220 in 1961) and Sutton (near Runcorn) (390 hectares, pop. 292 in 1961)
  • 1992 April 1 — Lost parts to Moore and Preston Brook
  • 2008 April 1 — Lost part to Sandymoor
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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SJ578826 (Lat/Lon: 53.338673, -2.635517), Runcorn which are provided by:

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Politics & Government

  • Runcorn Urban Sanitary District (1875-94)
  • Runcorn Urban District (1894-1974)
  • Halton (1974+)
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Runcorn
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Voting Registers

  • North Cheshire (1832-67)
  • Mid Cheshire (1868-85)
  • Northwich (1885-1948)
  • Runcorn (1949-74)