Ribchester

"RIBCHESTER, a parish in the hundreds of Amounderness and Blackburn, county Lancaster, 7 miles N.W. of Blackburn, its post town, and 4 from the Longridge station on the Fleetwood, Preston, and West Riding Junction line of railway. It is situated on the river Ribble, and comprises the townships of Dilworth, Dutton, Alston, Hatherall, Longridge, and part of Whalley. Ribchester is of ancient date, being the site of the Roman station Coccium or Rigodunum, where the 20th legion was stationed, and ranked as one of their first cities in Britain. At this place the tide formerly encroached. Many coins, statues, altars, columns of temples, inscriptions, and other antiquities have been found at various times. A portion of the inhabitants are engaged in the cotton mills, and others in the neighbouring quarries of slate and iron. The living is a vicarage with the perpetual curacy of Stidd annexed, in the diocese of Manchester, value £175, in the patronage of the bishop. The church, dedicated to St. Wilfrid, is an ancient stone structure with a square tower containing six bells. It has been enlarged at some distant period. There is also a district church at Longridge, the living of which is a perpetual curacy, value £170. The parochial charities produce about £74 per annum, of which £20 goes to the support of the free school, founded by J. Dewhurst in 1771. There is a parochial school for both sexes, also a Sunday-school. John and James Fenton, Esqs., are lords of the manor."