Audley in 1872

AUDLEY, a township, a parish, and a sub-district in the district of Newcastle-under-Lyne, Stafford. The township lies 3 miles W of Harecastle tunnel on the Grand Trunk canal, 3 S of Alsager. station, and 5 N W by N of Newcastle-under-Lyne. It has a post-office under Newcastle-under-Lyne; and it gives the title of Baron to the family of Touchet. Real property, £4,189. Pop., 1,556. Houses, 317.

The parish includes also the liberty of Halmer-End, and the townships of Talk-o'-th'-Hill, Eardley-End, Knowl-End, Bignall-End, and Park-End. Acres, 8,530. Real property, £30,383,- of which £11,431 are in mines. Pop., 6,494. Houses, 1,330. The property is much subdivided.

Heleigh Castle, now a ruin, was the seat of the Audleys. Coal and ironstone are worked. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Lichfield. Value, £520. Patron, the Rev. E. Gilbert. The church was restored in 1846 and 1856 and has some fine features. The vicarage of of Talk-o'-th'-Hill is a separate charge. There are Methodist Chapels. 

Vernon's Grammar School has an endowed income of £115, and other charities have £35. The sub-district comprises two parishes and part of a third.  Acres 11,171 Pop., 7,625.  Houses 1,566.

An 1872 Gazetteer description of the following places in Audley is to be found on a supplementary page.

• Bignall-End
• Halmer-End
• Kidsgrove
• Knowl-End
• Shaley-Brook
• Talk-O'-Th'-Hill

[Description(s) from The Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72) - Transcribed by Mike Harbach ©2020]