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Cheddleton

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"Cheddleton is a small village, pleasantly situated on an eminence above the Caldon canal and the River Churnet, three miles S of Leek. On the opposite side of the valley it has a railway station on the Churnet Valley line, near Basford Bridge. Its parish comprises about 9000 acres of land and 1824 inhabitants, in the townships of Cheddleton and Consall; the former of which includes Basford and Rownall hamlets, and the long village of Wetley Rocks.
Cheddleton is the largest township, and has 1634 inhabitants, of whom 345 are in Basford, 477 in Rownall, and about 600 at the Wetley Rocks. Captain Thomas Powys is lord of the manor of Cheddleton, and has a pleasant seat called Westwood Hall, five miles E of Burslem. Ashcombe Hall, in a beautiful park near the canal and the river, one and a half miles S of Cheddleton, is the seat of the Rev John Sneyd. Heath House is the residence of Charles Boreham, Esq.
Basford, three and a half miles S by E of Leek, is a hamlet and manor, of which the Rev J Sneyd is lord. Basford Hall is the seat of the Rev Samuel Bradshaw, MA. Here is a silk, also a paper mill, and near Basford Bridge is Cheddleton Railway Station.
Consall, or Cunsall, is a small village and township of 190 souls, two and a half miles SE of Cheddleton, mostly belonging to John Leigh, Esq., the lord of the manor, and CS Smith, Esq. The latter resides at the Hall. At Consall Wood, the Caldon canal passes through a deep glen, in which are extensive limekilns, chiefly for agricultural purposes.
Rownall hamlet, four and a half miles ENE of Hanley, has 477 inhabitants, and a scattered village. Rownall Hall is the pleasant seat of Smith Child, Esq, MP, who was elected one of the parliamentary representatives of North Staffordshire in February, 1851.
Wetley Rocks give name to a long village, picturesquely situated five miles S of Leek, and six miles E by N of Hanley. The village is in Cheddleton township, and has many neat stone houses. It is celebrated for its huge rocks and quarries of red and white freestone, in great request for building churches as well as for steps and curb stones. The pleasant mansion called Wetley Abbey, is the seat of GM Mason, Esq."
[From History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire, William White, Sheffield, 1851]

 

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Bibliography

'A Short History of Pottery Materials and the Cheddleton Flint Mill'
by Robert Copeland
Published 1972, by Cheddleton Flint Mill Heritage Trust, Leek.

'Cheddleton, North Staffordshire, A Village History'
Ed by Robert Milner
Published 1983, by Cheddleton Historical & Archaeological Society.

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Census

The population of Cheddleton parish was as follows:
1831 -- 1664
1841 -- 1824

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Churches

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Church History

"Cheddleton Church, St Edward, is an ancient structure, and the living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the co-heiress of the late Rev Edward Powys, who died in 1851, and incumbency of the Rev. William Williams, MA.
Near the church is a small Methodist chapel, which was enlarged in 1846.
There is a district church at Wetley Rocks, St John, erected in 1833-4. It is built of durable stone from the neighbouring quarries, and has a square tower and one bell. In the village is a Wesleyan chapel, built in 1841. An old Independent chapel here is now an infant school."

[From History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire, William White, Sheffield, 1851)

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Church Records

Church of England Registers
The parish register of the parish church of St Edward commences in 1696. The original registers for the period 1696-1947 (Bapts), 1754-1958 (Mar) & 1696-1941 (Bur) are deposited at Staffordshire Record Office.
Bishops Transcripts, 1676-1829 (with gaps) are deposited at Lichfield Record Office.
The register of the church of St John, Wetley Rocks, which was a chapelry to Cheddleton commences in 1834, the original registers for the period 1834-date are held by the incumbent. Bishops Transcripts for the period 1835-1868 (with gaps 1853 & 1857) are deposited at Lichfield Record Office.

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Description & Travel

A transcription of the section on Cheddleton from A Topographical History of Staffordshire by William Pitt (1817)

You can see pictures of Cheddleton which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

The transcription of the section for Cheddleton from the Topographical Dictionary of England (1859)

The transcription of the section for Cheddleton from the National Gazetteer (1868) provided by Colin Hinson.

The transcription of the section for Cheddleton from the Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72)

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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SJ971523 (Lat/Lon: 53.067931, -2.044731), Cheddleton which are provided by:

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Medical Records

The County Asylums Website pages on St. Edward’s Hospital Cheddleton includes photographs and information on the hospital.

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Poor Houses, Poor Law

Cheddleton parish became part of Cheadle Union following the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834.