Rochdale, Yorkshire, England. Geographical and Historical information from 1835.

ROCHDALE:
Geographical and Historical information from the year 1835.

"ROCHDALE, a parish in the county of Lancashire."

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"DOBCROSS, a chapelry in that part of the parish of ROCHDALE, which is in the upper division of the wapentake of AGBRIGG, West riding of the county of YORK, 13 miles S.W. from Huddersfield. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Chester, endowed with £200 private benefaction, £1000 royal bounty, and £2000 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of certain Trustees."

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"LYDGATE, a chapelry in that part of the parish of ROCHDALE, which is in the upper division of the wapentake of AGBRIGG, West riding of the county of YORK, 3 miles N.N.E. from Oldham. The population is returned with Saddleworth. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Chester, endowed with £1000 royal bounty, and £2000 parliamentary grant. The neighbourhood of Lydgate abounds with establishments connected with the manufacture of cloth, for an account of which see SADDLEWORTH."

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"SADDLEWORTH, a chapelry in that part of the parish of ROCHDALE, which is in the upper division of the wapentake of AGBRIGG, West riding of the county of YORK, 12 miles S.W.W. from Huddersfield, containing, with Quick, 13,902 inhabitants. The living is a perpetual, curacy, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Chester, endowed with £200 private benefaction, £200 royal bounty, and £1200 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of the Vicar of Rochdale. The chapel is dedicated to St. Chad. There are five places of worship for dissenters. A free school was founded in 1729, by Ralph Hawkyard, who endowed it with £2SO, and, in augmentation of the master's salary, John Walker, in 1755, bequeathed £200; the income arising from these sums is applied to teaching poor children of the parish, and supplying them with books. The Huddersfield canal passes through the parish, and the manufacture of woollen and cotton goods is carried on to a very great extent; the number of looms employed in the former exceeding three thousand five hundred, and in the latter four hundred; there are more than one hundred mills on the river Tame and its tributary streams. A few coal mines are worked, and excellent freestone abounds within the chapelry. It is in contemplation to establish a market, and to revive a fair formerly held at the village. There are some interesting natural curiosities at Greenfield, consisting of huge caverns, rocks, and a stupendous rocking-stone, with many Druidical remains. Castle Shaw is said to have been a fortress of the Britons, round beads, similar to those contained in the barrows on Salisbury plain, and a brazen celt, having been discovered near it."

[Transcribed by Mel Lockie © from
Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1835]