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Snaith, Yorkshire, England. Geographical and Historical information from 1829.

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SNAITH:
Geographical and Historical information from the year 1829.

"SNAITH, is a small market town in the parish of its name, in the wapentake of Osgoldcross, west riding, 175 miles from London, 60 from Manchester, 20 from York and Market Weighton, 8 from Howden, and 7 from Selby. The town stands on a gentle declivity on the southern bank of the river Aire, five miles from its confluence with the Ouse, before the united rivers take the name of the Humber; and the canal from Knottingley to Goole passes it on the south. The church is an ancient Gothic structure, dedicated to St. Lawrence; the living is a perpetual curacy, in the gift of --- Yarborough, Esq. and incumbency of the Rev. Robert Sargeanston. There are also in Snaith a Methodist chapel, an endowed Latin school, six alms-houses for poor widows, and the like number for widowers. Flax is much cultivated in this neighbourhood, and the Aire affords it a ready conveyance to the Leeds market. Lord Viscount Downe is lord of the manor, and holds manorial courts at certain periods. The market day is Thursday. and the fairs are the last Thursday in April and the 10th of August, for cattle, &c. By the census for 1821 the population was 834."


"CARLTON, in the wapentake of Barkston-Ash and parish of Snaith, is two miles from that town, containing a population of about 800 persons."
Note: The directory entry for Carlton in Pigot's 1829 Directory is included with Snaith.


"GOOLE, a small sea-port, in the parish of Snaith and wapentake of Osgoldcross, in the west riding, is 175 miles from London, 33 from Leeds and Wakefield, 30 S.W. by W. of Hull, 18 E. of Ferrybridge, 13 S.E. of Selby, 8 from Snaith, and 4 from Howden. This place was made a port on the 6th of April, 1828, when the 'Lowther' steam packet (the first class) cleared out for Hamburgh; notice of this important circumstance to the town had been given in the newspapers, and as the inhabitants had also announced their intention of holding a public market on the same day (to be continued weekly) for the sale of corn, &c. a great concourse of people, from all parts of the country, were assembled to celebrate the event. The market commenced at eleven o'clock, and cattle and sheep, with other marketable commodities, found ready purchasers. On the flowing of the tide, which was to bear away the 'Lowther,' on her voyage to a foreign port, a salute was fired, about half-past two o'clock, from the guns mounted upon the pier, which was returned by the 'Lowther.' She sailed out of the dock into the Ouse, and immediately proceeded on her voyage, with a number of cabin passengers, for Hamburgh, and a cargo, principally consisting of debenture goods from Manchester. A number of merchants and shippers attended from different parts of the kingdom, who seemed highly gratified, and some of whom expressed a determination to send goods to be bonded at this place, not only on account of its immediate connection with the west riding, but because of the advantages they will derive from bonding goods, particularly wine and spirits, to a warehouse of such perfect security. The festivities of the day passed off in great harmony, and were kept up to a late hour. In the evening there was a grand display of fireworks provided for the occasion. There are two docks, with separate openings from the river Ouse into the basin, the largest of which, termed the ship dock, is six hundred feet in length, two hundred feet in breadth, having seventeen feet of water, and will accommodate vessels of three hundred tons burthen. The smaller, termed the barge dock, is nine hundred feet in length, and one hundred feet broad, having eight feet of water. Extensive warehouses are now erecting by the trustees of the Aire and Calder Navigation Company, and the port of Goole promises to become a place of considerable commercial importance; in which it is materially assisted by the new canal from Ferrybridge to this town, a distance of eighteen miles, which was opened July 20th, 1826. Admiral Southran is lord of the manor; and the government of the town is in a constable, elected annually. The number of inhabitants in the town, according to the census for 1821, was 450, but the population has materially increased since that period."


"RAWCLIFFE, is a long irregularly constructed village and chapelry, in the lower division of Osgoldcross wapentake, and in the parish of Snaith, three miles S.E. of that town. In the village is a small neat chapel of ease to Snaith, dedicated to St. James; a chapel belonging to the old connexion of Methodists, and a free school for boys. The population of the chapelry, in 1821 was 1,496."
Note: The directory entry for Rawcliffe in Pigot's 1829 Directory is included with Snaith, (in this parish).

[Transcribed from Pigot's National Commericial Directory for 1828-29 ]
by Colin Hinson ©2007