Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/842

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834

MIDDLETON. 834 MIDDLETON. MTDDTETOK, a par. in the "Irani of Freetridge- Lynn, co. Norfolk, 4 miles S.E. of Lynn Regis, its post town. It is a station on the Ely, Lynn, and Dereham section of the Great Eastern railway. The Tillage, which is small, is situated on the Middleton Slop Drain, which runs to the Wash at Lynn. About 1 mile E. are the re- mains of Middleton Tower, erected by the Lords Scales in the reign of Henry VI. The portion of the tower remaining is the brick turreted gateway, 54 feet by 27. The road from Lynn to Norwich passes through the parish. The surface is hilly, and the soil clay and marl. There are quarries of good Carr stone for building. The impropriate tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of 432, and the vicarial for 313. The living is a vie.* in the dioc. of Norwich, val. 315. The church, dedi- cated to the Virgin Mary, is an ancient structure with a square tower, containing- one bell. The charities consist of a fuel allotment. There is a chapel for the Wesleyans. In the vale pf-the Nar, 1 mile S., are the ruins of Black- borough Priory for Benedictine nuns, founded in the reign of Henry II. Amongst the ruins were discovered in 1834, three stone and two wooden coffins, containing perfect skeletons ; also tesselated pavements, a gold seal ring, and other antiquities. Lewis Wolthincop Jarvis, Esq., is lord of the manor and principal landowner. MIDDLETON, a district par. in the par. of Chirbury, co. Salop, 2} miles S.E. of Chirbury, and 6 N.W. of Bishop's Castle. Shrewsbury is its post town. The village, which is small, is wholly agricultural. The district includes Middleton, Priest- Weston, Rovington, and Wilmington tnshps., also part of Church-Stoke par., Montgomeryshire. On Stapeley Hill is " Med- jice's Fold," a Druidical circle 30 yards in circum- ference. Several of the stones are still standing, one in particular, 6 feet high, but the majority of them have disappeared. The Uving is a perpet. cur. in the dioc. of Hereford, val. 80, in the patron, of the Vicar of Chir- bury. The church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, is a neat structure with a turret, containing one bell. There is a National school. Miss Stokes is lady of the manor. MIDDLETON, a par. in the hund. of Avisford, rape of Arundel, co. Sussex, 3 miles E. of Bognor, its post town, and 3 S. of the Yapton railway station. The par., which is small, is situated on the coast of the English Channel, near Middleton Ledge rocks, and con- tains the hmlt. of Elmer. At the time of the Domesday Survey it was a considerable village, but has suffered greatly by encroachment of the sea. The living is a rect. in the dioc. of Chichester, val. 130. The church was erected in 1849 in lieu of the old one, which was destroyed by the encroachments of the sea. MIDDLETON, a par. in the Tamworth div. of the hund. of Hemlingford, co. Warwick, 4J miles S.W. of Tamworth, its post town, and 3 from Kingsbury railway station. The village, which is irregularly built, is situated on the Birmingham and Fazeley canal, which passes through the parish. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture. The soil is clay and gravel. The greater portion of the land is arable, with some woodland. The living is a perpet. cur. in the dioc. of Worcester, val. 100. The church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, is a neat structure with a square tower. The interior of the church contains several monuments of the Willoughby family, who take from this place the title of baron. Also one of Lord Ridgway, and two brasses of Judge Bingham, bearing date 147*6. The parochial charities produce about 8 per annum. There is a parochial school. Lord Middleton is lord of the manor and chief landowner. MIDDLETON, a tnshp. and chplry. in the par. of Kirkby-Lonsdale, Lonsdale ward, co. Westmoreland, 6 miles N.E. of Kirkby-Lonsdale, its post town. It is a station on the Ingleton branch of the London and North- Western railway. It is situated on the E. side of the river Lune, near Middleton Head. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture. A battle is stated to have been fought between the English and Scots, near the old bridge, where many human bones have been found. The living is a perpet. cur.* in the dioc. of Carlisle, val. 100, in the patron, of the Vicar of Kirkby- Lonsdale. The church, dedicated to the Holy Ghost, ia a stone structure, built in 1634, containing one bell. The parochial charities produce about 36 per annum. There is an endowed parochial school for both sexes. Grimes Hill is the principal residence, being a stone mansion of recent erection, situated near the church. MIDDLETON, a par. in the Bainton-Beacon div. of the wap. of HarthiU, East Hiding co. York, 85 miles N.W. of Beverley, its post town, and the same distance S.W. of Driflfield. The parish, which is extensive, is situated on the Wolds, and is wholly agricultural. The tithes were commuted for land and money payments under an Enclosure Act in 1803. The living is a rect.* in the dioc. of York, val. 917. The church, dedicated to St. Andrew, is a stone structure with a square tower, containing three bells. The parochial charities produce about 2 per annum. There is a school for both sexes. The Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists have each a place of worship. The Duke of Devonshire is lord of the manor. MIDDLETON, a par. and tnshp. in the wap. of Pickering Lythe, North Hiding co. York, 1 mile W. of Pickering, its post town. The village, which is small, is situated near the line of the Whitby railway, and on the high road between Pickering and Kirby Moorside. The par. includes the tnshps. of Aislaby, Cawthorn, Cropton, Hartoft, Lockton, Middleton, Rosedale, East-Side, Turn- hill, and Wrelton. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture. The soil consists of red sandstone and limestone, and the nether lands of strong clay. The living is a vie.* in the dioc. of York, val. 100. The church is an ancient structure, with a tower containing four bells. There are chapels-of-ease at Cropton and Lockton. The parochial charities produce about 10. per annum. There is a parochial school, which is partly endowed, also a Sunday-school. The Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists have each a chapel. Thomas Mitchelton, Esq., is lord of the manor. MIDDLETON, a tnshp. in the par. of Rothwell, lower div. of the wap. of Agbrigg, West Riding co. York, 4 miles S. of Leeds, its railway station and post town, and 6 N. of Wakefield. The toshp. contains the hmlt. of Bell Isle, and is wholly agricultural. There are nume- rous coal mines, from which is a tram-road to the Brad- ling wharf at Leeds, also quarries of excellent building stone. About a quarter of the township is covered with indigenous wood. The village, which is considerable, is built upon an eminence commanding extensive views of the surrounding country. The living is a perpet. cur.* in the dioc. of Ripon, val. 125, in the patron, of the Vicar of Rothwell. The church, dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin, is a stone edifice with a spired tower, and was erected in 1846. There is a school for both sexes, in which a Sunday-school is also held. The principal residence is Middleton Lodge. MIDDLETON, or MIDDLETON-ONE-ROW, a par. in the S.W. div. of Stockton ward, co. Durham, 5 miles E. of Darlington, its post town, and 3 from Yarm. It has a station on the Stockton and Darlington railway. It is situated on the river Tees, near Dinsdale Spa, and of late years has become a favourite watering-place. The soil consists of clay and loam. The impropriate titheshave been commuted for arent-charge of 73 12s. Id., and the rectorial for 78 5s. lid. The living is a rect. in the dioc. of Durham, val. 91. The church is dedi- cated to St. George. The parochial charities produce about 3 per annum, which goes to the school. There is a place of worship for the Wesleyans. The founda- tions of Pountey's Bridge, thought to have been the first built across the Tees, are still visible. On the summit of a hill, near the bridge, is an artificial mount, encom- passed by a fosse, supposed to be the site of a hermi- tage. Henry A. W. Cox, Esq., is lord of manor. MIDDLETON, a par. in the hund. of Blything, co. Suffolk, 4 miles N.E. of Saxmundham, and 2 E. by S. of Yoxford, its post town. The village, which is situated on the river Badingham, is wholly agricultural. The tithes, which were wholly appropriated to Leiston Abbey,