Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/558

STOOKPOKT ETCHELLS. 540 STOCKTON. Chester and Birmingham branch over the valley of the Mersey, at an elevation of 110 feet above the bed of the river, and literally over the town. This work consists of 27 arches, some of them 63 feet span, built at a cost of 75,000. Scarcely less imposing is the bridge of 11 arches, constructed in 1826 at a cost of 40,000, to carry the Wellington-road across, not only the river Mersey, but its valley, at an elevation of 40 feet above the water, BO as to avoid the ascent and descent caused by the uneven site of the town. Nine of the arches are on the Cheshire, and two on the Lancashire side of the Mersey. There are four other bridges in or near the town over the Mersey, one over the Thame, and one recently constructed over the Goyt. Considerable improvements have re- cently been effected in the formation of the Wellington- road, the widening of Cheapside-corner and Bridge- street, and the draining of Edgeley. The principal trade of the town, as noticed above, is connected with the cotton manufactures, including cotton spinning, calico and fustian weaving, besides which a considerable number of hands are employed in the manufacture of hats, thread, silk, woollens, dyeing, bleaching, calico printing, and in the making of brushes, spindles, shut- tles, &c. There are extensive engine and machine factories, several iron and brass foundries, breweries, and flour mills in the town, and brick and tile works in the vicinity. The limits of the municipal and parliamentary boroughs, which are co-extensive, include, besides the old borough or tnshp. of .Stockport, the hmlts. of Brinks- way and Edgeley, with parts of the tnshp. of Brimming- ton, and the town of Heaton Norris, in Lancashire, on the opposite bank of the Mersey. The population of the borough in 1851 was 53,835, and in 1861, 54,681, in- habiting 11,255 houses. It returns two members to parliament by the Reform bill, and under the late Mu- nicipal Act it is divided into 7 wards, and governed by a mayor, who is also returning officer, 14 aldermen, and 42 councillors, with the style of " mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of the borough of Stockport." The municipal revenue is about 1,900. Stockport is a polling place for the county elections. The borough magistrates sit three days a week, viz., Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, at the court-house ; and petty sessions for the division are held fortnightly on Thursday. A county court is also held monthly. The poor-law guardians meet weekly on Monday. The Poor-law Union com- prises 17 tnshps., 15 being in Cheshire and 2 in Lanca- shire. It is also the seat of a superintendent registry district. One weekly newspaper, the Stockport Adver- tiser, is published in the town. The living is a rect.* in the dioc. of Chester, val. 2,500. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, which is the mother church, is a modern structure with a lofty square embattled tower sur- mounted by pinnacles, and containing a peal of eight bells. It was rebuilt in 1817, at a cost of 30,000, with the exception of the chancel, which is of the 14th century, and was restored by Ordish in 1848. The church con- tains an E. window with tracery, carved stone stalls, effigies of Richard do Vernon, who held the manor in the reign of Edward II., and tombs of the Leghs of Lyme, Davenport of Bramhall, and Ardernes of Harden Hall (now a bank). The living of St. Thomas's, now a perpet. cur., will become a separate rectory on the next avoid- ance of the rectory of Stockport. The church, situated on the E. side of the Wellington-road, is of Grecian architecture, with a tower surmounted by a cupola. It was built in 1825 at a cost of nearly 15,000. Besides these there are St. Peter's, erected in 1768 at the cost of the late W. Wright, Esq. ; St. Paul's Postwood, a mo- dern structure with a lofty spire ; Christ Church, situ- ated in Wellington-street North ; Heaton Norris, a cruciform structure with a lofty spire, erected in 1846 at a cost of 6,000 ; also St. Mark's, St. Matthew's, and the several churches situated in the chplries. above named. The livings of these churches are perpet. curs., varying in val. from 220 to 80. There are three chapels for Independents, three for Wesleyans, two for New Con- nexion Methodists, and one each for Baptists, Associa- tion Methodists, Roman Catholics, Unitarians, and Society of Friends. The free grammar-school founded in 1487 by Sir Edmund Shaw has an income froai endowment of 25, with two exhibitions of i'50 each at Oxford or Cambridge, tenable for three years. The school-house, which was rebuilt in 1832, by T. Hard- wick, is 60 feet by 30, and is the property of tho Gold- smiths' Company of London, who have the appointment of the head-master. It is free to 50 boys, sons of in- habitants of Stockport, and at present has about 150 scholars. The Stockport Sunday-school, situated in Duke-street, has a front 140 feet long and four stories high. It contains library, lecture hall, and 84 class rooms. It has an income of 600, and is attended by near 6,000 children on Sundays. There are also four sets of National schools in connection with St. Mary's, St. Thomas's, St. Peter's, and Christ Church district ; also British and Foreign, Sunday, infant, Wesleyan, and Roman Catholic schools in various parts of the town. The parochial charities produce about 300 per annum, including the endowment of Warren's alms- houses. Lord Poynton is lord of the manor. Friday is market day for agricultural produce, chiefly corn, oat- meal, and cheese, but much business is also done on Saturday. Fairs are held on 4th and 25th March, 1st May, 20th and 25th October, for cattle ; on 1st January and 4th July for general stock; and in October for pleasure. STOCKPORT ETCHELLS, a tnshp. in the par. of Stockport, hund. of Macclesfield, co. Chester, 4J miles S.W. of Stockport. The village is small. The Man- chester Royal Lunatic Hospital, in this township, which adjoins the road from Wilmslow to Manchester, and occupies an area of 52 acres, was erected in 1848 at an outlay of 25,000. It is self-supporting, no free patients being admitted. STOCKSFIELD-HALL, a tnshp. in the par. of Bywell St. Andrew, E. div. of Tindale ward, co. Northumberland, 5jt miles S.E. of Corbridge, and U S.E. of Hexham. It has a station on the York and Berwick railway. It is situated on the river Tyne, which is here crossed by a bridge of five arches constructed in 1836. The soil is rich and productive. W. B. Beau- mont, Esq., is lord of the manor. STOCKS WITH COPTIVINNEY, a tnshp. in the par. of Ellesmere, co. Salop, 1 mile N.E. of Ellesmere. STOCKTON, a par. in the hund. of Clavering, co. Norfolk, 4J miles S.E. of Loddon, and 3 N.W. of Beccles. Bungay is its post town. The living is a rect. in the dioc. of Norwich, val. 2"5. The church is dedicated to St. Michael. The register dates from 1536. The parochial charities produce about 65 per annum, realised from town estate. J. Kerrick, Esq., is lord of the manor and principal landowner. STOCKTON, a tnshp. in the par. of Malpas, hund. of Broxton, co. Chester, 2 miles S.W. of Malpas. It is situated on the river Elf. Lord Kenyon is lord of the manor and sole landowner. The Hall is now converted into a farmhouse. STOCKTON, a par. in the ShiffnaU div. of Brims- tree hund., co. Salop, 5 miles S.W. of Shiffiiall, ita post town, and 5, N. of Bridguorth. The village is situated on the turnpike road betwixt Shifihall and Bridgnorth, near the river Severn, which bounds the parish on the W. The par. includes the hmlts. of Norton and Highford, and part of Apley Park. East- ward of the park is a natural terrace two miles in length, with a prospect of the Wrekin and Clee hills. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture. The living is a rect. in the dioc. of Lichfield. The church, dedicated to St. Chad, is an ancient structure, with a square tower, containing a clock and six bells. The parochial charities produce about 4 per annum. There is a day-school for both sexes, which is solely supported by T. C. Whitmore, Esq. Apley Park is the principal residence. STOCKTON, a tnshp. in the par. of Chirbury, eo. Salop, 10 miles N.W. of Bishop's Castle. STOCKTON, a tnshp. in the par. of Longford, co. Salop, 2 miles S.E. of Newport.