ASTBURY Townsilil's. 449

ASTBURY TOWNSilil'S. 449 E.ATON is a township of this padsh, in Macclesfield union, Siddington lJolling dis\rict, containing, by the census of 1861, 485, and in 1871, 44:8 inhabitants, and 1224 acre~; in the hundred of Macclesfield, deanery of Middlewich, archdeaconry and diocese of Chester, East Cheshire ; 2! miles north-east from Congleton. The rectory, in the incumbency of the Rev. John Palmer Finnin, M.A., is valued at £250 per annum, with residence, and is in the patronage of John Coutts Antrobus, Esq. The church is a neat Gothic edifice, dedicated to Our Saviour, consisting of nave, chancel, and bell tower; it was erected in 1857. There is a National School for children of both sexes. Messrs. John and Charles Thornton, of Nottingham, have a silk throwsting factory here. HAVA.NNAH is a small hamlet, so called from the fact of there having formerly been a cigar manufactory here. HULME-W ALFIELD is a township of this parish, in Congleton union and polling district, containing by the census of 1861, ll1, and in 1871, 107 inhabitants, and 104:7 acres ; in the hundred of Northwich, Mid Cheshire; 1~ mile north west from Congleton, and 4 north from Astbury. The church is au elegant stone structure, in the Early Eng· lish style, built by the late Rev. Offi.ey Crewe, rector of Astbury, from designs by Sir G. Scott, on land given by Arthur Henry Davenport, Esq., of Capesthorne. It was opened October, 1856, as a chapel-of-ease to Astbury, and a conventional district was assigned to it, embracing the townships ofHulme-Wal:field, SomerfordBooths, and Radnor. A neat parsonage was built by the present rector in 1860. The curate-in-charge is the Rev. James Cassels Brown, M.A. There is a National School for children of both sexes, with residence, which was erected in 1851. MORETON-cuM-ALCUMLOW(or GREAT MORETON) is a township of this parish, in Congleton polling district and union, containing, by the census of 1861, ll9, and in 1871, 114 inhabitants, and llOO acres ; in the hundred of Northwich, Mid Cheshire; 4 miles south-west from.Congleton. MoRETON HALL is a noble castellated mansion, in the midst of a well-wooded park, the seat of Mrs. Ackers, who is lady of the manor and chief owner of the soil. ALCUMLOW is a hn.mlet adj0ining, on the west side of Moreton, the property of Randle Wilbraham, Esq. ODD RODE is a township of this parish, in the polling district to which it gives the name, Congleton union, containing by the census of 1861, 2503, and in 1871, 2964: inhabi tants, and 3692 acres; in the hundred of Northwich, deanery of Middlewich, archdeaconry and dio.cese of Chester, Mid Che&hire; 3! miles south-west from Congleton, and about t mile from Mow Station, on the North Staffordshire Railway. It was formed into a separate ecclesiastical district or parish in 1864:. The living is a rectory, in the incumbency of the Rev. Horatio Walmsley, M.A., valued at £200 per annum, with residence, and in the patronage of the Rector of Astbury. The church is a neat edifice, dedicated to All Saints, consisting of nave, chancel, chancel aisle, south aisle, and vestry, and is seated to hold 500 persons, all of which are free ; it was built after the design of Sir Gilbert Scott. The Primitive and Wesleyan Methodists have places of worship here. There are four . schools for children of both sexes, having endowments of about £23 per annum. Randle Wilbraham, Esq., is lord of the manor. A peculiar controversy appears ·to have arisen here in the 16th century, between Mr. William Moreton and Mr. Thomas Rode, as to tvhich should sit highest in the church, and foremost go in p1·ocession, which was decided by Sir William Brereton, in the 12th Henry VIII., in the following terms:-" That whythcr "of the said gentlemen may dispend in landcs by title of inheritance ten marks or above " more than the other, he shall have the pre-eminence in sitting in the church, or in going "in procession, with all other like cause in that behalf." Mow CoP is a hamlet of this township, taking its name from an adjoining mountain called ltlowcop, which rises 1091 feet aboYe the level of the sea, one side of which is in Staffordshire, and contains some stone quarries, from whence superior millstones are pro cured. The Cheshire side is covered with timber. The Primitive Methodists and Wes leyan Free Church have places of worship here. HALL GREEN, KENT GREEN, ScHOLAR GREEN, RoDE HEATH, and CINDER HILL are also hamlets. Coal pits are being sunk in this township. RADNOR is a township of this parish, in Congleton polling district and union, con· taining~ by the census of 1861, 25, and in 1871, 34: inhabitants, and 252 acres; in the hundred of Northwich, Mid Cheshire; 2 miles from Astbury, and 2 from Congleton, and was formerly a hamlet of Somerford. Sir Charles Watkin Shakerley, Bart., is lord of the manor. 2G .

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