STANTitORNE, WltARTON (oR ). 527

STANTHORNE. BOSTOOK JOHN, miller and corn mer- Gentry. chant, Stanthorne mill Broome Mrs. Mary Brett Hugh, farmer, New House farm Chatterton Miss Elizabeth Cook, Stan­ Carter Robert, farmer, Stanthorne hill thorne lodge Davenport Charles, farmer and grazier, Dutton Richard, Esq., Stanthorne hall New House farm Dutton Richard, farmer, Stanthorne hall T1·ades and Profe..~8ions. Egerton Peter, cowkeeper Astbury Frederick farmer Hollinshead Jph., farmer, Stanthorne farm Bancroft John, gamekeeper Oakes J ames, farmer Barratt George, farmer \Yard John Lea, farmer, \Vallange Bebington John, farmer, Bank farm George J ackson, corn and provi- sion merchant, Stanthorne mill; h. New­ is the post town and nearest ton, Middlewich money order office

WHARTON, OR WINSFORD.

WHARTON (or WINSFORD) iB a small market town and township of this parish, the centre of the polling district to which it gives the name, in Northwiqh union, con­ taining, by the census of 1861, 2234, and in 1871, 2597 inhabitants, and 1224 acres; in the hundred of , archdeaconry and diocese of , Mid ; on the east bank of the river "'Weaver, which is navigable to this place; 3 miles north-west from Middlewich, and 6 south from Northwich. The Ticarage, in the incumbency of the nev. Thomas Da vis, M. A., is valued at £1 GO per annum, with residence, and is in the patronage of the vicar of . The church is a handsome cruciform edifice, in the Perpen­ dicular style, consisting of nave, chancel, and north and south transepts, with tower sur­ mounted by pinnacles representing the four Holy Evangelists, and containing one bell. A memorial window to the memory of the Rev. John Samuel Bage, the ]ate vicar, and a new organ loft are about to be placed in the church. The \Vesleyans, Primitive Metho­ dists, and Methodist Free Church, have places of worship here. There are National Schools for children of both sexes. THE MARKET AND ToWN HALT•. - The market in this town was, for many years, held at most unreasonable hours, not commencing until late, and being kept open on Saturday until midnight, thus rendering it impossible for those who brought their produce from the country to reach home before Sunday morning, and all articles for sale were exposed in the open street. In 1859 a number of gentlemen met for the purpose of taking some me:tsures to alter that state of affairs, and a company was formed, called the Win.ifm·d T01rn and JJiarket Hall Go. (Limitedj, who at once erected a large and commodious Market Hall, and fixed the time of closing at nine in the evening. The market being brought under control and authority soon proved a great boon to the inhabitants, and its increase enabled the directors in 1871 to purchase the manorial rights from the then lord of the manor, William Hosken Harper, Esq., and to erect, in addition to the existing hall, a new Town and Market Hall. It is in the old timbered style of Cheshire and Lancashire, and is a great ornament to the town. The Market Day is on Saturday, and there are Fairs annually on the 8th May and 2:>th · November. This town, which is mostly known to the world by the name of WINSFORD, is CE'lebrated for its great number of brine springs and the quantity of salt manufactured, and its con­ nection with Liverpool by the river \Veaver, and with other parts of the country by the London and· North Western Railway, enables the manufacturers to import salt to all parts of the world. The brine is found at depths varying fr.om 12 to 60 yards, and pro­ duces about 52 ounces of salt to the gallon, and there are also mines of rock salt. The pumping of the brine has caused considerable landslips in this neighbourhood, and a large portion of the land on the banks of the Weaver has sunk below that level of the river, and now forms an extensive lake covering upwards of 1000 acres; the houses on the sur face have also sunk down in many instances, ami present a very unsafe appearance.