Copy 1, Volume 1

England and Wales delineated, historical, entertaining & commercial. Alphabetically arranged / by Thomas Dugdale ... Assisted by William Burnett.

  • Thomas Dugdale
Date:
[1854-60?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: England and Wales delineated, historical, entertaining & commercial. Alphabetically arranged / by Thomas Dugdale ... Assisted by William Burnett. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    83/1020 (page 53)
    Map. Names of 'Places. 'County. Number of Miles from Dist. Bond. Popu- lation. 22 Ashton-under-Lvne * p Lancaster .. Manchester ..7 Stockport ...7 Mottram .... 5 186 33597 Ashton-in-Macker- / field t .. to & chap Lancaster .. Newton 3 Prescot 7 Wigan 5 196 5912 7 Ashton-upon-Mersey ) to & pa ( Chester Stockport .. .9 Manchester. .7 Altringham. .4 184 2078 m the tower is inscribed “ Sanete Johannes Baptiste ora pro nobis;” on the tower are the arms of Lyons., in stone. Amongst several painted figures and coats of arms on the glass of the windows, are the portraits of Edward IV. and his Queen, Elizabeth Widville. Here are several hand- some monuments, but that of Sir Richard Choke and his lady is eminently magnificent and beautiful. Ashton Court, the manor house, originally founded by the Lyons family, but materially altered by Inigo Jones, occupies the S.E. slope of Ashton Down, and the remains of another old manor house, called the Lower Court, still stands in a valley to the S.W. of the village. * ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE is a large town situated at the south- eastern extremity of the county. It consists of several narrow streets, built on a high bank, which rises from the river Tame. It appears from an ancient manuscript, that Ashton was formerly a borough, yet for some centuries it sent no members to Parliament; but, by the Reform Bill of 1832, it now returns one member, and the mayor of the town is the returning officer. The borough comprises the whole district, over which the lighting and paving act of the 7th and 8th of Geo. IV. extends. A court is held here for the recovery of debts, not exceeding five pounds, by 48th Geo. III. c. 18 ; any person may sue, under the general regulations, and defendants sued elsewhere are to have their costs. Defendants removing out of the jurisdiction, may be followed in person and goods, by removing | the record to the superior courts, but wagers, &c. are not recoverable. The principal part of the landed property of this parish belongs to the Earl of Stamford, in whose family it was conveyed, by the marriage of Sir William Booth to the daughter of Sir Thomas Asheton, whose family pos- 5 sessed some peculiar privileges in this manor: among which was, the | power of life and death over their tenantry. In commemoration of this ! privilege, and its having been sometimes exercised, a field near the old i hall is still called Gallows Meadow. There is also an ancient custom here, called riding the black lad,” celebrated every Easter Monday, to perpetuate some act of great tyranny exercised by Sir Ralph Asheton, in 1483, when vice-constable of England. The ceremony consists in ex- hibiting the effigies of a man on horseback through the streets, which is afterwards suspended on the cross in the market place, and there shot. The figure was formerly cased in armour, and the expenses of it were I defrayed by the court. Another account of the origin of this custom | states, that Thomas Asheton, in the reign of Henry III., particularly dis- ■ tinguished himself at the battle of Neville's Cross, and bore away the standard from the Scotch King’s tent. For this heroic deed the King j conferred on Ashton the honour of Knighthood, who, on his arrival at his manor instituted the custom described. At the village of Fairfield, in ] this parish, there is a Moravian settlement, who have erected a chapel for their followers. The males are principally employed in spinning and weaving : they form a very industrious and orderly community. On the western side of the town is Ashton Moss, which supplies the poor with peat turf. Oak and fir trees are frequently found by those who dig for the peat. Market, Wednesday.—Fairs, March 23, April 29, July 25, and November 21, for horned cattle, horses, and toys.—Bankers, Buckley, Roberts, and Co.; draw in London on Jones, Lloyd, and Co.—Inn, Commercial Hotel. + ASHTON. This village is generally called Ashton in Makerfield, or Ashton in the Willows; it enjoys a very pleasant situation on the road ii Asiiton. Court of Re- quests for the reeov ery of £5. De- fendants may be followed. The lord of the manor possessed a power of life and death. Custom of riding the black lad. Moravian settlement