Pigot and Co.'s Royal National and Commercial Directory of August 1841: Huddersfield
The following section is reproduced from Pigot and Co.'s Royal National and Commercial Directory of August 1841.
Huddersfield with the Townships of Almondbury, Lockwood and Lindley ; and the Villages of Deighton, Sheepridge, Paddock and Neighbourhoods
Huddersfield is a populous and flourishing manufacturing and market town, and parliamentary borough, in the parish of its name, and wapentake of Agbrigg, West Riding ; 189 miles from London, 40 south-west from York, and 24 north-east from Manchester. The town, which derives its name from Oder or Hudder, the first Saxon colonist of the place, is situated on the high road between Manchester and Leeds, partly on the declivity and partly on the summit of an eminence, which is surrounded by others of superior height ; while the river Colne glides through the valley. The houses arc principally built of light-coloured stone, in a neat style ; and the general appearance of the town, which of late years has wonderfully increased in magnitude, is of a character calculated to inspire the traveller with the impression that its inhabitants are wealthy and respectable : the streets and shops are well lighted with gas, and the former are properly paved and cleaned. The lord of the manor, and almost sole proprietor of the real property here, is Sir John Ramsden, Bart., who holds a court leet, at Almondbury, once a year ; a court of requests, for the recovery of debts under £7. 10s., is held in a neat building in Queen Street, where, also, the magistrates sit on Tuesdays and Saturdays ; a court is held, twice in the year, at the George Inn, for the liberty of the honour of Pontefract, for pleas of debt or damages under £5 ; and another court (in connexion with Leeds) can entertain actions of debt and damage to the amount of £15. Huddersfield, under the provisions of the reform bill, sends one member to parliament ; the present representative is W.R. Stansfield, Esq. The boundary act defines the limits of the borough to comprise the entire township of Huddersfield, and it also appoints the town as a polling station for the West Riding.
The manufactures of Huddersfield and neighbourhood are principally woollens, and consist of broad and narrow cloths, serges, kerseymeres, cords, &c.; fancy goods, to a great extent, are also made here, embracing shawls and waistcoatings in great variety, besides articles from silk. The cotton trade, likewise, is carried on, although in extent nothing to be compared with the other branches already named. Amongst the principal buildings is the cloth hall, erected by Sir John Ramsden in the year 1765. It is a large circular edifice, two stories high, divided, on the one side, into separate compartments or shops, and, on the other, into open stalls, for the accommodation of the country manufacturers of woollen cloths : there are also two central avenues of stalls for the same purpose, and the number of manufacturers now attending there on the market day (Tuesday) is about six hundred ; if to this be added the great number (particularly in the fancy line) who have ware-rooms in various parts of the town, some estimate may be formed of the immense amount of business transacted weekly in Huddersfield. The doors are opened early in the morning of the market day, and closed at half-past twelve o'clock at noon ; they are again opened at three in the afternoon, for the removal of cloth, &c. Above the entrance is placed a cupola, in which is a clock and bell, used for the purpose of regulating the time allowed for doing business. (The names of the manufacturers who attend the market, at the Hall, may be obtained of the keeper.) The inland navigation of Huddersfield affords to its trade the most ample advantages, both to the east and to the west ; the Ramsden and Huddersfield canals communicating with others and their branches, an intercourse is kept up with all the great commercial and manufacturing towns. There are many streams in the neighbourhood ; and the rivers Holme and Colne here unite, and fall into the Calder three miles below the town. Upon these streams a number of mills are erected — most of them employed in the manufacture of woollens, and fulling and washing the cloth, &c.
There are many edifices for divine worship, under the establishment, and for various religious denominations. Saint Peter's, the parish church, is of ancient foundation ; it was rebuilt in the reign of Henry VII, and had a venerable and stately appearance. Under the auspices of the late vicar, the Rev. J.C. Franks, this church has lately been completely rebuilt, after the best mode of church architecture; the expense, amounting to nearly £10,000, has been defrayed by the public liberality. The benefice is a vicarage, in the presentation of Sir John Ramsden ; the Rev. J. Bateman is the present vicar. Trinity church is a beautiful gothic edifice, erected in 1819 by B.H. Allen, Esq., of Greenhead, at a cost of £12,000 ; the living is in the gift of Mrs. Davies (late the widow of the founder), and incumbency of the Rev. Mr. Manning. St. Paul's church is an erection of still more recent date, having been raised in 1831 ; its architecture is that of the early English style ; the patronage is in the vicar, and the present incumbent is the Rev. J. Oldham. The other places of worship, in and near the town, are chapels belonging to the baptists, independents, primitive and Wesleyan methodists, the society of friends, and Roman catholics: the chapel of the latter is a very ornamental structure, and that of the methodists, in Queen Street, one of the largest in the kingdom. The charitable institutions are valuable ; the principal is the infirmary, on the Halifax road, which, in addition to the benevolent purposes for which it was established, is a considerable acquisition to the town in point of ornament : the number of in-patients annually exceeds three hundred, and of out-patients the number is about four thousand annually. The national school has been established many years, and latterly there has been erected a British and foreign school. In addition to these, two noble institutions for the education of youth have recently been founded : one, the collegiate school, more immediately under the auspices of the church ; the other, the college, supported by all denominations. There are, also, numerous Sunday schools ; bible and other societies for the diffusion of religious knowledge ; and a mechanics' institute, established in 1825. Naturally this part of the country is barren and unproductive ; but its local advantages for manufacture (from its waterfalls, and having coal mines contiguous,) has caused the assemblage of a great population ; and the soil has gradually yielded to the labours of the agriculturist and husbandman, until at length it has become valuable, and available to the wants or those who have established themselves upon it. The surrounding hills, therefore, are now cultivated to their summits, from which the views are very extensive, particularly that from Castle Hill, from whence, on a clear day, may be obtained a glimpse of York cathedral. There are many handsome residences in the neighbourhood ; and about three quarters of a mile from the town are Lockwood Waters, noticed more at large in our sketch of that village. The market is on Tuesday, and is well supplied with every necessary ; the fairs are, March 31st, May 4th, and October 1st, for cattle and horses — the May fair is the principal one. By the returns for 1831 the parish contained 31,041 inhabitants, of which number 19,035 were returned for the township.
Aldmonbury is a populous township and respectable village, in the extensive parish of its name, the village being situated about 2 miles south-east of Huddersfield, on the road leading to Penistone. The parish of Almondbury is of great importance, both as respects its commerce and its extent — being nearly ten miles in length, and embracing within its limits many populous townships and villages. The manufactures are of the same nature as those of Huddersfield, for which there are numerous establishments in the township and its vicarage. Sir John Ramsden is lord of the manor, and holds a court leet annually in October, when constables and other officers are appointed, and cases of damage and trespass adjudicated. The parish church, dedicated to All Saints, is an ancient edifice, with a square tower ; the benefice is a vicarage, in the gift of the governors of Clitheroe, and incumbency of the Rev. Lewis Jones. In the village is a chapel for Wesleyan methodists. The free grammar school here was founded in the reign of James I ; the income is derived from land and rent charges, devised by Robert Nettleton and other benefactors. The parish contained, in 1831, 30,606 inhabitants, and the township 7,086 of that number.
Lockwood is a village and township in the parish of Almondbury, now nearly united to Huddersfield. The village is beautifully situated in the valley of Holme, and in the midst of a romantic and finely sheltered country. The great attraction of this place is its spa and baths : the water is highly esteemed for its medicinal properties, and the baths, which afford ample accommodation for visiters, comprise swimming, warm, Buxton, shower, vapour, sulphurous, fumigating and shampooing. There is a good inn close to the baths. For the convenience of the increasing population, a church has likewise been erected, of which the Rev. John Wright is the minister. There are two chapels for particular baptists. The township numbers upwards of 3,000 inhabitants.
Lindley, or Lindley-cum-Quarmby, is a township in the parish of Huddersfield, about 2 miles north-west from that town. The manufacture of woollen goods is carried on extensively in the township. In 1829 a church was erected here by the parliamentary commissioners, in the early style of English architecture ; the living is in the patronage of the vicar of Huddersfield. There are two chapels for methodists, and one for baptists ; and a school conducted upon the national plan. The population of the township is 2,200.
Deighton and Sheepridge form a populous portion of the hamlet of Fartown, in the parish of Huddersfield, about two miles north-east-by-east from that town. The velveteen and woollen cord manufacture is the branch prevailing here. Christ church, a beautiful and chaste edifice, the architecture in the style of the thirteenth century, was erected at Woodhouse in 1829, at the expense of John Whitacre, Esq., in whom and his heirs is vested the gift of the living ; the present incumbent is the Rev. W.C. Madden. The methodists have a place of worship here. Population returned with the parish.
Paddock is a populous hamlet in the parish of Huddersfield, of which it now may be considered an integral part. It contains the church of All Saints, a handsome structure, erected in 1829 ; the living is in the patronage of the vicar of Huddersfield, and present incumbency of the Rev. Thomas Potter. The society of friends have a chapel here. Population returned with the parish.
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