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Chippenham in Wilts County England History and GeographyCHIPPENHAM, a parish in the hundred of CHIPPENHAM, county of WILTS, comprising the borough and market town of Chippenham, and the tythings of Allington, and Tytherton-Stanley with Nethermore, and containing 3506 inhabitants, of which number, 3201 are in the borough, 33 miles (N.W. by N.) from Salisbury, and 93 (W.) from London. This place, which derives its name from the Saxon Cyppan-ham, a market town, was of considerable importance during the Heptarchy, and is supposed to have been the residence of the West Saxon kings. Ethelwolf, on his return from an excursion against the Welch in 853, remained for some time at this place, where he celebrated the marriage of his daughter Ethelswitha with Burthred, King of Mercia. In the reign of Alfred, the Danes, who, after their defeat, had engaged by treaty to quit the kingdom, retreated to this town, of which they obtained possession by treachery; and that monarch, after the dispersion of his army, was compelled to take refuge in the cottage of a neat-herd: on their subsequent defeat by Alfred, the Danes again took refuge in this town, where the treaty between that monarch and the Danish prince Guthrum was negotiated. The town is pleasantly situated on the side of a hill on the south bank of the river Avon, which here expands into a noble sheet of water, over which, terminating the western extremity of the principal street, is a handsome stone bridge of twenty-two arches, widened about thirty years since, and ornamented with balustrades, for the repair of which, and of a stone causeway of nearly three miles in length, a considerable estate is vested in the corporation. It consists of one spacious street, half a mile in length and well paved, containing many respect able houses, and of several smaller streets; it is lighted, and tolerably well supplied with water from the river, by which it is bounded on three sides. The woollen manufacture, consisting chiefly of the finer broad cloths and kerseymeres, formerly flourished to a considerable extent; but it has altogether declined, the last factory having recently closed: there are a few grist-mills and tanneries; and the town is greatly benefited by the trade arising from its situation as a great thoroughfare on the road to Bath and Bristol. The Wilts and Berks canal passes close to the town. The market is on Saturday: the fairs are, May 17th, June 22nd, October 29th, and December 11th, for horses, cattle, and sheep. The government, by charter of Queen Mary, granted in the first year of her reign, and after its surrender to Charles II., renewed in the reign of James II., is vested in a bailiff and twelve capital burgesses, assisted by a town clerk and subordinate officers: the bailiff is elected by the burgesses, but he does not exercise magisterial authority. The petty sessions for the division are held here; and a court of requests, for the recovery of debts under 40s., is held on the Tuesday in every sixth week by commissioners, under an act passed in the 35th of George III., the jurisdiction of which extends over the hundreds of Chippenham, Calne, and North Damerham, and the liberty of Corsham. The town-hall, market-house, and shambles are very inconveniently situated; it has been long in contemplation to remove them, but this desirable object has not yet been carried into effect. Chippenham is a borough by prescription, and first sent members to parliament in the reign of Edward I.; it made two returns in the reign of Edward II., and four in that of Edward III., and from that period it discontinued till the 2nd of Richard II.; after the 12th of that reign it again ceased to make any return till the first of Henry VI., since which time it has regularly sent two members: the right of election is vested in the resident burgage holders, of whom the number is one hundred and twenty-eight, the addition of one more having been for many years a subject of litigation; one half of them are in the interest of Joseph Nield, Esq.: the bailiff is the returning officer The living is a discharged vicarage, in the archdeaconry of Wilts, and diocese of Sarum, rated in the king's books at £13. 19. 4., and in the patronage of the Dean and Canons of Christchurch, Oxford. The church, dedicated to St. Andrew, is a spacious ancient building, containing portions in different styles of English architecture, of which the tower and spire are in the early style; it contains several interesting monuments. There is a chapel of ease at Tytherton-Lucas, in this parish. There are places of worship for Baptists, Independents, and Wesleyan Methodists. William Woodroffe, in 1664, gave land producing £5 per annum, for teaching ten poor children, to which Mrs. Mary Bridges added £15, for two additional boys. The Rev. Robert Cock, in 1719, gave £50 towards the establishment of a charity school for girls; and a Lancasterian school, recently established, is supported by subscription. Thomas Ray, Esq., in 1615, bequeathed nine houses in New Sarum, the rents of which to be distributed among poor clothiers in Chippenham, Marlborough, Trowbridge, and Westbury. Mr. Gabriel Goldney, in 1620, gave a rent-charge of £6, to furnish great coats for six aged men. Sir Francis Popham gave lands producing £12 per annum, to be divided among six poor burgesses; and, in 1769, Sir Edward Baynton and Sir Thomas Fludyer, who in that year had been returned as members for the borough, invested £1000 in the three per cent. Bank Annuities, for the support of such freemen, or their widows living in burgagehouses, as the trustees should consider deserving objects. There are various other bequests, both for the benefit of the poor and for the repair of the causeway. Monkton, the name of an estate on the north bank of the river, seems to indicate the remote existence of some religious establishment, of which no vestige or historical account remains. There are two chalybeate springs in the parish, which were formerly in great repute; one of them is occasionally used, but the other is entirely closed up. From Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1831, courtesy of Databases 4 Sale |
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