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Chorley in Lancaster County England History and GeographyCHORLEY, a market town and parish in the hundred of LEYLAND, county palatine of LANCASTER, 32 miles (S. by E.) from Lancaster, and 208 (N.W. by N.) from London, on the great western road to Scotland, containing 7315 inhabitants. The name of this place is derived from its situation on the river Chor, about a mile from its confluence with the Yarrow, and either from the Saxon word Ley, a field, or from the family of Ley, who were its ancient proprietors. The town is pleasantly situated on the summit of a considerable elevation, and, though in Leland's time described as 'a wonderful poore or rather no market,' has, from the excellent quarries in the neighbourhood, and from the enterprising spirit of its inhabitants, been rapidly rising into consideration and importance, and increasing in population and extent: since the last census, more than three hundred houses have been erected. The town is well lighted with gas by a company established in 1819, who enlarged and appropriated to that purpose some works previously erected for lighting a private manufactory: it is amply supplied with water, which, under the direction of a company formed in 1823, is conveyed by pipes from a large reservoir, into which it is raised by a steam-engine of twelve-horse-power, from a spring that affords an abundant supply: from the elevated situation of the reservoir, the water descends with a velocity sufficient to raise it to the roofs of the highest buildings. The environs, in which are many elegant mansions, abound with pleasing and diversified scenery; and the hills are rich in coal, slate, ashler, and millstone; mines of lead-ore and alum-shale exist in the neighbourhood. The lead mine is worked at Anglezark, and contains an abundance of carbonate of barytes, The principal branch of manufacture is that of cotton. which is carried on to a considerable extent; the chief articles are muslins and calicoes: there are large printing and bleaching establishments on the banks of the streams in the vicinity; many of the factories are worked by water, and several by steam-engines of considerable power. The Lancaster canal, and the Leeds and Liverpool canal, which unite to the south-west of Whittle le Woods, pass within half a mile of the town. The market is on Tuesday: the fairs are, March 26th, May 5th, and August 20th, principally for cattle; and September 4th, 5th, and 6th, for woollen cloth, hardware, and pedlary. The county magistrates hold a petty session for the division weekly, and the lord of the manor holds a court leet once a year. The town-hall, a neat stone building, in the area under which the market is held, was erected in 1802, at the sole expense of the late John Hollingshead, Esq.; the upper part contains a large room in which the petty sessions are held, and a smaller for the transaction of parochial business; adjoining the town-hall is a small prison for the temporary confinement of offenders prior to their committal to the county gaol. Chorley was originally a chapelry in the parish of Croston, from which it was separated in 1793, when that extensive parish was divided into three distinct parishes. The living is a rectory not in charge, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Chester, and in the patronage of the Rev. John Whalley Master, B.D. The church, dedicated to St. Lawrence, is an ancient structure, retaining several features of the Norman character, of which the south entrance is a fine specimen; it formerly contained a relic, said to be the head of its tutelar saint, which, according to a manuscript in the British Museum, was brought from Normandy by Sir Rowland Stanley, Knt., and presented to the parish by his brother. St. George's church, completed in 1825, at an expense of £13,707. 16. 7., by a grant from the parliamentary commissioners, and containing two thousand and twelve free sittings, is a handsome and spacious structure in the later style of English architecture, with a square embattled tower. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the Rector of Chorley. There are places of worship for Independents, Wesleyan Methodists, and Unitarians, and a Roman Catholic chapel. The grammar school was originally established by the churchwardens of the parish, who, in 1634, built a school-room partly in the church-yard, and partly in the yard of an adjoining tythe-barn; it has a small endowment, not exceeding £10 per annum, arising from several subsequent benefactions, and a new school-room was erected in 1824: the course of instruction is rather commercial than classical, and every scholar pays a quarterage to the master, none being gratuitously instructed. A charity school, for which a new building was erected at an expense of £600, raised by subscription in 1824, is conducted on the National plan: there are similar schools in which about one thousand children are educated. An almshouse was erected and endowed in 1682, by Hugh Cooper, Esq., for six aged persons, who have each an apartment, a garden, and an allowance of £2 per annum in money. From Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1831, courtesy of Databases 4 Sale |
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