Site-Search
Coming Soon
|
Site-Search |
|
Page and site |
|
Knaresborough in York County England History and GeographyKNARESBOROUGH, a parish comprising the manor of Beach Hill within the liberty of ST. PETER of YORK, East riding, and the borough and market town of Knaresborough, a portion of which is also within the above liberty, the chapelry of Arkendale, and the townships of Bilton with Harrogate, Brearton, and Seriven with Tentergate, in the lower division of the wapentake of CLARO, West riding, of the county of YORK, and containing 9101 inhabitants, of which number, 5283 are in the borough of Knaresborough, 18 miles (W. by N.) from York, and 197 (N.N.W.) from London. This place is supposed to derive its name from the German word Knares, a rocky mountain, thus indicating the situation of its ancient castle, erected by Serlo de Burgh, who accompanied William the Conqueror to England, and became lord of this manor. During the civil war in the reign of Charles I., the castle was garrisoned for the king, but was eventually taken by Lord Fairfax, after the battle of Marston Moor. A priory was founded in the thirteenth century, by Robert Flower, whose father was mayor of York, who was afterwards canonized: it was endowed by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, the brother of Henry III., for friars of the order of the Holy Trinity, the revenue of which, at the dissolution, was £35. 10. 11. The town is situated on the north-eastern bank of the river Midd, and is surrounded by picturesque and beautiful scenery; the streets are well paved, and lighted with gas; the houses, many of which are handsome buildings, are in general constructed of stone found in the immediate vicinity. There are a subscription library and a news-room. Knaresborough was formerly a favourite watering-place, but has been of late years superseded by Harrogate. The linen and cotton manufactures, which were formerly very extensive, yet employ a considerable number of the inhabitants, though they have somewhat declined, in consequence of the inland situation of the town and the want of facilities for the carriage of goods, and for obtaining coal. The market, held on Wednesday, is one of the principal corn markets in the county: fairs, chiefly for horses, cattle, and sheep, are on the first Wednesdays after January 13th, March 12th, May 5th, August 12th, October 11th, and December 10th, for cattle, horses, and sheep. A statute fair for hiring servants is held on the Wednesday before November 23rd. The county magistrates hold petty sessions weekly for the wapentake of Claro. Courts of record, for the recovery of debts to any amount within the honour of Knaresborough, comprising the borough, the Forest, and the Forest liberty, are held once a fortnight, before the steward (a barrister), and the under steward, who are appointed by the Duke of Devonshire, lessee of the honour under the duchy of Lancaster. Attached to this court is a gaol for debtors, consisting of a single room, part of the remains of Knaresborough castle, which will afford accommodation for two prisoners only. Sessions for the West riding are held here annually at Michaelmas. Borough courts are held after Michaelmas and Easter, by the Duke of Devonshire. The elective franchise was granted in the first year of the reign of Mary; two representatives are sent to parliament: the right of election is in the proprietors of burgage tenements, eighty-eight in number, who are chiefly non-resident: the bailiff, in whom the government of the borough is vested, is the returning officer; and the influence of the Duke of Devonshire is predominant. The living is a vicarage, in the peculiar jurisdiction of the court of the honour of Knaresborough, rated in the king's books at £9. 9. 4½., and in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter of York. The church, which is dedicated to St. John the Baptist, has been erected at various periods: it is an extensive edifice, with a tower between the nave and the chancel, and a decorated east window. There are places of worship for the Society of Friends, Independents, and Wesleyan Methodists, and a Roman Catholic chapel. A free grammar school was founded and endowed by Dr. Robert Chaloner, in 1616, with a rent-charge of £20 per annum, for the education of boys, but there are none on the foundation. A school for boys and girls was endowed by Thomas Richardson, in 1765, with £400 and a dwelling-house, which donation, with subsequent legacies and benefactions, produces an annual income of £101. 16.: thirty boys and girls are educated. A National school for children of both sexes was erected in 1814; and, in 1823, Charles Marshall left £500 to trustees, to apply the interest in providing four suits of clothes every Easter for four scholars who have made the greatest proficiency; the surplus to be used at their discretion in support of the school. Various Sunday schools are well supported and numerously attended. There is a charitable fund of £200 per annum for apprenticing poor children; and another of £150 per annum, distributed in gratuities of £5 each to indigent persons, arising from the joint benefactions of Mrs. Alice Shepherd, in 1806, and Dr. William Craven, in 1812. The ruins of the castle extend over a circular area about three hundred feet in diameter, and consist of part of the keep and some round towers of excellent masonry, with arches and windows displaying the decorated English style of building. Southward of the castle is an excavation in the rock, called St. Robert's Chapel, founded, in the reign of Richard I., by a native of York; and above it is a hermitage, which contains a figure of the hermit in monastic attire, surrounded by his books. A little higher up is Fort Montagu, an ornamental structure consisting of excavations in the rock, and so called in honour of the Duchess of Buccleuch, with appropriate arbours, green-house, and tea-rooms: in the vicinity is St. Robert's cave, remarkable in modern times as the scene of a horrible murder committed on the body of Daniel Clarke, by Eugene Aram, a school-master in this town. About a mile from the town are the remains of an ancient encampment, on the point of a hill two hundred feet above the surface of the river, whence there is a fine view of the town and castle. In this parish there are four mineral springs: the sweet, or vitriolic spa, in Knaresborough Forest, discovered in 1620; the sulphureous spa, which is very f'tid, and changes silver to the colour of copper; St. Mungo's cold bath; and a dropping well, the water of which is the most noted petrifying spring in England. From Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1831, courtesy of Databases 4 Sale |
Readers of this page were also interested in: Broadstairs in Kent County England History and Geography BROADSTAIRS, a small sea-port and hamlet in the parish of ST. PETER, hundred of RINGSOLE, or Isle of Thanet, lathe of ST. AUGUSTINE, county of KENT, 2 miles (N.E. by N.) from Ramsgate, and 75 (E.) from London. The population is returned with the parish Campden (Chipping) in Gloucester County England History and Geography CAMPDEN (CHIPPING), a parish in the upper division of the hundred of KIFTSGATE, county of GLOUCESTER, comprising the market-town of Campden, and the hamlets of Berrington, Broad Campden, and Wessington with Combe, and containing 1798 inhabitants, of which number, 1249 are in Chipping-Campden, 25½ miles (N.E. by E.) from Gloucester, and 90 (N.W. by W.) from London Kingston upon Thames in Surrey County England History and Geography KINGSTON upon THAMES, a parish in the first division of the hundred of KINGSTON, county of SURREY, comprising the market town of Kingston, which has a separate jurisdiction, and the hamlets of Ham with Hatch, and Hook, and containing 6091 inhabitants, of which number, 4908 are in the town of Kingston, 17½ miles (N.E.) from Guildford, and 12½ (S.W.) from London, on the road to Portsmouth Redruth in Cornwall County England History and Geography REDRUTH, a market town and parish in the hundred of PENWITH, county of CORNWALL, 49 miles (S.W. by W.) from Launceston, and 262¼ (W.S.W.) from London, containing 6607 inhabitants. This ancient town, originally called Uny, subsequently received the appellation of Dre druth, or 'Druids town.' of which its present name is evidently an abbreviation Stone in Stafford County England History and Geography STONE, a parish in the southern division of the hundred of PIREHILL, county of STAFFORD, comprising the market town of Stone, and the liberties of Beech, Hilderstone, Kibblestone, and Normicott, and containing 7251 inhabitants, of which number, 2855 are in the town of Stone, 7 miles (N. by W.) from Stafford, and 141 (N.W. by N.) from London Wotton under Edge in Gloucester County England History and Geography WOTTON under EDGE, a market town and parish in the upper division of the hundred of BERKELEY, county of GLOUCESTER, 19 miles (S.S.W.) from Gloucester, and 108 (W. by N.) from London, comprising the tythings of Huntingford, Sinwell with Bradley, Symonds-Hall with Combe, and Wortley, and containing 5004 inhabitants |
