Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for LEATHERHEAD

LEATHERHEAD, a small town, a parish, and a subdistrict, in Epsom district, Surrey. The town stands on the river Mole, at a fourteen arched bridge across the stream and at the terminus of a branch of the Southwestern railway, 4 miles SW by S of Epsom; was known to the Saxons as Leodre, Ledret, and Leadride; appears to have been long a place of considerable importance; was the seat of the sheriff county court prior to the end of Henry III. 's reign; was also a market town; consists now of four streets, with large gardens sloping down from the back of one of them to the river; and has a head post office, ‡ a railway station with telegraph, two chief inns, a church, an Independent chapel, a mechanics, institute, national and infant schools, and charities £200. One of the inns has a spacious apartment for balls, concerts, and public meetings. A small inn, a timber built house recently much altered, close to the bridge, is said to be the hostel of "Dame Eleanor Rummyng, " celebrated by Skelton, the laureate of Henry VIII. The church stands on an eminence above the Mickleham road; is a cruciform edifice of the 13th century; was given, about the middle of the 14th century, to the priory of Leeds in Kent; has a tower with octagon staircase at the NE corner, and strong double buttresses at each of the other corners; contains carved screens at the division between the nave and the transepts; contains also, in its E window, stained glass brought from Rouen by the Rev. J. Dallaway, at the time when he was publishing his history of West Sussex; and contains likewise a beautiful monument to Mrs. Dickson, and many ancient marble tablets. A fair is held on 10 October; and malting, brewing, and tanning are carried on.—The parish contains also the hamlet of Pattersham, and comprises 3, 507 acres. Real property, £10, 336. Pop., 2, 079. Houses, 384. The manor, with Randall Park, belongs to R. Henderson, Esq. Leatherhead House was the seat of the Gores, and of Judge Jeffreys. Thorncroft is the seat of A. Colvin, Esq.; and Gibbons Grove, of D. Fletcher, Esq. Bricks and tiles are made. An extensive common was enclosed in 1862. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Winchester. Value, £300.* Patrons, the Dean and Chapter of Rochester.—The sub-district contains also five other parishes. Acres, 16, 684. Pop., 6, 160. Houses, 1, 153.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a small town, a parish, and a subdistrict"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Leatherhead AP/CP       Leatherhead SubD       Epsom RegD/PLU       Surrey AncC
Place names: LEADRIDE     |     LEATHERHEAD     |     LEDRET     |     LEODRE
Place: Leatherhead

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