Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for WHITCHURCH

WHITCHURCH, a town in Salop, a parish partly also in Cheshire, a district partly likewise in Flint, but all registrationally in Salop, and a division electorally in Salop. The town stands at the terminus of a short branch of the Ellesmere canal, and at the junction of the railways from Shrewsbury and Oswestry to Crewe, 19 miles N by E of Shrewsbury; was anciently called Blancminster; had an hospital before the time of Henry II., and an ancient castle; is a seat of petty-sessions and county-courts, and a polling place; occupies a gentle eminence, amid pleasant environs; was recently improved by the formation of sewage-works; carries on brewing, malting, iron-founding, and machine-making; and has a head post-office,‡ r. stations with telegraph, two banking-offices, three chief inns, a police station, a town hall, a newsroom, a church rebuilt in 1713, four dissenting chapels, an endowed grammar-school with £459 a year, another endowed school with £50, a working men's club, a young men's institute, alms houses with £216, a workhouse, general charities £209, a weekly market on Friday, and 4 annual fairs. Pop. in 1861, 3,704. Houses, 793. The parish includes 12 townships in Salop, and one in Cheshire; and comprises 15,416 acres. Real property, £34,477; of which £225 are in gasworks. Pop., 6,093. Houses, 1,280. The manor belongs to Earl Brownlow. The living is a rectory, united with Marbury, in the diocese of Lichfield. Value, £1,458.* Patron, Earl Brownlow. A chapel of ease is at Dodington; and the p. curacies of Ash and Tilstock are separate benefices.—The district contains three entire parishes, and a large portion of Malpas parish; is divided into the sub-districts of Whitchurch and Malpas; and was formerly a part of Wem district. Acres, 39,076. Poor rates in 1863, £5,044. Pop., 11,272. Houses, 2,337. Marriages in 1863, 95; births, 384,-of which 64 were illegitimate; deaths, 253,-of which 87 were at ages under 5 years, and 7 at ages above 85.-The division contains four parishes and a part; and is part of North Bradford hundred. Acres, 30,474. Pop. in 1851, 9,519. Houses, 1,941.


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

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a town"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Cheshire AncC       Flintshire AncC       Shropshire AncC
Place names: BLANCMINSTER     |     WHITCHURCH
Place: Whitchurch

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