SANDBACH

The parish of Sandbach is situated in the east of Cheshire, not far from the border with Staffordshire. It comprised the townships of Arclyd, Betchton, Bradwall, Hassal, Sandbach and Whelock. The parochial chapelries of Goostrey and Holmes Chapel contained a further seven townships.

In the Market Square are the Sandbach crosses, two Anglo-Saxon crosses probably dating from the ninth century. Both are decorated with figures on all sides, and one shows biblical scenes, including three scenes from the life of Christ. Although they are understood to have been complete during the reign of Elizabeth I, it seems that they were later broken up and parts were removed. They were restored as far as possible in their present position in 1816.

It is understood that there was a church in Sandbach at the time of the Norman Conquest. The advowson was given to the abbey of Dieulacres. This abbey was originally situated in Poulton near Chester but moved to a site near Leek in Staffordshire in the early thirteenth century. Following the surrender of the abbey in 1538 the rectory passed to the Crown and was leased to John Broughton and then in 1599 to William Tipper and Richard Cartwright and the advowson of the vicarage was granted in 1556 to Richard and Thomas Wilbraham and then passed in 1588 to William Leversage.

The existing church building dates from the fifteenth century, although some parts have survived from earlier dates. It was restored in 1847-49 by George Gilbert Scott with later additions and restoration. The base of the west tower is open on three sides and a public footpath across the churchyard passes through it. It is one of only two parish churches in Cheshire to have a right of way passing through it.

There is a marble relief in the church of John Armistead, vicar from 1828 to 1865.The Armistead family served as clergy in Sandbach continuously for over 100 years from 1828 to 1941.

The Old Hall Hotel, almost opposite the church, occupies a timber-framed hall dated 1656. It was formerly the home of the Radclyffe family. Between 1828 and 1865 twenty almshouses and a school were built in Sandbach.

The main industries in the nineteenth century were silk throwing and shoemaking with the later development of salt works and an iron foundry. However, the opening of the station in Sandbach on the Manchester to Crewe line led to its development as a residential area for commuters.

Sources:

John Minshull, St. Mary’s Church Sandbach, Cheshire (Sandbach, revised edition 1990) 

George Ormerod, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester (second edition, revised and enlarged by T. Helsby, London, 1882), vol. iii, pp. 95-109

G C Baugh, W L Cowie, J C Dickinson, Duggan A P, A K B Evans, R H Evans, Una C Hannam, P Heath, D A Johnson, Hilda Johnstone, Ann J Kettle, J L Kirby, R Mansfield, A Saltman, ‘Houses of Cistercian monks: The abbey of Dieulacres’, in A History of the County of Stafford: Volume 3, ed. M W Greenslade, R B Pugh( London, 1970), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/staffs/vol3/pp230-235 [accessed 12 January 2025]

Historic England:
Sandbach Crosses, Market Square (1159937)
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1159937 National Heritage List for England
Church of St Mary, High Street (1330401)
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1330401 National Heritage List for England
Old Hall Hotel, High Street (1310849)
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1310849 National Heritage List for England

PENWORTHAM

The parish comprised Farington, Howick, Hutton, Longton and Penwortham. It is situated on the south bank of the Ribble, opposite Preston. It was a largely agricultural area, with mixed arable, grass and woodland and the main industries were cotton manufacture at Farington and breweries at Longton. With the rapid industrialisation and growth of Preston in the nineteenth century Penwortham developed as a residential area.

There is a medieval motte castle there on a natural mound known as Castle Hill overlooking a ford across the River Ribble. The castle was occupied from the early medieval period until the middle of the thirteenth Century.

Prior to the Dissolution, the church of Penwortham with its tithes and much of the land in the parish belonged to the priory of Penwortham. This was a cell of the abbey of Evesham which remained the legal owner of all this property. In 1539 the manor and rectory were leased to John Fleetwood of London who subsequently bought them from the king following the surrender of Evesham later that year.

The Fleetwood family retained the advowson and retained the tithes as lay rectors, appointing a stipendiary minister. This arrangement continued until the eighteenth century.

Although there was probably a church on the site from the fourteenth century, it has been rebuilt several times. The chancel dates from the fourteenth century and the west tower from the fifteenth. The nave was rebuilt in 1855, and the tower restored in 1884. The font is dated 1667.

Sources: 

‘The parish of Penwortham’, in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 6, ed. William Farrer, J Brownbill( London, 1911), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol6/pp52-56 [accessed 9 January 2025]

‘Houses of Benedictine monks: The priory of Penwortham’, in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 2, ed. William Farrer, J Brownbill( London, 1908), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol2/pp104-106 [accessed 9 January 2025]

Historic England
Church of St Mary, Church Avenue (1073058)
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1073058  National Heritage List for England
Castle Hill Motte (1011868)
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1011868 National Heritage List for England

HUTTON

The township of Hutton was part of the parish of Penwortham. Although much of the land in the parish had been owned by the priory of Penwortham until 1539, the manor of Hutton had belonged to Cockersand Abbey although part of the tithes was claimed by Evesham Abbey, the parent house of Penwortham Priory. Lytham Priory also held lands in Hutton.

After the dissolution of Cockersand the manor of Hutton was granted to Lawrence Rawsthorne in 1546. It is possible that he sublet it, or part of it, as Thomas Cuverden (or Cuerden) claimed in 1551 to be farmer of all the tithes of the township. However, there were several disputes between the Rawsthornes and their neighbours concerning Hutton.

Much of the area of the township comprised low land along the River Ribble, some of which is tidal. The farmed land was mostly pasture.

Field names 

named in EDC 5/12/2 –
the thre acres

Sources: 

‘The parish of Penwortham’, in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 6, ed. William Farrer, J Brownbill( London, 1911), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol6/pp52-56 [accessed 9 January 2025]

‘Townships: Hutton’, in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 6, ed. William Farrer, J Brownbill( London, 1911), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol6/pp67-69 [accessed 9 January 2025]

AINSWORTH

The hamlet or township of Ainsworth, although part of the parish of Middleton, was situated about 6 miles from the parish church and was separated from the central area of the parish by parts of the parishes of Radcliffe and Bury. Cockey Moor, part of which is in Radcliffe, lies to the east of Ainsworth. The chapel of Cockey, also known as Ainsworth Chapel, served as a chapel of ease. In 1586 it was described as ‘a chapel built of timber, beset round about with trees’. The chapel was rebuilt in 1832 and the chapelry became a parish in its own right in 1867.

The farming was mainly arable with some pasture. The cotton industry developed later and stone was quarried.

Field names

named in EDC 5/12/1 –
the intak
the park
the crofte
the marledyerthe
the old marledyerthe
the newe marlederth
the barine crofte

Sources:

‘Townships: Ainsworth’, in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 5, ed. William Farrer, J Brownbill( London, 1911), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol5/pp180-182 [accessed 8 January 2025]