Places: Manchester

Place Type

Parish

County

Lancashire

Parish

Manchester

Deanery

Manchester

Causes

EDC 5/9/1 – Francis Buckley contra Elizabeth Traves
EDC 5/1580/11 – Jane Chetam, wife of Henry Chetam, contra Richard Hall, clerk. Richard Hall was one of the Fellows of Manchester Collegiate Church.
EDC 5/1580/12 – Ralph Shalcrosse contra Robert Ridinges

MANCHESTER

The area of the parish of Manchester comprised the townships of  Cheetham, Heaton Norris, Manchester, Moston, Reddish, Salford, Stretford and Withington and the town of Manchester occupied an important strategic position at the crossing of two important roads.

A church in Manchester dedicated to St Mary is mentioned  in the Domesday Book, the patronage belonged to the owners of the manor, latterly the family of le Warre. In 1421 a college was  established by the family there, of which many buildings still survive, now occupied by Cheetham’s library and school. In the sixteenth century, the position of the college was uncertain as it was dissolved under Edward VI, refounded by Mary, dissolved again early in Elizabeth’s reign but then refounded again by her in 1578. The controversial mathematician, astrologer and alchemist, John Dee, was appointed warden of the refounded college in 1595.

As the town grew with the industrialisation of the area a diocese was established in 1847 and the parish church became the cathedral.

Sources:

https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol2/p167

https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol4/pp192-204

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