Alvanley
ALVANLEY, a chapelry, in the parish of Frodsham, union of Runcorn, Second division of the
hundred of Eddisbury, S. division of the county of
Chester, 3 miles (S. S. W.) from Frodsham; containing 314 inhabitants, and comprising 1532 acres of land,
whereof the soil is clay and sand. The manor was held
under the earls of Arundel at an early period by Richard
de Pierpoint and Robert de Alvanley, who sold it to Sir
Philip de Orreby; and it came by marriage, in the reign
of Henry III., to the Arden family. When Sir Richard
Pepper Arden, master of the rolls, was created a peer,
in 1801, he took the title of Lord Alvanley from this
place; and it is now held by his son and successor, the
present lord. The living is a donative; net income, £47;
patron, Lord Alvanley. The chapel is dedicated to St.
Mary. A Sunday school has been established.
Alvaston
ALVASTON, a township, in the parish, union, and
hundred of Nantwich, S. division of the county of
Chester, 2½ miles (N. E.) from Nantwich; containing
40 inhabitants. The ancient manor of Alvaston was
possessed by the Bromley family, but no manor now
exists: in 1788 the principal estate came by purchase to
the Fosters. In the township is the common of Croach
or Beam-heath, which in 1285 was given by Richard
Alvaston to the whole community of the town of WichMalbank, now Nantwich; but it being deemed more
for the benefit of the persons interested, the common
was inclosed by act of parliament, in 1803. The township comprises 610 acres, of which 450 are in Beamheath; the soil is partly sand and partly clay. Races
are held annually. The tithes have been commuted for
£82. 7. 6.
Alvaston
ALVASTON, a chapelry, in the parish of St. Michael, Derby, union of Shardlow, hundred of Morleston and Litchurch, S. division of the county of
Derby, 3½ miles (S. E. by E.) from Derby; containing
493 inhabitants. The manor, then called Alewoldestune, was held by Tochi at the time of the Domesday
survey; and belonged afterwards to Ralph Fitz-Germund,
founder of Dale Abbey, whose descendant Matilda gave
Alvaston to that monastery. In 1547 it was granted to
the Needham family, from whom it passed to various
hands. It was esteemed a chapelry in the 12th century. The area is 1355 acres; the chapelry is pleasantly
situated near the river Derwent, on the London road,
and the Derby canal runs through. The living is a
perpetual curacy, in the gift of the parishioners, with a
net income of £116: the tithes were commuted for
land, under an inclosure act, in 1802; the glebe here
consists of about 67 acres, and portions of land have
been purchased in Leicestershire and Derbyshire by an
allowance from Queen Anne's Bounty. There is a place
of worship for Wesleyans; and schools are aided by the
trustees of Gilbert's charity, which provides also for the
repair of the chapel.
Alvechurch (St. Lawrence)
ALVECHURCH (St. Lawrence), a parish, in the
union of Bromsgrove, forming a detached portion of
the Middle division of the hundred of Oswaldslow,
locally in the Upper division of the hundred of Halfshire, Northfield and E. divisions of the county of
Worcester, 4½ miles (E. N. E.) from Bromsgrove;
containing 1633 inhabitants. This was the occasional
residence of the bishops of Worcester, who had a palace
here in the reign of Henry II., which after the sale of
the manor by the parliament, in 1648, was suffered to
fall to decay, and has now entirely disappeared. The
parish comprises 6599 acres, and the Birmingham and
Worcester canal runs through it. Needles are made
here in the rough state, and taken to Redditch to be
finished. A sandstone-quarry is in operation. Fairs
for cattle and sheep are held on the 22nd of April and
10th of August. The living is a rectory, valued in the
king's books at £24. 16. 8., and in the gift of the Bishop
of Worcester: the tithes have been commuted for
£1100, with 96 acres of glebe, and a house. The
church has Norman pillars, but the chancel displays the
early English style, and the tower is more modern; in
the interior is a monument dated 1315, of Sir Thomas
Blanchfont, represented as a cross-legged knight. There
are places of worship for Wesleyans and Baptists. £36
per annum are appropriated to the instruction of children; the original benefactor is not known, but Dr.
Warth left £100 in augmentation. A school-house was
built in 1839; the school is on the national plan, for 50
boys and 30 girls, and is well supported by subscription. There is also an excellent Sunday school. An
hospital for a master, six brethren, and two sisters, was
incorporated by Queen Elizabeth; it is endowed with
£33. 6. 8., exclusively of keeping the tenements in
repair. The Roman Ikeneld-street passes through the
parish, in its course from Alcester towards Lichfield.
The learned Dr. Hickes, author of the Thesaurus Septentrionalium Linguarum, was incumbent here.
Alveley (St. Mary)
ALVELEY (St. Mary), a parish, partly within the
liberty of the borough of Bridgnorth, but chiefly in
the hundred of Stottesden, union of Bridgnorth,
S. division of Salop, 6½ miles (S. S. E.) from Bridgnorth; containing, with Nordley-Regis township, and
Romsley liberty in the borough of Bridgnorth, 1062
inhabitants. It comprises 6435 acres, including Romsley, which contributes one-third towards the churchrate, but is independent of the parish in other respects:
the road from Shrewsbury to Cheltenham passes through
it, and the river Severn is its boundary on one side.
There are some works for the manufacture of iron, and
several quarries, the stone of which is used for building,
and made into wheels for mills and manufactures.
Alveley was one of the five prebends in the royal free
chapel of the castle of Bridgnorth, valued, in the reign
of Henry III., at sixty marks, and is still reputed and
rated as such in the Office of the First Fruits. The
living is a perpetual curacy, recently endowed with
£300, the donations of various persons, which were
placed in the hands of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners,
by whom, in consideration thereof, the net income, previously £90, was augmented £17; patron and impropriator, Col. Gatacre. The church is a fine edifice, a
mixture of Norman and early English architecture, with
a curious old painted window in the clerestory, supposed to have been built in the time of the Tudors. In
the south wall of the chancel, three fine early English
sedilia and a piscina were recently discovered, in a
mutilated state, by the incumbent; they were concealed
by plaster: the patron has had them restored. There
is a private chapel attached to Coton Hall, in the parish.
A free school was endowed in 1616, by John Grove, to
whom is a monument of brass on the floor of the
chancel of the church, bearing the date 1616; the
master resides in a house rent-free, and receives £20
per annum. Five "decayed labourers" receive £6 each,
annually, from property bequeathed by the same individual. Thomas Grove, his son, also conveyed some
land to trustees, for "the poorest of the poor people,"
the proceeds to be distributed yearly.
Alverdiscot (All Saints)
ALVERDISCOT (All Saints), a parish, in the
union of Torrington, hundred of Hartland, Braunton and N. divisions of Devon, 4½ miles (N. E.) from
Torrington; containing 332 inhabitants. This parish,
which is situated on the old road from Torrington to
Barnstaple, comprises by computation 2000 acres. The
living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at
£13. 3. 11¼., and in the gift of William Lee, Esq.: the
tithes have been commuted for £156. 8., and the glebe
comprises 36 acres. The church contains some elegant
marble monuments to the families of Hoody and Welch,
former proprietors of the manor: it has been recently
repewed and beautified, and a small vestry-room has
been added. There is a place of worship for a congregation of Wesleyans.
Alverstoke (St. Mary)
ALVERSTOKE (St. Mary), a parish, comprising
the sea-port town of Gosport, the watering-place called
Anglesey, and the chapelry of Forton, in the liberty of
Alverstoke and Gosport, Fareham and S. divisions
of the county of Southampton; and containing 13,510
inhabitants. This place is situated on the shore of
Alverstoke bay. According to an ancient chronicle,
Henry de Blois, Bishop of Winchester, and brother of
King Stephen, on his return from Normandy, being
overtaken by a storm in the bay, between the Isle of
Wight and Alverstoke, made a solemn vow to build a
church on the spot where he should first land in safety;
and, having landed at this place, is said to have erected
the parish church, in fulfilment of his vow, about the
year 1130. The parish comprises 3031 acres, whereof
142 are common or waste: the scenery is varied, and
in the western part of the parish are several small rural
villages which have a pleasing aspect, and contrast finely
with the more stately edifices in other parts of it. The
village of Alverstoke is pleasantly situated about half a
mile from the bay, and within a quarter of a mile from
the elegant new buildings of Anglesey.
The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at
£21. 6. 0½., and in the gift of the Bishop of Winchester:
the tithes have been commuted for £1250, and the glebe
consists of 45 acres. The church, which occupies a site
in the village beautifully secluded by trees, has undergone many changes since its foundation, and is now in a
state of renovation, which has been effected with a judicious regard to its original character: a tablet was
erected in 1844, to the memory of the officers and
soldiers of the 44th regiment, who fell in the Affghan
war. There are several churches and chapels in the
parish; one at Gosport, consecrated in 1696, and dedicated to the Holy Trinity; a small chapel closely adjoining the liberty of Gosport; another at Elson, on the
northern side of the parish; one, lately erected, very
near to the parish church, among the new buildings at
Anglesey; and one at Forton. The church at Elson is
dedicated to St. Thomas, and was consecrated in Aug.
1845: the living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage
of the Rector. The dissenters, also, have several places
of worship.
Alverthorpe
ALVERTHORPE, a township, comprising the ecclesiastical districts of Alverthorpe and Thornes, in
the parish and union of Wakefield, Lower division of
the wapentake of Agbrigg, W. riding of York, 1½ mile
(W. N. W.) from Wakefield; containing 5930 inhabitants. This township, including Westgate Common, a
suburb of the borough of Wakefield, comprises by computation 3000 acres. The land is rich and fertile, and
in profitable cultivation; the surface is varied; the
substratum abounds with coal of good quality, and several
mines are in operation. The village of Alverthorpe is
pleasantly situated, and the township includes also the
village of Thornes, and the hamlets of Fanshaw, Kirkham Gate, and Silcoates. The population is chiefly employed in the spinning of woollen and worsted yarn, and
in the manufacture of woollen cloth and worsted stuffs,
for which there are several mills and large factories; the
manufacture of rope and twine is also carried on to a
considerable extent. Alverthorpe church, dedicated to
St. Paul, was erected in 1826, at an expense of £8000,
chiefly by grant of the Parliamentary Commissioners:
it is a handsome structure in the early English style,
with a square embattled tower crowned with pinnacles,
and contains 1600 sittings, of which 800 are free. The
living is a perpetual curacy, in the gift of the Vicar of
Wakefield; the income, previously £72, was augmented
in 1841 with £78 per annum by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and a neat residence for the minister was
built in 1842. The small tithes were commuted for
land and a money payment, under an act of inclosure,
in 1793. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans.
The Northern Congregational School at Silcoates House
was instituted in 1830, for the board and education of
the sons of ministers of the Independent denomination.
Alverton
ALVERTON, a hamlet, in the parish of Kilvington, union of Newark, S. division of the wapentake
of Newark and of the county of Nottingham, 7½
miles (S. by W.) from Newark; containing 26 inhabitants.
Alvescott
ALVESCOTT, a parish, in the union of Witney,
hundred of Bampton, county of Oxford, 6 miles (S.
S. E.) from Burford; comprising 2021a. 29p., and containing 357 inhabitants. The living is a rectory, valued
in the king's books at £8. 16. 8.; net income, £371;
patrons, the family of Neate. All the tithes were commuted for land and corn-rents, under an inclosure act,
in 1796. The church is an ancient structure, consisting
of a nave with semi-transepts, a massive western tower,
and a chancel, which has been rebuilt, and contains
some mural monuments. Goddard Carter, Esq., in
1723, left a rent-charge of £10, directing one-half to be
applied in educating poor children, and the remainder
in apprenticing them.
Alvesdiston (St. Mary)
ALVESDISTON (St. Mary), a parish, in the union
of Tisbury, hundred of Chalk, Hindon and S. divisions of Wilts, 7¾ miles (E. by N.) from Shaftesbury;
containing 263 inhabitants. This parish takes its name
from Aileva, who held lands here at the time of the Norman survey: it contains about 2733 acres. The living
is a discharged vicarage, united to the rectory of BroadChalk and the vicarage of Bower-Chalk; impropriators,
the Provost and Fellows of King's College, Cambridge.
The church has a font of great antiquity, and in one of
the aisles are four handsome mural monuments of marble
to the memory of the Wyndham family.
Alveston (St. Helen)
ALVESTON (St. Helen), a parish, in the union of
Thornbury, partly in the Lower, but chiefly in the
Upper, division of the hundred of Langley and Swinehead, W. division of the county of Gloucester,
1 mile (S. by E.) from Thornbury; containing 841 inhabitants. This parish lies on the road from Bristol to
Birmingham, and comprises by computation 2600 acres,
including some waste lands, for the inclosure of which
an act was passed in 1836: the land is almost entirely
pasture, and is thickly clothed with elm, beech, and oak.
The scenery is grand, and the parish being situated on a
high ridge, commands extensive views of the Severn and
the surrounding country. The living is a vicarage, annexed to that of Olveston: the tithes have been commuted for £319, and the glebe comprises 25 acres. The
church, situated at some distance from the village, is a
small edifice in the later English style, with a low square
embattled tower. There is a place of worship for a
congregation of Wesleyans. Some remains of a Roman
encampment are to be seen in a part of the parish called
the Abbey.
Alveston (St. James)
ALVESTON (St. James), a parish, in the union of
Stratford-on-Avon, Snitterfield division of the hundred of Barlichway, W. division of the county of
Warwick, 2 miles (E. N. E.) from Stratford; containing
793 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Avon, and
comprises by measurement 2700 acres, whereof fourfifths are arable land; the remainder is pasture by the
river side, with 150 acres of wood. The road from
Stratford to Wellesbourn-Hastings passes through the
parish. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's
books at £6; net income, £220; patron, the Rector of
Hampton-Lucy; impropriator, George Lucy, Esq.: the
glebe consists of 90 acres. The church, rebuilt in 1839,
at an expense of about £2500, chiefly raised by subscription, is in the early English style, with a square
tower: the east window, presented by the patron, contains a full length figure of St. James, and the arms of
the Lucy family; the interior of the edifice is very neatly
and conveniently fitted up. A school is supported by
subscription.
Alveton, or Alton (St. Peter)
ALVETON, or Alton (St. Peter), a parish, in the
union of Cheadle, S. division of the hundred of Totmonslow, N. division of the county of Stafford, 4½
miles (E. by S.) from Cheadle; comprising the townships of Alton, Cotton, Denston, and Farley; and containing 2390 inhabitants, of whom 1168 are in Alton
township. The extensive manor of Alton became the
property of John Talbot, first earl of Shrewsbury, by
his marriage with the heiress of the Furnival family, and
has remained with his descendants to the present time.
The living, before the Reformation, was connected with
the abbey of Croxden, to which the benefice was attached
by Bertram de Verdun of Alton Castle, in 1176, after he
had founded the abbey. The ruins of the castle still
remain, on the summit of a rock 300 feet above the bed
of the Churnet: on the opposite bank of the river are
the magnificent mansion and park of the Earl of Shrewsbury.
The parish contains between 7000 and 8000 acres,
whereof 2251 are in Alton township: there are limestone-quarries in the township of Cotton, and some
copper-mines at Ribden; and a paper-mill is in operation. The Uttoxeter branch of the Trent and Mersey
canal runs through the parish, its course being for some
miles parallel with that of the Churnet, over which it is
carried by means of an aqueduct. The village is romantically situated on the banks of the river, which here
flows through a fertile vale; on the summit of an adjacent eminence is a lofty tower, commanding extensive
and varied prospects. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £5. 16. 5½., and in the
gift of the Earl of Shrewsbury: the tithes have been
commuted for £433 payable to his lordship and others,
and £250 payable to the vicar; the glebe comprises
5 acres, with a house. The church, which displays a
mixture of the Norman and English styles, was repaired
and enlarged in 1831. There is a chapel at Cotton.
The Calvinistic, Wesleyan, and Primitive Methodists
have places of worship; and a Roman Catholic chapel
has been erected at Alton-Towers by the earl. At Bunbury, in the parish, are the remains of a very extensive
fortress, of an irregular form, ascribed to Ceolred,
King of Mercia about 715; it is defended on three
sides by a double vallum, and on the fourth by a steep
declivity.
Alvingham (St. Adelwold)
ALVINGHAM (St. Adelwold), a parish, in the
union of Louth, Marsh division of the hundred of
Louth-Eske, parts of Lindsey, county of Lincoln,
4 miles (N. E.) from Louth; containing 313 inhabitants.
It comprises by computation 1600 acres, and is intersected by the Louth navigation. The living is a perpetual
curacy, with that of Cockerington St. Mary annexed, in
the patronage of the Bishop of Lincoln, who, as appropriator, owns about 400 acres of land, allotted in lieu of
tithes at the inclosure in 1819, and from the produce of
which the incumbent's stipend is paid. The church was
rebuilt in 1826, and is a neat and commodious building,
situated in the same churchyard as that of Cockerington.
A priory of Gilbertine nuns and canons, dedicated to the
Virgin Mary and St. Adelwold, was founded here in the
reign of Henry II., which, at the Dissolution, was valued
at £141. 15. per annum.
Alvington
ALVINGTON, a parish, in the hundred of Bledisloe, W. division of the county of Gloucester, 5½
miles (N. E.) from Chepstow; containing 340 inhabitants, and comprising by estimation 1550 acres. The
abbot of Llantony, previously to the Reformation, exercised capital jurisdiction in this manor, which subsequently passed through various hands to the Highfords,
of Dixton, from whose coheir it was purchased by the
father-in-law of the present proprietor, who resides at
Clanna House, in the parish. The road from Gloucester
to Chepstow runs through Alvington, and the river
Severn flows on the east. The living is consolidated
with the rectory of Wollaston.
Alvington
ALVINGTON, a hamlet, in the parish of Brimpton,
union of Yeovil, hundred of Stone, W. division of
Somerset; containing 65 inhabitants.
Alvington, West (All Saints)
ALVINGTON, WEST (All Saints), a parish, in
the union of Kingsbridge, hundred of Stanborough,
Stanborough and Coleridge, and S. divisions of Devon,
1 mile (W. S. W.) from Kingsbridge; containing 998
inhabitants. It comprises 3676 acres; the surface is
very hilly, the soil chiefly arable, and a large quantity
of peculiarly fine cider is made. The living is a vicarage,
with the perpetual curacies of South Huish, Malborough,
and South Milton annexed, valued in the king's books
at £62. 16. 10½.; net income, £685; patrons and appropriators, the Dean and Chapter of Salisbury. The
glebe comprises 2 acres here, and 1½ in each of the
parishes of Malborough and South Milton. The church
contains some good screen-work in carved oak, and a
beautiful monument to a member of the Bastard family,
whose ancient seat has been converted into a farmhouse.
Alwalton (St. Andrew)
ALWALTON (St. Andrew), a parish, in the union
of Peterborough, hundred of Normancross, county
of Huntingdon, 5 miles (N. N. W.) from Stilton; containing 329 inhabitants. The parish is situated on the
river Nene, which here separates the counties of Huntingdon and Northampton, and on the great north road,
near its intersection with the road from Lynn to Northampton; it comprises 910a. 3r. 38p., of which the soil
is fertile, and the surface beautifully varied. On the
banks of the Nene are found great blocks of grey fossil
stone, susceptible of a very high polish. The living is a
rectory, valued in the king's books at £3. 5. 10., and in
the gift of the Dean and Chapter of Peterborough: the
tithes were commuted for 197 acres of land and a money
payment, under an inclosure act, in 1805. The church
exhibits in the body of the building a singular combination of Norman and early English architecture: it has
been new roofed in appropriate style, and the chancel
restored to its pristine elegance by the rector, who has
also built a handsome parsonage-house. There is a
place of worship for Wesleyans. Dr. Timothy Neve,
archdeacon of Huntingdon, was buried here in 1757.
Alwington (St. Andrew)
ALWINGTON (St. Andrew), a parish, in the
union of Bideford, hundred of Shebbear, Great
Torrington and N. divisions of Devon, 4 miles (S. W.
by W.) from Bideford; containing, with the hamlets of
Fairy Cross, Ford, and Woodtown, 392 inhabitants; and
comprising by measurement 2603 acres. The living is
a rectory, valued in the king's books at £17. 4. 9½., and
in the gift of the Rev. I. T. Pine Coffin: the tithes have
been commuted for £241, and there are 60 acres of glebe.
In the church, over the door of the chancel, is a curious
ancient monument to a member of the Coffin family.
In Yeo Vale, so called from the river Yeo, which runs
through it, are the remains of a chapel. There is a parochial school; also a place of worship for Wesleyans;
and almshouses for three poor persons.
Alwoodley
ALWOODLEY, a township, in the parish of Harewood, Upper division of the wapentake of Skyrack,
W. riding of York, 5½ miles (N.) from Leeds; containing 281 inhabitants. It comprises by computation 1250
acres, chiefly the property of G. L. Fox, Esq.; the ancient Hall, the seat of Sir Gervase Clifton, who died in
1666, is now a farmhouse. The soil is fertile, and the
lands are generally in good cultivation; the surface is
undulated.
Amberley, county of Gloucester.—See Hampton, Minchin.
AMBERLEY, county of Gloucester.—See Hampton, Minchin.
Amberley
AMBERLEY, a chapelry, in the parish of Marden,
hundred of Broxash, union and county of Hereford,
5¾ miles (N. N. E.) from Hereford; containing 32 inhabitants, and comprising 378 acres.
Amberley
AMBERLEY, a parish, in the hundred of West
Easwrith, rape of Arundel, W. division of Sussex,
5 miles (N. N. E.) from Arundel; containing, with
Rackham hamlet, 722 inhabitants. The bishops of
Chichester had a residence here, erected at the close of
the fourteenth century by Bishop Rede, and which is
said to have been plundered and dismantled in the parliamentary war by the army under Waller: the gateway
is perfect, and, with other remains, has a bold and striking appearance in the views of the surrounding district.
The parish comprises by measurement 2878 acres, and
is bounded on the west by the river Arun: the village
occupies an elevated situation on a sandstone rock; and
towards the south rises a range of steep downs, above
which is a large knoll called Amberley Mount. The
living is a vicarage, with that of Houghton united, valued
in the king's books at £7. 5. 7½.; net income, £166;
patron and appropriator, the Bishop. The tithes were
commuted in 1813 for 117 acres of land in this parish,
and 16 in that of Angmering. The church has a nave
of Norman, and a chancel of early English, architecture,
separated by a Norman arch much enriched.
Ambersham, North
AMBERSHAM, NORTH, a tything, in the parish of
Steep, union of Midhurst, hundred of Easebourne,
rape of Chichester, county of Sussex, 2½ miles (E. N.
E.) from Midhurst; containing 133 inhabitants.
Ambersham, South
AMBERSHAM, SOUTH, a tything, in the parish
of Steep, union of Midhurst, hundred of Easebourne,
rape of Chichester, county of Sussex, 2½ miles (E. by
N.) from Midhurst; containing 189 inhabitants.
Amble
AMBLE, a township, in the parish of Warkworth,
union of Alnwick, E. division of Coquetdale ward,
N. division of Northumberland, 9 miles (S. E.) from
Alnwick; containing 724 inhabitants. The village is
pleasantly situated on an eminence near the mouth of
the river Coquet, where a harbour has been formed
under an act obtained in 1838, by which the value both
of the soil and the minerals here has been greatly enhanced. The place was anciently of much greater importance, as is evident from the discovery of circular
foundations of houses, of unhewn and uncemented stones
of British origin, and of Roman coins: a paved causeway also was discovered a few years since, extending in
a direction towards the old bed of the Coquet. There
are valuable and extensive mines of coal in the township, the produce of which is exported to France and
other parts. The tithes have been commuted for £170.
19. 6. payable to the Bishop of Carlisle, and £46. 8. 10.
to the vicar of the parish.—See Warkworth.