Clackheaton.—See Cleckheaton.
CLACKHEATON.—See Cleckheaton.
Clacton, Great (St. John the Baptist)
CLACTON, GREAT (St. John the Baptist), a
parish, in the union and hundred of Tendring, N.
division of Essex, 14½ miles (S. E. by E.) from Colchester; containing 1296 inhabitants. This parish,
which was formerly the residence of the bishops of
London, is bounded on the south by the North Sea, and
comprises an area about fifteen miles in circumference.
The soil in some parts is light and of inferior quality,
and in others, especially towards the coast, a fine strong
loam, producing abundant crops. A fair is held on the
29th of June. The living is a discharged vicarage, with
the donative of Little Holland annexed, valued in the
king's books at £10, and in the patronage of F. Nassau,
Esq.; impropriators, Col. Harding and others. The
great tithes have been commuted for £1146. 7., the
vicarial for £250, and a rent-charge of £66 is paid to
Travers' Knights of Windsor; the glebe contains 4½
acres, with a glebe-house. The church is a plain edifice,
with a tower surmounted by a shingled spire. There is
a place of worship for Wesleyans. Some horns and
bones of enormous size were lately found in the clay
which forms the cliffs on this part of the coast; among
them were the grinding-tooth of an elephant, some colossal horns of the wild bull, and part of the skull of a
rhinoceros.
Clacton, Little (St. James)
CLACTON, LITTLE (St. James), a parish, in the
union and hundred of Tendring, N. division of Essex,
12½ miles (E. S. E.) from Colchester; containing 547
inhabitants. It forms part of a small district mentioned
in the Norman survey under the name Clackintuna; the
lands are low, and of a great portion of them the soil is
strong and heavy. The village is pleasantly situated
round a small green, on which a fair is held on the 25th
of July. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in
the king's books at £6. 13. 4.; patron and impropriator, F. Nassau, Esq. The great tithes have been commuted for £612. 10., and the vicarial for £156; the
glebe comprises nearly 3 acres, with a glebe-house. The
church is a small edifice, with a turret of wood.
Claife
CLAIFE, a township, in the parish of Hawkshead,
union of Ulverston, hundred of Lonsdale north of
the Sands, N. division of the county of Lancaster,
2 miles (S. S. E.) from Hawkshead; containing 541
inhabitants. This truly picturesque district consists of
a ridge of hills extending throughout its whole length
from north to south, between the lakes of Windermere
and Esthwaite. The scenery is exquisitely beautiful and
strikingly diversified; and from one point of view, on
the western bank of Windermere, where is a small
house belonging to H. Curwen, Esq., called the Station,
the surrounding objects appear in all their grandeur and
variety. About the centre of the township, on the shore
of Windermere, a small peninsula stretches into the
lake, at the extremity of which is an inn much frequented
by tourists, whence there is a ferry to a similar peninsula
projecting from the opposite shore, for the transport of
passengers, luggage, and horses; at this passage, which
is little more than 500 yards across, forty-seven persons
were drowned, from the effects of a storm, in 1635. In
the northern part of the township is a small sheet of
water, called Blellam Tarn, well stored with various
kinds of fish. At Colthouse is a place of worship for
the Society of Friends; and in the village of FartherSawrey is a school of ancient foundation, to which three
members of the family of Braithwaite contributed, at
various times, sums amounting to £465, the interest
whereof is paid to the master. The school-house was
rebuilt in 1835.
Claines (St. John the Baptist)
CLAINES (St. John the Baptist), a parish, in the
union of Droitwich, Lower division of the hundred
of Oswaldslow, Worcester and W. divisions of the
county of Worcester, 2½ miles (N.) from Worcester;
containing, with Whistones tything, 6395 inhabitants.
This parish, a considerable part of which lies within the
borough of Worcester, is situated on the river Severn;
the Worcester and Birmingham canal passes through it,
and the Droitwich canal near its northern boundary.
It is intersected by the Worcester and Shrewsbury and
the Worcester and Birmingham roads, and comprises
by measurement 4532 acres, of which 2000 are arable,
and nearly all the rest pasture. The soil is fertile, the
land well wooded, and there are many handsome seats
and villas. In the parish is the island of Bevere, formed
by the rivulet Beverhern, and memorable as having
twice afforded refuge to the inhabitants of Worcester;
first in 1041, from the fury of King Hardicanute on account of their refusing to pay the Danegelt, and next in
1637, from a dreadful pestilence then raging in the city.
Owing to the improvement of the Severn, an iron suspension-bridge has been erected over this rivulet, which
has now become a wide stream. The Oxford, Worcester,
and Wolverhampton railway runs through the parish.
The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £175;
patron and impropriator, Sir Offley Penbury Wakeman,
Bart.: the glebe consists of 21 acres in the parish of
Hanbury, purchased by a grant from Queen Anne's
Bounty. The tithes have been commuted for about £1000
per annum. The church has been recently renovated
and repaired, the galleries enlarged, and the porch rebuilt. A chapel, dedicated to St. George, was erected
in 1830, at a cost of £3345, in the early English style,
with a tower; and from the want of sufficient accommodation for the increasing population, it is expected
that another chapel will be shortly built at Fernall Heath.
Some schools are supported; and a fund of about £35
per annum, arising from bequests, is applied to the purchase of clothing, bread, &c., for the poor. On Elbury
Hill is the site of a Roman camp, which completely overlooked and would defend the city of Worcester: this
camp appears to have been first described by Mr. Allies
in his Antiquities of Worcester. A remarkable relic of
Roman-British antiquity, supposed to have been used
as a torque or ornament worn round the neck, was lately
found at Perdiswell, the seat of Sir O. P. Wakeman;
and other relics have been discovered in the parish.
Clanaborough (St. Petrock)
CLANABOROUGH (St. Petrock), a parish, in the
union of Crediton, hundred of North Tawton, South
Molton and N. divisions of Devon, 5½ miles (W. by N.)
from Crediton; containing 69 inhabitants, and consisting of 740 acres, of which 104 are common or waste.
The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at
£5. 17. 3½., and in the patronage of the Crown: the
tithes have been commuted for £95, and the glebe comprises about 45 acres, with a glebe-house.
Clandon, East
CLANDON, EAST, a parish, in the union of Guildford, Second division of the hundred of Woking, W.
division of Surrey, 4 miles (E. N. E.) from Guildford;
containing 293 inhabitants. It comprises by computation 1430 acres, of which between 400 and 500 are
uncultivated. On the north side the soil is chiefly clay,
and there is a common where the oak grows freely; the
southern part consists of arable land and downs, and
has a chalky soil. Within the parish is the elegant
residence of Hatchlands; the park is extensive, and the
gardens finely laid out. The living is a rectory, valued
in the king's books at £10. 6. 10½.; net income, £152;
patron, the Earl of Lovelace. The church is a small
edifice, with a low wooden tower and shingled spire.
Clandon, West
CLANDON, WEST, a parish, in the union of Guildford, Second division of the hundred of Woking,
W. division of Surrey, 3 miles (N. E. by E.) from
Guildford; containing 407 inhabitants. It comprises
987 acres, of which 384 are arable, 338 meadow and
pasture, 80 woodland, and 117 common. Clandon
House, the principal seat of the Earl of Onslow, was
erected about 1730, and is one of the finest mansions in
the county; it is of red brick with stone dressings, and
the apartments are in general stately and commodious.
His lordship resides, however, at a smaller seat in the
adjacent village of West Clandon. The living is a rectory,
valued in the king's books at £13. 10., and in the
patronage of the Earl of Onslow: the tithes have been
commuted for £160, and the glebe contains 20 acres,
with a glebe-house. The church is in the early English
style, with a low tower on the north side.
Clanfield (St. Stephen)
CLANFIELD (St. Stephen), a parish, in the union
of Witney, hundred of Bampton, county of Oxford,
4 miles (N.) from Farringdon; containing 584 inhabitants. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the
king's books at £7. 6. 5½.; patrons, H. Elliott and
William Aldworth, Esqrs.; impropriators, G. H. Elliott
and H. Collett, Esqrs. The great tithes have been commuted for £300, the vicarial for £50, and tithes payable
to the vicar of Bampton for £100; the glebe comprises
seven acres. The church is in the early English style,
and has, in the chancel, a brass recording the death of
Leonard Wilmot at Clanfield, in 1608.
Clanfield (St. James)
CLANFIELD (St. James), a parish, in the union of
Catherington, hundred of Finch-Dean, Petersfield
and N. divisions of the county of Southampton, 5¾
miles (S. W.) from Petersfield; containing 239 inhabitants. This parish, which is about three miles to the
south-west of Butser Hill, comprises 1363 acres, whereof
386 are common or waste. It consists of various qualities of soil; much of the surface is open, and in the
lower grounds the land is rich and fertile. The village
is pleasantly situated within a mile of the road to Petersfield. The living is a rectory, united to that of Chalton,
and valued in the king's books at £11: the tithes have
been commuted for £178, and the glebe contains nearly
63 acres.
Clanville, Somerset.—See Castle-Cary.
CLANVILLE, Somerset.—See Castle-Cary.
Clapcot
CLAPCOT, a liberty, in the parish of Allhallows,
Wallingford, union of Wallingford, hundred of
Moreton, county Berks; containing 43 inhabitants.
Clapham (St. Thomas à Becket)
CLAPHAM (St. Thomas à Becket), a parish, in
the hundred of Stodden, union and county of Bedford,
2½ miles (N. W. by N.) from Bedford; and containing
370 inhabitants. The living is a discharged vicarage,
valued in the king's books at £5. 13. 4.; net income,
£270; patron, Lord Carteret. The church is a very
ancient structure, with a tower remarkable for the
simplicity of its architecture; it is mostly of rude
Saxon, and has a Norman belfry. Clapham was formerly
a chapelry in the parish of Oakley. J. Thomas Dawson, Esq., of Woodlands, in the parish, has given a piece
of ground for a school. Ursula Taylor, in 1722, bequeathed property for apprenticing poor boys, directing
the ministers of St. Paul's and St. John's, Bedford, to
be trustees; it consists of 41 acres of land, producing
about £50 per annum.
Clapham (Holy Trinity)
CLAPHAM (Holy Trinity), a parish, in the union
of Wandsworth and Clapham, E. division of the
hundred of Brixton and of the county of Surrey,
4 miles (S.) from London; containing 12,106 inhabitants. This village has, for many years, been one of the
most respectable in the environs of the metropolis.
The road from London, particularly that part of it
called Clapham Rise, has on each side large and elegant
houses with gardens and lawns in front, forming a continuous line leading to the common, which occupies
a space of 190 acres, surrounded by noble mansions
and villas, and which, from the improvements that have
been made by the formation of carriage-drives, and the
plantation of trees and shrubs, assumes the appearance
of a park. On the east of the common a handsome crescent has been formed, opposite to which is a range of
houses named the Grove; the area is tastefully laid out,
and the approach from the common is formed by a wellconstructed iron palisade, on each side of which is a
stately mansion. In that part of the parish formerly
called Bleakhall Farm, considerable alterations have also
taken place: new roads have been made; a church and
several villas have been erected, and the spot is now designated Clapham New Park. Great improvements
have likewise been made towards the north-east, by the
erection of numerous neat houses and cottages.
The parish is within the limits of the metropolitan
police establishment; and is lighted with gas, main
pipes having been laid down by the Phœnix Gas Company, from which a sufficient quantity is distributed to
every part of the village and its vicinity. The inhabitants are supplied with water from the South Lambeth
water-works, and from an excellent spring on that side
of the common leading to Wandsworth, opened in 1825,
near another which had supplied the village for more
than a century: this spring, the water of which is peculiarly soft, provides upwards of 600 hogsheads per day,
and nearly twenty families derive employment by conveying it to the houses of the inhabitants at a moderate
expense. The subscription library, to which a commodious reading-room has been added, contains a wellassorted and extensive collection; it has been established
for nearly half a century, and is liberally supported.
Clapham is within the jurisdiction of the county magistrates, who hold a petty-session at the office of their
clerk, every Saturday. The acting coroner for the district is appointed at the court of the duchy of Lancaster,
within the jurisdiction of which a part of the parish is
comprehended: the parochial affairs are under the
direction of a select vestry.
The parish comprises 1233 acres. The living is a
rectory, valued in the king's books at £8. 0. 10., and in
the patronage of the family of Atkins: the tithes have
been commuted for £488. 14., and the glebe comprises
11 acres. The church, which belonged to the priory at
Merton, was, with the exception of the north aisle, which
was left standing for the performance of the burial service, taken down under an act of parliament in 1774,
and a new church erected in the following year, at an
expense of £11,000, on the north side of the common.
It is a neat structure of brick relieved with stone, with a
dome turret, and having a handsome portico of stone,
extending the whole width of the western front, which
was added in 1812: the interior is characterised by a
chaste simplicity of style; the east end is ornamented
with a well-executed painting on glass, and there are
some monumental tablets. The remaining aisle of the
old church, which was situated in that part of the village
leading to Wandsworth, near the old manor-house, was
taken down in 1815, and a neat chapel, in some respects
dependent on the mother church, was erected, under an
act of parliament, at a cost of £5000, and dedicated to
St. Paul. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income,
£200; patron, the Rector. The burial-ground, which
is spacious, contains many ancient tombs and monuments. St. James's church, in the Park, was built in
1829, and is an elegant structure in the decorated English style, with a graceful and richly-crocketed campanile
turret; the western front is ornamented with panelled
buttresses relieved by tracery, dividing it into three
doorways under richly moulded arches. The living is a
perpetual curacy, in the patronage of Trustees; net income, £500. On the west side of the Clapham road is
a fourth church, dedicated to St. John, and opened in
May, 1842; it is of white brick with stone dressings,
and has a stone portico formed by Ionic columns supporting a pediment. The living is in the gift of the
Rector. There are places of worship for Independents,
Wesleyans, and Baptists.
Clapham
CLAPHAM, a parish, in the union of Sutton, hundred of Brightford, rape of Bramber, W. division of
Sussex, 5 miles (N. W.) from Worthing; containing
262 inhabitants. The parish is situated on the road
from Portsmouth, by way of Arundel, to Brighton; and
comprises about 1735 acres, of which 550 are arable,
300 pasture, 505 down, and 380 wood. Michelgrove, the
principal estate, was for centuries the property and residence of the Shelley family, of whom Judge Shelley
entertained Henry VIII. at his magnificent house here;
it subsequently became the property of R. W. Walker,
Esq., who in 1828 sold it to the Duke of Norfolk, by
whom the mansion, erected by the Shelleys, was taken
down. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the
king's books at £14; net income, £120; patron, his
Grace; impropriators, for a moiety of the tithes, amounting to £120, Merton College, Oxford. The church is in
the early English style, with later additions, and was
repewed in 1819, at the expense of Mr. Walker; in the
chancel are several interesting monuments to the Shelley
family.
Clapham
CLAPHAM, a parish, in the union of Settle, W.
division of the wapentake of Staincliffe and Ewcross,
W. riding of York, 6 miles (N. W. by W.) from Settle;
containing, with the townships of Austwick and Lawkland, 1853 inhabitants, of whom 890 are in the township of Clapham with Newby. This parish comprises
by computation 24,340 acres, of which a very small portion is arable, about 1000 woodland, and the remainder
one vast tract of moor of mountainous elevation; within
the parish is the base of Ingleborough mountain, and
the prevailing scenery is of bold and romantic character.
The manor of Clapham, which extends only over part of
the township, was the property of the De Clapham
family, from whom it was purchased in the reign of
Charles I., by the Morleys, whose descendant is the present lord. The substratum abounds with limestone; and
near Ingleborough Hall is one of those remarkable
caverns that frequently occur in limestone districts,
though seldom of such extent, or possessing features so
strikingly interesting. The cavern was many years since
explored for 50 yards, and found to contain several
chambers, connected by passages, through which a
stream of pure water, rising in the mountain, pursued
its course. In 1837, a sudden and very considerable
increase in the stream issuing from what was supposed
to be the extremity of the cavern, led to further search;
and on an opening being made, a spacious and lofty region was discovered at least 880 yards in length, to
which the chambers previously known were but a vestibule. This magnificent cavern, though in some parts so
contracted in height as to render it necessary for the
visiter to stoop, is generally, both in width and elevation,
of ample and stately dimensions, resembling the interior
of a stupendous baronial mansion; the roof is richly
adorned with stalactites and other beautiful concretions,
and the general effect exceeds in splendour any thing of
the kind in the kingdom. The village is situated on the
stream above noticed; fairs for cattle are held on Sept.
27th and Oct. 2nd. The living is a discharged vicarage,
valued in the king's books at £5. 17. 1.; net income,
£150; patron and appropriator, the Bishop of Chester,
with a reversion at his death to the Bishop of Ripon.
The church is an ancient structure. A chapel was
erected in the village of Austwick in 1840.
Clapton, Cambridge.—See Croydon.
CLAPTON, Cambridge.—See Croydon.
Clapton (St. James)
CLAPTON (St. James), a parish, in the union of
Stow-on-the-Wold, Lower division of the hundred of
Slaughter, E. division of the county of Gloucester,
4¾ miles (N. E.) from Northleach; containing 117 inhabitants. The living is annexed to the rectory of
Bourton-on-the-Water.
Clapton
CLAPTON, a hamlet, in the parish of St. John,
Hackney, union of Hackney, Tower division of the
hundred of Ossulstone, county of Middlesex, 3 miles
(N. by E.) from London; containing 5475 inhabitants.
This place is divided into Upper and Lower Clapton.
The latter consists of various ranges of handsome buildings, with several large detached mansions and villas on
both sides of the road, extending from Hackney church
for about a mile, and occasionally interspersed with
ranges of smaller houses and shops. The former, from
Lower Clapton to Stamford Hill, consists of numerous
well-built and spacious houses of modern erection, with
grounds tastefully laid out, besides the Old and New
Terraces, the latter of which forms a lofty and extensive
pile. The houses are supplied with water from a reservoir
at Lower Clapton belonging to the East London WaterWorks Company, into which it is conveyed from the
river Lea by a steam-engine. There is no trade, except
what is requisite for the supply of the immediate neighbourhood; the nursery-grounds are extensive, and the
adjacent country is richly wooded, and comprises much
pleasing scenery. A proprietary chapel was built at
Upper Clapton in 1777, which has lately been enlarged;
and in 1841, a church was built upon a piece of ground
given by the Rev. T. B. Powell, at a cost of £6300, in
addition to which, a considerable sum derived from private sources was expended on embellishments: it is
dedicated to St. James, and the living is in the Rector's
gift. There are places of worship for Independents and
Wesleyans. The London Orphan Asylum at Lower
Clapton, founded in 1813, for the maintenance and education of destitute orphans, of whom about 400 are now
in the institution, is a handsome building of lightcoloured brick, the centre of which, forming a chapel,
has an elegant portico of four lofty fluted columns of the
Grecian-Doric order, supporting a triangular pediment.
Clapton (St. Peter)
CLAPTON (St. Peter), a parish, in the union of
Thrapston, hundred of Navisford, N. division of the
county of Northampton, 5¼ miles (E. N. E.) from
Thrapston; containing 119 inhabitants. This parish,
which is situated on the borders of the county of Huntingdon, consists of 1850 acres, and is intersected by
the road between Oundle and Huntingdon. The living
is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £17. 3. 9.,
and in the gift of the Shedden family: the tithes have
been commuted for a yearly rent-charge of £295. 16.,
and there are 46 acres of glebe.
Clapton
CLAPTON, a tything, in the parish and hundred of
Crewkerne, union of Chard, W. division of Somerset; containing 90 inhabitants.
Clapton
CLAPTON, a hamlet, in the parish of Maperton,
union of Wincanton, hundred of Catsash, E. division
of Somerset; containing 38 inhabitants.
Clapton
CLAPTON, a tything, in the parish of MidsomerNorton, union of Clutton, hundred of Chewton, E.
division of Somerset, 6¾ miles (N. by E.) from SheptonMallet; containing 147 inhabitants.
Clapton-in-Gordano (St. Michael)
CLAPTON-in-Gordano (St. Michael), a parish,
in the union of Bedminster, hundred of Portbury, E.
division of Somerset, 9¼ miles (W.) from Bristol; containing 138 inhabitants. In this parish are 1066 acres,
whereof 169 are common or waste: within its limits is
the tything of Clapton-Wick, which belongs to the parish
of Portbury, and has a population of 45. The living is
a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at
£10. 9. 2., and in the patronage of James Adam Gordon,
Esq.: the tithes have been commuted for £200, and the
glebe comprises 43 acres.
Clare (St. Peter and St. Paul)
CLARE (St. Peter and St. Paul), a market-town
and parish, in the union and hundred of Risbridge,
W. division of Suffolk, 15 miles (S. S. W.) from Bury
St. Edmund's, and 55½ (N. E. by N.) from London;
containing, with the hamlet of Chilton, 1700 inhabitants.
This place, which is of great antiquity, derived considerable importance during the Saxon heptarchy from being
on the frontier of the kingdom of East Anglia; and after
the Conquest it was distinguished as giving the title of
Earl to the family of De Clare, and that of Duke to
Lionel, third son of Edward III., who was created Duke
of Clarence. George III. revived the title in the person
of his third son, Prince William Henry, who, in 1789,
was created a peer of the realm as Duke of Clarence.
To the south of the town are the ruins of a castle, formerly the baronial residence of the earls of Clare, and
equal to any of such structures in feudal grandeur and
magnificence: the site of the fortifications, which may
be distinctly traced, comprehended an area of 30 acres.
On the summit of a high mount evidently of artificial
construction, are the remains of the keep, a circular
building of flints strongly cemented with mortar, strengthened with buttresses; it is supposed to have been erected
either prior to or during the heptarchy. The honour of
Clare is now annexed to the duchy of Lancaster.
The town is situated on the river Stour, which separates this county from Essex, on the south; the houses
are in general old, but many new ones have been erected.
The ancient market-place was lately considerably enlarged, by pulling down many unsightly buildings; and
a handsome corn-exchange was erected in 1838. The
streets are spacious; the inhabitants are amply supplied
with water; and the approaches to the town are gradually improving. The market is on Monday; fairs are
held on Easter-Tuesday and July 26th, chiefly for toys
and pedlery. The county magistrates hold monthly and
petty sessions for the division here; and the courts baron
of Erbury, and Stoke with Chilton, and a court for the
duchy of Lancaster, are also held at this place. The
parish comprises by computation 2178 acres. The
living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's
books at £4. 18. 9., and in the patronage of the Queen,
in right of the duchy of Lancaster; net income, about
£200. The church is a large, handsome, and ancient
structure, chiefly in the decorated English style, with a
tower strengthened by buttresses, and of an earlier date
than the body. The interior, which has been improved
by heightening the nave, and the addition of aisles, is
richly ornamented, and contains an elegantly-designed
font in the later English style, and a brass eagle on a
pedestal, with wings displayed, forming the readingdesk. In the chancel are said to have been interred the
remains of Lionel, Duke of Clarence, who died in 1368,
at Piedmont, and who is supposed to have been born
here. There are places of worship for Baptists and Independents. William Cadge, in 1669, bequeathed a
farm now let for £74, appropriating £10 per annum to
a master for teaching boys, and £15 per annum to
the clothing of widows; and there are several other
charitable bequests for distribution among the poor, who
have also the privilege of depasturing 40 milch-cows on
a common, comprising 62 acres of land.
To the south-west of the town are the remains of
Clare Priory, founded by Eluric or Alfric, Earl of Clare,
for Secular canons, and which Gilbert de Clare, in 1090,
gave to the Benedictine abbey of Bec, in Normandy, to
which it was a cell till 1124, when his son Richard removed the monks to the village of Stoke. Joan d'Acre,
daughter of Edward I., and wife of Gilbert de Clare,
who was a great benefactress to this establishment, is
traditionally said to have been interred in the chapel,
which has been converted into a barn: the priory building, now a private residence, though it has undergone
considerable repairs and alterations, still retains much
of its original character. A monastery for Augustine
monks is said to have been founded here in 1248, but
by whom is not known; and according to Robert Aske,
who wrote in the reign of Henry VIII., the following
persons were, among others of less distinction, buried in
it, namely, Richard, Earl of Clare; Lionel, Duke of
Clarence; Joan d'Acre, and her son, Sir Edward Montheimer; Dame Alice Spencer; Sir John Beauchamp,
Knt.; William Capel, and Eleanor, his wife; the Lady
Margaret Scroope; Sir Edmund, last of the Mortimers,
earls of March; Sir Thomas Grey, and his first wife;
and Sir Thomas Clopton, and his wife. To the northwest of the town are evident marks of a Roman camp.