Crowfield
CROWFIELD, a chapelry, in the parish of Coddenham, union and hundred of Bosmere and Claydon,
E. division of Suffolk, 6 miles (E. N. E.) from Needham-Market; containing 385 inhabitants. It is situated near the road from Ipswich to Debenham. The
living is annexed to the vicarage of Coddenham; impropriator, Sir W. F. F. Middleton, Bart. The chapel
is dedicated to All Saints.
Crowhurst (St. George)
CROWHURST (St. George), a parish, in the union
of Godstone, First division of the hundred of Tandridge, E. division of Surrey, 4 miles (S. E.) from Godstone; containing 350 inhabitants. It is crossed by
the Dovor railway, and comprises by computation 2000
acres, of which 1150 are arable, and 780 meadow and
pasture. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income,
£65; patron and impropriator, George Rush, Esq.,
whose tithes have been commuted for £261. 7., and who
has a glebe of nearly 2 acres. The church is in the
early style, with a tower and spire; in the interior are
several brasses to the Gaynsfords and others, and the
windows contain remains of stained glass. According
to tradition, Henry VIII., on his way to Anna Boleyn at
Hever Castle, visited Crowhurst Place, formerly the seat
of the Gaynsfords, an old mansion surrounded by a
moat.
Crowhurst (St. George)
CROWHURST (St. George), a parish, in the union
of Battle, hundred of Baldslow, rape of Hastings,
E. division of Sussex, 2¾ miles (S.) from Battle; containing 326 inhabitants. This parish is beautifully diversified with hill and dale: about 70 acres are planted with
hops. The chief substrata are limestone, sandstone, and
ironstone, which last is abundant, and was formerly
wrought extensively, and smelted: there are some powder-mills in the parish. The village is in a picturesque
valley, in which also the church forms a pleasing feature.
The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £10,
and in the gift of T. Papillon, Esq.: the tithes have been
commuted for £253, and the glebe comprises 24 acres,
with a glebe-house. The church, the nave of which was
rebuilt in 1794, is a handsome structure in the early and
decorated English styles, with a square embattled tower:
in the churchyard is a fine yew-tree, measuring 27 feet
in girth at a height of four feet from the ground. Near
the church are some interesting remains of a religious
house; the chapel is still in tolerable preservation.
Crowland, or Croyland (St. Bartholomew and St. Guthlac)
CROWLAND, or Croyland (St. Bartholomew and
St. Guthlac), a parish, and formerly a market-town,
in the union of Peterborough, wapentake of Elloe,
parts of Holland, county of Lincoln, 8 miles (N. by
E.) from Peterborough, and 89 (N.) from London; containing 2973 inhabitants. During the heptarchy this
place was the retreat of St. Guthlac, who in the reign
of Cenred, eighth king of Mercia, retired from the persecution of the pagan Britons into a hermitage, near
which Ethelbald, in 716, founded a Benedictine monastery to the honour of St. Mary, St. Bartholomew, and
St. Guthlac. He endowed it with a considerable sum
of money; with "the whole island of Croyland, formed
by the four waters of Shepishea on the east, Nena on the
west, Southea on the south, and Asendyk on the north;
with a portion of the adjoining marshes; and with the
fishery of the Nene and Welland." This monastery,
which, from the marshy nature of the soil, was built
upon a foundation of piles, having been destroyed by
the Danes in 870, was rebuilt by King Edred in the
year 948. In 1091 it was by an accidental fire reduced
to a heap of ruins, from which, under the influence of
its abbot, who granted a plenary indulgence to such as
should contribute to its restoration, it was again rebuilt,
in 1112; but the whole was destroyed by a like cause
about forty years afterwards. It was a third time restored, with increased splendour; and continued to flourish till the Dissolution, when its revenue was £1217.
5. 11. The conventual buildings, which, from neglect,
were gradually falling to decay, were almost entirely
demolished during the parliamentary war, when the
monastery was occupied as a garrison.
The Town, which is accessible only by artificial roads,
consists chiefly of four streets, separated by watercourses, and communicating with each other by means
of an ancient triangular stone bridge of singular construction, erected in the reign of Edward II. The bridge
has one principal and finely groined arch, from which
diverge three pointed arches over the streams Welland,
Nene, and Catwater; it is in the decorated English style,
and on one side is a mutilated figure of Ethelbald, in a
sitting posture, holding a globe in the right hand. The
market has been removed to Thorney, in the county of
Cambridge; but a fair is held, commencing on the festival of St. Bartholomew, and continuing for twelve days.
The parish comprises about 13,000 acres of arable and
pasture land in nearly equal portions, a part of which is
what is here called "wash land," on account of its liability to be flooded after continual rains: the parish includes part of Deeping-fen, and a large estate named
Postland, comprehending 6000 acres, the property of
the Marquess of Exeter. The soil, under the influence
of an efficient system of irrigation, has been greatly improved, and much of the land, formerly unprofitable,
from the morasses with which it was overspread, has
been converted into rich pastures and fruitful corn-fields.
A great number of geese and wild-fowl are sent to the
neighbouring markets; and an extensive fishery is carried
on, for the privilege of which £300 per annum, anciently paid to the abbot, are now received by the
crown.
The Living is a rectory not in charge; net income,
£115; patrons, alternately, T. O. Hunter and James
Whitsed, Esqrs. The church, though consisting only of
the north aisle of the abbey church, is a commodious
and very handsome edifice, chiefly in the later English
style, with a low massive tower. The west front, which
is highly enriched, is ornamented with several statues of
kings and abbots, including those of St. Guthlac and
St. Bartholomew, and of King Ethelbald, the first of
whom was interred in a small stone building near the
abbey, probably his abode while leading the life of an
anchorite, from which circumstance, perhaps, originated
its modern names "Anchorage House," and "Anchor
Church House." The church contains an ancient font
divided into compartments, a cylindrical stoup, and some
well executed screen-work; the roof is finely groined,
and the windows are large, and decorated with elegant
tracery. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans.
Between the river Welland and the marshes is a causeway, on which, at the distance of two miles from the
town, is St. Guthlac's Pyramid; and in the neighbourhood are many stone crosses.
Crowle (St. Oswald)
CROWLE (St. Oswald), a parish, and formerly a
market-town, in the union of Thorne, W. division of
the wapentake of Manley, parts of Lindsey, county of
Lincoln, 35 miles (N. N. W.) from Lincoln, and 164
(N. by W.) from London; containing, with the chapelry
of Eastoft and hamlet of Ealand, 2544 inhabitants.
The town is situated at the north-western extremity of
the Isle of Axholme, near the river Don, and within a
mile of the Stainforth and Keadby canal, which passes
on the north. The weekly market has been discontinued; but, from March till the end of May, a market
for sheep and cattle is held on alternate Mondays, and
there are fairs on the last Monday in May, and November 22nd, for cattle, flax, and hemp. The county magistrates hold a petty-session for the division; and constables are appointed at the court leet of the lord of the
manor. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's
books at £14.10.; net income, £777; patron, W. Duncombe, Esq.; impropriator, R. S. Johnson, Esq. The
church is a very ancient structure, of which the original
character is concealed by repeated alterations and repairs.
There are places of worship for Independents and Wesleyans; and a school with an endowment in land producing £42 per annum. In 1747, the body of a woman
was found in an erect position in the peat moor near
the town; it appeared to have been there for several
centuries.
Crowle (St. John the Baptist)
CROWLE (St. John the Baptist), a parish, in the
union of Droitwich, partly in the Upper division of
the hundred of Halfshire, but chiefly in the Middle
division of that of Oswaldslow, Worcester and W.
divisions of the county of Worcester, 5 miles (E.)
from Worcester; containing 526 inhabitants. This
place is situated in a district abounding with picturesque
scenery; the approach from Worcester is by a beautiful
range of hills, forming an amphitheatre, and commanding
extensive prospects. The parish comprises 1690a. 2r. 25p.,
of which two-thirds are arable, and the remainder pasture, with 100 acres of woodland; the soil is a strong
rich clay: on the south side are extensive quarries of
blue lias, which burns into excellent lime. About 100
persons are employed in the manufacture of gloves.
The rivulet Bow skirts the parish on the east, and falls
into the Avon near Pershore; the Worcester and Birmingham canal passes within a mile, and the Spetchley
station of the Gloucester and Birmingham railroad is
within two miles. Crowle Court, the interior of which
shows it to have been a religious house, is a very ancient
edifice, surrounded by a deep moat. The living is a
vicarage, valued in the king's books at £16; net income, £306; patron and incumbent, the Rev. Edwin
Crane, M.A.; impropriator, George Farley, Esq. The
tithes were commuted for land in 1806; the glebe consists of about 180 acres, with a glebe-house. The church
is an ancient structure with a square tower, and contains
a lectern of carved stone, of the reign of Rufus. A
parochial school is supported by subscription.
Crowley
CROWLEY, a township, in the parish of Great
Budworth, union of Runcorn, hundred of Bucklow,
N. division of the county of Chester, 6¾ miles (N.)
from Northwich; containing 175 inhabitants. It comprises 1375 acres, of which 22 are common or waste
land. Crowley Lodge, a neat brick edifice, was formerly
a seat of the Pickering family.
Crowmarsh-Battle
CROWMARSH-BATTLE, a hamlet, in the parish
of Bensington, union of Wallingford, hundred of
Ewelme, county of Oxford; with 93 inhabitants.
Crowmarsh-Gifford (St. Mary Magdalene)
CROWMARSH-GIFFORD (St. Mary Magdalene),
a parish, in the union and parliamentary borough of
Wallingford, hundred of Langtree, county of Oxford, ½ a mile (E.) from Wallingford; containing 330
inhabitants. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's
books at £12. 6. 0½., and in the gift of the Trustees of
Dr. Barrington, late Bishop of Durham: the tithes have
been commuted for £247, and the glebe consists of one
acre. The church is a small Norman edifice, with two
circular windows at the west end. In the parish are
some remains of fortifications, supposed to have been
raised by Stephen, either in 1139, when he besieged the
Empress Matilda in Wallingford Castle, or in 1153,
when he laid siege to that town.
Crownthorpe (St. James)
CROWNTHORPE (St. James), a parish, in the incorporation and hundred of Forehoe, E. division of
Norfolk, 2 miles (N. W. by W.) from Wymondham;
containing 111 inhabitants. It comprises 685 acres, of
which 462 are arable, 154 pasture, and 68 wood; the
common land was inclosed in 1777. The living is a
discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at
£4. 12. 6., and in the gift of Lord Wodehouse: the
tithes have been commuted for £145, and the glebe
contains 16 acres.
Crowton
CROWTON, a township, in the parish of Weaverham, union of Northwich, Second division of the
hundred of Eddisbury, S. division of the county of
Chester, 5¼ miles (W. by N.) from Northwich; containing 454 inhabitants, and comprising 1250 acres.
The soil is partly clay and partly sand. The river
Weaver bounds the township on the north.
Croxall (St. John the Baptist)
CROXALL (St. John the Baptist), a parish, in the
union of Tamworth, partly in the N. division of the
hundred of Offlow and of the county of Stafford,
and partly in the hundred of Repton and Gresley, S.
division of the county of Derby, 7½ miles (N.) from
Tamworth; containing, with the township of Catton,
in Derby, and that of Oakley, in Stafford, 258 inhabitants. It comprises 3219 acres, in about equal portions
of arable and pasture, with hedge-row timber; the surface is undulated, the soil rich, and the scenery picturesque. The village lies on the east side of the Mease, a
tributary to the Trent. The Birmingham and Derby
railway crosses the Thame and Trent near their junction
in the parish, by a viaduct a quarter of a mile in length,
supported on piles driven fifteen feet below the bed of
those rivers. The living is a vicarage, endowed with the
rectorial tithes of Oakley, valued in the king's books at
£5, and in the patronage of the Crown; net income,
£499; impropriators of the remainder of the rectorial
tithes, the family of Princeps. The tithes of the township of Croxall have been commuted for £180 payable
to the vicar, and £159 payable to the impropriators:
the vicar has a glebe of one acre. The church is a very
ancient edifice, and contains many monuments to the
Curzon and Horton families. There is a school in union
with the National Society.
Croxby (All Saints)
CROXBY (All Saints), a parish, in the union of
Caistor, S. division of the wapentake of Walshcroft,
parts of Lindsey, county of Lincoln, 5¼ miles (E. S. E.)
from Caistor; containing 106 inhabitants. The parish
is situated on the road between Caistor and Louth, and
comprises about 1500 acres; the soil is heathy on the
hills by which the surface is diversified, and there are
some fine plantations. In the western portion of the
parish is a large sheet of water, abounding with carp,
tench, eels, and perch. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £6. 4. 2., and in the
patronage of the Crown: the tithes have been commuted for a yearly rent-charge of £310, and the glebe
comprises 12 acres.
Croxdale
CROXDALE, a chapelry, partly in the parish of
Merrington, and partly in the parish of St. Oswald,
Durham, union of Durham, S. division of Easington
ward, N. division of the county of Durham, 3½ miles
(S. by W.) from Durham; containing, with the township of Hett, 494 inhabitants. The manor came into the
possession of the Salvin family prior to 1474, and has
ever since continued in their hands. Here flows a small
rivulet called Croxdale beck, the channel of which is a
romantic dell of great depth and narrowness. A cross
erected at this place gave name to the adjoining lands.
The living is a perpetual curacy, endowed with the rectorial tithes; patrons, the Dean and Chapter of Durham.
The chapel, dedicated to the Holy Cross, is now a district church. There is a private Roman Catholic chapel
at the Hall.
Croxden (St. Giles)
CROXDEN (St. Giles), a parish, in the union of
Uttoxeter, S. division of the hundred of Totmonslow, N. division of the county of Stafford, 4 miles
(E. S. E.) from Cheadle; containing, with part of Calton
chapelry, 293 inhabitants. It comprises by admeasurement 2588 acres, of which 1638 are grass land, 480 arable, 270 wood and plantations, and 200 common; and
has a number of scattered farmhouses and cottages.
The village lies in a narrow but fertile vale, watered by
the Peake rivulet. The living is a perpetual curacy;
net income, £92; patron, the Earl of Macclesfield. The
church is a small decayed building, with a wooden belfry.
Bertram de Verdun, in 1176, gave the monks of Aulney,
in Normandy, a piece of land at Chotes or Chotene
(probably Cotton) to build a Cistercian abbey, which
three years afterwards was removed to Croxden, where
he and his family were buried. It was dedicated to the
Blessed Virgin, and at the general dissolution had an
abbot and twelve religious, whose revenue was valued at
£103. 6. 7. The remains of this once stately and sumptuous edifice exhibit good specimens of the early English
style.
Croxteth-Park
CROXTETH-PARK, an extra-parochial liberty, in
the union and hundred of West Derby, S. division of
Lancashire, 4 miles (W. N. W.) from Prescot. This
place anciently belonged to Robert Fitz-Henry, ancestor
of the family of Lathom. It came subsequently into the
possession of Edmund, Earl of Lancaster, son of Henry
III., and remained in the crown until 1446, when
Henry VI. by letters-patent granted Croxteth to Sir
Richard Molyneux, whose descendants, now represented
by the Earl of Sefton, have ever since held the property.
There are few dwellings in the liberty; the area of
which is 953 acres. A tributary of the little river Alt
bounds it, and flows through the park attached to Croxteth Hall: the road from Liverpool to St. Helen's passes
on the south. The Hall, erected in 1702, and situated
in the adjoining district parish of West Derby, is of
brick, with stone dressings, and has a terrace in front,
ascended by a broad flight of steps: the back part, formerly of wood and plaster, was rebuilt in 1805 of brick.
There is a stone-quarry. The tithes of the liberty have
been commuted for £152.
Croxton (St. James)
CROXTON (St. James), a parish, in the union of
Caxton and Arrington, hundred of Longstow, county
of Cambridge, 3½ miles (W. N. W.) from Caxton; containing 264 inhabitants. The parish is situated on the
road from Cambridge to Oxford, and its general appearance is flat; it comprises by computation 2000 acres of
land, the soil of which is clayey and cold, but produces
good crops of wheat. Croxton Park contains 150 acres
of land, with a handsome residence. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £14. 8. 6½.; net
income, £185; patron, Samuel Newton, Esq. The
tithes were commuted for land in 1811; the glebe comprises 347 acres, including 310 given at the allotment,
and there is a glebe-house. The church, which is elegantly fitted up, has been extensively repaired by the
patron. Edward Leeds, founder of the celebrated Leeds
family, was buried here; he was vice-chancellor of
Cambridge university, and master of Clare Hall, about
the year 1540.
Croxton
CROXTON, a township, in the parish of Middlewich, union and hundred of Northwich, S. division
of the county of Chester, 1 mile (N. N. W.) from Middlewich; containing 48 inhabitants. It comprises 523
acres, of which the soil is sand and clay. The Grand
Trunk canal passes in the vicinity.
Croxton (St. John The Evangelist)
CROXTON (St. John The Evangelist), a parish,
in the union of Glandford-Brigg, E. division of the
wapentake of Yarborough, parts of Lindsey, county
of Lincoln, 7 miles (N. E. by E.) from GlandfordBrigg; containing 105 inhabitants. It comprises 1476a.
1r. 1p., of which about 1194 acres are arable, 179 meadow and pasture, and 103 woodland. The living is a
discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at
£5. 14. 2., and in the patronage of the Crown, with a
net income of £358: the tithes were commuted for land
in 1809. Upon a lofty eminence about half a mile
westward of the village, are the remains of a large intrenchment called Yarborough Camp, supposed, from
the discovery of coins, to be a Roman work.
Croxton
CROXTON, a chapelry, in the parish of Fulmodeston, union of Walsingham, hundred of Gallow,
W. division of Norfolk, 4 miles (E. by N.) from
Fakenham; containing 68 inhabitants. The chapel is
dedicated to St. John the Baptist.
Croxton (All Saints)
CROXTON (All Saints), a parish, in the union of
Thetford, hundred of Grimshoe, W. division of Norfolk, 2 miles (N.) from Thetford; containing 330 inhabitants. There is an extensive rabbit-warren. The living
is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at
£6. 13. 4.; net income, £98; patrons and impropriators, the Master and Fellows of Christ's College, Cambridge. The tithes were commuted for land in 1813;
the glebe consists of 32 acres. The church is in the
decorated style; the lower part of the tower is circular,
and the upper part octagonal: the south aisle was removed more than half a century since. There is a place
of worship for Wesleyans.
Croxton
CROXTON, a township, in the parish of Eccleshall, union of Stone, N. division of the hundred of
Pirehill and of the county of Stafford, 3¾ miles
(N. W. by W.) from Eccleshall; containing 887 inhabitants. The village, which is large, lies on the road from
Eccleshall to Nantwich. Tithe rent-charges have been
awarded amounting to £371. 16.
Croxton-Keyrial (St. John)
CROXTON-KEYRIAL (St. John), a parish, in the
union of Grantham, hundred of Framland, N. division
of the county of Leicester, 7 miles (S. W.) from Grantham; containing 650 inhabitants. It is the property of
the dukes of Rutland, of whose ancient mansion there
are some remains, situated in a park in which races are
celebrated at Easter. The living is a discharged vicarage,
valued in the king's books at £7. 14. 7.; net income,
£206; patron and impropriator, the Duke of Rutland:
the tithes were commuted for land in 1766. The church
is a very handsome structure in the later English style,
with a tower rising from the centre. William Smith in
1711 bequeathed land, producing a rent of £11. 8., for
which children are taught. W. Rymington left an
estate, now worth £120 per annum, to the poor of
this and three other parishes; G. Ashburne, a rentcharge of £15 to poor parishioners; and Anna Parnham, £300 for the poor, and £200 for the free school.
Croxton Abbey was founded in 1162, by William Porcarius de Linus, for Præmonstratensian canons, whose
revenue at the Dissolution was valued at £458. 19. 11.:
one of the abbots was physician to King John, whose
bowels were interred in the church.
Croxton, South (St. John The Baptist)
CROXTON, SOUTH (St. John The Baptist), a
parish, in the union of Barrow-upon-Soar, hundred of
East Goscote, N. division of the county of Leicester,
9¼ miles (N. E. by E.) from Leicester; containing 297
inhabitants. It comprises 1400 acres, of which about
400 are arable, and 10 woodland. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £8. 3. 4.;
net income, £130; patron, the Duke of Rutland.
Croydon (All Saints)
CROYDON (All Saints), a parish, in the union of
Caxton and Arrington, hundred of Armingford,
county of Cambridge, 6 miles (S. by E.) from Caxton;
including the ancient parish of Clapton, and containing
441 inhabitants. It is situated on the road from Royston
to Huntingdon, and comprises by measurement 2711
acres. The living is a discharged vicarage, endowed
with part of the rectorial tithes, with the rectory of Clapton consolidated, and valued in the king's books at
£7. 9. 7.; patron and impropriator of the remainder of
the rectorial tithes, J. F. Gape, Esq. The rectory of
Clapton is valued in the king's books at £4. 9. 7. The
incumbent's tithes have been commuted for £531, and
there is a glebe-house, with 10 acres of land. Some remains are visible of a mansion of the Downing family,
many members of which were buried in a vault under
the church. Sir George Downing, Bart., of Gamlingay,
was the founder of Downing College, Cambridge, for
which he left nearly 1800 acres of land in this parish.
Croydon (St. John the Baptist)
CROYDON (St. John the Baptist), a market-town
and parish, and the head of a union, in the First division
of the hundred of Wallington, E. division of Surrey,
9½ miles (S.) from London; containing, with part of
Norwood, 16,712 inhabitants. This place, called by
Camden Cradeden, and in ancient records Croindene and
Croiden, derives its present name from Croie, chalk, and
Dune, a hill, denoting its situation on the summit of an
extensive basin of chalk. By some antiquaries it has
been identified with the Noviomagus of Antonine; and
the Roman road, from Arundel to London, which passed
through that station, may still be traced on Broad Green,
near the town. At the time of the Conquest it was
given to Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury, whose
successors had for several centuries a residence here,
which is said to have been originally a royal palace.
During the war between Henry III. and the barons, in
1264, the citizens of London, who had taken up arms
against their sovereign, after being driven from the field
at Lewes, retreated to this town, where they endeavoured
to make a stand; but part of the royal army, then
stationed at Tonbridge, marched hither, and attacked
and defeated them with great slaughter. The archiepiscopal palace, which in 1278 was in its original state, built
chiefly of timber, was enlarged by Archbishop Stafford,
and improved by his successors in the see, of whom
Archbishop Parker, in 1573, had the honour of entertaining Queen Elizabeth and her court for several days
here. The palace having afterwards fallen into a state
of dilapidation, was alienated from the see by act of parliament, and sold in 1780: the gardens have been converted into bleaching-grounds, the proprietor of which
occupies the remains of the palace. With the produce
of the sale, and other funds, was purchased in 1807 Addington Park, three miles and a half from Croydon.
The parish is pleasantly situated on the border of
Banstead Downs, and within its limits are two of the
three sources of the river Wandle, a stream abounding
with excellent trout. The town consists principally of
one long street, and is paved, lighted with gas, and
watched, under the direction of commissioners appointed
by an act passed in the 10th of George IV. 1829 for its
general improvement: the inhabitants are plentifully
supplied with water. The houses are mostly substantial
and well built, and many of them are handsome and of
modern erection. In the vicinity are several mansions,
with parks and pleasure-grounds, numerous detached
residences, and ranges of neat dwellings inhabited by
highly respectable families; the salubrity of the air, and
the convenient distance from the metropolis, rendering
this place a chosen retreat for merchants and retired
tradesmen. A literary and scientific institution was
established in 1838. The barracks, erected in 1794,
contain accommodation for three troops of cavalry, with
an hospital, infirmary, and all the requisite stables,
shops, &c. Within a mile east of the town is Addiscombe House, formerly the residence of the first lord
Liverpool, which, in 1809, was purchased by the East
India Company, for the establishment of their military
college, previously formed at Woolwich Common, for
the education of cadets for the engineers and artillery,
but since 1825 open to the reception of cadets for the
whole military service of the company, with the exception of the cavalry. There are generally from 120 to
150 students, and under the auspices of the court of
directors, the establishment has obtained a rank equal
to that of any military institution in the kingdom. The
buildings which have been at various times added to the
original mansion, for the completion of the college, have
cost more than £40,000.
The trade is principally in corn: the calico-printing
and bleaching businesses, which were formerly carried on
extensively, have materially declined. A large brewery
has been established more than a century; and there
are others of more recent date. The London and Croydon railway, which was opened on June 5th, 1839, has
its first station contiguous to that of the Greenwich
railway, near London Bridge, and pursues the line of
that railway for nearly a mile and a half: it then
diverges from it by a viaduct, and pursues its course to
New Cross, Sydenham, Penge, and Norwood, and thence
to this town. The Croydon station and depôt, formerly
the premises of the canal company, whose property was
purchased for the formation of the railway along the
bed of the canal, is a spacious establishment, covering
nearly five acres of ground. The whole course of the
line amounted, in 1840, to £615, 160, averaging, for the
expense of its construction, about £70,000 per mile.
The Brighton line turns off from the terminus at Croydon, and passes on the east side of the town, in a
southerly direction towards Sussex. The Croydon
Company and the Brighton Company were amalgamated
in 1846. A railway was opened from near Croydon to
Epsom in May, 1847; it is eight miles in length. An
act was passed in 1846 for a railway to Wandsworth.
The market is on Saturday: fairs are held on July 6th
for cattle, and Oct. 2nd for horses, cattle, sheep, and
pigs; at the latter, which is also a large pleasure-fair, a
great quantity of walnuts is sold. The town is within
the jurisdiction of the county magistrates, of whom
those acting for the division hold a petty-session every
Saturday; and a head constable, two petty constables,
and two headboroughs, are appointed at the court leet
of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is lord of the
manor. The powers of the county debt-court of Croydon, established in 1847, extend over the registrationdistrict of Croydon. The summer assizes for the county
are held here and at Guildford, alternately; and Croydon
is the principal place of election for the eastern division
of the county. The town-hall, a neat stone edifice surmounted by a cupola, was erected in 1807, at an expense
of £10,000, defrayed by the sale of waste lands belonging to the parish. The prison was erected by subscription among the inhabitants, on the site of the old townhall, and is a large and substantial building, of which
the lower part, containing several rooms, is used as the
town gaol, and for the confinement of prisoners during
the assizes, and the upper part let for warehouses.
Near the town-hall is a convenient market-house for
butter and poultry.
The parish comprises about 2000 acres, the larger
portion of which is arable land. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £21.
18. 9., and in the patronage of the Archbishop; net income, £587; impropriator, A. Caldcleugh, Esq. The
church, begun by Archbishop Courteney, and completed
by Archbishop Chichely, is a spacious and elegant structure of freestone and flint, in the later English style,
having a lofty embattled tower with crocketed pinnacles. In it are deposited the remains of Archbishops
Grindall, Sheldon, Potter, and Herring, and there are
some very fine monuments, of which that of Archbishop
Sheldon, bearing his effigy in episcopal robes, exceeds all
in beauty of workmanship; there are likewise some ancient brasses. Its finely-painted windows were wantonly
destroyed during the Commonwealth. Two new churches
were, in 1827-9, erected partly by a grant of £300 from
Queen Anne's Bounty, and partly by aid from the Parliamentary Commissioners: one, on Croydon common,
dedicated to St. James, is a handsome edifice in the
later English style, with a small campanile tower, and
contains 1200 sittings, of which 400 are free; the other
is at Beulah Hill, Norwood. The livings are perpetual
curacies, in the patronage of the Vicar; net income of
St. James', £300. A district chapel, dedicated to St.
John, was erected at Shirley, in 1836, at a cost of
£1300: the living is in the gift of the Archbishop.
There are places of worship for Baptists, the Society of
Friends, Independents, and Wesleyans. The free school
was founded and endowed in 1714, by Archbishop
Tenison, and has an income of £130 per annum;
schoolrooms were erected in 1792, at an expense of
nearly £1000, on a piece of land adjoining the old
school-house, which, having become unfit for the purpose, was let. The Society of Friends have a large
establishment, removed to this place, in 1825, from
Clerkenwell, where it had existed for more than a century, for the maintenance and education of 150 boys and
girls. A free school originally founded and endowed by
Archbishop Whitgift, in conjunction with the hospital
of the Holy Trinity, is now a national school; and a
school of industry for girls is kept in the chapel belonging to the old archiepiscopal palace.
The hospital of the Holy Trinity was founded and
endowed by Archbishop Whitgift, in 1596, for a warden,
schoolmaster, chaplain, and any number above 30,
and not exceeding 40, of poor brothers and sisters, not
less than 60 years of age, of the parishes of Croydon
and Lambeth, who were to be a body corporate and have
a common seal. It is under the inspection of the Archbishop of Canterbury; the income, originally not more
than £200, has increased to £2000 per annum, and
there are 34 brothers and sisters now in the hospital.
The building, occupying three sides of a quadrangle, in
which is a small chapel, is a handsome specimen of the
domestic style prevailing at the time of its erection.
Davy's almshouses, for seven aged men and women, were
founded in 1447, by Elias Davy, citizen of London, who
endowed them with land, now producing about £180
per annum: the premises were rebuilt about 80 years
since. The Little Almshouses, containing originally nine
rooms, were erected principally with money given by
the Earl of Bristol, in consideration of land inclosed on
Norwood common; they have been enlarged by the
addition of fifteen apartments, at the expense of the
parish, for the poor. In 1656, Archbishop Laud gave
£300, which sum, having been invested in the purchase
of a farm and in the funds, produces £62 per annum,
applied to the apprenticing of children. Henry Smith,
of London, in 1627 left lands and houses yielding
an income of £213, of which about £150 are distributed
among the inmates of the Little Almshouses; and there
are various other charitable bequests for the relief of the
poor. The union of Croydon contains 11 parishes or
places, and contains a population of 27,721.
On a hill towards Addington is a cluster of 25 tumuli,
one of which is 40 feet in diameter; they appear to have
been opened, and, according to Salmon, to have contained urns. On Thunderfield common is a circular encampment, including an area of two acres, surrounded
by a double moat. At Duppas Hill, it is said, a tournament took place in 1186, when William, only son of
John, the 7th earl Warren, lost his life. In 1719, a
gold coin of the Emperor Domitian was found at Whitehorse farm, in the parish, where also, some years ago,
a gold coin of Lælius Cæsar, in good preservation,
and several others, were discovered; and in digging
for a foundation in the town, in 1791, two gold coins
of Valentinian, and a brass coin of Trajan, were found.