Goodneston (St. Bartholomew)
GOODNESTON (St. Bartholomew), a parish, in
the union and hundred of Faversham, Upper division
of the lathe of Scray, E. division of Kent, 2 miles (E.)
from Faversham; containing 60 inhabitants. It consists
of 334 acres. The living is a rectory, with the vicarage
of Graveney united, valued in the king's books at
£5. 2. 6.; patrons and impropriators, the Archbishop
of Canterbury, and J. Pryce Lade, Esq. The tithes
have been commuted for £160, and the glebe comprises
3 acres.
Goodnestone (Holy Cross)
GOODNESTONE (Holy Cross), a parish, in the
union of Eastry, hundred of Wingham, lathe of St.
Augustine, E. division of Kent, 2½ miles (S. E.) from
Wingham; containing 424 inhabitants. It comprises
1864 acres. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £200; patron and impropriator, Sir B. W. Bridges,
Bart. The church, principally in the early English style,
and partly erected by the ancestors of Sir John Boys,
the gallant defender of Donnington Castle, who died in
1664, and was buried here, has, with the exception of
the tower, been rebuilt under the superintendence of
Rickman and Company, of Birmingham, architects, the
original character being carefully preserved; the tower
is a very handsome structure, and the whole forms an
interesting specimen of its style. Almshouses for four
persons were endowed by Gabriel Richards in 1671.
A fair for pedlery is held on the anniversary of the Holy
Cross.
Goodrich, or Goderich (St. Giles)
GOODRICH, or GODERICH (St. Giles), a parish,
in the union of Ross, Lower division of the hundred of
Wormelow, county of Hereford; containing, with
the townships of Glewstone and Huntisham, 738 inhabitants, of whom 490 are in the township of Goodrich, 5¼ miles (S. W. by S.) from Ross. Richard
Talbot, lord of Goderich Castle, founded and endowed,
in 1347, a small priory of Black canons in honour of
St. John the Baptist, the revenue of which, at the
Dissolution, was valued at £15. 8. 9. The parish is
beautifully situated on the river Wye, and traversed by
the road from Ross to Monmouth. It comprises 2421a.
3r. 30p., whereof about 100 acres are wood, 348 waste
land or common, and the remainder arable and pasture in nearly equal portions; the surface is undulated,
the scenery picturesque, and the soil sandy. There is
a great number of cider-mills. Sandstone exists in
every part of the parish, and limestone is quarried for
burning into lime, and for the repair of the roads; the
conglomerate called "pudding-stone" is also found.
A bridge has been lately built across the Wye, at an
expense of £8000, by which there is a free communication with the Forest of Dean. On a lofty and beautifully-wooded hill are the majestic remains of the old
castle of the Talbots, which was destroyed by order of
Oliver Cromwell; and upon an opposite eminence, is
Goodrich Court, erected by Sir S. R. Meyrick, in the
baronial style, and forming a prominent and interesting
object in the general beauty of the scene: it contains a
splendid collection of ancient armour, in the knowledge
of which the learned proprietor is eminently skilled.
The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at
£8; patron and appropriator, the Bishop of Hereford:
the great tithes have been commuted for £155, and the
vicarial for £370; the glebe comprises 35½ acres. The
Right Hon. F. J. Robinson, now Earl of Ripon, was
elevated to the peerage in 1827 by the title of Viscount
Goderich, an honour formerly enjoyed by his maternal
ancestor, De Grey, Duke of Kent, who was proprietor
of Goodrich Castle and manor after the Talbots.
Goodshaw-Booth, in Rossendale, county of Lancaster.—See Booths, Higher.
GOODSHAW-BOOTH, in Rossendale, county of
Lancaster.—See Booths, Higher.
Goodworth
GOODWORTH, a tithing, in the parish of Goodworth-Clatford, union of Andover, hundred of
Wherwell, Andover and N. divisions of the county of
Southampton; containing 66 inhabitants.
Goole
GOOLE, a sea-port and market-town, and the head
of a union, in the parish of Snaith, Lower division of
the wapentake of Osgoldcross, W. riding of York, 4½
miles (S.) from Howden, 25 (W.) from Hull, and 175
(N. N. W.) from London; containing 2850 inhabitants.
This place, which is situated on the river Ouse, near its
confluence with the Dutch river, which communicates
with the Don, has within the last thirty years risen from
an inconsiderable and undistinguished hamlet into a
town of commercial importance. The town and port
owe their origin to the construction of the Knottingley
and Goole canal, for which the Aire and Calder Navigation Company obtained an act of parliament in 1820.
This canal, which communicates with the river Aire at
Ferry-Bridge, and thereby completes the most important
line of inland navigation in the kingdom, was opened
to the public on the 20th of July, 1826; and in the
year following, by commission from the court of exchequer, the town was constituted a port for foreign trade.
On the 6th of April, 1828, a brig laden with merchandise cleared out of the dock for Hamburg, in the presence of a vast concourse of people, assembled from
various parts to celebrate the event; and on the same
day, a market for corn and provisions of all kinds, to
be continued weekly, was opened in a commodious
market-place. In the course of this year, the company
obtained another act for further improvement in the
navigation, and for the construction of additional docks
for the accommodation of large steam-ships, then recently introduced; these works were commenced in
1835, and completed in 1838.
The harbour is situated near the confluence of the
Dutch river with the Ouse, over the former of which is
an ancient wooden bridge of three arches, connecting
the town with Old Goole. It has an entrance basin
250 feet long and 200 wide, communicating with the
Ouse, here 500 feet wide, by two locks, one of which
will admit vessels of more than 300 tons' burthen; and,
by gates, with a ship-dock 600 feet long and 200 wide,
having an average depth of 18 feet, and with a dock for
barges 900 feet in length and 150 in width, having a
mean depth of 8 feet. These docks communicate with
each other by means of gates and swivel-bridges; and
the barge-dock has a communication also with the
Goole and Knottingley canal, over which is a handsome
stone bridge of one arch. The new works consist of a
spacious wet-dock and a large dry-dock, the former
communicating with the ship-dock, which has been
lengthened for the purpose, and opening into the Ouse
by a lock 210 feet long and 58 wide; and towards the
river a stone frontage has been erected, connecting the
entrance into the lock with the entrance harbour. The
quays are commodious, and there are extensive ranges
of warehouses for bonding merchandise of every description, one of which is approved as a warehouse of
special security; yards for timber, iron, slate, and other
articles; and a timber-pond capacious enough for floating 3000 loads. A patent-slip for repairing vessels was
formed in 1830; and every requisite accommodation
has been provided for facilitating the general business
of the port. Between the docks and the entrance harbour are the custom-house and excise-office, forming a
handsome structure, of which part is also appropriated
as merchants' counting-houses, and offices for the Aire
and Calder Company; and between the entrance harbour and the river Ouse, coal-sheds have been erected
for the supply of steamers frequenting the port. In the
construction of the various works and buildings connected with the navigation, the company have expended
more than £1,000,000, at this place, and on their line
of navigation to Leeds and Wakefield, since the year
1820. An act was passed in 1845, authorizing the
construction of a railway to Snaith, Pontefract, and
Wakefield, 27 miles long; and in 1846, another act
was obtained empowering the railway company to construct a station, a jetty, coal-staiths, and other conveniences at Goole. The trade of the port consists chiefly
in the exportation of coal, lime, the woollen and cotton
manufactures of Barnsley, Wakefield, Leeds, and Manchester, and the iron and cutlery wares of Birmingham
and Sheffield; and in the importation of corn, timber,
wool, and other goods. The amount of duties paid at
the custom-house, in a recent year, was £61,599; the
number of vessels of above 50 tons' burthen registered
as belonging to the port, was 163, and their aggregate
tonnage 14,640, exclusive of small craft for the inland
trade, and six steam-vessels employed in carrying passengers and merchandise to Hull, and towing vessels
into and out of the harbour.
The town, which is situated to the north of the docks,
consists of several spacious and regularly formed streets,
containing numerous well-built houses; and, from the
uniformity of its style, has a very pleasing aspect as
seen from the river. A subscription library was established in 1836; and rooms have been erected by a proprietary, in which assemblies and concerts take place,
and public meetings are held. The market is on Wednesday, and is numerously attended. The powers of
the county debt-court of Goole, established in 1847,
extend over the registration-district of Goole. The
township comprises by computation 4280 acres, of
which upwards of 3500 are in cultivation, more than
500 peat-moss, and the remainder water; the soil has
been greatly improved by warping: formerly the staple
produce was the celebrated Yorkshire kidney-potatoes,
so much esteemed in the London market, but these may
be said to be now almost entirely superseded by the
Scotch red-potato. The old village of Goole extends
southward along the banks of the Ouse, and consists
of houses irregularly built. A temporary place was
fitted up for divine worship by the Aire and Calder Company in 1830, accommodating about 300 persons; and
a handsome church, for which the company gave the
site, besides supplying the stone, and other materials to
a great extent, has been since completed: it is dedicated to St. John the Evangelist, and contains 1000
sittings. The first stone was laid on the 28th of June,
1843, by T. H. S. Sotheron, Esq., who subscribed £500
towards the building. The living is in the gift of Trustees. There are places of worship for Wesleyans, Primitive Methodists, and Independents; and a free school
with an endowment in land producing £21 per annum.
The poor law union of Goole comprises 18 parishes or
places, 16 being in Yorkshire, and 2 in the county of
Lincoln; and contains a population of 12,535.
Goosey
GOOSEY, a chapelry, in the parish of Stanfordin-the-Vale, union of Wantage, hundred of Ock,
county of Berks, 3¾ miles (N. W.) from Wantage;
containing 179 inhabitants, and comprising 907a. 13p.
The chapel is dedicated to All Saints.
Goosnargh
GOOSNARGH, a township, and an ecclesiastical
parish, in the parish of Kirkham, union of Preston,
hundred of Amounderness, N. division of Lancashire, 6¾ miles (N. N. E.) from Preston; the township
containing, with Newsham hamlet, 1621 inhabitants.
The first lords of this dictrict bore the name of Goosnargh: Robert de Goosnargh left an heiress, married
to Hugh de Mytton, who was living in the reign of
John; and an heiress of the latter family brought the
estate by marriage to the Cateralls. Subsequently, the
Cliftons, Middletons, and Botillers held lands in Goosnargh. The parish, which was formed in 1846, consists
of the lower end of Goosnargh, the hamlet of Newsham,
and township of Whittingham, and comprises many
thousand acres of arable and pasture land, with some
moorland and wood; the surface is elevated, the soil
mostly clay, and the scenery from the higher parts most
extensive. Inglewhite, in the parish, is traditionally
said to have been a market-town, and there is still a
market-cross in the centre of the green. A fair for
cattle is held on the Tuesday in Rogation-week, a fair
for sheep on April 25th, and one for calves on October 5th.
The living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of
the Dean and Chapter of Christ-Church, Oxford; net
income, £150, with a house. The church, dedicated to
St. Mary, is of great antiquity: the present edifice is
deemed a restoration of the reign of Henry VIII., and
was repaired in 1778; it has a square tower, and in the
north aisle is a choir called Middleton chapel. The Independents have a place of worship; and there is a
Roman Catholic chapel, built about a century ago by the
Franciscans, and transferred to the Benedictines in 1834,
when the building was enlarged; it stands on an eminence, and has an endowment of 30 acres of land, with
a house attached: the Rev. Edward Dinmore is the
priest. A school possesses an endowment of land in
Whittingham, producing £32. 10. per annum; another
school is endowed with £25 per annum, left originally
by Henry Colborne, but now paid by the Drapers' Company, London, who appoint the master. A girls' school
was founded by Richard Oliverson, Esq., of London,
who in 1840, at a cost of £1000, built premises in which
all the schools are now held: Mr. Oliverson allows the
mistress £30 per annum. An hospital for decayed
gentry was founded, and richly endowed with land,
under the will of William Bushell, Esq., M.D., who died
in 1735: the building is in the village, near the church,
and is a large and handsome structure of freestone, with
accommodation for about thirty persons. The benefits
of the charity are limited to the townships of Goosnargh,
Whittingham, Elston, Fulwood, Preston, and Euxton,
the recipients to be Protestants: the number at present
maintained is 26, eight males and eighteen females.
The income, which in 1809 was £902, is now about
£1500 per annum; and on the expiration of a lease of
part of the property in the hands of the Earl of Derby,
the income of the hospital will be increased many hundreds more.
Goostrey, with Barnshaw
GOOSTREY, with Barnshaw, a township and a
chapelry, in the parish of Sandbach, union and hundred
of Northwich, S. division of Cheshire, 3 miles (N.
by E.) from Church-Hulme, or Holmes-Chapel; the township containing 325 inhabitants. The manors of Goostrey and Barnshaw (the latter anciently written Bernulpshaw and Bernilshawe) were given by Hugh Fitz-Norman
to the convent of St. Werburgh, in Chester: the monks
had a chapel here. After the Dissolution the manors
were given to the Dean and Chapter of Chester; and
subsequently passed to the Cottons and Mainwarings.
The township comprises 1697a. 3r. 8p., of which the
soil is sand and clay. A railroad, leading from Manchester to Crewe, passes for about four miles through.
The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £120;
patron, the Vicar of Sandbach. The income arises from
two farms, one of which is situated in the township of
Cranage, and consists of 65 acres, and the other in the
township of Timperley, parish of Bowdon, containing
39 acres. The vicarial tithes have been commuted for
£123, and the impropriate for £56. 10. A school is
supported by the interest of £200 left by Mrs. Haslehurst in 1682.
Gopsall-Hall
GOPSALL-HALL, an extra-parochial liberty, in the
union of Market-Bosworth, hundred of Sparkenhoe,
S. division of the county of Leicester, 4¼ miles (N. W.
by W.) from Market-Bosworth. This place comprises
724 acres, nearly all park; and is the property of Earl
Howe, whose large and elegant mansion, on a gentle
eminence nearly in the centre of the Park, was built by
Charles Jennens, Esq., about the year 1750, at a cost of
more than £100,000. The principal front looks towards
the south, and on each side is a wing projecting 27 feet,
the whole length being 180 feet; the grounds are adorned
with temples, are finely wooded, and well stocked with
deer. The Ashby-de-la-Zouch canal passes close to the
north-east side of the Park, and on its western side is
the Ashby and Atherstone road. Here was a cell to the
abbey of Merevale, in the county of Warwick.
Gorefields
GOREFIELDS, an extra-parochial liberty, in the
union of Newport-Pagnell, hundred of Newport,
county of Buckingham, 3 miles (N. W.) from NewportPagnell. It comprises 60 acres of land. Here was a
monastery, but it was early destroyed.
Goring (St. Thomas à Becket)
GORING (St. Thomas à Becket), a parish, in the
union of Bradfield, hundred of Langtree, county of
Oxford, 6¼ miles (S. by W.) from Wallingford; containing 971 inhabitants. A priory of nuns of the order
of St. Augustine was founded in the reign of Henry II.,
and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary; the revenue
at the Dissolution was valued at £60. 5. 6. The village
stands pleasantly on the east bank of the Thames, and
commands some fine views of that river: in 1837 an act
was passed for building a bridge, which has been completed; and a station on the Great Western railway is
situated in the parish. The living is a perpetual curacy;
net income, £146; patron and impropriator, C. W.
Gardener, Esq. The tithes were commuted for land in
1809. The church, anciently the church of the priory,
is in the Norman style, with a massive tower; the roof
of the belfry is finely groined: a north aisle, in the
later English style, has been added to the original building. There is a small chapel attached to the Alnutt
almshouses at Goring heath, to which a chaplain is appointed by the trustees of the charity, by whom it was
endowed. The Independents have a place of worship.
In 1724 Mr. Alnutt bequeathed an estate, among other
purposes, for apprenticing children of the parishes of
Goring, Cassington, Checkendon, Ipstone, and South
Stoke; the income is about £450 a year, for which they
are educated, partly clothed, and apprenticed. The
Ikeneld-street here crosses the Thames into Berkshire.
Goring (St. Mary)
GORING (St. Mary), a parish, in the hundred of
Poling, rape of Arundel, W. division of Sussex, 2½
miles (W.) from Worthing; containing 503 inhabitants.
This place at the time of the Domesday survey belonged,
as part of the earldom of Arundel, to the Albini family.
The parish comprises about 2000 acres, of which the
far greater portion is good arable land, about 400 acres
pasture and down, and 180 wood. Here is a station of
the Brighton and Chichester railway, about midway
between those towns. Goring Castle is a handsome
mansion, containing many stately apartments, and
pleasingly situated in a richly-wooded demesne. The
living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's
books at £7. 10., and in the gift of David Lyon, Esq.;
impropriator, W. W. Richardson, Esq., lord of the
manor. The vicarial tithes have been commuted for
£163, and the glebe comprises 6½ acres; the impropriate tithes have been commuted for £376. The church,
an ancient structure in the early English style, with
several Norman details, and containing numerous monuments, was taken down, and rebuilt on the old site, in
1837, at an expense of £6000, defrayed by Mr. Lyon;
the present structure is in the later English style, with
a square embattled tower, surmounted by a lofty spire
of wood covered with copper, painted to resemble
stone.
Gorleston (St. Andrew)
GORLESTON (St. Andrew), a parish, in the hundred of Mutford and Lothingland, E. division of
Suffolk; containing 3779 inhabitants. The parish is
bounded on the east by the North Sea and the river
Yare, and on the north by South-Town, or Little Yarmouth, with which it now forms one parish, comprising
2300 acres, and reaching about three miles from its
southern point to Yarmouth bridge over the Yare. A
wooden pier (one of the finest in the kingdom) forms a
breakwater towards the south, and the entrance to the
Yare leading to the port of Yarmouth. Numerous
pilots reside here, for vessels coming in and going out
of the river; and there are lodging-houses for visiters,
commanding a fine view of the pier, river, and sea, with
accommodation for sea-bathing. The living is a discharged vicarage, with the rectories of South-Town and
West-Town consolidated in 1520, valued in the king's
books at £11; patron and incumbent, the Rev. F. Upjohn; impropriators, the landholders. The great tithes
have been commuted for £243. 17., and the vicarial for
£214. 15. The church is a large and ancient structure,
consisting of a nave and north and south aisles, having
separate roofs, all thatched; the old steeple, which had
long been a landmark for vessels passing through the
Yarmouth roads, was blown down in 1835. At SouthTown (which see) is a chapel dedicated to St. Mary.
There are places of worship for Independents and Wesleyans. A priory of Augustine friars was founded in
the reign of Edward I. by William Woodrove, and his
wife Margaret; and an hospital for lepers was in existence at Gorleston in 1372.
Gornall, Lower
GORNALL, LOWER, an ecclesiastical district, in
the parish of Sedgley, union of Dudley, N. division
of the hundred of Seisdon, S. division of the county of
Stafford, 2 miles (W.) from Dudley; containing 5000
inhabitants. The surface is much undulated; the district
abounds with coal-works, and chains and nails are made
to a great extent. The church, dedicated to St. James,
was built at a cost of £1500, raised by subscription,
aided by Queen Anne's Bounty, on a site given by the
late Lord Dudley and Ward, by whom, also, the living
was endowed with £15 per annum; it was consecrated
in 1823, and enlarged in 1837. The living is a perpetual
curacy, in the patronage of Lord Ward; total income,
£150. There are places of worship for Baptists, Primitive Methodists, and Wesleyans; and attached to the
church is a national school.
Gornall, Upper
GORNALL, UPPER, an ecclesiastical district, in
the parish of Sedgley, union of Dudley, N. division
of the hundred of Seisdon, S. division of the county of
Stafford, 2 miles (N. W.) from Dudley; containing
2775 inhabitants. This place is remarkable for the extent of its stone-quarries, and for its fine brick-clay.
As in Lower Gornall, the manufacture of chains and
nails is carried on here extensively. The church, dedicated to St. Peter, was consecrated in July, 1843, and is
a plain structure in the later English style, with turrets,
built at a cost of £2389, raised by subscription, and a
grant from the Incorporated Society: of 921 sittings,
645 are free. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the
patronage of the Vicar of Sedgley; net income, £150,
with a parsonage-house. The Independents, Primitive
Methodists, and Wesleyans have places of worship. In
connexion with the church is a national school.
Gorran (St. Gorran)
GORRAN (St. Gorran), a parish, in the union of
St. Austell, E. division of the hundred of Powder
and of the county of Cornwall, 5¾ miles (E. S. E.) from
Tregoney; containing 1232 inhabitants. This parish is
bounded on the south-east by the English Channel, and
comprises the small haven called Port East, where an
extensive pilchard-fishery is carried on. It consists of
3836 acres, of which 158 are waste land or common:
the surface is hilly, and from many points the views
are extensive; the lands are chiefly arable. The living
is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £20; net income, £258; patron and appropriator, the Bishop of
Exeter. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans. In
the centre of the village are considerable remains of an
ancient chapel with a tower: on the high grounds above
Dodman's Point are remains of a circular intrenchment;
and in a field on the estate of Trevennen, called Chapel
Close, was formerly a chapel.
Gorstella
GORSTELLA, a hamlet, in the township and parish
of Doddleston, union of Great Boughton, Lower
division of the hundred of Broxton, S. division of the
county of Chester; containing 52 inhabitants.
Gorton
GORTON, a chapelry, in the parish of Manchester,
union of Chorlton, hundred of Salford, S. division
of the county of Lancaster, 3½ miles (E. S. E.) from
Manchester; containing 2422 inhabitants, and comprising
1500 acres. This place is situated on the road to Mottram and Sheffield, and the inhabitants are chiefly employed in the cotton manufacture and in the making of
hats. A sort of lime made here, called Ardwick lime,
grows hard under water. The Manchester, Ashton, and
Stockport canal, and the Manchester and Sheffield, and
Manchester and Birmingham railways, pass through the
chapelry. In the vale of Gorton is a reservoir 44 acres
in extent, excavated by the Manchester Water-works'
Company for the partial supply of that town. The living
is a perpetual curacy; net income, £150, with a glebehouse; patrons, the Dean and Canons of Manchester.
The chapel, dedicated to St. Thomas, was rebuilt about
1756: it contains several old volumes, the gift of
Humphrey Chetham, each volume fastened by a chain.
There are places of worship for Baptists, Wesleyans, and
Unitarians; and a school in union with the National
Society.
Gosbeck (St. Mary)
GOSBECK (St. Mary), a parish, in the union and
hundred of Bosmere and Claydon, E. division of Suffolk, 4¾ miles (E. by N.) from Needham-Market; containing 316 inhabitants, and comprising by admeasurement 1467 acres. The living is a discharged rectory,
valued in the king's books at £8. 5. 5.; net income,
£316; patron, the Rev. W. Attwood. The church is an
ancient structure in the decorated English style, with a
square embattled tower; it was repewed in 1840.
Gosberton (St. Peter and St. Paul)
GOSBERTON (St. Peter and St. Paul), a parish,
in the union of Spalding, wapentake of Kirton, parts
of Holland, county of Lincoln, 6 miles (N. by W.) from
Spalding; containing 2120 inhabitants. The living is
a discharged vicarage; net income, £130; patrons, the
Dean and Chapter of Lincoln; impropriator, S. Everard,
Esq.: the tithes were commuted for land and corn-rents
in 1799. A chapel of ease has been built by subscription
in a distant part of the parish, on a plot of ground given
by Earl Brownlow, lord of the manor. A school, endowed with £18 a year, is conducted on the national
plan. £130, the amount of various benefactions, are
annually distributed in coal and bread to the poor; and
the interest of £100 three per cents. left by Mrs. Banks,
in 1835, is distributed in clothing to widows.
Gosebradon (Holy Trinity)
GOSEBRADON (Holy Trinity), a parish, in the
hundred of Abdick and Bulstone, W. division of Somerset, 5 miles (N.) from Ilminster. The living is a
sinecure rectory, valued in the king's books at £1. 2. 6.;
the church has been demolished, and there is not even
a house in the parish.
Gosfield (St. Catherine)
GOSFIELD (St. Catherine), a parish, in the union
of Halstead, hundred of Hinckford, N. division of
Essex, 2¾ miles (W. S. W.) from Halstead; containing
653 inhabitants. The surface is generally elevated,
rising in almost every direction; the soil is a good loam,
mixed in different degrees with sand and gravel. The
ancient Hall is situated in an extensive park, abounding
with stately trees. The living is a discharged vicarage,
valued in the king's books at £8; patron and impropriator, E. G. Barnard, Esq.: the great tithes have been
commuted for £161. 16. 3., and the vicarial for £257. 16.
The church is in the park, and attached to it is a small
sepulchral chapel, formerly a chantry; in the chancel,
and also in the chapel, are some elegant monuments.
Gosford-Bridge
GOSFORD-BRIDGE, a township, in the parish of
Kidlington, union of Woodstock, hundred of Wootton, county of Oxford, 4¾ miles (N.) from Oxford;
containing 39 inhabitants. According to Tanner, here
was a house of sisters of the order of St. John of Jerusalem, who removed about 1180 to Buckland, in Somersetshire: the estate, which was given to them by Robert
D'Oily and his son, continued in the possession of the
Hospitallers, who built an oratory or chapel here about
the year 1234, until the period of the Dissolution.
Gosforth (St. Mary)
GOSFORTH (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of
Whitehaven, Allerdale ward above Derwent, W.
division of Cumberland, 6¾ miles (S. E.) from Egremont; containing 1113 inhabitants. The parish comprises a large tract of moorland, affording indifferent
pasture, and there are several peat-mosses; it is intersected by numerous small streams, which unite with the
Bleng, and fall into the river Irt. Freestone of excellent
quality is extensively quarried. Fairs, chiefly for cattle
and horses, are held on Bornwood common, on the 25th
of April and the 18th of October. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £17. 14. 7.,
and in the patronage of the family of Senhouse, with a
net income of £85: the tithes were commuted for land
in 1810. In the churchyard is an ancient stone pillar,
which was formerly surmounted by a cross. A copper
battle-axe has been dug up at Bolton wood; and at Seascales are the remains of a Druidical temple.
Gosforth (St. Nicholas)
GOSFORTH (St. Nicholas), a parish, in the union,
and partly in the E. and partly in the W. division, of
Castle ward, S. division of Northumberland; comprising the townships of North and South Gosforth in
the former, and of East and West Brunton, Coxlodge,
Fawdon, and East and West Kenton, in the latter, division; and containing 3020 inhabitants, of whom 132
are in North Gosforth, 4½ miles (N.), and 224 in South
Gosforth, 2¾ miles (N. by E.), from Newcastle. The
former township, which contains 737 acres, was held of
the crown by the Surtees family from 1100 to 1509,
when it passed by marriage to Robert Brandling, who
was knighted at the battle of Musselburgh: the latter
township, consisting of 420 acres, anciently belonged to
the family of Lisle. The parish is of considerable extent, and rich in mineral produce; the surface, though
generally level, has a gradual rise towards the north
and west, and the soil is clayey. A colliery was commenced in 1825, and the coal was reached in February,
1829; nearly 450 persons are employed upon the works.
Gosforth House, erected in 1760, after a design by
Payne, is a large and elegant structure of white freestone,
and from its situation has a commanding appearance: a
fine fish-pond, covering 53 acres, is the resort of innumerable flocks of water-fowl. The living is annexed to
the vicarage of St. Nicholas, Newcastle: the church,
which is in South Gosforth, was rebuilt in 1798, and
enlarged in 1819, and is a neat edifice, with a square
tower surmounted by an octagonal spire. The tithes of
North and South Gosforth have been commuted for
£107 payable to the Bishop of Carlisle, £107 to the
Dean and Chapter of Carlisle, and £44 to the incumbent. A chapel at North Gosforth has been demolished.