Sibbertoft - Sidmouth

A Topographical Dictionary of England. Originally published by S Lewis, London, 1848.

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'Sibbertoft - Sidmouth', in A Topographical Dictionary of England, (London, 1848) pp. 104-107. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-dict/england/pp104-107 [accessed 18 March 2024]

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Sibbertoft (St. Helen)

SIBBERTOFT (St. Helen), a parish, in the union of Market-Harborough, hundred of Rothwell, N. division of the county of Northampton, 3 miles (N. E.) from Welford; containing 437 inhabitants. The parish is on the borders of Leicestershire, and comprises 2021 acres of land: the river Welland rises in the garden of the incumbent. The living is a vicarage, formerly annexed to that of Welford, but now separated and valued in the king's books at £6. 4. 9½.; the vicarial tithes have been commuted for £330, with a glebe of 45 acres; and tithes belonging to the Bishop of Oxford, who is patron of the living, for £155, with 5½ acres. The church is a plain structure in good repair, and consists of a nave, chancel, north aisle, south porch, and tower: the elaborate rood-loft, which existed at the close of the last century, has disappeared, with the exception of a small remnant over the priest's door. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans. A spot called Castleyard is supposed to be the site of an ancient castle.

Sibbertswold (St. Andrew)

SIBBERTSWOLD (St. Andrew), a parish, in the union of Dovor, hundred of Bewsborough, lathe of St. Augustine, E. division of Kent, 6¼ miles (N. W.) from Dovor; containing 408 inhabitants. It comprises 1836 acres, of which 123 are in wood. The living is a vicarage, with that of Coldred annexed, valued in the king's books at £6; net income, £255; patron, the Archbishop of Canterbury. The church is principally in the early English style. Three-Barrow Down, in the parish, is so named from three large tumuli or barrows, connected with each other by deep trenches, and occupying the hill between Denhill-terrace and the edge of Barham Downs. To the east of Long-Lane farm are other lines of intrenchment, with similar barrows or tumuli, supposed to be of Roman origin.

Sibdon-Carwood

SIBDON-CARWOOD, a parish, in the union of Church-Stretton, hundred of Purslow, S. division of Salop, 7 miles (S. E. by E.) from Bishop's-Castle; containing 59 inhabitants. This parish, which is on the road from Ludlow to Bishop's-Castle, is wholly the property of James Baxter, Esq., of Sibdon Castle. The neighbourhood abounds with features of interest. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £50; patron and impropriator, Mr. Baxter. The church was rebuilt in 1741, and is a handsome structure, situated on an eminence commanding a most extensive view.

Sibford-Ferris

SIBFORD-FERRIS, a hamlet, in the parish of Swalcliffe, union of Banbury, hundred of Bloxham, county of Oxford, 7¼ miles (W. S. W.) from the town of Banbury; containing 287 inhabitants.

Sibford-Gower

SIBFORD-GOWER, a hamlet, in the parish of Swalcliffe, union of Banbury, hundred of Bloxham, county of Oxford, 7¾ miles (W. by S.) from Banbury; containing 534 inhabitants. The tithes were commuted for land in 1773. A church has been built, containing 500 sittings, 340 of which are free: it is dedicated to the Trinity; and the living is a perpetual curacy in the gift of the Vicar, with an income of £100. One-third of the rent of the poor's estate is paid to a schoolmaster.

Sibsey (St. Margaret)

SIBSEY (St. Margaret), a parish, in the union of Boston, W. division of the soke of Bolingbroke, parts of Lindsey, county of Lincoln, 5¼ miles (N. N. E.) from Boston; containing 1431 inhabitants, and comprising by measurement 5290 acres. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £11. 11. 3., and in the patronage of the Crown; net income, £315. The tithes were commuted for land and money payments in 1810; the glebe comprises 146 acres. The church is a handsome structure in the early English style, with portions of Norman architecture. In the parish are two places of worship for Wesleyans; and a parochial school, founded in 1723 by the parishioners, is endowed with land now producing £97 a year. There is also an income of £35 arising from land allotted at the inclosure, for the poor.

Sibson

SIBSON, a hamlet, in the parish of Stibbington, union of Stamford, hundred of Norman-Cross, county of Huntingdon, 1½ mile (S. E.) from Wansford; containing 123 inhabitants.

Sibson, or Sibstone (St. Botolph)

SIBSON, or Sibstone (St. Botolph), a parish, in the hundred of Sparkenhoe, S. division of the county of Leicester, 4 miles (W. S. W.) from Market-Bosworth; containing, with the township of Upton, and the hamlet of Wellesborough with Temple Hall, 504 inhabitants, of whom 280 are in Sibson township. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £15. 18. 11½.; income, £962; patrons, the Master and Fellows of Pembroke College, Oxford. The tithes were commuted for land and a money payment in 1807.

Sibthorpe (St. Peter)

SIBTHORPE (St. Peter), a parish, in the union of Bingham, S. division of the wapentake of Newark and of the county of Nottingham, 6¾ miles (S. S. W.) from Newark; containing 154 inhabitants. This place was anciently of some importance, and was the residence of the Burnell family, of whose spacious mansion, however, no remains now exist. The parish is situated on the Cardike, and comprises by measurement 900 acres, of which two-thirds are arable, and 11 acres in woodland. The living is a donative, in the patronage of the Duke of Portland; net income, £20. The church was originally much larger than it is at present; the aisles have been taken down, and the pillars and lofty arches of the nave are now worked into the wall of the building. In the reign of Edward II., Thomas de Sibthorpe founded a chantry in the church, and subsequently erected it into a college for a warden, nine chaplains, three clerks, and four choristers; he also added four chapels, in honour of St. Anne, St. Katharine, St. Margaret, and St. Mary. The revenue of the establishment, at the Dissolution, was estimated at £31. 1. 2. Thomas Secker, Archbishop of Canterbury, was born here.

Sibton (St. Peter)

SIBTON (St. Peter), a parish, in the union and hundred of Blything, E. division of Suffolk, 1 mile (N. W. by W.) from Yoxford; containing 564 inhabitants. It is situated in the eastern part of the county, and comprises by admeasurement 2800 acres. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £8. 8. 4., and in the patronage of J. W. Brooke, Esq.; impropriators, the landowners. The great tithes have been commuted for £316. 3. 7., and the vicarial for £132. 12. 6.; there are 9 acres of glebe. Some extensive remains exist of a Cistercian abbey founded in 1149 by William de Cayneto; it was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and at the Dissolution possessed a revenue of £250. 15. 7. At the gate of the abbey was an hospital.

Sicklesmere

SICKLESMERE, a hamlet, in the parishes of Great and Little Welnetham, union of Thingoe, hundred of Thedwastry, W. division of the county of Suffolk; containing 273 inhabitants.

Sicklinghall

SICKLINGHALL, a township, in the parish of Kirkby-Overblows, Upper division of the wapentake of Claro, W. riding of York, 3 miles (W.) from Wetherby; containing 226 inhabitants. The township comprises 1405a. 2r. 2p. Woodhall, a handsome mansion here, is pleasantly situated, surrounded by plantations, and commanding beautiful views of Wharfdale. A rentcharge of £86 has been awarded as a commutation for the tithes, and there is a glebe of 4½ acres. The Wesleyans have a place of worship.

Sidbury (St. Giles)

SIDBURY (St. Giles), a parish, in the union of Honiton, hundred of East Budleigh, Woodbury and S. divisions of Devon, 2½ miles (N. N. E.) from Sidmouth; containing 1771 inhabitants. This is a decayed market-town, and fairs for cattle are still held on the Tuesday before Ascension-day and at Michaelmas. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £28, and in the gift of the Dean and Chapter of Exeter: the great tithes have been commuted for £300; and the vicarial for £615, with a glebe of 5 acres. There is a place of worship for Independents. On the manor of Sand is an old mansion with the inscription "Hortus Johannis Capelli" over the garden door.

Sidbury (Holy Trinity)

SIDBURY (Holy Trinity), a parish, in the union of Bridgnorth, hundred of Stottesden, S. division of Salop, 5¼ miles (S. S. W.) from Bridgnorth; containing 94 inhabitants. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £4. 17. 8½.; net income, £227; patron, the Earl of Shrewsbury.

Sidcup

SIDCUP, a hamlet, in the parish of Foot's-Cray, union of Bromley, hundred of Ruxley, lathe of Sutton-at-Hone, W. division of Kent, 3½ miles (S. E.) from Eltham. There are several gentlemen's seats in the neighbourhood. St. John's church, Sidcup, was built chiefly at the cost of Lord Bexley, and Henry Berens, Esq., and was consecrated in April 1844: great attention has been paid to the arrangement of the interior, which contains some beautiful carving. The Bishop of Rochester is patron of the benefice.

Siddington

SIDDINGTON, a chapelry, in the parish of Prestbury, union and hundred of Macclesfield, N. division of the county of Chester, 5 miles (N. by W.) from Congleton; containing 513 inhabitants, and comprising about 2000 acres, of a sandy soil. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £106; patron and impropriator, E. D. Davenport, Esq. The chapel is partly built of wood and plaster, and partly of brick.

Siddington (St. Mary and St. Peter)

SIDDINGTON (St. Mary and St. Peter), a parish, in the union of Cirencester, hundred of Crowthorne and Minety, E. division of the county of Gloucester, 1¾ mile (S. S. E.) from Cirencester; containing 469 inhabitants. This place was celebrated for the manufacture of pottery, which was carried on extensively, but which within the last 40 years has been discontinued: the site of the works is still called the Pottery Court. The parish comprises 2018a. 1r. 13p.; the substratum contains a peculiar stone called Siddington stone, of a blueish colour, and very durable, which is quarried for paving, and sometimes for building. The river Churn and the Thames and Severn canal both intersect the parish, and from the latter a branch diverges at Siddington-lock to Cirencester: the Cheltenham and Great Western railway, and the Cirencester and WoottonBasset road, also pass through. The living of St. Mary's is a rectory, with the discharged vicarage of St. Peter's united, the former valued in the king's books at £8. 12. 1., and the latter at £5. 12. 3½.; net income, £429; patron, the Crown. The tithes were commuted for land and a money payment in 1778; the glebe comprises 308 acres. The church, dedicated to St. Peter, combines portions of the various English styles, with some Norman details; the south door, and the arch leading into the chancel, are fine specimens of the Norman style. Dr. George Bull, Bishop of St. David's, was for nearly thirty years incumbent of St. Peter's, and here composed the principal part of his writings.

Side (St. Mary)

SIDE (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Cirencester, hundred of Rapsgate, E. division of the county of Gloucester, 7 miles (E.) from Painswick; containing 43 inhabitants. It comprises an area of 608 acres, of which the substratum contains stone of good quality for building and other purposes; the ground is hilly, the soil various. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £3. 18. 4., and in the gift of W. Lawrence, Esq.: the tithes have been commuted for £83. 10., and the glebe comprises 30 acres.

Sidestrand (St. Michael)

SIDESTRAND (St. Michael), a parish, in the union of Erpingham, hundred of North Erpingham, E. division of Norfolk, 3 miles (S. E. by E.) from Cromer; containing 161 inhabitants. This parish, which is situated on the coast, comprises 436 acres of land, chiefly arable; the soil is of moderate quality. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £5. 10., and in the alternate patronage of the duchy of Lancaster, and S. Hoare, Esq.: the tithes have been commuted for £106; the glebe comprises 4 acres, and the rector receives a rent-charge of £7. 10. out of the tithes of Trimingham. The church is chiefly in the decorated English style: its ancient circular tower fell down in 1841.

Sidlesham (St. Mary)

SIDLESHAM (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of West Hampnett, hundred of Manhood, rape of Chichester, W. division of Sussex, 4 miles (S.) from Chichester; containing 927 inhabitants. The parish is situated on the road from Chichester to Selsey, and bounded on the south by Pagham harbour. Here is a superior tide-mill, which for justness of principle is equal to any in the kingdom; it was erected at a considerable expense, by the late Mr. Woodroffe Drinkwater, under the direction of Benjamin Basle, the inventor of the machinery, which will grind a load of corn in an hour. The living is a discharged vicarage, endowed with a portion of the great tithes, and valued in the king's books at £7. 10. 10.; net income, £186; patron, the Prebendary of Sidlesham in the Cathedral of Chichester. The church is in the early English style, and consists of a nave, transepts, and aisles, with an embattled tower at the west end. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans.

Sidmonton, Hants.—See Sydmonton.

SIDMONTON, Hants.—See Sydmonton.

Sidmouth (St. Nicholas)

SIDMOUTH (St. Nicholas), a sea-port, markettown, and parish, in the union of Honiton, hundred of East Budleigh, Woodbury and S. divisions of Devon, 13½ miles (E. S. E.) from Exeter, and 158 (W. S. W.) from London; containing 3309 inhabitants. The earliest account of this place is in the time of William the Conqueror, who bestowed the manor on the monastery of St. Michael, in Normandy, from which, during the subsequent wars with France, it was alienated to the abbey of Sion. In the reign of Elizabeth the manor was leased to Sir William Perryan, and in that of James I. to Sir Christopher Mainwaring; it was subsequently sold to Sir Edmond Prideaux, with the exception of the great tithes, which were given to Wadham College, and now belong to the Rev. William Jenkins, the incumbent. The manor was purchased from Sir Wilmot Prideaux by Thomas Jenkins, Esq., and is at present the property of Hughes Hughes Ball, Esq. In the reign of Edward III., the town appears to have been governed by a portreeve, and to have furnished that monarch with two vessels and 25 seamen for his attack on Calais. It is said to have been famous for its fishery, and to have traded with Newfoundland: the harbour is supposed, from the discovery of an old anchor and of fragments of vessels, to have been in the Ham meadow, near the town; it is choked up with sand and pebbles, and only boats and fishing-smacks can now approach the shore. The land to the west once projected much further than at present into the sea, forming a natural bay, within which vessels sought shelter in times of danger. In 1836 an act was passed for making and maintaining a harbour and other works here; but after expending about £12,000 in collecting materials and building a wall to prevent the encroachment of the sea, it was found impracticable to complete the undertaking without a very much larger sum than was anticipated, and the object was therefore abandoned. To the attractions of Sidmouth as a watering-place, may be attributed its present prosperity.

The town is situated at the entrance of a narrow valley, on a small stream called the Sid, from which it derives its name. The surrounding country is remarkably picturesque; the hills on the east and west sides are of great altitude, and extremely precipitous, terminating abruptly on the shore, and affording shelter to the place. Though irregularly built, it is very neat; and derives much beauty from the numerous detached residences and pleasing villas in its immediate vicinity: among these is Woolbrook Glen, which was honoured by the residence of the Duke and Duchess of Kent. Here the duke died, Jan. 23rd, 1820. The climate is mild; and the town being sheltered from all winds but the south, the myrtle, geranium, and other tender plants, thrive in the open air. The inns and boarding-houses are of the best description; every accommodation is provided for sea-bathing, and on the beach is a public walk more than half a mile in length, fronting which are some warm baths, public rooms, a library, &c. Assemblies and concerts take place during the season. The markets, for the regulation of which an act was passed in 1839, are on Tuesday and Saturday, and are well supplied; there are fairs on Easter Monday and Tuesday, and the third Monday in September. Petty-sessions are held on the first Monday in every month; and at a court leet and baron held annually by the lord of the manor, two constables and tything-men are appointed. The parish comprises an area of 1539 acres, of which 128 are common or waste land.

The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £18. 15. 5., and in the gift of the Rev. W. Jenkins: the impropriate tithes have been commuted for £200, and the vicarial for £270; the glebe comprises 23 acres. The church is an ancient structure, with a well-built tower; among the monuments is one to the memory of Dr. Currie, the distinguished biographer of Robert Burns. A handsome church containing 800 sittings, and dedicated to All Saints, was consecrated May 7th, 1840; £1500 towards the expense were contributed by the Rev. J. Bradney, and £600 by Sir J. Kennaway, who, with others, holds the patronage. There are places of worship for Independents, Wesleyans, and Unitarians. A fraternity of Augustine monks is said to have been settled near the town; and the remains still exist of a building which tradition affirms to have been a chapel of ease at a period when Sidmouth belonged to the parish of Otterton. On the road to the latter place is an ancient stone cross. The head of a Roman standard was lately found on the beach; it consists of a centaur in bronze, and a figure riding behind him, with a panther leaping up in front of the group. The relic is about eight inches in height, and evidently formed the head of a standard of the second legion under the Emperor Carausius in Britain. Sidmouth gives the title of Viscount to the family of Addington.