Sweethope

SWEETHOPE, a township, in the parish of Thockrington, union of Bellingham, N. E. division of Tindale ward, S. division of Northumberland, 9¾ miles (E. by S.) from Bellingham; containing 9 inhabitants. This township forms the northern division of the parish; it is occupied in sheep-walks, and comprises a small lake, the chief source of the river Wansbeck.

Sweffling (St. Mary)

SWEFFLING (St. Mary), a parish, in the union and hundred of Plomesgate, E. division of Suffolk, 2¾ miles (W. N. W.) from Saxmundham; containing 308 inhabitants. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £9. 2. 8½., and in the gift of T. Williams, Esq.; the tithes have been commuted for £300, and the glebe comprises 10 acres, with a house built in 1831. The church has a Norman doorway on the south. There are town lands which let for about £12 per annum, and five small tenements for the poor.

Swell (St. Catherine)

SWELL (St. Catherine), a parish, in the union of Langport, hundred of Abdick and Bulstone, W. division of Somerset, 4 miles (W. S. W.) from Langport; containing 109 inhabitants. The living is a discharged vicarage endowed with the rectorial tithes, annexed to the living of Fivehead, and valued in the king's books at £5. 10. 5.: the tithes have been commuted for £168. 9., and the glebe comprises 28 acres.

Swell, Lower (St. Mary)

SWELL, LOWER (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Stow-on-the-Wold, Upper division of the hundred of Slaughter, E. division of the county of Gloucester, 1 mile (W.) from Stow; containing 352 inhabitants. The parish is situated on the Stow and Cheltenham road, and comprises 2223 acres by admeasurement. Stone is quarried for building and for pavements. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £6. 12. 3½.; net income, £100; patrons and appropriators, the Dean and Canons of Christ-Church, Oxford. The tithes were commuted for land and annual money payments in 1789; a glebe house was erected by the incumbent in 1838, and the glebe contains 105 acres. The church is a small and very ancient structure, originally built in the early Norman style, but altered in the reign of Henry VII. Here is a chalybeate spring, occasionally used for medicinal purposes; a neat building was erected over it in 1807.

Swell, Upper

SWELL, UPPER, a parish, in the union of Stowon-the-Wold, Upper division of the hundred of Kiftsgate, E. division of the county of Gloucester, 1 mile (N.W.) from Stow; containing 80 inhabitants. The parish is on the road between Stow and Tewkesbury, and comprises about 1294 acres, of which the surface is hilly, and the soil a thin earth resting upon oolitic limestone. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £6. 14. 6.; net income, £85; patron, Charles Pole, Esq.: the tithes were commuted at the inclosure for a modus, and there is a parsonage-house, with a glebe of about 7 acres. The church was partly rebuilt in 1815. The Roman Fosse-way bounds the parish on the east.

Swepstone (St. Peter)

SWEPSTONE (St. Peter), a parish, in the union of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, hundred of West Goscote, N. division of the county of Leicester, 4¾ miles (S. by E.) from Ashby; containing, with the hamlets of Newton-Burgoland and Newton-Nethercote, 614 inhabitants. It is on the road from Burton to Hinckley, and comprises about 2000 acres, one-third of which is arable; the soil is a mixed loam of good quality. The river Mease and the Ashby canal run through the parish. The living is a rectory, with that of Snareston annexed, valued in the king's books at £21. 18. 4., and in the patronage of Miss Leslie; net income, £894. The tithes of Swepstone have been commuted for £550; there is a glebe-house, and the glebe contains 71¼ acres. The church is in the early English style, with a tower lately rebuilt. A national school, erected in 1844, is supported by subscription.

Swerford (St. Mary)

SWERFORD (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Chipping-Norton, hundred of Chadlington, county of Oxford, 5 miles (N. E. by E.) from Chipping-Norton; containing 430 inhabitants. It comprises 1063a. 3r. 34p., of which about three-fifths are arable, and the rest pasture. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £15. 7. 1.; net income, £496; patrons, the President and Fellows of Magdalen College, Oxford. The tithes were commuted for land and a money payment in 1802. On a hill north of the church, called Castle Hill, are some remains indicating the former existence of military works.

Swettenham

SWETTENHAM, a parish, in the union of Congleton, hundred of Northwich, S. division of the county of Chester; containing, with the township of Kermincham, 420 inhabitants, of whom 229 are in Swettenham township, 5 miles (N. W.) from Congleton. In Swettenham township are 899 acres, of which the prevailing soil is sand. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £5. 1. 3.; and in the gift of the Rev. J. Darcey: the tithes have been commuted for £273. 10., and the glebe comprises 16 acres. The church is of brick, with a tower forming a conspicuous object in the romantic scenery on the river Dane.

Swilland (St. Mary)

SWILLAND (St. Mary), a parish, in the union and hundred of Bosmere and Claydon, E. division of Suffolk, 5½ miles (N. by E.) from Ipswich; containing 270 inhabitants, and comprising 951a. 1r. 9p. The living is a discharged vicarage, endowed with the rectorial tithes, valued in the king's books at £7. 8. 4½., and in the patronage of the Crown: the tithes have been commuted for £240, and the glebe contains 42 acres. The church is an ancient edifice, with a richly-ornamented Norman arch leading into it from the porch.

Swillington (St. Mary)

SWILLINGTON (St. Mary), a parish, in the Lower division of the wapentake of Skyrack, W. riding of York, 7½ miles (E. S. E.) from Leeds; containing 565 inhabitants. This parish, which is bounded on the south by the river Aire, comprises 2487a. 1r. 30p. of land, chiefly the property of Sir John H. Lowther, Bart. The soil is rich, and the substratum abounds with excellent coal, of which a mine is worked at Astley, a hamlet in the parish. Swillington Hall, the seat of Sir J. H. Lowther, an ancient mansion, has been greatly improved. The village is on the bank of the Aire, over which is a good bridge of three arches, erected in 1771. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £16. 1. 8.; net income, £510; patron, Sir J. H. Lowther. The tithes were commuted for land and corn-rents in 1795; the glebe altogether comprises 106 acres. The church is a handsome structure in the later English style, with a square embattled tower crowned by pinnacles, and contains several neat monuments to the Lowther family. A school was built in 1748, by Sir William Lowther, who, as lord of the manor, endowed it with 16 acres of common; and almshouses for four widows were built by the same benefactor, and endowed with £110, for which Sir John H. Lowther pays the sum of £12 per annum. Near the glebe-house is a strong chalybeate spring.

Swimbridge (St. James)

SWIMBRIDGE (St. James), a parish, in the union of Barnstaple, hundred of South Molton, South Molton and N. divisions of Devon, 4 miles (S. E. by E.) from Barnstaple; containing 1746 inhabitants. The parish is situated on the road from London to Barnstaple, and comprises about 6000 acres: there are two quarries of stone which is burnt into lime, and a quarry of building-stone. The village is in a hollow surrounded by verdant hills of singular formation. The living is a perpetual curacy, annexed to that of Landkey. The church is a fine specimen of the later English style; the nave and chancel are separated by a handsomely-carved wooden screen, and the pulpit, which is of stone, is ornamented with figures of saints. A room above the vestry contains some suits of ancient armour; and the church has several monuments to the Chichester family. There are places of worship for dissenters.

Swinbrook (St. Mary)

SWINBROOK (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Witney, hundred of Chadlington, county of Oxford, 2 miles (E.) from Burford; containing 218 inhabitants. It is situated on the little river Windrush, about a mile from the road between Oxford and Cheltenham, and comprises 1130a. 1r. 26p. The surface is agreeably diversified with undulations; the soil is in some parts clayey, and in others a light earth resting upon limestone. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £57; patron, the Chancellor of the Cathedral of Salisbury: there is a parsonage-house, recently built, and the glebe consists of about an acre. The tithes were commuted for land in 1813. The church is partly Norman, and partly of later date, with a remarkable tower open by an arch to the west; the chancel is separated from the nave by a finely-pointed arch resting upon columns with beautifully-ornamented capitals, and contains some costly monuments to the family of Fettiplace, who resided in a mansion here for more than four centuries. Mrs. Anne Pytts, in 1715, endowed a school with £40 per annum.

Swinburn

SWINBURN, with Colwell, a township, in the parish of Chollerton, union of Hexham, N. E. division of Tindale ward, S. division of Northumberland, 7 miles (N.) from Hexham; containing 393 inhabitants. The family of Swinburn took their name from this place, which they probably held previously to the year 1272: in the reign of Edward II. it was the seat and manor of Adam de Swinburn. It afterwards passed, by marriage, with the heiress of the Swinburns, to Sir John Widdrington, whose family possessed the estate for many generations, until it was purchased, in 1695, by the Riddells. The township is bounded on the west by a rivulet of the same name, tributary to the North Tyne. There is a Roman Catholic domestic chapel at Swinburn Castle, a handsome seat belonging to Mr. Riddell.

Swinburn, Little, with Whiteside-Law

SWINBURN, LITTLE, with Whiteside-Law, a township, in the parish of Chollerton, union of Hexham, N. E. division of Tindale ward, S. division of Northumberland, 9½ miles (N. by E.) from Hexham; containing 57 inhabitants. It is situated north-east of the Watling-street, which separates it from the preceding township; and is about a mile and a half from Swinburn Castle. The great tithes of Little Swinburn have been commuted for £58, and the small for £22.

Swincomb (St. Botolph)

SWINCOMB (St. Botolph), a parish, in the union of Henley, hundred of Ewelme, county of Oxford, 1¾ mile (N. N. W.) from Nettlebed; containing 399 inhabitants. It comprises 830 acres, of which about 200 are arable, 100 meadow and pasture, 330 down pasture, and 200 beechwood and plantation. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £7. 9. 4½., and in the gift of the Rev. C. E. Keene: the tithes have been commuted for £415, and there is a glebe-house. A school is partly supported by endowment.

Swindale

SWINDALE, a chapelry, in the parish of Shap, West ward and union, county of Westmorland, 12 miles (W. N. W.) from Orton; containing 73 inhabitants. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £56; patron, the Vicar of Shap. The chapel was built at the expense of the inhabitants, in 1749. Near it is a school, founded in 1703 by Mr. Baxter, and endowed with a rent-charge of £25.

Swinden

SWINDEN, a township, in the parish of Gisburn, union of Settle, W. division of the wapentake of Staincliffe and Ewcross, W. riding of York, 7½ miles (S. E.) from Settle; containing 26 inhabitants. It comprises an area of 1320 acres, divided among various proprietors, of whom the Duke of Devonshire is lord of the manor; the lands are wholly in pasture, and the substratum is chiefly limestone of good quality.

Swinderby (All Saints)

SWINDERBY (All Saints), a parish, in the union of Newark, Lower division of the wapentake of BoothbyGraffo, parts of Kesteven, county of Lincoln, 8 miles (N. E.) from Newark; containing 490 inhabitants. The parish comprises by computation 2000 acres, and the Lincoln and Newark road runs through it. The surface is undulated; the soil contains several varieties of clayey and loamy earth, and limestone of the lias kind is found, but not quarried. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £3. 19. 9½., and in the gift of the Rev. W. J. Clarke: the vicar receives a tithe rent-charge of £15 per annum; there is a vicarage-house, and the glebe, consisting of 176 acres, is valued at £1 per acre. The church is an ancient edifice in the Norman style, containing several memorials to the Disney family, former lords of the manor. Here is a place of worship for Wesleyans.

Swindon (St. Lawrence)

SWINDON (St. Lawrence), a parish, in the union and hundred of Cheltenham, E. division of the county of Gloucester, 1½ mile (N. N. W.) from Cheltenham; containing 204 inhabitants. It comprises 722a. 20p., about 100 acres of which are arable, and the remainder pasture and orchard; the soil is partly clay, and partly sand. The Cheltenham and Tewkesbury road, and the Bristol and Birmingham railway, pass through the parish. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £13. 1. 0½., and in the gift of the Raymond family: the tithes have been commuted for £265; there is a parsonage-house, and the glebe contains 32¼ acres. The church is in the Norman style, with some portions of early English, and has an hexagonal tower; a gallery has been lately built.

Swindon

SWINDON, a liberty, in the parish of Wombourn, union, and S. division of the hundred, of Seisdon, S. division of the county of Stafford, 2 miles (S. S. W.) from Wombourn; containing 419 inhabitants. This liberty, commonly called Swin, comprises 1773a. 2r. 13p., and is situated on the river Smestall, near which are iron-works and several corn-mills. A large common was inclosed in 1796, and is now good turnip and barley land; the hilly parts of the liberty have been planted, and are very picturesque. The tithes have been commuted for land.

Swindon (Holy Rood)

SWINDON (Holy Rood), a market-town and parish, in the union of Highworth and Swindon, hundred of Kingsbridge, Swindon and N. divisions of Wilts, 41 miles (N.) from Salisbury, and 81 (W.) from London; containing, with the tything of Eastcott, in 1841, 2459 inhabitants. This place, which is mentioned in Domesday book, is pleasantly situated on the summit of a considerable eminence, commanding beautiful views of parts of Berks and Gloucestershire. The principal street is wide, containing some good houses; the general aspect of the town is prepossessing, and there is an adequate supply of water of excellent quality. Extensive quarries are worked in the immediate vicinity, producing immense blocks of very superior stone, some of it of the species called Purbeck stone. The Wilts and Berks canal passes within half a mile of the town; and a reservoir covering about 70 acres, for its supply in dry seasons, is partly in the parish, adding greatly to the beauty of the scenery. The Great Western railway has a large station here, which combines the accommodations of a first-rate hotel, magnificently fitted up for passengers. Near the station are the locomotive works of the company, forming one of the most extraordinary establishments in the country, and employing between one and two thousand workmen. There are separate buildings for constructing and repairing engines, for the manufacture of carriages, for turning, and other innumerable departments; some of the buildings are from 400 to 500 feet long, and the works altogether are of a magnitude, and conducted with a system, which must be seen to be fully appreciated. The workmen have a mechanics' institute, with a library of 1000 volumes. A branch railway diverges from Swindon to Cheltenham.

The market is on Monday, and on every second Monday for cattle; the latter is termed the great market, and a corn-market has been established since the opening of the railway, at which considerable business is transacted. Fairs are held on the Monday before April 5th, the second Monday after May 12th, the second Monday after September 11th, and the second Monday in December, for cattle of all kinds, pedlery, &c. The petty-sessions for the Swindon division of the hundred take place here. The powers of the county debt-court of Swindon, established in 1847, extend over the registration-district of Highworth and Swindon, and that of Cricklade and Wootton-Basset. The parish comprises 3135a. 1r. 31p., of which about 739 acres are arable, 2280 meadow and pasture, and 29 wood; the soil in the centre of the parish, on the hill on which the town stands, is sand, but all below and around is clay. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £17, and in the patronage of the Crown; net income, £302; impropriator, Col. Vilett. The church belonged to the priory of Southwick, Hants, by which establishment the living was endowed with the small tithes in 1359. St. Mark's church, near the railway station, was consecrated in April 1845: the living is in the patronage of the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol. There are places of worship for Independents and Wesleyans. A free school, established in 1764, is supported partly by an endowment of about £40 per annum; in 1837, a national school was erected, and the two establishments were united.

Swindon

SWINDON, a hamlet, in the township and parish of Kirkby-Overblow, Lower division of the wapentake of Claro, W. riding of York, 6 miles (W. by S.) from Wetherby; containing 43 inhabitants. It comprises 887a. 2r. 22p. of land, the property of the Earl of Harewood, and is on the north side of the river Wharfe, and on the road from Harewood to Ripley, one mile west of Kirkby.

Swine (St. Mary)

SWINE (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Skirlaugh, partly in the N., but chiefly in the Middle, division of the wapentake of Holderness, E. riding of York; containing, with the chapelries of Bilton and South Skirlaugh, and the townships of Benningholme with Grange, Coniston, Ellerby,Ganstead, Marton, North Skirlaugh, Thirtleby, Wyton, and part of Arnold, 1703 inhabitants, of whom 227 are in the township of Swine, 6½ miles (N. N. E.) from Hull. This place, which is of considerable antiquity, belonged at the time of the Domesday survey to the archbishops of York, under whom the manor was held successively by the Hiltons, Meltons, D'Arcys, and Micklethwaytes, from which last it passed to the family of the Earl of Shaftesbury, the present proprietor. In the reign of Stephen a convent for Cistercian nuns was founded here by Robert de Verli, and dedicated to St. Mary; the church and part of the conventual buildings were greatly damaged by fire in 1387, but the establishment continued till the Dissolution, when its revenue was returned at £134. 6. 9. The parish comprises by admeasurement 13,530 acres, of which about one-third are arable, 200 woodland and plantations, and the remainder meadow and pasture; the surface is generally level, and the soil rich. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £8; net income, £102; patrons, the Wilberforce family; impropriator, the Earl of Shaftesbury. The church comprises the chancel of the ancient conventual church, to which aisles have been added; the tower was rebuilt in 1787: the east window, of seven cinquefoiled lights, enriched with bold tracery, is of lofty dimensions, and rises above the roof of the chancel, which has been lowered. There is a chapel of ease at North Skirlaugh; and at Bilton is a separate incumbency. In the village is a place of worship for Wesleyans. The shaft of an ancient cross is still remaining, apparently of the same date as the convent. On the north-west of the village is an inclosure of about 10 acres, supposed to have been a Roman camp; the ramparts and fosse are still discernible, and in a field near the site, a Roman urn has been discovered by the plough, containing numerous copper coins in good preservation.