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Waberthwaite (St. John)

WABERTHWAITE (St. John), a parish, in the union of Bootle, Allerdale ward above Derwent, W. division of Cumberland, 1½ mile (E. S. E.) from Ravenglass; containing 146 inhabitants. This parish forms an inclined plane from the mountains to the river Esk on the north-west. It comprises 2001 acres, of which about 1000 are common or waste; the soil of the cultivated lands is generally a strong clay, well adapted for wheat, but there are some small portions of lighter quality. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £3. 11. 8.; income, £131; patron, Lord Muncaster. The glebe consists of 12 acres.

Wackerfield

WACKERFIELD, a township, in the parish of Staindrop, union of Teesdale, S. W. division of Darlington ward, S. division of the county of Durham, 2 miles (N. E.) from Staindrop; containing 122 inhabitants. This is one of the places said to have been given by Canute to the church of Durham; and it appears that in Bishop Langley's time a family named Sockburn held lands here under the prior of Durham. The township is on the road from Durham to BarnardCastle, and comprises 744a. 3r. 7p.; the soil is of a mixed quality, with gravel and clay, and the scenery, which is very beautiful, embraces extensive views. An old Roman way passes on the north. The tithes have been commuted for £126. 17. 7.

Wacton

WACTON, a parish, in the union of Bromyard, hundred of Broxash, county of Hereford, 3½ miles (N. W. by W.) from Bromyard; containing 109 inhabitants. It comprises by measurement 970 acres, of which 350 are arable, 552 meadow and pasture, 56 in hop plantations, and 12 woodland. The living is a perpetual curacy; patron, the Vicar of Bromyard; appropriator, the second portionist of Bromyard: the appropriate tithes have been commuted for £66, and the vicarial for £63. The church is a very ancient edifice, with about 50 or 60 sittings.

Wacton (All Saints and St. Mary)

WACTON (All Saints and St. Mary), a parish, in the union and hundred of Depwade, E. division of Norfolk, 1¼ mile (W. by S.) from Long Stratton; containing 267 inhabitants. This parish, consisting of the ancient parishes of Wacton Magna and Parva, now consolidated, comprises 1044a. 3r. 22p., of which 582 acres are arable, 442 meadow and pasture, and 19 woodland and roads. The living of Wacton Magna is a discharged rectory, with the sinecure rectory of Wacton Parva annexed, the former valued in the king's books at £5, and the latter at £2. 13. 4.; patron, Peter Grain, Esq. The tithes have been commuted for £310, and the glebe comprises 31 acres. All Saints' church contains a monument to one of the Knyvet family: the church of St. Mary is in ruins.

Wadborough

WADBOROUGH, a hamlet, in the parish of the Holy Cross, Pershore, union, and Upper division of the hundred, of Pershore, Pershore and E. divisions of the county of Worcester, 3½ miles (W. N. W.) from Pershore; containing 207 inhabitants. The Birmingham and Gloucester railway passes through it.

Waddesdon (St. Michael)

WADDESDON (St. Michael), a parish, in the union of Aylesbury, hundred of Ashendon, county of Buckingham, 5½ miles (W. N. W.) from Aylesbury; containing, with the hamlets of Westcott and Woodham, 1750 inhabitants, of whom 1408 are in Waddesdon township. The living is a rectory, in three portions, each valued in the king's books at £15, and in the patronage of the Duke of Marlborough: the portionists officiate in turn; net income of the first, £178; of the second, £202; and of the third, £152. The tithes were commuted for land and a money payment in 1774. There are places of worship for Baptists and Wesleyans. Eighteen boys are educated, and one is apprenticed from a fund of about £15 per annum, left by Lewis Fetto and John Beck. Almshouses for six aged widows were endowed with a rent-charge of £30, by Arthur Goodwin, in 1645; and William Turner, in 1784, bequeathed £3265. 11. three per cent, consols., the dividends of which are distributed among the poor, for whose benefit also an alms-cow is kept, the Duke of Marlborough allowing £10 per annum.

Waddington (St. Michael)

WADDINGTON (St. Michael), a parish, in the wapentake of Boothby-Graffo, parts of Kesteven, union and county of Lincoln, 4½ miles (S.) from Lincoln; containing 814 inhabitants. It comprises by measurement 3305 acres of arable and pasture land. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £20. 16. 8.; net income, £556; patrons, the Rector and Fellows of Lincoln College, Oxford: the tithes were commuted for land in 1770. The church is principally in the Norman style. At Meer are the ruins of a chapel dedicated to St. James. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans. A house of Knights Templars, with an hospital, was founded near Danston, in 1246, by Simon de Poppele; the hospital was suffered to continue after the Dissolution.

Waddington

WADDINGTON, a chapelry, in the parish of Mitton, union of Clitheroe, W. division of the wapentake of Staincliffe and Ewcross, W. riding of York, 1¾ mile (N. W. by N.) from Clitheroe; containing 644 inhabitants. This place afforded an asylum to the unfortunate monarch Henry VI., who, after the battle of Hexham, was entertained at Waddington Hall, the property of the Croasdale family, and protected by concealment from the pursuit of his enemies for nearly twelve months. Being at length discovered by an emissary of the adverse party, he was conveyed as prisoner to the Tower of London. The chapelry comprises nearly 1900 acres; the lands are chiefly pasture, and considerable numbers of cattle are fed. Waddow Hall here, is a handsome residence, and the village is pleasantly situated on the western side of Ribblesdale. The chapel, dedicated to St. Helen, was rebuilt in 1825, and is a neat structure in the later English style, containing some fine monuments to the Parker family, of Browsholme: the living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £122; patron and impropriator, T. Parker, Esq. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans. An hospital for widows of this place and of West Bradford, Grindleton, and Whitwell, was founded by Robert Parker, Esq., who in 1700 endowed it with property now producing £700 per annum; the building comprises a neat chapel, with apartments for twenty-six widows, each of whom receives £13 per annum, and the chaplain £30.

Waddingworth (St. Margaret)

WADDINGWORTH (St. Margaret), a parish, in the union of Horncastle, S. division of the wapentake of Gartree, parts of Lindsey, county of Lincoln, 6 miles (W.) from Horncastle; containing 64 inhabitants. It comprises by measurement 924 acres, of which 390 are arable, and 534 pasture and meadow. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £7. 0. 10., and in the patronage of the Crown: the tithes have been commuted for £132. 10., and the glebe comprises 25 acres. The church, rebuilt about the year 1800, is a plain neat edifice.

Wade

WADE, with Ower, a tything, in the parish of Eling, union of New-Forest, hundred of Redbridge, Romsey and S. divisions of the county of Southampton; containing 290 inhabitants.

Wadebridge

WADEBRIDGE, a small market-town, partly in the parish of St. Breock, hundred of Pyder, and partly in that of Egloshayle, hundred of Trigg, union of Bodmin, E. division of Cornwall, 8 miles (E. S. E.) from Padstow, and 7 (W. N. W.) from Bodmin; containing 777 inhabitants. This place is chiefly remarkable for its noble bridge of seventeen arches, nearly 320 feet long, over the navigable river Camel; the structure was raised about 1485, and certain estates are vested in trustees for keeping it in repair. The river is navigable to the town for vessels of 150 tons' burthen; commodious wharfs and quays have been constructed, and a quantity of granite and of copper and iron ore is shipped. From its trade also in corn, and its advantageous situation in connexion with a contemplated breakwater, Wadebridge promises, at no distant period, to be one of the most flourishing towns in the county. A railway extends for twelve miles, in a direction nearly parallel with the river, to Wentworth Bridge, where a branch of two miles runs to Bodmin, and another of nearly a mile to Ruthern Bridge; it was completed at an expense of £35,000, and opened to the public in September, 1834. A discharging dock has been constructed, which, with the quay, is capable of containing five vessels; and another dock, for the reception of sand-barges, has been formed at the expense of Sir W. Molesworth, Bart. The market, which is of ancient establishment, is on Friday; and fairs are held on March 3rd, May 12th, June 22nd, and October 10th. There are places of worship for the Society of Friends, Independents, and Wesleyans.

Wadenhoe (St. Michael)

WADENHOE (St. Michael), a parish, in the union of Oundle, hundred of Navisford, N. division of the county of Northampton, 4¼ miles (S. W.) from Oundle; containing 287 inhabitants. The parish is situated on the left bank of the river Nene, and consists of 1100 acres. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £11; net income, £186; patron, G. Capron, Esq. The tithes were commuted for land in 1793.

Wadesmill

WADESMILL, a hamlet, partly in the parish of Thundridge, and partly in that of Standon, union of Ware, hundred of Braughin, county of Hertford; containing 499 inhabitants.

Wadhurst (St. Peter and St. Paul)

WADHURST (St. Peter and St. Paul), a markettown and parish, in the union of Ticehurst, hundred of Loxfield-Pelham, rape of Pevensey, E. division of Sussex, 4 miles (S. W.) from Lamberhurst, and 5 (S. E.) from Tonbridge-Wells; containing 2491 inhabitants. This town, which is situated on the road from Tonbridge-Wells to Hastings, obtained a charter for a weekly market, and annual fairs, in the reign of Henry III.; the market, almost exclusively for corn, is on Tuesday, and fairs are held on the 29th of April and the 1st of November. The parish comprises 10,134a. 2r. 35p., of which 4100 acres are arable, 3100 meadow and pasture, 2700 woodland, and 234 in roads and waste; the surface is finely varied with hill and dale. Wadhurst Castle is beautifully situated here, and commands a view of Pevensey Bay, Beachy Head, and the adjacent country. There are quarries of good sandstone, which is used for building. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £5. 1. 0½.; patrons, the Warden and Fellows of Wadham College, Oxford; impropriator, S. Playsted, Esq. The great tithes have been commuted for £699. 15., and the vicarial for £912. 15.; the glebe comprises 9 acres. The church is partly in the early and partly in the later English style, with a tower surmounted by a lofty spire, and contains some ancient monuments, and on the floor numerous plates of iron, inscribed to various families. There are places of worship for Baptists and Wesleyans.

Wadingham

WADINGHAM, a parish, in the union of Caistor, E. division of the wapentake of Manley, parts of Lindsey, county of Lincoln, 8½ miles (S. by W.) from Glandford-Brigg; containing 678 inhabitants. It comprises nearly 7000 acres: the soil is chiefly clay, and peat moor; the surface is flat, and the lands are intersected by the river Ancholme. The living consists of the united rectories of St. Mary and St. Peter, with that of Snitterby annexed, valued in the king's books at £29. 6. 8., and in the patronage of the Crown; net income, £955. The tithes were commuted for nearly 400 acres of land in 1769. Here is a place of worship for Wesleyans. A school was founded in 1719, by Mr. Thompson, who endowed it with land now producing £39 per annum; and there are several allotments to the poor.

Wadley

WADLEY, a tything, in the parish, union, and hundred of Farringdon, county of Berks, 1¾ mile (N. E. by E.) from Farringdon; with 59 inhabitants.

Wadsley

WADSLEY, an ecclesiastical district, in the parish of Ecclesfield, union of Wortley, N. division of the wapentake of Strafforth and Tickhill, W. riding of York, 3 miles (N. N. W.) from Sheffield; containing 4100 inhabitants. This was the baronial seat of the Wadsley family, of whose Hall there are still some remains. The district is bounded on the east by the river Don, and on the west by the Loxley. It contains coal of inferior quality, and some extensive quarries of excellent freestone, from which the stone was raised for the erection of the Sheffield infirmary, the church of this place, and many other public buildings. The population is chiefly employed in the manufacture of claspknives, of which a peculiar kind, known on the continent as the Wadsley flat-backed knives, is in high repute, and exported in large quantities. The road to Manchester, and the Sheffield and Manchester railway, pass through the district. The church was erected in 1834, by the Misses Ann and Elizabeth Harrison, of Weston, at a cost of £3000, to which they added £1000 as an endowment; it is in the early English style, with a square embattled tower surmounted by a spire, and contains 700 sittings, of which 250 are free. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the Misses Harrison, with a total net income of £230, and a good glebehouse. The tithes were commuted for land in 1765. There are places of worship for Wesleyans; and a school in connexion with the Church, one also for girls, and two infant schools, in all which are about 350 children, have been erected at an expense of £1600. Six almshouses, also, for aged widows, each of whom receives 4s. 6d. per week, were endowed in 1841, by Miss Rawson, of Ward's-End; the buildings are of stone, and form a neat range in the Elizabethan style.

Wadsworth

WADSWORTH, a township, in the chapelry of Heptonstall, parish of Halifax, union of Todmorden, wapentake of Morley, W. riding of York, 7½ miles (W. N. W.) from Halifax; containing 5583 inhabitants. This is the most extensive township in the parish, and is supposed to have been a place of some importance in the time of the Romans. It comprises by computation 10,080 acres, the greater portion of which is uninclosed and uncultivated, appropriated as sheep-walks, and forming but tolerable pasture. The surface is very uneven, being chiefly high moorland, and during the season affording excellent grouse-shooting; the scenery is strikingly diversified. Coal of good quality is obtained, but in very small quantities, and at a great cost. The township includes a large portion of the village of HebdenBridge (which see), and numerous scattered hamlets; the inhabitants are chiefly employed in the cotton and worsted manufactures. The rivers Calder and Hebble have their confluence here; and the Rochdale canal passes through the township. There are places of worship for Baptists and Wesleyans.

Wadworth (St. Mary)

WADWORTH (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Doncaster, S. division of the wapentake of Strafforth and Tickhill, W. riding of York, 4½ miles (S.) from Doncaster; containing 681 inhabitants. This parish, which is on the road from Doncaster to Tickhill, comprises by computation 3000 acres. The soil is fertile, and in good cultivation; the surface is agreeably diversified, and richly embellished with wood, of which there are nearly 230 acres. In the parish are some quarries of limestone, used for building, and also for burning into lime. Wadworth Hall is a handsome residence, finely situated. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £4. 2. 6.; net income, £130; patron, W. Walker, Esq. The tithes were commuted for land in 1767. The church is a spacious and handsome structure, with a massive square tower, and contains two altar-tombs of the Fitzwilliam family, with recumbent effigies of a knight and his lady. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans; also a national school built in 1841. at an expense of £500.

Waghen, or Wawn (St. Peter)

WAGHEN, or Wawn (St. Peter), a parish, in the union of Beverley, Middle division of the wapentake of Holderness, E. riding of York; containing 362 inhabitants, of whom 267 are in the township, 4 miles (S. E. by E.) from Beverley. This parish, including the hamlet of Meux or Meaux, comprises 5600 acres, of which about one-fourth is meadow and pasture, 20 acres wood, and the remainder arable; the surface is level, and the soil chiefly a loamy sand, with a little carr, which by extensive draining has been made good land. Joseph Smith Wyndham, Esq., a descendant from Sir Thomas Smith, secretary of state to Queen Elizabeth, is lord of the manor, and owner of the township. The river Hull is seen on the west, flowing through the low lands, as far as the Wolds; the village is pleasantly situated, and encompassed by a good deal of wood. The living is a discharged vicarage, in the patronage of the Chancellor of York Cathedral, valued in the king's books at £7. 0. 10.; net income, £49; uppropriators, the Dean and Chapter of York. The church, first erected in 1211, is partly in the decorated style, with a fine square tower of later date: there are three stalls in the chancel.