Whittingham
WHITTINGHAM, a township, in the ecclesiastical
parish of Goosnargh, parish of Kirkham, hundred of
Amounderness, N. division of Lancashire, 5¾ miles
(N. N. E.) from Preston; containing 691 inhabitants.
Warin de Whitington, who lived in the reign of John,
held lands in the township, and his descendants held the
manor in the reign of Edward II. The family long continued connected with the place; and a Richard Whittingham, who had two sons and a daughter, was living
in the middle of the last century. The estate passed
by sale to the Pedders, of Preston. Whittingham Hall
is now the property of James Pedder, Esq., of Ashton
Lodge; and Gingle or Chingle Hall, for many generations
the seat of the Singletons, now belongs to Richard
Newsham, Esq. In the township are 245 acres of arable,
1460 of pasture, and 10 of waste land, customary measure. The Wesleyans have a place of worship here.
Whittingham (St. Bartholomew)
WHITTINGHAM (St. Bartholomew), a parish, in
the union of Rothbury, N. division of Coquetdale
ward and of the county of Northumberland; containing, with the townships of Callaley with Yetlington,
Glanton, Lorbottle, Great Ryle, Little Ryle, and Shawdon, 1896 inhabitants, of whom 681 are in Whittingham
township, 8½ miles (W.) from Alnwick. This parish,
which is in the beautiful vale of the Aln, is about seven
miles in length, and from four to five in breadth. The
soil varies from a deep rich loam in the centre of the vale
to a light sand on the sides and acclivities of the hills by
which it is inclosed; a great portion of the land is open,
but that under cultivation is fertile and productive.
The vale forms a division between the sandstone rock in
the south, and the porphyritic hills in the north, which
compose the range of Cheviot. The whole district
abounds in freestone excellent for building; there is also
a limestone-quarry of moderate quality, and, to the north,
whinstone in abundance. Coal of an inferior kind exists,
but it has never been profitably worked. In the parish
are several large family mansions, beautifully situated,
which, with their groves, plantations, and extensive
pleasure-grounds, give a rich appearance to the vale:
Eslington House, seated on the bank of the river, is the
residence of the Hon. Henry T. Liddell. The road from
Newcastle to Edinburgh, by Wooler, formerly passed
through the village, which is on the banks of the
Aln; it now crosses the lower part of the parish by a
stone bridge over the river. A fair for cattle held on
August 24th, was some years ago of great resort. The
living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £12.
11. 3., and in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter of Carlisle, who are the appropriators; net income,
£600. The church, a handsome structure situated in the
heart of the vale, has lately been enlarged, and the upper
part of the tower, which, though of more modern date,
had become dangerous, rebuilt. A Roman Catholic
chapel is maintained by the ancient family of Clavering,
and there is a place of worship for Presbyterians. In the
village is a vaulted tower that often afforded refuge and
defence to the inhabitants during the border warfare.
Whittington (St. Bartholomew)
WHITTINGTON (St. Bartholomew,) a parish, in
the union of Chesterfield, hundred of Scarsdale,
N. division of the county of Derby, 2¼ miles (N.) from
Chesterfield; containing 751 inhabitants. A former
public-house here is distinguished by the name of the
Revolution House, from the adjournment to it of a select
meeting of friends to liberty and the Protestant religion,
held on Whittington moor early in 1688, at which the
Earl (afterwards Duke) of Devonshire, the Earl of Derby
(afterwards Duke of Leeds), Lord Delamere, and Mr.
John D'Arcy, eldest son of the Earl of Holderness,
attended. When the centenary anniversary of that
event was commemorated in Derbyshire, in 1788, the
committee dined on the preceding day at this house;
and on the anniversary, a sermon was preached in the
parochial church by Dr. Pegge, the celebrated antiquary,
then rector, before the descendants of those illustrious
persons, and a large assemblage of the most distinguished families of the county, who afterwards went in
procession to take refreshment at the Revolution House,
and then proceeded to Chesterfield to dinner. The
house, with the venerable chair which has stood in the
"Plotting Parlour" since 1688, and which was occupied
by the Earl of Devonshire during the memorable conference, was recently sold for £725. The building is in
a most dilapidated state, and has long ceased to be available for an inn; its sign is now borne by a substantial
newly-built house adjoining. The parish comprises
1573a. 2r. 25p., a considerable portion being uninclosed
moor, on which the Chesterfield races are held; potters'
clay of good quality is found, and the manufacture of
earthenware is carried on to a considerable extent. The
Chesterfield canal and the Midland railway pass through
the parish. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's
books at £7. 10. 10.; net income, £302; patron, the
Bishop of Lichfield. The tithes were partly exchanged
for corn-rents, under an act of inclosure, in 1821, and
the remainder have been lately commuted for a rentcharge of £183. 6.; the glebe comprises 33 acres. The
church is an ancient structure; the chancel was rebuilt
in 1827. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans.
A free school was founded in 1674, by Peter Webster,
who in 1678 gave £200 to purchase land for it; and
Joshua Webster, in 1681, gave some land for teaching
ten children: the total income is £73. A chalybeate
spring here was formerly much resorted to.
Whittington
WHITTINGTON, a parish, in the union of Northleach, hundred of Bradley, E. division of the county
of Gloucester, 4½ miles (E. S. E.) from Cheltenham;
containing 231 inhabitants. It lies near the road from
Cheltenham to Northleach, and comprises 1429a. 2r. 1p.
The soil in the lower lands is a clay marl, and on the hills
a thin loose mould abounding with clay-stone; the surface is boldly undulated, and the lower grounds are
watered by a stream called the Colne, which has its
source in the adjoining parish of Sevenhampton. Stone
is quarried to a considerable extent, and many of the
houses in Cheltenham have been built with it. The
living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £13.
6. 8., and in the patronage of R. J. Nevill, Esq.: the
tithes have been commuted for £305. 14., and the glebe
comprises 97 acres. The church is an ancient structure.
A parochial school is supported by a bequest of £1000
by Mrs. Lightbourne, of Sandy well Park.
Whittington
WHITTINGTON, a parish, in the union of Lancaster, hundred of Lonsdale south of the Sands, N. division of Lancashire, 2 miles (S. W. by S.) from KirkbyLonsdale; containing 425 inhabitants. This is the
Witetvne of the Saxon era, and was anciently of considerable extent. William de Coucy in the 14th of Edward III.
had a grant of free warren here; and in the 49th of the
same reign, Sir John de Coupeland, successor of de
Coucy, owned a third of the manor: the manor was
therefore held in portions, but when they were united
does not appear. In the reign of James I., the lord of
Hornby claimed Whittington as a mesne manor. The
family of Bordrigge are said to have been lords in the
last century: an heiress of this family married Richard
North, Esq., a descendant of the Norths of Docker.
The parish comprises 4322a. 1r. 38p.; upwards of
two-thirds of the cultivated land are arable, about 1000
acres meadow and pasture, 153 old woodland, and 100
in new plantations. The surface is undulated, terminating in naked heights, or declining into small fertile
flats on the banks of the Lune. The farmers are extensive cultivators of potatoes, with which the neighbouring markets are supplied; the soil is various, much of it
of good quality. Limestone is wrought; and thin veins
of coal exist, but they are not at present worked. The
Lune flows along the whole eastern side of the parish;
and the fishery in the Whittington part, valuable on
account of its salmon, is claimed by the owners of the
estates that adjoin the stream. The Keer takes its rise
from several little brooks in the hollows beneath Docker,
and becomes a limit between this parish and the parish
of Burton-in-Kendal. Whittington Hall was rebuilt
in 1840, by Thomas Greene, Esq., M.P. for Lancaster,
the present owner. The village is beautifully situated,
overlooking the vale of Lune. A court baron is occasionally held.
The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at
£13. 9. 9½.; net income, £415; patron, E. Hornby, Esq.,
of Dalton Hall, near Burton-in-Kendal. The church is
named in the Valor of Pope Nicholas, in 1291; it was
partly rebuilt in 1716, and is a plain specimen of the
late pointed style, consisting of a tower, nave, aisles, and
a chancel separated from the nave by a screen of not
much elegance. The name of the saint to whom it is
dedicated is unknown. William Margison, in 1762,
left £1000 for building and endowing a school; and
there are a few minor charities. Micaceous earth has
been detected in the strata underneath Whittington Hall,
similar to that which is met with on Ingleborough.
Fossil ferns occur at Docker; and the parish contains
two small chalybeate springs.
Whittington
WHITTINGTON, a hamlet, in the parish of Northwold, union of Thetford, hundred of Grimshoe, W.
division of Norfolk; containing 178 inhabitants.
Whittington (St. John the Baptist)
WHITTINGTON (St. John the Baptist), a parish,
in the hundred of Oswestry, N. division of Salop,
3 miles (E. N. E.) from Oswestry; containing 1919 inhabitants. Lloyd, in his Archæologia, imagines this place
to have been celebrated, under the name Drêv Wen, or
the White Town, by Llywarch Hen, a noble British
bard, who flourished about the close of the 6th century.
He also describes it as the spot where Condolanus, a
British chieftain, was slain, in an attempt to expel some
Irish invaders. According to the bards, it was subsequently the chief residence of Tudor Trevor. After
the Conquest it was given to Roger, Earl of Shrewsbury;
and on the defection of his son Earl Robert, and the
confiscation of that nobleman's immense estates, in the
reign of Henry I., the castle and barony were granted
to the Peverells, from whom they passed to the illustrious race of Fitz-warine, who were lords of the place
for nearly 400 years. The castle was a border fortress,
and the neighbourhood the frequent scene of battle between the lords retainers and the Welsh; the remains
consist of one tower, with traces of four others, and
the exterior gateway, which is inhabited by a farmer.
The parish comprises by measurement 8158 acres.
The soil is various, in some districts a strong clay, in
others a loose gravel, and in parts sand and peat-moss.
The village is pleasantly situated near the Ellesmere
canal, on the road from Shrewsbury to Holyhead; and
is watered by a brook which, rising in a neighbouring
mountain, and flowing underground for about a mile,
re-appears near the castle, and runs through the village
into the river Perry, which falls into the Severn near
Shrewsbury. The grant of a weekly market and an
annual fair, was obtained by Fulk Fitz-warine, lord of the
manor in the reign of Henry II.; both have been long
discontinued. A court leet and baron is annually held
in a modern portion of the castle, built a few years ago
by William Lloyd, Esq., lord of the manor. The living
is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £25. 4. 2.,
and in the gift of the Lloyd family: certain impropriate tithes have been commuted for £285, and the
incumbent's for £1041. 8.; the glebe comprises 58 acres.
The church was originally built in the reign of Henry II.,
by Fulk Fitz-warine; the tower was rebuilt in 1740, the
chancel in 1785, and the nave and other parts in 1806:
the structure is of red brick. There is a chapel at
Frankton, about three miles from the village; and the
Brownists and Bryanites have places of worship. Sir
Richard Whittington, mayor of London, is by some
supposed to have been a native of the parish.
Whittington (St. Giles)
WHITTINGTON (St. Giles), a parish, in the union
of Lichfield, N. division of the hundred of Offlow
and of the county of Stafford, 2½ miles (E. by S.)
from Lichfield; containing 799 inhabitants. It comprises 2921 acres, of which 463 are common or waste;
the cultivated land is mostly arable, and of level surface.
The manufacture of paper is carried on upon a small scale.
The Coventry canal passes through the village. The
living is a perpetual curacy, in the gift of John Levett,
Esq., of Wichnor Park, chief owner of the parish: the
great tithes have been commuted for £382. 10., and the
small tithes for £159; the glebe comprises 46 acres.
The church has a square tower, surmounted by a lofty
spire; the body was rebuilt in 1762. About £8 per annum
were left for education by an ancestor of Mr. Levett's.
Whittington
WHITTINGTON, a hamlet, in the parish of Grendon, union of Atherstone, Tamworth division of the
hundred of Hemlingford, N. division of the county
of Warwick, 2 miles (N. W.) from Atherstone; containing 109 inhabitants. The river Anker and the
Coventry canal pass in its vicinity.
Whittington
WHITTINGTON, a chapelry, in the parish of St.
Peter, Worcester, union of Pershore, Lower division of the hundred of Oswaldslow, Worcester and
W. divisions of the county of Worcester, 2½ miles
(S. E. by E.) from Worcester; containing 282 inhabitants. It comprises 941 acres of land. The hill of
Cruckbarrow, here, is of an elliptical form, and measures 512 yards in circumference within the ring-fence
at its base; it was probably used in very early times
for purposes of worship, and is partly artificial. The
chapel, dedicated to St. Philip and St. James, an ancient structure of wood, with some curious tracery in the
windows, was taken down, and a new edifice erected, of
which the first stone was laid on 25th July, 1842.
Whittington, Great
WHITTINGTON, GREAT, a township, in the parish of Corbridge, union of Hexham, E. division of
Tindale ward, S. division of Northumberland, 7
miles (N. E.) from Hexham; containing 200 inhabitants.
The township is the property of various persons. The
tenants are bound to pay tithe of geese, pigs, &c, or
sixpence each in lieu, to the lord of the manor, and to
provide six mowers and twelve reapers for one day in
each year, to cut the lord's hay and corn, pursuant to
the ancient custom of bondage service. The village is
situated about a mile and a half east of the Corbridge
and Bingfield road.
Whittington, Little
WHITTINGTON, LITTLE, a township, in the parish of Corbridge, union of Hexham, E. division of
Tindale ward, S. division of Northumberland, 6½
miles (N. E.) from Hexham; containing 19 inhabitants.
It lies a short distance north of the Roman wall, and
consists of two farmholds and a few cottages. The
vicarial tithes have been commuted for £7. 10.; and the
appropriate for £16, payable to the Dean and Chapter
of Carlisle.
Whittle
WHITTLE, a hamlet, in the district of New-Mills,
parish of Glossop, union of Hayfield, hundred of
High Peak, N. division of the county of Derby; containing 2284 inhabitants.—See New-Mills.
Whittle
WHITTLE, a township, in the parish of Shilbottle,
union of Alnwick, E. division of Coquetdale ward,
N. division of Northumberland, 5 miles (S.) from
Alnwick; containing 56 inhabitants. It lies a little
east of the road between Morpeth and Alnwick, and is
divided into High and Low Whittle. The great tithes
have been commuted for £67, and the small for £9.
Whittle
WHITTLE, a township, in the parish of Ovingham,
union of Hexham, E. division of Tindale ward, S.
division of Northumberland, 11 miles (W.) from Newcastle; containing 31 inhabitants. It is the property
of Greenwich Hospital, and is situated above a mile
north-by-west from Ovingham, upon a stream the water
of which, being peculiarly soft and clear, is excellent for
whitening linen-cloth. This stream, which in parts runs
between woody banks, joins the Tyne east of Ovington;
the scenery near it is romantic, and the glen along which
it flows is celebrated for the number of its wild flowers.
In the vicinity of Whittle is a strong sulphureous spring.
Whittle-Le-Woods
WHITTLE-LE-WOODS, a township, in the parish
and hundred of Leyland, union of Chorley, N. division of the county of Lancaster, 2 miles (N.) from
Chorley, on the road to Preston; containing 2295 inhabitants. One-half of the manor was granted about
the reign of Henry I. to Gilbert de Witul, a descendant
of whom in the reign of Henry III. gave it to Richard
le Butler; and by marriage with the heiresses of John
Butler, it came to the families of Standish of Duxbury,
and Anderton of Clayton: the descendants of the latter
sold their portion to the Crokes, in the reign of Charles II.
The other half of the manor was given by the second
baron of Penwortham to Richard Fiton, from whom it
passed to the Lees, and, by marriage with the daughter
of Sir Henry Lee, to Sir Richard Hoghton. The manor
is now possessed jointly by the descendant of the Croke
family, and the heir of the Standishes of Duxbury.
The township comprises about 1300 acres, of which
the surface is undulated, and the soil chiefly a stiff clay,
with sand and rock in the higher parts. The scenery
is beautiful and romantic: from the hills are extensive
views of the surrounding country, including the town of
Preston, the rich lowlands of the entire hundred, and
the river Ribble, which is seen winding towards its
estuary at Lytham; while the coast and the Irish Sea
bound the horizon. Shaw-Hill, on the west side of the
Preston turnpike-road, the property of Thomas Bright
Crosse, Esq., is a large mansion, remodelled in 1845,
after the designs of Mr. Charles Reed, of Birkenhead.
It possesses a distinctive architectural character; on
the north a colonnade of the Roman-Doric order extends
the whole length, and on the west side are terraces commanding fine prospects of the well-planted vicinity. A
park of about 100 acres adjoins the house. Gorse Hall,
the seat of John Heys, Esq., situated on the road to
Blackburn, is a substantial stone structure, with 60
acres of land attached. Whittle-le-Woods is celebrated
for its malt, for which there are two large kilns, in constant operation, belonging to Mr. Edward Craven, of
Dalton Lodge, and his partners. A cotton-mill, established in 1838, and employing 150 hands, belongs to
Mr. Edward Leese, jun., who has a neat cottage-residence close by; and near the Leeds and Liverpool canal,
which runs through the township, are the chemicalworks and mordaunt manufactory of Mr. Thomas Coupe,
of Oak-Vale cottage. There are also extensive quarries,
producing an abundance of millstones for grinding, which
are sent to Sheffield and other districts.
A church, dedicated to St. John, was built in 1830,
by a grant from the Parliamentary Commissioners, aided
by private subscription, at an expense of £2756; it is a
handsome edifice in the later English style, from designs
by Rickman. A district has been assigned to it, including the townships of Clayton and Whittle-le-Woods.
The living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the
Vicar of Leyland; net income, £150, with a house;
impropriators, Robert Townley Parker, Esq., and the
family of Silvester. There is a place of worship for
Wesleyans, built in 1840; and at South-Hill is a Roman
Catholic chapel, belonging to the Jesuits, erected in 1791.
A school was endowed in 1769, by Samuel Crooke, with
the interest of £220: the school-house was rebuilt in
1813. Ten almshouses were founded in 1842, by Lady
Hogbton, for the poor of Chorley.
In 1836 an alkaline spring was discovered, when
boring for coal, at a depth of 75 yards, on the estate
of Mr. Heys. The water contains carbonate of soda
and carbonic acid, and is almost free from earthy
substances; it is particularly efficacious in bilious
attacks, dyspepsia, &c., and its properties have been
found, by a late analysis by Mr. Davies, the eminent
chemist, to be fully equal to those of the best alkaline
waters. The grounds around are tastefully laid out,
and appropriate buildings have been erected, with every
convenience for the numerous persons resorting to the
spot. Plunging-baths, one for gentlemen, one for ladies,
and two for other patients, have just been completed,
and the number of visiters increases daily. On the
same estate is a mineral spring, similar in its properties
to the waters of Harrogate. Fossils are frequently
met with in the sandstone in the township. In 1846,
when sinking the foundations for the alkaline well, a
Roman silver coin of the Emperor Valerian, and one
of Philip the Elder, were discovered.
Whittle, Welsh
WHITTLE, WELSH, a township, in the district
chapelry of Coppull, parish of Standish, union of
Chorley, hundred of Leyland, N. division of the
county of Lancaster, 3 miles (S. W.) from Chorley;
containing 149 inhabitants. This township, under the
name of Walsewythull, was held of the earls of Lincoln
by the Banastre family in the reign of Henry III. In
that of Edward III., Sir William Careles held the manor,
so called, of Walshwittell. In 1707 it was forfeited by
the treason of William Dickenson, then owner, but,
owing to legal technicality, the manor was not seized by
the crown; and the Dicconsons, his descendants, have
since been the principal proprietors. Welsh-Whittle
Hall has long been the property of the Harveys. The
road from Preston to Wigan passes through the northeastern part of the township. The tithes have been
commuted for £84. 12. 10.
Whittlebury (St. Mary)
WHITTLEBURY (St. Mary), a parish, in the union
of Towcester, hundred of Greens-Norton, S. division
of the county of Northampton, 3¾ miles (S. by W.)
from Towcester; containing 748 inhabitants. It is
situated on the road from Towcester to Buckingham,
and comprises about 3400 acres, of which 600 are
arable, nearly 800 meadow and pasture, and the remainder forest and woodland. The soil is partly gravelly,
and partly clay; the chief crops, wheat and beans; and
the principal timber, oak. Lord Southampton is owner
of the district, and has a mansion here. The living is
annexed, with that of Silverstone, to the rectory of
Greens-Norton: the tithes were commuted for land and
corn-rents in 1797. The church, an ancient structure
in the early English style, has been recently restored
and repewed, and contains about 500 sittings, of which
260 are free. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans; also a national school endowed with land producing £14 per annum. Some Roman tiles and ornaments were found in a field belonging to Mr. Cooke,
adjoining the churchyard, in 1822; and Roman coins
have also been found, in high preservation.
Whittlesey
WHITTLESEY, a village, and district comprising
the parishes of St. Andrew and St. Mary, which form a
union, in the hundred of North Witchford, Isle of
Ely, county of Cambridge, 6 miles (E. by S.) from
Peterborough; containing 6874 inhabitants. This place,
called Witesie in Domesday book, is supposed to have
been a Roman station from the traces of a military way,
and the numerous relics of antiquity discovered in the
neighbourhood. The village or town, which is bounded
on the north and south by branches of the river Nene,
is large and respectable, though its market, held on
Friday, has been for some years disused: the markethouse still remains. There is a fair for horses on June
13th; and at the Falcon, the principal inn, courts leet
and baron occur twice a year. A public library and
newsroom have been established by subscription. Adjoining Whittlesey, but in the county of Huntingdon,
is an expanse of water termed Whittlesey Mere, abounding with a variety of fish. This lake is 8¾ miles in circumference, and is fed by the waters of a large tract of
country: its antiquity and importance are shown in
Domesday book, and by its having been granted, so
early as 664, by the King of Mercia, to his new monastery of Medeshamsted, now Peterborough. In 870, it
reverted to the crown; several grants were made of it
by different kings, and in 1662 Charles II. conferred on
Edward, Earl of Sandwich, the office of keeper of Whittlesey Mere. Near the village is a station of the Ely
and Peterborough railway. An act for inclosing waste
lands was passed in 1840.
The living of St. Andrew's is a discharged vicarage,
valued in the king's books at £4. 13. 4., and in the patronage of the Crown; net income, £62. The church
is a handsome structure, with a stately tower crowned
by turrets. The living of St. Mary's is a discharged
vicarage, valued at £19. 13. 9.; net income, £222.
The church is a fine edifice, with a lofty tower of peculiar elegance, surmounted by a slender enriched spire of
good proportions. Another church has been erected, at
an expense of £1400, by Her Majesty's Commissioners,
on a site given by the Childers family. There are places
of worship for Baptists, Independents, Wesleyans, and
Calvinistic Methodists; also two endowed schools, one
founded in 1735 by Adam Kelfull, and endowed with
£27 per annum; and the other in 1815 by John Sudbury, with £20 a year. William de Whittlesey, Archbishop of Canterbury, was born here in 1367. MajorGeneral Sir Harry Smith, the hero of Aliwal, is also a
native of Whittlesey, where he was publicly received on
his return from the East Indies.
Whittlesford (St. Mary and St. Andrew)
WHITTLESFORD (St. Mary and St. Andrew), a
parish, in the union of Linton, hundred of Whittlesford, county of Cambridge, 7 miles (S. by E.) from
Cambridge; containing 579 inhabitants. The parish
comprises about 1800 acres, of which 250 are meadow
and pasture, 100 woodland, and the remainder arable.
It had formerly a market and a fair. The living is a
discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £10;
net income, £169; patrons, the Master and Fellows of
Jesus College, Cambridge; impropriator, H. J. Thurnall,
Esq. The tithes were commuted for land and a money
payment in 1809. William Westley, in 1723, bequeathed
lands now let for £50 a year, for teaching children. At
Whittlesford bridge are the remains of an hospital said
to have been founded before the time of Edward I., by
William Colvill, and which was dedicated to St. John the
Baptist.