Swampton - Swayfield

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

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'Swampton - Swayfield', in A Topographical Dictionary of England, (London, 1848) pp. 283-286. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-dict/england/pp283-286 [accessed 25 April 2024]

In this section

Swampton

SWAMPTON, a tything, in the parish of Bourne, union of Whitchurch, hundred of Evingar, Kingsclere and N. divisions of the county of Southampton; containing 225 inhabitants.

Swan, Old, Lancashire.—See Stanley.

SWAN, OLD, Lancashire.—See Stanley.

Swanage, county of Dorset.—See Swanwich.

SWANAGE, county of Dorset.—See Swanwich.

Swanbourne (St. Swithin)

SWANBOURNE (St. Swithin), a parish, in the union of Winslow, hundred of Cottesloe, county of Buckingham, 2¼ miles (E.) from Winslow; containing 679 inhabitants. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £9. 9. 7., and has a net income of £158; it is in the patronage of the Crown, and Messrs. Graves and Lamb are the impropriators. The tithes were commuted for land and money payments in 1762. There is a place of worship for Baptists. Nicholas Godwin, in 1712, bequeathed a rent-charge of £15, which is now carried to the account of a national school.

Swanland

SWANLAND, a township, partly in the parish of North Ferriby, and partly in that of Kirk-Ella, union of Sculcoates, county of the town of Hull, locally in the E. riding of York, 6¾ miles (W. by S.) from Hull; containing 456 inhabitants. It comprises by computation nearly 3000 acres, including several scattered farms on the eastern side of the Wolds. Brafford's Hall, a handsome mansion of white brick, seated at the head of a romantic dell; and Swanland Hall, an elegant seat, commanding an extensive view of the river Humber, are both in the parish. The village is pleasantly situated on a bold acclivity, and on the road from Hull to Welton, about a mile north-by-east of Ferriby. The impropriate tithes have been commuted for £142. 12.

Swanley

SWANLEY, a hamlet, in the parish of Sutton-atHone, union of Dartford, hundred of Axton, Dartford, and Wilmington, lathe of Sutton-at-Hone, W. division of Kent; containing 534 inhabitants.

Swanmore

SWANMORE, a tything, in the parish of Droxford, hundred of Bishop's-Waltham, Droxford and N. divisions of the county of Southampton; containing 405 inhabitants. Here is a church dedicated to St. Bartholomew, which is in the Rector's gift.

Swannington

SWANNINGTON, a township, in the parish of Whitwick, union of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, hundred of West Goscote, N. division of the county of Leicester, 4½ miles (E. by S.) from Ashby; containing 744 inhabitants. It comprises 1539 acres, and the soil varies from a gravelly loam to a stiff cold clay, the latter greatly predominating. Coal-mines have been worked in many parts of the township; the pits are from 50 to 150 yards below the surface, and the strata average five feet four inches in thickness. The village is situated in a valley surrounded by hills, and is watered by several fine springs. The manufacture of stockings is carried on to a considerable extent. The terminus of the Leicester and Swannington railway is situated here; the line is about 16 miles long, and is used for conveying the coal, limestone, granite, and other kinds of stone quarried in the neighbourhood. A church was erected by subscription in 1825, with accommodation for 450 persons: the living is a perpetual curacy, in the gift of the Vicar of Whitwick; income, £120. There are places of worship for dissenters.

Swannington (St. Margaret)

SWANNINGTON (St. Margaret), a parish, in the union of St. Faith, hundred of Eynsford, E. division of Norfolk, 3½ miles (S. E.) from Reepham; containing 358 inhabitants. It comprises 1424a. 13p., of which about 892 acres are arable, 253 pasture, 34 woodland, and 227 common. The living is a discharged rectory, with the vicarage of Wood-Dalling annexed, valued in the king's books at £6. 11. 5., and in the gift of Trinity Hall, Cambridge: the tithes of the parish have been commuted for £403. 17., and the glebe comprises 14 acres, with a parsonage-house, considerably enlarged and improved in 1842. The church, which is partly in the decorated and partly in the later English style, has a low square tower.

Swanscombe (St. Peter and St. Paul)

SWANSCOMBE (St. Peter and St. Paul), a parish, in the union of Dartford, hundred of Axton, Dartford, and Wilmington, lathe of Sutton-atHone, W. division of Kent, 4 miles (E.) from Dartford; containing, with the hamlet of Greenhithe, 1703 inhabitants. The name of this place, anciently Swenes-Camp, is supposed to have been derived from Sweyn, King of Denmark, who, on arriving in England, landed his forces here. It is celebrated as the spot where the Kentish men, carrying boughs of trees in their hands, and prepared for battle, surrounded William the Conqueror, from whom they obtained a confirmation of their ancient privileges, particularly of the law of gavel-kind, the existence of which, then confined almost exclusively to this county, appears, in the opinion of Camden, to confirm the authority of the monkish historian who narrates the event. The parish comprises 2188 acres, and is bounded on the north by the river Thames, from which the village, surrounded with woods, has an interesting and picturesque appearance: there are 270 acres of woodland. In the hamlet of Swanscombe-Cross are some extensive chalk-works, and a manufactory of Roman-cement; and large quantities of chalk and lime are sent away from Greenhithe, which is situated on the river. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £25. 13. 4.; patrons, the Master and Fellows of Sydney-Sussex College, Cambridge: the tithes have been commuted for £609, and the glebe consists of 40 acres. The church is principally in the early English style.

Swanthorpe

SWANTHORPE, a tything, in the parish and hundred of Crondall, union of Hartley-Wintney, Odiham and N. divisions of the county of Southampton, 3 miles (S. E.) from Odiham; with 72 inhabitants.

Swanton-Abbott (St. Michael)

SWANTON-ABBOTT (St. Michael), a parish, in the union of Aylsham, hundred of South Erpingham, E. division of Norfolk, 1 mile (N.) from Scottow; containing 501 inhabitants. It is on the road from Cromer to Norwich. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £6. 10., and in the gift of the Rev. W. Jex Blake: the tithes have been commuted for £274. 11.; the glebe comprises 19½ acres. The church has a square embattled tower, and contains a brass with the effigy of Stephen Multon, rector in the 15th century, who was interred in the chancel. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans. A fund arising from bequests is distributed among the poor, to whom, also, 50 acres were allotted at the inclosure for fuel.

Swanton-Morley (All Saints)

SWANTON-MORLEY (All Saints), a parish, in the union of Mitford and Launditch, hundred of Launditch, W. division of Norfolk, 3½ miles (N. E.) from East Dereham; containing 779 inhabitants. It is bounded on the east by the river Wensum, and comprises 2649a. 13p., of which about 2000 acres are arable, and the remainder meadow and pasture. Near the church stood the manor-house of the Morley family, from whom the parish takes the affix to its name. On the banks of the Wensum is an extensive and longestablished paper manufactory; and there are some lime and whiting works in the parish. The living is a rectory, with that of Worthing annexed, valued in the king's books at £15. 10. 2½.; net income, £920; patron, Edward Lombe, Esq. The glebe comprises 16½ acres, with a handsome parsonage, built by the Rev. Henry Tacey, the incumbent. The church, erected by Lord Morley in 1379, occupies an eminence in the centre of the village, and is a handsome structure in the later English style, with a lofty embattled tower crowned by pinnacles. There is a place of worship for Primitive Methodists. William Small, in 1651, bequeathed a rentcharge of £11 for teaching and apprenticing children. The town lands yield a rental of £100, of which a moiety is appropriated to the repair of the church, and the remainder to the poor.

Swanton-Novers (St. Edmund)

SWANTON-NOVERS (St. Edmund), a parish, in the union of Walsingham, hundred of Holt, W. division of Norfolk, 6¼ miles (S. W.) from Holt; containing 293 inhabitants. It comprises 1315a. 3r. 14p., of which about 848 acres are arable, 154 pasture and meadow, and 292 woodland. The living is a discharged rectory, annexed to that of Wood-Norton, and valued in the king's books at £4. 15. 2½.: the tithes have been commuted for £223. 10., and the glebe comprises 34a. 2r. 30p. The church consists of a nave, chancel, and tower; the chancel was rebuilt in 1821. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans.

Swanwich (St. Mary the Virgin)

SWANWICH (St. Mary the Virgin), a markettown and parish, in the union of Wareham and Purbeck, hundred of Rowbarrow, Wareham division of Dorset, 6 miles (E. S. E.) from Corfe-Castle, and 122 (S. W. by W.) from London; containing 1990 inhabitants. In the Saxon Chronicle this place is called Swanawic; Asser Menevensis styles it Swanavine and Gnavewic, and in Domesday book it is written Swanwic and Sonwic. The earliest and principal historical circumstance on record connected with it is the destruction by a violent storm, in 877, of a Danish fleet of 120 sail, on Peveril Point, at the south-eastern entrance of the bay on which the town stands, when advancing to the relief of the Danish troops in the city of Exeter. A similar disaster is said to have befallen another of their fleets, after its defeat by Alfred, in the same place and year. The town consists principally of a street about a mile long, containing many neat houses built and roofed with stone; and the bay having of late years become a place of resort for bathing, some new houses have been erected, among which are a library containing more than 2000 volumes, and the Royal Victoria hotel, a spacious building sheltered in its different aspects from all winds, and containing hot and cold sea-water baths. The bay, though not large, is beautiful, and affords security for vessels of 300 tons' burthen, which can ride here steadily except when the wind blows from the east; the sands afford pleasant walks and drives. Considerable improvements have taken place in the neighbourhood; and the mildness and salubrity of the air, possessing all the advantages of a southern climate, render the town peculiarly desirable as a winter residence. The manufacture of straw-plat and shirt-buttons employs most of the young females, and the chief occupation of the men is in working the numerous quarries in the southern part of the parish, which produce great quantities of excellent freestone called Purbeck stone. The quarry-men are governed by local laws or regulations, by which none but their sons, who must serve an apprenticeship of seven years, are allowed to work. The market is on Tuesday and Friday.

The parish is situated in the Isle of Purbeck, and comprises 2923 acres, of which 26 are common or waste land. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £27. 9. 9½., and in the gift of the Rev. J. L. Jackson: the tithes have been commuted for £400, and there is a glebe-house, with about 15 acres of land, nearly half of which is uninclosed. The church, originally a chapel to the vicarage of Worth-Matravers, was made parochial in 1500: the tower is lofty and of great strength, and is supposed to have been built as a watch tower when the Danes had possession of the Isle of Wight; the body of the church is of much more recent date. Here are places of worship for Independents and Wesleyans. Fossils of different fish, particularly bream, are found in the quarries; and among the bones discovered in the Isle of Purbeck are large vertebræ and bones of the iguanodon, megalosaurus, and plesiosaurus, bones of large and small crocodiles, and of various reptiles. There are two or three mineral springs, but they have not been used for medicinal purposes.

Swanwick

SWANWICK, a hamlet, in the parish of Alfreton, union of Belper, hundred of Scarsdale, N. division of the county of Derby, 1½ mile (S. by W.) from Alfreton; containing 1319 inhabitants. In the neighbourhood are extensive collieries. There are places of worship for Baptists and Wesleyans. A free school was erected in 1740, and endowed by Mrs. Elizabeth Turner and others with £500, which were laid out in the purchase of a house and lands of the annual value of £60, for the instruction of twelve boys and eight girls of Swanwick and Greenhill, now increased to 40 children.

Swarby (St. Mary and All Saints)

SWARBY (St. Mary and All Saints), a parish, in the union of Sleaford, wapentake of Ashwardhurn, parts of Kesteven, county of Lincoln, 4 miles (S. S. W.) from Sleaford; containing, with the hamlet of Crofton, 200 inhabitants. The parish comprises 700 acres, and the road from London to Lincoln runs through it about half a mile from the village. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £6; net income, £60; patron and impropriator, Sir T. Whichcote, Bart. The tithes of the lordship of Swarby were commuted for land in 1795; the glebe contains 49 acres. The church is a handsome structure, principally in the later English style.

Swardeston (St. Andrew)

SWARDESTON (St. Andrew), a parish, in the union of Henstead, hundred of Humbleyard, E. division of Norfolk, 4½ miles (S. S. W.) from Norwich; containing 359 inhabitants. The road from Norwich to New Buckenham runs through the village. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £6; patron and incumbent, the Rev. J. H. Steward; impropriator, I. T. Kemp, Esq. There is a glebe of about 25 acres. The church is chiefly in the early and decorated styles, with a square embattled tower; the nave is separated from the chancel by the remains of a beautifullycarved screen. In the church and burial-ground are numerous memorials of the Kemp family, who have resided at Swardeston ever since the Reformation, and of whom is the present impropriator, who occupies the rectory-house, situated in tastefully laid-out grounds near the church. Here is a place of worship for Wesleyans.

Swarkestone (St. James)

SWARKESTONE (St. James), a parish, in the union of Shardlow, hundred of Repton and Gresley, S. division of the county of Derby, 5 miles (S. by E.) from Derby; containing 321 inhabitants. It was distinguished during the civil war by the efforts of Colonel Hastings, in 1643, to secure the passage of the Trent for the royalists; for which purpose he threw up some works at Swarkestone bridge, and placed a garrison in the house of Sir John Harpur here, which he fortified; but Sir John Gell, marching hither with Sir George Gresley's troops, after an obstinate defence, succeeded in driving the garrison from their post, and obtained the pass of the river for the parliamentarians. In 1745, some of the troops belonging to the Pretender's army came as far as the foot of Swarkestone bridge, but they returned to the army at Derby, not daring to cross the bridge. The parish comprises about 850 acres, the soil of which is a gravelly loam. The village is pleasantly situated on the river; the bridge is 1304 yards in length, comprising additional arches beyond the span of the stream, to secure a passage over the low grounds, which are usually flooded in winter. The Trent and Mersey canal is here joined by the Derby canal. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £5; net income, £182; patron, Sir John Harpur Crewe, Bart. The tithes have been commuted for land, and there is a rectoryhouse. The church is a small Norman edifice, consisting of a nave, chancel, and pinnacled tower; the body was rebuilt in 1828-9: here are monuments to the Rolleston and Harpur families.

Swarland

SWARLAND, a township, in the parish of Felton, union of Alnwick, E. division of Coquetdale ward, N. division of Northumberland, 8¼ miles (S. by W.) from Alnwick; containing 194 inhabitants. It is on the road from Newcastle, by Berwick, to Edinburgh; and comprises about 1760 acres, of which 1370 are arable and pasture, and 390 wood: the surface is undulated, and the soil a strong clay. There is a flour-mill. Swarland Hall, the residence of Captain Coulson, commands extensive views, embracing all the low lands towards the sea, Warkworth Castle, Felton Park, &c. An obelisk of white freestone, erected by the late Alexander Davison, Esq., to the memory of Admiral Lord Nelson, stands in the park, close to the high road.

Swarraton

SWARRATON, a parish, in the union of Alresford, hundred of Bountisborough, Winchester and N. divisions of the county of Southampton, 4 miles (N. N. W.) from Alresford; containing 108 inhabitants. The parish lies a little east of the road from Southampton to Basingstoke, and comprises 743 acres, of which 580 are arable, 100 pasture, and 60 woodland; the soil is a poor chalky earth. A stream forming one of the sources of the river Itchen runs through the valley here. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £4. 5. 2½., and in the gift of Lord Ashburton: the tithes have been commuted for £110; there is a glebe-house, and the glebe contains 15¼ acres. The church is a neat edifice, with a spire.

Swaton (St. Michael)

SWATON (St. Michael), a parish, in the union of Sleaford, wapentake of Aswardhurn, parts of Kesteven, county of Lincoln, 5¾ miles (N. E.) from Falkingham; containing 304 inhabitants. The living is a vicarage, with the rectory of Spanby annexed, valued in the king's books at £12. 7. 1.; the net income is £514, and the patronage and impropriation belong to Mrs. Knapp. The tithes were commuted for land in 1805, under an inclosure act.

Swavesey (St. Andrew)

SWAVESEY (St. Andrew), a parish, in the union of St. Ives, hundred of Papworth, county of Cambridge, 5¼ miles (E. S. E.) from St. Ives; containing 1273 inhabitants. This parish is bounded on the north and north-west by the river Ouse, and on the south by the Huntingdon and Cambridge road. It comprises 3891a. 2r. 20p., including 1089 acres of common or waste land, now inclosed. A market and a fair were granted in 1243 to the family of Zouch, whose castle stood about half a mile south-west from the church. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £7. 6. 8.; patrons, the Master and Fellows of Jesus College, Cambridge; appropriator, the Bishop of Ely. The great tithes have been commuted for £750, and the vicarial for £265; the appropriate glebe contains 72 acres. The church belonged to a priory of Black monks founded here, soon after the Conquest, as a cell to the abbey of St. Sergius and Bachus, and St. Briocus, at Angiers: the priory was given by Richard II. to the monks of St. Anne, Coventry. Some slight remains of the conventual buildings are still visible. There is a place of worship for Baptists.

Sway

SWAY, an ecclesiastical district, in the parish of Boldre, union of Lymington, hundred of Christchurch, Lymington and S. divisions of the county of Southampton, 3½ miles (N.W.) from Lymington; containing 676 inhabitants. The church, which is dedicated to St. Luke, was consecrated in March, 1839, and is in the early English style; it contains 380 sittings, of which 300 are free. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the gift of the Bishop of Winchester; net income, £120. There is a place of worship for Baptists. Various tumuli are dispersed over Sway Common.

Swayfield (St. Nicholas)

SWAYFIELD (St. Nicholas), a parish, in the union of Bourne, wapentake of Beltisloe, parts of Kesteven, county of Lincoln, 2 miles (S. by W.) from Corby; containing 265 inhabitants. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £11. 2. 11., and in the gift of the Crown; net income, £391. The tithes were commuted for land and corn-rents in 1797.