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Hyde, Cheshire

Historical Description

Hyde, a market-town, a municipal borough, the head of a county court district, a township, and two ecclesiastical parishes (St George's and St Thomas') taken out of the ancient parishes of Stockport and Mottram-in-Longdendale, Cheshire, together with portions of the adjoining parishes of Holy Trinity, Gee Cross; St John, Godley; St Mary, Newton in Mottram; St Stephen, Flowery Field, in the diocese of Chester; and St Ann, Houghton, in the diocese of Manchester. The town stands on the river Tame, the Peak Forest Canal, 5 miles NE of Stockport, 7 ESE of Manchester, and 181 from London. It originated about the beginning of the 19th century, took its rise from the cotton manufacture, and has grown to importance under the progress of that manufacture, aided by the results of industry in other departments. It stands upon a coalfield, enjoys ample facilities of communication by canal and by railway, has been the scene of much industrial enterprise and skill, and is well built, well paved, and abundantly supplied with water. Its factories for weaving, spinning, and calico-printing are on a great scale, and it has extensive engineering works and several foundries. There is a station on the M.S. & L.R. in the town; another, of the name of Newton, is about a quarter of a mile to the E; a third, called Hyde Junction, is three-quarters of a mile to the NNW; and a fourth, called Godley Junction, is half a mile to the E. A weekly market is held on Saturday, and fairs are held on 16 May and 15 Nov. The town is a seat of petty sessions and county courts, publishes two weekly newspapers, and has a head post office. The Town Hall, in the market-place, is a fine building of red brick and Derbyshire stone, erected in 1885. The Mechanics' Institution is a handsome edifice of red brick with white stone dressings, and contains a large assembly-room, a library and reading-room, and class-rooms. St George's Church was built in 1832, and restored in 1883; consists of nave, aisles, and large terminal bay, with lofty pinnacled tower. St Thomas' Church was erected in 1868, is in the Early English style, and consists of chancel, nave, and belfry. The Uni-tarian Chapel stands at Gee Cross, was built in 1848, displacing a chapel of 1708 which, for upwards of a century, had been the only place of worship in the township, is in the Early English and Decorated styles, and consists of nave, aisles, and chancel, with tower and spire 145 feet high. There is another Unitarian chapel, and there are also two Congregational, Primitive, and New Connexion Methodist and Baptist chapels, and a meeting-house for the Society of Friends. The town has also a temperance hall, public baths, and a theatre. It was incorporated in 1881, and is governed by a mayor, 6 aldermen, and 18 councillors. The municipal borough includes the townships of Hyde, Godley, and Newton, and the suburb of Gee Cross, which is partly in Hyde township and partly in that of Wemeth. Population, 30, 670. Acreage of Hyde township, 897; population, 20, 354. Acreage of Godley township, 644; population, 1408. Acreage of Newton township, 869; population, 7338. Acreage of Werneth township, 1571; population, 2587. The ecclesiastical parishes are Hyde St George's and Hyde St Thomas', constituted in 1832 and 1846 respectively; population, 10, 212 and 7178. The livings are vicarages in the diocese of Chester. Net value of St George's, £292. Patron, the Rector of Stockport. Gross value of St Thomas', .6810. Patron, the Bishop of Chester. The ecclesiastical parish of Gee Cross was constituted in 1880; population, 3007. The living is a perpetual curacy in the diocese of Chester; gross value, £200. Patron, the Vicar of Werneth. Godley, Newton-in-Mottram, and Flowery Field, Newton, are separate ecclesiastical parishes. Hyde Hall belonged to the Hyde family, one of whom was the great Lord Clarendon, hut it has been entirely demolished. The Lumn is an ancient residence.

Hyde Parliamentary Division of Cheshire was formed under the Redistribution of Seats Act of 1885, and returns one member to the House of Commons. Population, 57, 468. The division includes the following:-Hyde-Dukinfield, Godley, Hattersley, Hollingworth, Hyde, Matley, Mottram-in Longdendale, Newton, Stayley, Tintwistle, Wemeth; Stockport (part of)-Bosden, Bredbury, Brinnington (such part as is not included in the borough of Stockport), Marple, Offerton, Romiley, Torkington; Stalybridge, municipal borough (the part in Cheshire).

Transcribed from The Comprehensive Gazetteer of England & Wales, 1894-5

Land and Property

The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Cheshire is available to browse.


Maps

Online maps of Hyde are available from a number of sites:


Newspapers and Periodicals

The British Newspaper Archive have fully searchable digitised copies of the following Cheshire papers online:


Visitations Heraldic

The Visitation of Cheshire, 1580 is available on the Heraldry page.

DistrictTameside
RegionNorth West
CountryEngland
Postal districtSK14
Post TownHyde

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