ECCLES PARISH

1841

Eccles, a village and parish in the wapentake and hundred of Salford, barony, division, and polling district of Manchester, comprising 16,500 statute acres, and divided into five townships, Barton - on - Irwell, Worsley, Pendleton, Clifton, and Pendlebury. The village of Eccles is in Barton, 4 miles W. of Manchester. Two Roman roads are traceable. The principal old halls are Worsley, Wardley, Agecroft, and Irlam. A court leet is held for Barton, and a court baron for Worsley. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, existed in 1111, rebuilt in 15th century, living a vicarage, patron the crown, annual value £500; here is an interesting and ancient tomb, date 1598. - The episcopal chapels of the parish are 5, Ellenbrook, Worsley, date unknown, domestic; Swinton, Worsley, St. Peter's, date 1791, annual value of curacy £126; Walkden - moor, Worsley, date 1838; Pendleton, St. Thomas's, date 1776, rebuilt 1830, annual value £200; Pendlebury, erecting - patronage various. - Chapels are projected at Barton and Clifton. - The Catholics have 1, and the dissenters 17 chapels, Wesleyans, Barton 5, Worsley 2, Pendleton 1, 8; New Connexion, Barton 1, Pendleton 1; Independent Methodist, Barton; Primitives, Worsley; Independents, Barton 1, Clifton, 1; Unitarians, Barton 1, Pendlebury 1; and Swedenborgians, Worsley. Cotton weaving and spinning, calico printing and bleaching, coal mining, &c. are the principal businesses, and there is a steam engine manufactory. In 1834 the number of steam engines was 59, of which 34 were engaged in coal winding, 13 in cotton trade, and 7 in calico printing : in 1838 there were 13 cotton, and 3 silk manufactories, employing 2,525 hands. The Irwell is navigable, and the Manchester and Worsley canal, a celebrated work of Francis, third Duke of Bridgewater, cut 1759 - - 1761, crosses the parish - the stupendous works of the Bridgewater navigation exhibit a degree of mechanical skill and of individual capital and enterprize, unparalleled perhaps in the history of this country - the extensive coal mines of Worsley are connected by 33¼ miles of subterraneous canals. The Worsley and Leigh, date 1795, and Manchester and Bolton canals, date 1791, pass the parish; the Manchester and Liverpool railway, cut 1826 - 1830, and the Manchester and Bolton railway, 1834 - 1838,  pass through the district. The principal villages are Pendleton, population 8,435, Swinton, Eccles, and Irlams-o'th'-Height. The parish population in 1776 was 8,729; 1793, 14,265; 1801, 16,119; 1811, 19,502; 1821, 23,331; 1831, 28,083 :- in 1831 the population of Barton - on - Irwell was 8,976, Pendleton 8,435, and Worsley 7,839. Slightly endowed schools at Davyhulme, Eccles, Roegreen, and Pendleton : in 1833 the daily schools were 36, several are free by private bounty, sunday 26, infant 9, and boarding 6. There is a Dispensary connected with Pendleton, date 1831. Pendleton, and part of Pendlebury, are in the borough of Salford. The land is chiefly in pasture, average rent per acre £2. Coal abounds, and there is some ordinary stone. Chat Moss comprised a few years ago 6,000 acres of peat soil, but is undergoing rapid improvement; at the time the railway was formed over this moss it was estimated to contain 60 millions of tons of vegetable matter. There are brine springs in Barton, and a mineral spring in Worsley. Annual value of property 1815, £53,446; 1829, £88,694.

(5) A Statistical Sketch of the County Palatine of Lancaster 1841