Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for HYDE

HYDE, a town, a township, two chapelries and a subdistrict, in Stockport parish and district, Cheshire. The town stands on the river Tame, the Peak Forest canal, and the Manchester and New Mills railway, 7 miles ESE of Manchester. It originated about the beginning of the present 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 coal field; 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. A railway station of its own name is at it; another, of the name of Newton, is about ¼ of a mile to the E; a third, called Hyde-Junction, is ¾ of a mile to the NNW; and a fourth, called Godley Junction, on the new route from Liverpool to London opened in 1866, is ½ 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 governed by a local board; is a seat of petty sessions and county courts; publishes a weekly newspaper; and has a post office‡ under Manchester, a court house, a police station, a mechanics' institution, a temperance hall, two churches, two Independent chapels, three Methodist chapels of different denominations, a Unitarian chapel, two national schools, and schools connected with factories and with places of worship. 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; consists of nave, aisles, and large terminal bay, with lofty pinnacled tower; and contains 1, 600 sittings. St. Thomas' church was originally a working men's institute, erected in 1838; and is used only till a more suitable church can be built. The Unitarian chapel stands at Gee Cross; displaced 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. The town is regarded, statistically, as conterminate with the township; but, in that view, it includes part of the hamlet of Gee Cross.-The chapelries are St. George, constituted in 1842, and St. Thomas, constituted in 1849. Pop. in 1861, of St. G., 8, 287; of St. T., 5, 435. Houses, 1, 625 and 990. The livings are p. curacies in the diocese of Chester. Value of St. G., £300; of St. T., £130. Patron, of St. G., the Rector of Stockport; of St. T., alternately the Crown and the Bishop.-The township comprises 889 acres. Real property, £42, 586; of which £800 are in gas works, and £950 in mines. Pop. in 1811, 1,806; in 1841, 10, 170; in 1861, 13, 722. Houses, 2, 615. The manor belongs to Edward Hyde Clarke, Esq. Hyde Hall belonged to the family of Hyde, one of whom was the great Lord Clarendon; but it has been entire1y demolished. The Lumn is an ancient residence, and belongs to John Sheply, Esq.—The sub-district contains also two other townships of Stockport parish. Acres, 4, 970. Pop. 20, 594. Houses, 4, 028.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a town, a township, two chapelries and a subdistrict"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Hyde Ch/CP       Stockport AP/CP       Stockport RegD/PLU       Cheshire AncC
Place: Hyde

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