and sister and sole heiress of Edward Holland, Esq. who, with his ancestors, inherited this estate, with another at Denton*, in this county, for several generations. Sir Robert de Holland, Knight, of Holland, in this county, was, by King Edward the Second, created Lord Holland, and was summoned to parliament by writ among the Barons. This family had considerable possessions in the counties of Lancaster, Northampton, and Leicester; and one of them built Denton-chapel in the seventh year of Edward the Fourth. The present noble possessor of Heaton inherits it in regular descent from his great grandfather, the abovenamed Sir John Egerton. The mansion here is a handsome modern structure, built of stone, from designs by the late Samuel Wyatt, Esq. It stands on a commanding situation, in the midst of a fine park, which abounds with venerable trees and numerous thriving plantations. In the centre of the south front is a semicircular piece of architecture, of the Ionic order, surmounted with a dome; and branching from the former, are two spacious colonades, connected and terminated with two octangular pavillions. The elevation of this front is at once simple and elegant, and commands some pleasing prospects of the home scenery and distant country. The interior arrangements are comfortably disposed, and elegantly furnished. At a short distance from the house, on a high spot of ground in the park, is a circular temple, which commands very extensive views into Yorkshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire +. The park includes an area of about five miles in circumference. This will be inclosed with a

wall, and a new Doric Lodge is now building.

PRESTWICH, north of Manchester, is a large parish, which embraces

* At this place is the old family mansion, still standing, but now in the occupation of a farmer.

† The annexed print will illustrate the preceding description, as the principle front of the house, with the temple, and the park-scenery, are all represented in this small view.

embraces an area of about fifteen miles in length, by three in breadth. This, with Oldham, constitutes one Rectory, under which are seven chapelries.

OLDHAM,

Though recently advanced to a market town, is subordinate to the parish of Prestwich; but has a church, a chapel of the establishment, and some dissenting meeting-houses. This town is built on high ground, on a branch of the river Medlock, near its source; and the river Irk also commences its channel near this spot. The peculiar utility of these streams in carrying on the machinery, &c. of manufactories, has occasioned the erection of many; and an immense number of these, with connected houses, have been erected in this part of the county within the last twenty years. Another inducement to settlers, is the abundance of coal that is easily and cheaply obtained here. A free-school was founded here by James Asheton, Esq. of Chaderton. According to the population report, this town contained, in 1801, 1231 houses, and 12,024 inhabitants. About two miles north of Oldham is

ROYTON, a chapelry to Prestwich, abounding with manufactures and coal-mines. In this township is RoYTON-HALL, the seat of Joseph Pickford, Esq. but formerly belonging to the Byron family, who had considerable landed property here. The house is pleasantly seated in a deep valley, surrounded by high hills. In the house is a circular stone stair-case, remarkable for its solidity and strength.

CHADERTON-HALL, the seat of Sir Watts Horton, Bart. is a modern brick building, seated in a part of the country which is distinguished for its bold inequality of surface. The park, from this circumstance, abounds with picturesque scenery; and immeVOL. IX. diately

T

diately contiguous to the house are some fine pleasure grounds, with shrubberies, &c. The manors of Chaderton and Fox-Denton belonged to Geoffrey, second son of Richard de Trafford, in: the time of Henry the Third.

MIDDLETON

Having been gradually increasing in size and population for some years, was constituted a town in the year 1791, when a grant was obtained from the crown for holding a weekly market on Friday, and three annual fairs. The manor, and chief landed property of the place belongs to Lord Suffield, who obtained them in marriage with Mary, eldest daughter and coheir of Sir Ralph Asheton, Bart*. The present possessor has erected a market-place, with shambles, also, warehouses, &c. in this town. The police is governed by two constables, who are annually chosen at the court-leet; and the parish, which contains seven or eight hamlets, is a rectory. In the church, a venerable pile of building, are deposited several of the Asheton+ family, who for many centuries resided in this parish. In the church windows are several shields, with other subjects of painted glass. The side ailes to the church appear to have been built in 1554. They are embattled; and under the embrasures are shields with devices. A carved screen, of seven compartments, divides the chancel from the choir, on which are shields with the armorial bearings of the Ashetons, Rat

cliffes,

* This gentleman left two daughters, the youngest of whom married the present Earl of Wilton.

+ Of this family was William Asheton, B. D. who was the last male heir, and who was rector of Prestwich in 1727, and at the same time held that of Carleton, in the county of Lincoln. This singular privilege was enjoyed by licence from Charles the Second, who was induced to grant his royal dispensation at the intreaty of Colonel John Asheton, who was in particular favour with the monarch.

cliffes, Grosvenors, and Stanleys. Here is a free GrammarSchool, founded by Doctor Alexander Nowel*, who was dean of St. Paul's, and principal of Brazen-Nose-College, Oxford, in 1572. This is now a respectable establishment, and often contains between 150 and 200 scholars. The cotton manufacture is carried on here in all its different processes; and the printing and bleaching works are on a large scale. Here is also a considerable twist manufactory. This township contained, in 1801, 624 houses, and 3265 inhabitants.

BURY,

About nine miles to the north of Manchester, has experienced, in an eminent degree, the effects of the manufactures which have been introduced, on so extensive a scale, into this county. The river Irwell runs close along the west side of the town, and the Roch is only about a mile from it on the east. These, about two miles below the town, unite their streams. In the time of Leland, it is described as a poor market. There is a ruin of a castle by the parish church in the town. It longed, with the town, some time to the Pilkintons, now to the Earl of Derby. Yerne sometime made about it." The memory of two castles, in or near the town, has been traditionally preserved. One of these was in a field called Castle-Croft, on the west side of the town; though there are no remains of ancient buildings, parts of the foundation walls have been often dug up in the adjacent gardens. This site was calculated for a fortress; and on the north the old course of the river seems to have passed close by the hill on which it was situated. The other castle, or entrenchment, was at Walmsley, about two miles north, on the road towards Haslingden. T2 The

*This worthy divine wrote several tracts against popery; and was author of two catechisms, one of which is written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. He collected many of the ancient MSS. now belonging to the Cotton Library, British Museum. A portrait of him is preserved in Brazen-Nose-College.

The cotton manufactures of this town and its vicinity are carried on to an almost incredible extent; and on the rivers and brooks in the parish, which is very extensive, are many factories for carding and spinning both cotton and sheep's wool, and for fulling woollen cloth. The different inventions and improvements in machinery are astonishing. Amongst others, is a machine made by Mr. Robert Kay, son of the late Mr. John Kay, who invented the wheel, or fly shuttle, for making several cards at once. It not only straightens the wire from the ring, but cuts it in lengths, staples it, turns it into teeth, and forms the holes in the leather. It also puts the teeth in, row after row, until the cards are finished. All this is done, very easily and expeditiously, at one operation of the machine, by a person turning a shaft, who neither touches the wire nor leather.

The very capital manufacturing and printing works of Sir Robert Peel, Bart. and Co. on the banks of the Irwell, in the valley beneath Castle-Croft, have been of essential benefit to the town. Large reservoirs of water, for bleaching and other processes, are formed and filled from the river. A separate reservoir is supplied by a spring, for washing the pieces when the river is muddied by floods. Printing is executed here, and at their other extensive works, both on the Irwell and on the Roch, in the most improved methods; but some are confined to carding, slubbing, and spinning cotton, others to washing the cottons with waterwheels of quick velocity, which can be instantly stopped to take out and put in goods, and at others are performed the operations of boiling and bleaching. The canal from this town to Manchester commences at the works, and greatly facilitates the conveyance of raw materials, and the return of the manufactured goods.

The country about Bury, especially towards Haslingden and the north parts, is finely diversified with hills and vallies; the latter containing many winding rivulets, of the most important advantage for working the various factories which every where abound in the neighbourhood. The roads about it are also excellent, the materials being both plentiful and durable.

Bury