Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/178

Rh HALIDON HILL. 170 HALIFAX. Maylor, co. Flint, 5 miles N. of Ellesmere. The village, which is considerable, stands at a short distance from Handmere Lake. It is a meet for the Wynnstay hounds. HALIDON HILL, in co. Northumberland, near Berwick. It was formerly included in co. Durham, and was the scene of a battle between the Scots and English in 1333. HALIFAX, a par. and market town, municipal and parliamentary borough, in the wap. of Morley, West Hiding co. York, 7 miles S.W. of Bradford, 16j from Leeds, and 194 N.N.W. of London by road, and 203 by rail. It has stations on the Lancashire and Yorkshire, and on the Leeds, Bradford, and Halifax Junction lines, thus communicating with the Great Northern, London and North -Western, and Midland railways. The town is situated on the river Hobble, a tributary to the river Calder, and has a canal connected with the Airo and Calder navigation, which, together with the Roch- dale canal, affords great facilities of water communica- tion with most of the important manufacturing towns in the N. The par. contains 23 tnshps., the principal being Elland-cum-Greetland, Halifax, Hipperholme- cum-Brighouse, Northowram, Ovenden, Rastrick, Skir- coat, Southowram, Sowerby, Warley, Heptonstall, Rish- worth, Stainland, &c. The town was formerly an insig- nificant place, having only thirteen houses in the 15th century, but the introduction of the manufacture of woollen goods has made this place now one of the most important towns in Yorkshire. It is supposed that the town derived its name from a chapel dedicated to St. John the Baptist, whence some authors take Halifax to mean Holy Face, and others Holy Ways. In 1642, during the Civil War, the town was taken and garri- soned for a time by the royalist forces, but subsequently fell into the hands of the parliamentary forces, at which time it returned two members to parliament, but was subsequently disfranchised. It was again made a parlia- mentary borough under the Reform Act, and sends two members to parliament, the bounds including the town- ship of Halifax, and parts of North and South Owram. It was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1848. The borough is governed by a mayor, 10 aldermen, and 30 councillors, under the style of the "mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of the borough of Halifax," and is divided into six wards. The population of the borough in 1851 was 33,579, and in 1861, 37,015, showing an increase of 3,436. The district abounds with coal, iron, and gritstone. The manufactures of Halifax are extensive, the principal trade being in woollen cloths, worsted, damasks, camlets, cotton, cards for cotton spinning, dyeing, carpets and rugs, and silk weaving. A large number of the inha- bitants are employed in the coal mines, iron works, stone quarries, chemical works, and several other branches of industry. The town has a pleasant and clean appear- ance, being built on the slope of a hill. It has some fine streets, and is well paved and lighted with gas. It con- tains a Piece Hall, or market-house, built in 1799 at a cost of 12,000; it is in the form of an oblong square, occupying a space of 10,000 square yards, and is three stories high on the E. side, and two on the others, each story having a colonnade in front. There are 312 sepa- rate rooms for warehousing goods. It was formerly a place of great business, but under the factory system has been almost superseded as a market-place. In the centre is a lawn, where galas, public fetes, and entertainments take place. During the borough elections, the hustings are erected in this place. Saturday is the day of sale, and merchants and manufacturers from all parts of the country meet to transact business. In commemoration of the peace of 1856, two oxen were roasted whole in this place. The mechanics' institute contains a large hall, capable of accommodating 1,300 persons, suitable for concerts, lectures, &c. It was erected in 1856. It has an extensive library, and the news-rooms are well supplied with newspapers and periodical.". In the same building is the Halifax school of art and a penny savings- bank, now in connection with the institution. The Halifax infirmary, erected on a better site in 1834, and enlarged in 1C64, is a very extensive building. The Odd Fellows' Hall, situated in St. James' s-road, is a stone edifice, containing several rooms, which are let out for concerts, &c. Attached to it is a commodious inn. A new market has been erected, which is abundantly su plied with butcher's meat, fish, vegetables, &c. The are also three banks, three savings-banks, subscription and circulating library, theatre, museum, assembly and concert rooms. Petty sessions for the borough are he" " every Tuesday and Friday in the townhall, at which <" mayor presides. The new townhall is situated in Cro ley-street, and was erected in 1863 from the designs of the late Sir Charles Barry. It was opened by the Prince of Wales on the 4th of August, 1863. Halifax is the seat of a Poor-law Union, and the head of County Court and superintendent registry districts. The union poorhouse is situated in Gibbet-lane. The living is a vie.* in the dioe. of Ripon, val. 1,678, in the patron, of the crown. The parish church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, is a stone structure, situated at the R. end of the town, with a tower containing a clock and thirteen bells. The date of its erection is uncertain, but it is supposed to be about the 1 1th century. Eleven stained-glass windows have been lately inserted in different parts of the church. A carved screen divides the chancel from the body of the church. There is an ancient stone font with a carved cover, near to which is the figure of an old man holding the poor box. Beneath the chancel is a crypt. There were formerly in the church several monuments and brasses to the Rokeby, Saville, and Waterhouse families. The church has a carved and panelled ceiling, bearing the arms and emblems of all the vicars and the principal laity of Halifax. In the churchyard are some grave- stones bearing date 1566. The small tithes were com- muted by Act of Parliament in 1829 to a vicar's rate. In addition to. the parish church there are the following district churches viz. Trinity, situated in Harrison- lane, the living of which is a perpet. cur., val. 190, in the patron, of the vicar. St. James's, situated in North Parade, is a perpet. cur., val. 250, also in the gift of the vicar. All Souls', built and endowed at the expense of Edward Akroyd, Esq., is situated on Haley Hill. It is a costly edifice, the noblest work of its kind designed by G. G. Scott. Granite, serpentine, marbles, mural paintings and stained glass, and elaborate sculpture, are lavished on every part ; and its fine spire may be seen for many miles round. It contains a peal of eight bells. There arc places of worship for Roman Catholics, Bap- tists, Independents, Wesleyans, Methodist New Con- nexion, Primitive Methodists, Unitarians, and Quakers. One of the Independent chapels is a Gothic edifice, said to be the finest used by this religious body in the king- dom. It has a tower and spire, and cost upwards of 10,000. The charities of Halifax are very numerous, including Queen Elizabeth's free grammar school, with an endowment of 189, and three scholarships at Magdalene College, Cambridge; Smith's school, endowed with 19 per annum; Hopkinson's and Crowther's almshouses and schools ; the almshouses and schools founded by Nathaniel. Waterhouse, who in 1642 bequeathed certain lands for the maintenance of 12 poor persons, and for the education and maintenance of 10 boys and 10 girls, to be chosen from certain townships of Halifax. The income of the charity amounted at the foundation about 130 per annum, but owing to the enhanced ^ of the property, it had risen in 1807 to 1,380. consequence of this great increase of the funds, governors obtained an Act of Parliament empower them to extend this charity. They erected a c dious edifice containing three sides of a square. On each wing are 12 almswomen, and the centre is occupied by schools for 30 boys and 30 girls, with residences for the governor and schoolmaster. The cost of erection was 10,000. In 1855 Mr. Frank Crossley, now Sir Francis Crossley, Bart., one of the carpet manufacturing firm of Messrs. John Crossley and Sons, and M.P. for the Wfst Riding of York, erected and endowed 22 almshouses near his own residence. Each house has a separate entr. and contains a living room, bed-chamber, and cellars. The houses at each end and the one in the centre have