STAYLEY BRIDGE is one of the great manufacturing villages on the confines of Lancashire and Cheshire, which has been swelled into importance by the advantages of its local situation. It is one mile ESE of Ashton, 6 miles SE of Oldham, 8 miles NE of Stockport and the same distance from Manchester. Placed on the banks of the Tame, the parent as it may be called of the Mersey, near to an ample supply of fuel and enjoying, through the medium of the Huddersfield canal, the advantages of inland navigation, this place seems marked out as one of the favourites of the manufactuers. The scenery of the neighbourhood is bold and impressive, but those enemies of the picturesque - pit coal and steam engines, have diminished the natural beauties, and substituted in their place employment for the poor, and increased opulence for the wealthy. The views from the summit of "The Wild Bank", elevated as it is thirteen hundred feet above sea level are very extensive and, though the axe of the woodman has prostrated the stately oaks, which in the time of the Staveleighs, and for several ages afterwards clothed the neighbouring valleys, yet there is still much here of grandeur and beauty. The ancient manor of the Staveleighs with the cinq-gabled front still exists, near the line of the Roman road, but the manorial rights have passed successively, by marriage to the Asshetons and Booths, and are now vested in the Earl of Stamford and Warrington. The early name of this manor and township was STAVELEY (Ormerod's Cheshire) or STAYLEY, and BRIDGE is a modern appendage arising from a bridge having been thrown over the ancient ford, to connect the two palatine counties. The localities and parochial connexion of Stayley Bridge are singular: it is partly in the hundred of Macclesfield, in the county of Chester, but principally in the hundred of Salford in the county of Lancaster; one eighth of the inhabitants residing in Longdendale and seven eighths in the division of Hartshead, in the parishes of Ashton and Stockport.
The growth of this place, both in population and trade, has been extremely rapid. In the year 1748, the number of houses it contained amounted to only 34, the number of inhabitants 140, but within the last 70 years its growth in trade has been matched by its growth of population from 140 to 12,000. Even within the last two years there have been built on the Dukinfield, the Mottram and the Ashton sides of Stayley Bridge from seven to eight hundred new houses.
| Mrs MARY ANN MATHER, Post Mistress, (Office, Bowling Green)
Letters arrive from Manchester every morning at 8, and are despatched at 3 afternoon |
| MISCELLANY - consisting of the Inhabitants not arranged in the Trades' Lists,
with the residences of the Gentry, Clergy and Manufacturers. |
| Bailey Abel, cotton spinner, h. Dukinfield
| Harrison Abel, cotton spinner, h. Wood
|
| Bailey Mrs Mary, Dukinfield
| Heap Jas, bookkeeper, Cockerhill
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| Bennett Rt., gentleman, Dukinfield
| Heywood John, Overlooker
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| Bentley John, timber merchant, h. Dukinfield
| Hilton John, Dukinfield
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| Binns, Mattw, farmer, Hopkins
| Hopwood Nancy, warve turner, Chapel Street
|
| Binns Wm, cotton spinner, h. Cockerhill
| Howard Daniel, cotton spinner, h. Cockerhill
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| Bower John & Sons, farmers, Stayley Hall
| Howard John, gentleman, Wood
|
| Brierley John, gentleman, near Rossbottom
| Leech John, cotton spinner, Dukinfield
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| Buckley Deborah, farmer, Wood
| Lees Jeremiah, cotton spinner, h. Cockerhill
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| Buckley Mary, gentlewoman, Wood
| Lees Thomas, gentleman, near Rossbottom
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| Burton Edward, warehouseman, Dukinfield
| Lilley John, yeoman, Stayley
|
| Burton Joseph, putter out, Dukinfield
| Love Edw, wharfinger to Hudd. Canal Co. Wood
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| Chadwick Mrs Ann, Rossbottom
| Milburn Wm, iron founder, h. Dukinfield
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| Chadwick Geo. cotton banding mkr, Chapel St
| Newton Geo, farmer, Arleys
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| Cheetham David, cotton spinner, h. nr Rossbottom
| Newton John, yeoman, near Rossbottom
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| Cheetham Geo, cotton spinner, h. Rossbottom
| Oldham Jas, cotton waste dlr, Caroline Street
|
| Cook Eliz. gentlewoman, Stocks
| Ousey Thos, yeoman, Ridgehill
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| Cook Jas, land surveyor, Cockerhill
| Robinson Thos, roller maker, h. Dukinfield
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| Davies Edw, overlooker, Dukinfield
| Saville John, bookkeeper, near Rosbottom
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| Evans Rd, bookkeeper, Cockerhill
| Saxon Wm, farmer, Ridgehill
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| Evans Thos, gentleman, Stayleybank
| Shepley Joseph, gentleman, Chapel Street
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| Fog Jas, farrier, Dukinfield
| Taylor Jas, overlooker, Dukinfield
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| France Rev.JN, incumbent & surgt, Hall Green
| Vaudrey Edward, cotton spinner, h. Dukinfield
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| Garside John, farmer, Glent
| Vaudrey EDW, cotton spinner, h. Dukinfield
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| Hall Jas, cotton spinner, h. Cockerhill
| Whitworth Francis, farmer, Wood
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| Hall Ralph, cotton spinner, h. Cockerhill
| Wood Abel, overlooker, Dukinfield
|
For LIST OF INHABITANTS - arranged according to their Professions and Trades go to.
