Assuming the total area to be 1,840 acres, the lands were thus divided: - Meadow and pasture land, 980 acres; arable land, 670 acres; site of buildings, 100 acres; roads, 50 acres; railway, 40

acres.

Traces of an ancient British encampment still exist in the township, towards the north. It is surrounded by a moat, and retains in part its early name, the "Peel" or the "Peel moat," from the Celtic Pill, a small fortress or stronghold.

Heaton Norris includes the several hamlets of Heaton Mersey, Norris Hill, Bank, Blackbrook, Bower-house, Folds, Top-o'thBank and Underbank. Of these the most important is Heaton Mersey, situated in the south division of the township on the banks of the Mersey, from which it receives its name. Here is situated Mauldeth Hall, the residence of the Bishop of Manchester, and formerly the seat of Mr. Edmund Wright, from whose

executors it was purchased by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in 1854. It is a modern mansion of stone, and is conjectured to have taken its name from an earlier designation of the site on which it

is erected-the Marled Earth-corrupted into Mauldeth. It was built by Mr. J. C. Dyer, from whom it was purchased by Mr. Wright the late owner. The grounds are of some extent, measuring upwards of a quarter of a mile from north to south, and nearly a quarter of a mile from east to west, and embracing an area of 89a. 2r. 9p. The estate is on the borders of the townships of Burnage and Heaton Norris, but in the latter township, and on the confines of the two dioceses of Manchester and Chester. It was conveyed by the representatives of the late Mr. Edmund Wright to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners by deed, dated February 7, 1854.

The earliest Population Returns for Heaton Norris are in the year 1774, at which time the township included within its limits 134 houses, four of which were untenanted; the number of families 141; individuals 769. Of these, two hundred and sixtyseven were under the age of 15; one hundred and thirteen above 50; fourteen above 60; twenty-one above 70; and seven above 80. In 1801 the township contained 422 houses, and 3,768 inhabitants.

In 1811 the inhabitants had increased to 5,232.

In 1821 there were 1,050 inhabited houses, 11 empty, and 12 in course of erection; families 1,429, whereof 72 were employed in agriculture, 1,353 in trade and manufactures, and 4 otherwise; total population 6,958.

In 1831, houses occupied 2,127, 11 building, and 59 empty; families 2,220, of whom 141 were chiefly engaged in agriculture, 1,713 in trade, and 366 otherwise employed; total population 11,238.

In 1841, houses occupied 2,772, ditto untenanted 587, ditto in the course of erection 11; total population 14,629.

In 1851, houses occupied 3,135, ditto untenanted 190, ditto in course of erection 14; total population 15,697.

In 1655 sixty persons in the township were rated to the relief of the poor; amongst whom were Anthony Ellcock, clerk, 18s. 6d., Edward Hulme and Thomas Williamson for Shaw House. The

total rate collected for the half-year ending November 25 was £22 10s. 84d. In 1847 the same rates amounted to £1,906

15s. 7d.

In 1692 the annual value of real property in the township, as assessed to the land-tax, was £281 15s.; in 1815, as assessed to the county-rate, £12,006; in 1829, £33,584; in 1841, £45,175; and in 1853, £47,202.

There were in the township in 1834, 23 public-houses.

The area of Heaton Norris, according to the computation of Rickman in the Census Returns of 1831, is 2,180 acres; Messrs. Johnson and Son estimate it at 2,126 acres; the Tithe Commissioners, as adopted in the Census Returns of 1851, 2,108 acres ; and the Ordnance Survey 2,115a. 1r. 20p.

The township is intersected by the London and North-Western Railway, which crosses the Mersey by a stupendous viaduct.

In 1826 a new turnpike road, called the Wellington Road, from Manchester to Buxton, was opened to the public; commencing at Heaton Chapel, it is carried on arches over the town of Stockport from north to south, and was constructed at an expense of £30,000. The old road, now disused, was formerly known as the High-street. Amongst the ratepayers in 1655 was John Holt of Streethouses, the name, doubtless, of some cottages built by the road side.

The Ashton, Manchester and Oldham Canal terminates at Lancashire Hill, a steep acclivity above the Mersey.

Heaton Norris has two charitable foundations exclusively its own;

1. HOLLINGPRIEST'S CHARITY.

John Hollingpriest, by will bearing date August 5, 1785, gave to his executors the sum of £200 upon trust, to dispose of the same for the use and benefit of the charity school situate upon the turnpike road in Heaton Norris in such manner. as to the said executors shall seem best.

Mr. John Lingard was the surviving executor, and upon his

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death his representatives paid the sum of £200 to Messrs. Lingard and Vaughan, solicitors at Stockport, who lent the same on the 31st of May 1816, to John Holt at 5 per cent interest; and as a security for this money six houses in Dale-street Stockport were mortgaged to John Vaughan Esq. Messrs. Lingard and Vaughan have regularly accounted for the yearly sum of £10, though they have not received the interest from the mortgager since May 1820. The school to which the above-mentioned donation was made is situate near St. Thomas's Chapel, and appears to have been erected upon the waste by subscription about a century ago, and to have been repaired by the same means. The building consists of two stories, of which the lower is applied to the purposes of a schoolroom, the upper story being divided into apartments, and used as a residence for the schoolmaster. A small play-ground, containing about twenty perches, adjoins the school. The master of this school is appointed by the inhabitants of the township of Heaton Norris, and he receives £9 per annum from Messrs. Lingard and Vaughan in respect of Hollingpriest's legacy, £1 being retained by them for their trouble. The master has upon an average about ninety scholars, who are instructed upon his own terms in reading, writing and accounts; no children being taught gratuitously.1

2. TITHE BARN CHARITY SCHOOL.

There are in the township of Heaton Norris certain premises adjoining an estate called the Tithe Barn House, which appear to have been appropriated for the support of a school. They consist of two cottages with gardens, and a small plot of ground in front, formerly used as a play ground for the scholars. These premises formerly constituted part of the waste of the manor belonging to Wilbraham Egerton Esq., and it is reputed that the cottages were built by a subscription upwards of sixty years ago, and that at the same time Richard Jepson, George Fletcher, John Chorlton and Edward Norris were nominated trustees for the school, for the support of which these premises were intended, but it does not

' Commissioners' Report of 1826, vol. xvi. p. 198.

appear that any deed was executed for conveying the legal estate to those persons. From this period up to the year 1818 it seems that there were always four persons who acted as trustees in letting the property or such part thereof as was not occupied by the master, and in ordering the necessary repairs and in receiving and paying the rents, for which purpose they met annually on Christmas day, and upon a vacancy appointed the schoolmaster; but since 1818 no meetings have been held. Thomas Jepson, the grandson of Richard Jepson above-mentioned, is now the only survivor of those who were acting as trustees in 1818, and the vacancies which have occured since that time have not been filled up. In 1816 Thomas Higson was appointed schoolmaster, and one of the cottages was given up to him for his residence, but a certain rent was reserved; the other cottage was let. As long as the annual meetings were held, the amount of the clear rents, after deducting the expenses of repairs, was paid by the acting trustees to the schoolmaster for his stipend, and on this account he was required to teach a few children of the township or neighbourhood without any further charge. Since 1818 the schoolmaster has continued in the occupation of one of the cottages, with the garden thereto attached, without accounting for any rent, but for several years he has not had a single scholar. Applications have therefore been made to him by some of the principal inhabitants of the township to give up possession of the premises, but this, up to the time of our inquiry (February 1826) he had refused to do, upon the plea that he was willing to teach any children if they were sent to him. It appeared, however, to us that he was, from ill-health and indolent habits, totally unfit for the situation of schoolmaster; and we stated to him our opinion that he had no right to retain possession of these premises except upon the terms of keeping school, which he was incompetent to fulfil, and he engaged to give them up in the course of a month from that time. The cottage in the possession of Higson is in a fair state of repair, and is worth about £6 per annum. The other cottage is now in the possession of William Williamson as yearly tenant at a good rent of £5 5s.