ALTRINCHAM, a market-town and chapelry in the parish of
BOWDON, hundred of BUCKLOW, county palatine of CHESTER,7 miles
(N. by E.) from NetherKnutsford, and 179 (N. W. by N.) from
London, containing 2302 inhabitants. The town is situated on
Bowdon Downs, and, though small, contains several respectable
dwelling-houses, the salubrity of the air rendering it a place
of general resort for invalids from Manchester: it is watched
and lighted by subscription, and is characterised throughout
by cleanliness and neatness. The trade principally consists in
the spinning of yarn, the making of bobbins for cotton and
worsted spinners, and the weaving of cotton by hand-looms for
the manufacturers at Manchester and other adjacent towns. The
Duke of Bridgewater's canal from Manchester to Runcorn passes
through the town,- and affords a facility of conveyance for
coal. Early potatoes are cultivated here to a great extent for
the Manchester market. The market days are Tuesday and
Saturday, the latter being only for butchers' meat: the fairs,
chiefly for the sale of live stock, are held on April 29th,
August 5th, and November 22nd; to the two last are attached
courts of pie - powder. Altrincham was made a free borough in
the reign of Edward I., by charter of Hamon de Massey, lord of
the barony of Dunham-Massey, whereby the burgesses were
empowered to have a guild merchant, and to choose a
prapositus, or bailiff; but the only privilege they now
possess is that of electing a mayor at a court leet held in
autumn, when a jury of burgesses present three of their own
body to the steward, who appoints one to the office, which is
merely nominal, and the duty of which extends only to the
opening of the fairs, the town being wholly within the
jurisdiction of the county magistrates. Pleas were formerly
held in the lord's court, but they have of late been
discontinued. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the
archdeaconry and diocese of Chester, endowed with £1000
parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of the Earl of
Stamford and Warrington. The chapel, dedicated to St. George,
is a plain brick building, erected by subscription in 1799.
There are two places of worship for Methodists, and one for
Unitarians. The Jubilee school, built in 1810, is supported by
subscription.