BUDWORTH (GREAT), a parish, county palatine of CHESTER,
comprising the chapelry of Hartford, and the townships of Castle-
Northwich and Winnington, in the second division of
the hundred of EDDISBURY; the chapelries of Northwich,
Nether Peover, and Witton with Twambrook, and
the townships of Allostock, Birches, Hulse, Lack-Dennis,
Lostock-Gralam, and a small portion of that of Rudheath,
in the hundred of NORTHWICH; and the chapelries
of Aston by Budworth, Little Leigh, and Stretton, and
the townships of Anderton, Antrobus, Barnton, Bartington,
Great Budworth, Cogshall, Comberbach, Crowley,
Dutton, Hull with Appleton, Marbury, Marston,
Little Peover, Pickmere, Plumley, Seven-Oaks, Tabley
Inferior, Lower Whitley, Over Whitley, and Wincham, in
the hundred of BUCKLOW, county palatine of CHESTER,
and containing 14,344 inhabitants, of which number,
501 are in the township of Great Budworth, 3 miles
(N. by E.) from Northwich. The living is a vicarage, in
the archdeaconry and diocese of Chester, rated in the
Icing's books at £6. 10., and in the patronage of the
Dean and Canons of Christ Church, Oxford. The
church, dedicated to St. Mary and All Saints, con'
sists of a nave, chancel, side aisles, and two transepts,
with a fine tower; it sustained considerable damage
from the parliamentarian troops in 1647, who destroyed
the pipes of the organ, and perpetrated other
outrages. The village is pleasantly situated on a gentle
acclivity, near two sheets of water, called Budworthniere
and Pic-mere. The inhabitants are employed to
a considerable extent in the manufacture of salt, which
prevails throughout the entire neighbourhood. The
river Weaver and the Duke of Bridgewater's canal
pass through the parish. In the north-eastern angle
of the churchyard is a school-room, supposed to
have been built by John Dean, rector of St.
Bartholomew's the Great, London, about the year 1600,
and endowed with the interest of £200 given by Mr.
Pickering of Thelwall, and Mrs. Glover.