BROUGHTON-in-FURNESS, a market-town and
chapelry, in the parish of KIRKBY-REI,ETH, hundred
of LONSDALE, north of the sands, county palatine of
LANCASTER, 29 miles (N. W.) from Lancaster, and
270 (N.W. by N.) from London, containing 1253 inhabitants.
The town is situated on the southern declivity
of a gentle eminence, and is in the form of a
square: the houses are built of stone, and roofed with
blue slate. In the centre of it is a spacious square,
area, the ground for forming which was given by
John Gilpin, Esq., whose widow erected a handsome
lofty obelisk within it. Previously to the introduction
of machinery^ the spinning of woollen yarn prevailed
to a considerable extent in private houses: the making
of brush-stocks and hoops at present furnishes employment
to many of the inhabitants, particularly the
latter, owing to the number and extent of the coppices
on Furness Fells. The surrounding country is very
mountainous, abounding with mines of iron and copper
ore, and with slate quarries; a great quantity of the
slate is shipped at Dudden Sands, for conveyance coastwise:
iron, grain, malt, oak-bark, and hoops, are also
sent from the same place, in vessels averaging about
sixty tons' burden; and from a place about half a mile
below Dudden bridge, in vessels carrying twenty-five
tons, for which the aestuary is navigable at the flow of
the tide: coal and other articles of general consumption
are brought to these places, whence they are distributed
throughout the district. The market is on Friday:
fairs are held on April 27th and August 1st, for horned
cattle; and on the first Friday in October, for horned
cattle and sheep; those in April and October are also
statute fairs for the hiring of servants, and all are
much frequented by the clothiers from Yorkshire. The
living is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry of
Richmond, and diocese of Chester, endowed with £400
private benefaction, and £400 royal bounty, and in the
patronage of J. G. Saurey, Esq. The church is dedicated
to St. Mary Magdalene. There is a chapel of ease
at Seathwaite. Edward Taylor, by will dated in 1784,
bequeathed £ 100, on condition that £ 60 should be raised
by subscription, for the benefit of a grammar school:
these sums, with an additional sum of £36.10., amounting
in the whole to £196. 10., have been laid out in
the purchase of premises now used as a workhouse;
and the master is paid £6.8. annually out of the poor's
rate, charging also a quarterage for teaching: the
school-room was built by subscription on a piece of
waste ground.