SANDBACH, a parish, county palatine of CHESTER, comprising the market-town
of Sandbach, the chapelries of Church-Hulme, and
Goostrey with Barnshaw, and the townships of Arclid,
Blackden, Bradwell, Cotton, Cranage, Leese, Twemlow,
Wheelock, and a small portion of Rudheath, in the hundred
of NORTHWICH, and the townships of Bechton and
Hassall, in that of NANTWICH, county palatine of CHESTER,
and containing 6369 inhabitants, of which number,
2905 are in the town of Sandbach, 26 miles (E. by S.)
from Chester, and 162 (N.W.) from London. This
town occupies a pleasant eminence near the small river
Wheelock, which falls into the Dane, in the midst of a
fertile tract, and commands, from certain points, extensive
views of a rich landscape, embracing the Vale
Royal, the hills of Staffordshire and Derbyshire, and the
distant motmtains of Wales. The worsted trade, and
the manufacture of shoes, formerly prevailed; but they
have been succeeded by the throwing of silk, and the
manufacture of this article, in its various branches, by
which the town has considerably advanced in importance
and prosperity within the last twenty years; the
malt trade, which was formerly carried on, has also declined;
here are some brine springs. The Grand Trunk
canal passes through the parish. A charter for a market
was obtained in the seventeenth century; it is held
on Thursday; and fairs are on Easter Tuesday and
Wednesday, the first Thursday after the llth of September,
and a statute and pleasure fair on December
27th, for cattle and wearing apparel: in the market-place
are some ancient crosses, which were repaired in 1816.
A court is held occasionally by the lord of the manor,
and two constables are appointed at the petty sessions
of the county magistrates.
The living is a vicarage, in the archdeaconry and
diocese of Chester, rated in the king's books at
£15. 10. 2., and in the patronage of the Rev. Mr.
Armitstead. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is principally
in the later English style. There are places of
worship for Independents, and Primitive and Wesleyan
Methodists. Some small benefactions have been made
at different periods for the instruction of poor children,
the principal of which are, a school-house, erected in
1694, at the expense of Francis Wells; and a bequest
of £ 200, for teaching three boys in it, and preparing them
for the University; also £420 as an endowment for the
school, which is under the superintendence of trustees,
for the instruction of twenty children of this parish
in the rudiments of an English education. A National
school is supported by voluntary contributions.