66 A HISTORY OF LOXGRIDGE. [Chap. 2. 



EEV. EICHAED DIXON — 1730-43. 



The Eev. Eichard Dixon was appointed to the curacy of Longridge 

 Church on the nomination of Sir Henry Hoghton, Bart., the patron of 

 the living. He died at Longridge in 1743. 



BEV. JOHN SH/UIPE — 1743-80. 



Sir Henry Hoghton, Bart., also nominated the Eev. John Sharpe to 

 the curacy of the Church at Longridge, on the death of Mr. Dixon, 

 and it appears he died in March, 1780, according to a document in my 

 possession, which states that the vicarage (or curacy, as it then was) of 

 Longridge was vacant on March 15th, 1780, as is declared by a "letter 

 of sequestration " bearing this date, addressed to the Eev. Eobert 

 Parkinson (soon afterwards appointed vicar), and George EatcUffe, 

 chapel warden. Mention is made of the late vicar, the Eev. John 



Sharpe. 



So scanty are the records of ecclesiastical history of Longridge down 

 to 1780, that we can find absolutely no information, beyond that 

 already given, about the Vicars of Longridge, notwithstanding that 

 most careful and diligent search has been made among the church 

 papers of the various parishes in the district. Nor can we find that 

 any of these gentlemen held any other appointments prior to their 

 being at Longridge (except Eev.T. Smith, who was curate of Bradshaw). 



REV. ROBERT PARKINSON — 1780-1829. 



The Eev. Eobert Parkinson, whose nephew. Canon Parkinson, of 

 Manchester, was the distinguished author of " The Old Church Clock," 

 and other works, was perpetual curate of tho Chapelry of Longridge 

 for forty-eight years. He was appointed in 1780, and died in 1828, 

 aged 72. " He was," says Canon Parkinson in his " Old Church 

 Clock," " the Eobert Walker of a somewhat higher tone and sphere. 

 His income fi'om his living, during the time of his incumbency, rose 

 from about £40 a year to £140, where it stopped. The population in 

 the meantime — of tho worst kind as far as ministerial labour is con- 

 cerned, being universally poor, and consisting one-half of Eoman 

 Catholics, and almost all poor hand-loom weavers — advanced from 

 about 400 to 2,000. During his incumbency he enlarged his small 

 Chapel, without any expense to the ylace, so as to hold 700 

 worshippers, and left behind him what he did not find — a parsonage 



