A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



Crompton, built in 1872, consecrated in 1878, and 

 since enlarged, is in the Bishop of Manchester's 

 patronage. 47 



There are Wesleyan, Primitive, and Free Methodist 

 churches. 



The Congregational church at Shaw originated in 

 services begun in 1847, but suspended for a time. 

 A small chapel, purchased from the Wesleyans, was 

 opened in 1856 to serve for Shaw and Roy ton. Shaw 

 became separate in 1 86 1, but afterwards the work 

 ceased. Afresh start was made in 1886, an iron 

 chapel being erected, followed by the present build- 

 ing. 48 



The Roman Catholic Church of St. Joseph, Shaw 

 Edge, built in 1874, was rebuilt in 1896. 



In 1856 the Mormons had a meeting-place at 

 Shaw. 



ROYTON 



Ruhwinton, 1212 ; Ritton, 1226 ; Ryton, 1260 

 usual ; Ruyton, 1332. 



The extreme measurements of Royton are about 

 2 miles from east to west, and ij from north to 

 south ; the area is 1,372 acres. 1 The general slope 

 of its hilly surface is from east to west, the limits 

 being 825 ft. on Oldham Edge and 400 ft. at Street 

 Bridge. The old village of Royton, which has now 

 become a small town, is situated in a deep valley in 

 the north-west quarter of the township ; to the south- 

 west of it are the hamlets of Haggate, Royley, and 

 Holdenfold ; to the north-west lies Thorpe ; to the 

 north, Dogford ; to the east are Luzley Brook and 

 Heyside ; and to the south Longsight. The River 

 Irk rises on the northern border, and flows west along 

 it, Oldham has begun to spread over the southern 

 border. The population in 1901 was 14,881, in- 

 cluding part of that of Thornham. 1 



The principal road is that from Oldham to Roch- 

 dale, which passes through the town. A branch of it 

 goes north-east to Shaw, to which place another road 

 from Oldham passes through the township. Another 

 important road is that from Royton to Middleton. 

 The Oldham and Rochdale branch of the Lancashire 

 and Yorkshire Railway passes through one corner of 

 the township ; a branch line from the north of Old- 

 ham runs north-west to Royton, its terminus. The 

 Oldham electric tramway to Crompton passes through 

 the township. 



The soil is sand, with subsoil of clay. Hay is the 

 chief crop. There are large cotton factories ; fustian 

 cutting is carried on, and there is a colliery. 3 



About 1780 Royton village 'contained only a few 

 straggling and mean-built cottages,' but with the 

 introduction of the weaving of fustians and other 

 branches of the cotton manufacture it increased 

 rapidly. 4 A local board was formed in 1863, and 

 the bounds were extended by the addition of part 

 of Thornham in 1879.* A town na ll an d market 

 were built in 1880. The local board gave place in 

 1894 to an urban district council of fifteen members, 

 chosen for five wards Dogford, Dryclough, Hag- 

 gate, Heyside, and Thornham. There is a cemetery 

 in Rochdale Road, opened in 1879. 



The ' wakes ' are held on the first Saturday in 

 August. 



At Whitebanks, near Oldham Edge, there was *a 

 good chalybeate spring.' r 



An account of Royton, its chapel, politics, and 

 celebrities, written by John Higson, is printed in 

 Oldham Notes and Gleanings. 6 John Butterworth, a 

 noted mathematician, who died in 1845, is buried in 

 the churchyard. George Travis, born at Royton in 

 1741, became vicar of Eastham and Archdeacon of 

 Chester, dying in 1797. He distinguished himself by 

 his knowledge of the law of tithe, which he used to 

 advance the value of his benefice from 30 to 100 

 a year. He also had a bitter controversy with Gibbon 

 and Porson, defending the authenticity of I John v. 

 7.' Richard Dean, 172778, was another divine 

 and author. 10 



A local saying, of unknown origin, refers to * the 

 seven that came from Royton.' u 



The residence of Richard and Thomas Percival in 

 1666 had twelve hearths liable to the tax ; the rest 

 of the township brought the total up to 54." 



In 1 21 2 ROTTON was held of the 

 MdNOR king in thegnage as twelve oxgangs of land 

 by a rent of 24^., the tenant being Wil- 

 liam Fitz William. 13 William died about the end of 

 1223, and was succeeded by his son Thomas, 14 who 

 was still living in I254- 15 Thomas had a daughter 

 Margery, who married Alexander Luttrell of Somer- 

 set, and in or before 1260 they sold nine oxgangs in 

 Royton and 60 acres in Thorpe and Healey to John 

 de Byron. 16 It appears, however, that Alice de 

 Byron, mother of Roger, had ' the whole town ' in 

 1246, and had farmed it out to Roger Gernet. 17 



4 7 For district, Land. Gaa. 9 July, 1878. 



48 Nightingale, Lanes. Nonconf. v, 264-6. 

 1 2,145, including n of inland water, 



according to the Census Rep. 1901 ; this 

 includes the added portion of Thornham. 



3 Pop. Ret. 1901. 



8 In 1795 the farms were small; the 

 land was mostly pasture, but oats, potatoes, 

 and a few turnips were grown. There 

 were then ' a great number of cotton mills 

 and a fulling mill, chiefly for the Rochdale 

 baize.' The collieries had been worked 

 for a century. Freestone was obtained ; 

 Aikin, Country Round Manch. 238, 239. 



4 Butterworth, Oldham, 97. The people 

 were formerly very Radical in their politics. 

 In 1794 they held a reform meeting, but 

 were put to flight by a mob from Oldham ; 

 the episode was called the ' Royton Races ' ; 

 ibid. 137. 



4 Land. Gais. 16 Oct. 1863. 



6 Local Govt. Bd. Order 31625; the 



population of the included portion was 

 939. 7 Butterworth, op. cit. 107. 



8 Vol. i, 181-5. A list of curates is 

 given. It is mentioned that a botanical 

 society was formed there in 1794. 



9 Diet. Nat. Biog. ; Scott, Admissions to 

 St. 'John's Coll. Camb. iii, 159, 671. 



10 Diet. Nat. Biog. 



11 Lanes, and Ches. Antij. Soc. vi, 182. 



12 Subs. R. bdle. 250, no. 9, Lanes. 



18 Lanes. Inq. and Extents (Rec. Soc. 

 Lanes, and Ches.), i, 69. For pedigree see 

 Collins, Peerage (1779), v, 160-1. 



14 On 23 Feb. 1223-4 the sheriff was 

 ordered to take security for his relief, and 

 give seisin ; Thomas had already done 

 homage and fealty ; Fine R. 8 Hen. Ill, 

 m. 9. William's name, however, is re- 

 tained in the roll of 1226 ; Lanes. Inq. and 

 Extents, i, 138. 



15 The sheriff was in 1254-5 ordered 

 to make a perambulation between the 



112 



lands of Thomas Fitz William in Royton 

 and Geoffrey de Chetham in Crompton ; 

 Close R. 70, m. 8 d. 



In 1253 Alice de Sar" and her sisters 

 Cecily and Agnes charged Cecily widow 

 of Richard de Royton with being con- 

 cerned in the burning of their houses, &c.; 

 Curia Regis R. 150, m. 8 d. 



William de Royton contributed to the 

 subsidy in 1332; Exc h. Lay Subs. (Rec. 

 Soc. Lanes, and Ches.), 31. 



16 Final Cone. (Rec. Soc. Lanes, and 

 Ches.), i, 133. See also the agreement 

 of 1270, from Close R. 91, m. 5 d., printed 

 in the same volume, 216. The grant by 

 the Luttrells is given in the Black Bk. 

 of Clayton, no. 62/47 5 a rent ^ *d. was 

 due to the grantors. 



*' Assize R. 404, m. rod. ; the record 

 is corrupt, there being some confusion be- 

 tween Alice and a Margery perhaps the 

 above-named wife of Alexander Luttrell. 



