CHAP. VII. <;i;<>\YTll <>F MA N< 'II KSTKIJ. 9 



extending from the Old Bridge (now Victoria Bridge) 

 to about the end of Gravel Lane a country road con- 

 taining only a few detached cottages. The compara- 

 tively rural character of Manchester may he inferred 

 from the circumstance that the Medlock and the Irk, the 

 Tib and Shooter's Brook, were favourite fishing streams. 

 Salmon were caught in the Medlock and at the mouth 

 of the Irk ; and the others were well stocked with 

 trout. The Medlock and the Irk are now as black as 

 old ink, and as thick ; but the Tib and Shooter's Brook 

 are entirely lost, having been absorbed, like the London 

 Fleet, in the sewage system of the town. Tib Street and 

 Tib Lane indicate the former course of the Tib ; but of 

 Shooter's Brook not a trace is left. 



The townships of Ardwick Green, Hulme, and Chorl- 

 ton-upon-Medlock (formerly called Chorlton Row), were 

 purely rural. The old rate-books of Chorlton Row exhibit 

 some curious facts as to the transformations effected in 

 that township. In 1720, a " lay" of 14d. in the pound 

 produced a sum of 26/. 18s., the whole disbursements 

 for the year amounting to 28/. 8s. 5J. From the 

 highway-rate laid in 1722, it appears that the contri- 

 butors were only twenty persons in all, whose payments 

 ranged from Sd. to II. 13s. 4c?., producing a total levy of 

 6/. 18s. IQd. for the year. From the disbursements, it 

 appears that the regular wage paid to the workmen em- 

 ployed was a shilling a-day. In 1750, a lay of 3d. in 

 the pound produced only 61. 2s. l^d. ; so that the popu- 

 lation and value of property in Chorlton Row had not 

 much increased during the thirty years that had passed. 

 In 1770, two brought in 57/. 8s. Qd. ; and in 1794, 

 four levies made in that year produced 208/. 2s. 4t/. ] 

 Among the list of contributors in the latter year we find 

 " Mrs. Quincey 16s. 6<7." the mother of De Quincey, 



1 Recent " poor-lays " exhibit a 



very different result from what they 

 diil in limner years. In 1SI5O-1 the 

 poor-rate levied in ( 'Imrlton-upon- 



Medlock yielded (at 2s. 1O7. in the 

 l*mnd), 18,798Z. ; the property in the 

 township beinj; of the rateable value 



of 145,8447. 



2 K 2 



