Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for TOPCLIFFE

TOPCLIFFE, a village, a township, a parish, and a sub-district, in N. R. Yorkshire. The village stands on the river Swale, 2¼ miles SSE of the Ripon and Thirsk railway, and 4½ SSW of Thirsk; and has a station on the railway, a post-office under Thirsk, and fairs on 17 July and 8 Oct. The township comprises 4,066 acres. Real property, £5,426. Pop., 676. Houses, 135.—The parish contains five townships in Thirsk district, and five in Ripon district; and comprises 15,565 acres. Pop., 2,800. Houses, 605. The property is much subdivided. Maiden-Bower belonged to the Percys, Earls of Northumberland; was the place where Henry, the fourth Earl, fell a victim to an enraged populace,-the place where Thomas, the fifth Earl, formed a conspiracy against Queen Elizabeth, and the place where Charles I. was imprisoned previous to being delivered up to the Scottish army; and is now represented only by mere traces. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of York. Value, £600.* Patrons, the Dean and Chapter of York. The church is good. The p. curacies of Baldersby, Dishforth, Marton-le-Moor, and Skipton-Bridge are separate benefices. There are an endowed grammar-school with £92 a year, and charities £107.—The sub-district contains the townships of T. in Thirsk district, and four other townships. Acres, 12,537. Pop., 1,810. Houses, 375.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a village, a township, a parish, and a sub-district"   (ADL Feature Type: "populated places")
Administrative units: Topcliffe Tn/CP/AP       Topcliffe SubD       Yorkshire AncC
Place: Topcliffe

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