Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for THORNHILL

THORNHILL, a village, a township, and a sub-district, in Dewsbury district, and a parish partly also in Wakefield district, W. R. Yorkshire. The village stands ¾ mile S of the Huddersfield and Wakefield railway, and 2 SSE of Dewsbury; was once a market-town; and has a post-office under Dewsbury, a r. station with telegraph, a church partly rebuilt in 1777, five dissenting chapels, two endowed schools with £71 a year, and charities about £200.-The township contains also three hamlets, and The rising suburb of Dewsbury called Savile-Town; and comprises 2,487 acres. Real property, £9,940; of which £2,500 are in mines. Pop. in 1851, 2,791: in 1861, 3,479. Houses, 690. The increase of pop. arose from the extension of glass-works, and the opening of a new colliery. The manor belongs to H. Savile, Esq.—The sub-district contains also Lower Whitley township, and comprises 3,498 acres. Pop., 4,521. Houses, 892.—The parish includes likewise Shitlington township and Flockton chapelry, and comprises 7,997 acres. Pop. in 1851, 6,858; in 1861, 7,633. Houses, 1,538. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Ripon. Value, £1,100. Patrons, the Savile Family. The vicarages of Thornhill-Lees, Lower Whitley, and Flockton are separate benefices.


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

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a village, a township, and a sub-district"   (ADL Feature Type: "populated places")
Administrative units: Thornhill AP/CP       Wakefield RegD/PLU       Yorkshire AncC
Place: Thornhill

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