Category: Cumberland

Rules of Wigton Female Friendly Society from Frederick Morton Eden’s ‘The State of the Poor’ (1797)

By Peter Collinge

Morton summarises the main rules of the society and adds his own comments.

Healthy women under 43 years of age are admitted, on paying 1s 9d, entrance money, 7d box money, and 1d towards providing a doctor.

A member of 3 years standing is allowed, in case of sickness, 5s a week for the first 10 weeks; 3s a week there afterwards; but no sickness, or lameness, in the time of pregnancy, entitles a member to relief from the Society; but if they are the consequence of pregnancy, such member is entitled to the allowance, to commence one month after her lying in. £5 are allowed towards the funeral expenses of a member, and £2 towards the funeral expenses of a husband; but a member cannot receive the last allowance more than once in her life.

Widows are allowed £2 on the death of a child; and unmarried members £2 on the death of a father, brother &c.

Members disclosing the secrets of the Society, upbraiding one another, refusing to be silent, after due notice, &c are liable to a fine; the framers of these rules, which are very minute, seem to have entertained strong ideas of the loquacity of the sex.

The following rule seems well calculated to punish dissoluteness of manners, among the female part of the labouring class.

If any single or unmarried woman, having had a child, before she entered the Society, shall commit the same crime, when in the Society, she shall be excluded; or, if any married woman shall have a child in the absence of her husband, she also shall be excluded, provided she cannot satisfy the Society in six months.

Members of 20 years standing are allowed 2s a week for life, while the fund consists of £100 and upwards.

For managing the concerns, and keeping the keys of the strong box of this Society, two stewardesses are taken by rotation, and continue six months in office; two collectors, who are chosen by the stewardesses, collect fines, &c: a beadle, and warden, (both females), are likewise taken by rotation; the former is the message bearer, and the latter inspects the public affairs of the Society, to see that the officers discharge their duty, and attends the door on club nights. A committee of six women, is taken by rotation, from the roll every six months, whose business is to determine all controversies, to accept members, with the concurrence of the stewardesses, and to give their assent to the lending or disposing of money, or other things, belonging to this Society. The club meets once a month at an ale house in Wigton, the landlady of which is bound under the penalty of 2s 6d to find them good ale.

A Description of Wigton from William White, History Directory and Gazetteer of Cumberland and Westmorland (Leeds: Edward Baines and Co.,1829)

By Peter Collinge

Though the pressure of the poor rates appear to be as heavy here [in Cumberland] as in most other parts of the kingdom, it would still be much greater if its evils were not alleviated by the munificent posthumous charities that have been bequeathed at different periods…

Population of Wigton parish

1801 3357

1811 4051

1821 houses 991, families 1240, persons 5456

Wigton Parish is about 5 miles in length and three in breadth … On its western side is the river Waver, besides which it is intersected by several small brooks, and the Wiza rivulet, and contains a small lake called Martin Tarn, in which pike, perch and eels are taken. The land is generally low but possesses a dry and fertile soil, varying from loam, clay and gravel. Here is plenty of red freestone, but no limestone or coal. A spring called Hally-well, rises from iron ore; and near Kirkland is a ‘Spaw well’ said to possess medicinal virtues and also a powerful spring, which sends forth to the Wiza about nine gallons per minute. The parish contains four townships, of which the following forms an enumeration.

Wigton Parish 1801

persons

 1811

persons

 1821

houses

 1821

families

 1821 persons
Oulton twp 294 321 76 77 336
Waverton High and Low twp 375 409 89 89 477
Wigton twp 2450 2977 729 956 4056
Woodside Quarter twp 238 344 97 118 587
Total 3357 4051 991 1240 5456

 

Wigton, the capital of this parish and of the Deanery to which it gives its name, is a neat, commodious, and well-built market town, standing in a pleasant and healthy situation … The streets are tolerably spacious, and contain many good houses. During the last thirty years many improvement have been effected. The heavy and clumsily built shambles and market cross, which so much incommoded the market place, have been removed, and the site formed into a spacious square, with an ornamental cast iron pump in the centre. The late Mr T. Holmes erected several elegant buildings, which have greatly improved the eastern aspect of the town. The high roads in the vicinity are now in excellent repair, and some new ones were formed and several good bridges built about twenty years since, under the inspection of Mr T. Bushby. Since the year 1801, Wigton has nearly doubled its population, owing to the inclosure of the commons and the increase of its manufactures, which formerly consisted of tow-cloth, Osnaburghs, coarse linens, striped checks, and calicoes, but of late years fustians, muslins, ginghams, &c have been introduced. An establishment for the printing of calicoes was commenced at the Spittal in 1790 by Messrs. Brummell and Irving. Here are also three dyehouses, and three hat and five nail manufactories, besides several breweries, tanneries &c, &c… The town is supplied with coal and lime from Bolton about four miles distant … A market is held every Thursday and a Horse Fair on the 20 February and a fair for cattle and merchandise on 5 April.

Wigton church, dedicated to St Mary, is a large elegant fabric, which was built in 1788. There was a Free Chapel in Wigton, called the Hospital of St Leonard, but its founder is unknown.

The church is the only episcopal place of worship in the whole of this populous parish; but there are in the town four dissenting chapels viz. the Friends’ Meeting House, in Allonby Road; the Independent Calvinist Chapel, at Market Hill, built in 1819, and two Wesleyan Methodist Chapels, one of which is an old building, (erected in 1788) in Meeting House Lane, and the other is a neat edifice, built in 1828 in George Street.

The Hospital in Wigton was founded in 1725, for the reception of six indigent widows of Protestant beneficed clergymen … £9 per annum is paid to each of the six inmates, and 10s extra to the eldest, who is appointed governess. They each have three apartments in the hospital, which is a humble but comfortable edifice … The Workhouse for Wigton is in Old Lane. William Buttery is the governor and assistant overseer. The sum collected for the poor rates in 1803 was £727 3s 2d …

There is in the town a Master Mason’s Lodge, No. 614; and also a Royal Arch Chapter, No 156, besides a few small annual benefit societies.

Wigton Free Grammar School: The school room and master’s house were built by the Revd Robert Tomlinson in 1730, the parishioners being at the expense of leading the materials and providing the ground … The headmaster is regularly to teach the Greek and Latin languages, except on Thursdays when he is allowed to teach his own scholars writing, arithmetic, mathematics, history, geography &c… The school is free to the children of the owners or occupiers of the farms or tenements, whose former proprietors contributed either money, materials or labour towards its erection or endowment… Mr Robert Sumners is the head master, and Mr Joseph Scott the second master.

Here are two Sunday schools, one attached to the Calvinist chapel where 80 children attend, and one belonging to the church, where about 240 boys and girls are generally in attendance. The latter is a spacious edifice, which was built in 182o.

A lending parochial library was established at Wigton by the associates of the late Dr Bray in 1783 but the collection of books is not very valuable. Here is also a Subscription Library in Church Street and a Circulating Library at Mr Ismay’s in King Street. In the latter street there is likewise a Subscription News Room, and at the Calvinist chapel there is a Congregational Library, to which each member, on being initiated, contributes a book, and continues to pay a yearly subscription.

Description of Wigton from Pigot and Co., Directory of Cheshire–Northumberland, Part 1, 1828–1829 (London and Manchester, 1828)

By Peter Collinge

WIGTON, a market town, in a parish of the same name and in the ward of Cumberland, is 305 miles from London, 16 from Maryport, 15 from Keswick, 14 from Cockermouth, and 11 from Carlisle. The town is tolerably well built, and consists of one long spacious street, many of the houses being handsome and modern. The Earl of Egremont is lord of the manor or barony of Wigton, and holds a court leet twice in the year, at one of which a constable is appointed; but the general government of the town lies with the county magistrates. The church, a neat light structure, was erected in 1788, and [there] is a vicarage, in the patronage of the bishop of the diocese: the present incumbent is the Revd Jonathan Irving. Here are chapels for the Wesleyan Methodists, independents, and a friends’ meeting house; also a free grammar school, and an hospital for six clergymen’s widows. Brookfield school, near the town, was established in 1826 by the Society of Friends, for the education of sixty scholars. Here are subscription, parochial, and diocesan libraries; last named presented by Dr Bray, for the use of the clergy. The principal manufactures of Wigton comprise checks, ginghams, calicos, and some linens, an extensive calico printing establishment; and a silk hat manufactory are also in the town. At a short distance from it pass the rivers Wampool and Waver, which turn a number of corn mills: coals are worked three miles off, and copper about five miles from Wigton.

About a mile to the south are the ruins of a Roman station, called “Old Carlisle,” where many antiquities have, at various times, been found. Wigton is seated in a beautiful and healthy part of the county in a fine agricultural district: the land in the vicinity of the town is flat, fertile, and well-cultivated … The weekly market is on Tuesday, which is well supplied with corn, butcher’s meat, &c. On St. Thomas’ day is also a very large one for butcher’s meat, apples, and honey. Fairs are 20th February for horses, which is one of the very largest in the north of England, 5th of April for cattle and horses, and on Whitsun Tuesday for cattle and the hiring agricultural servants, &c. In 1821 the township of Wigton contained 4,056 inhabitants.