Sleaford, New (St. Denis)
SLEAFORD, NEW (St. Denis), a market-town and
parish, and the head of a union, in the wapentake of
Flaxwell, parts of Kesteven, county of Lincoln,
18 miles (S. S. E.) from Lincoln, and 116 (N. by W.)
from London; containing, with the hamlet of Holdingham, 3382 inhabitants, of whom 3184 are in the town.
The name in ancient records is written La Ford, and Eslaforde. A castle appears to have been erected here at
an early period, but of its history there are few records,
and of the building only some trifling remains. The
town is situated on the road from London to Lincoln,
is of respectable appearance, and gradually improving
in buildings and in importance; it is well paved, and
lighted with gas, and the inhabitants are supplied with
water from an adjacent spring, called Bully or Boiling
wells. There is a small theatre, erected in 1824. A
canal connects the town with Boston, Lincoln, and the
Trent navigation, and greatly promotes the trade. The
market is on Monday; and fairs take place on PloughMonday, Easter-Monday, Whit-Monday, August 11th,
and October 20th, for horses, cattle, sheep, and provisions. The quarter-sessions for the parts of Kesteven
are held here, by adjournment from Bourne. The powers
of the county debt-court of Sleaford, established in 1847,
extend over the registration-district of Sleaford. The
old town-hall, being greatly dilapidated, has been pulled
down, and a handsome edifice in the later English style
erected. The parish comprises by measurement 2000
acres; the substratum abounds with stone, of good
quality for building, and which is also burnt into lime.
The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the
king's books at £8; net income, £170; patron, the
Bishop of Lincoln. The tithes were commuted for land
and a money payment in 1794; the glebe comprises about
100 acres. The church exhibits some fine specimens of
almost every period of English architecture, and consists
of a nave, aisles, a large transept on the north side, and
a chancel. At the west end is a tower, erected about
1150, which is by far the most ancient part of the
building; it is in the early English style, and surmounted
by a spire of later date. In the chancel are three stalls,
in the later style, and at the entrance to it are the
screen and canopy of the old rood-loft; the edifice also
contains several ancient monuments, chiefly to the family
of Carr, formerly lords of the manor. There are places
of worship for the Connexion of the Countess of Huntingdon, Independents, and Wesleyans. The free grammar school was founded in 1604, by Robert Carr, who
endowed it with £20 per annum, subsequently increased
to £80, with a handsome dwelling-house: the master
is appointed by the Marquess of Bristol, as owner of the
"late fair castle of Sleaford," for which he pays to the
crown £40 per annum. An hospital for a chaplain and
twelve men, was founded and endowed by Sir Robert
Carr, Bart., in 1636, and an appropriate chapel was
erected in 1823, in which the chaplain officiates twice in
the week. A school was endowed with land by William
Alvey, in 1729. The poor-law union of Sleaford comprises 56 parishes or places, and contains a population
of 23,234. The bishops of Lincoln had anciently a
magnificent palace here, in which King John sojourned
for one night on his route to Newark; but no part
remains except the foundations. A branch of the
Ermin-street passes through this parish and that of Old
Sleaford.
Sleaford, Old (St. Giles)
SLEAFORD, OLD (St. Giles), a parish, in the
union of Sleaford, wapentake of Flaxwell, parts of
Kesteven, county of Lincoln, 1 mile (S. E.) from the
town of New Sleaford; containing 345 inhabitants. The
church has been demolished upwards of 200 years, for
which period there has been no presentation, the vicarage being supposed to have merged into the impropriation, and the inhabitants attending divine service at
Quarrington. The vicarage is valued in the king's books
at £4. 10.
Sleagill
SLEAGILL, a township, in the parish of Morland,
West ward and union, county of Westmorland, 2½
miles (S. W.) from the village of Morland; containing
153 inhabitants. Coal is obtained here. The tithes
were commuted for land, under acts of inclosure, in
1779 and 1803. The sum of £6 per annum, the produce of land, is paid to a schoolmaster.
Sleap
SLEAP, a township, partly in the parish of Wem,
Whitchurch division of the hundred of North Bradford, and partly in the parish of Middle, hundred of
Pimhill, union of Wem, N. division of Salop, 1¾ mile
(W. S. W.) from Wem; with 57 inhabitants.
Sleckburn, or Sleeburn, East
SLECKBURN, or SLEEKBURN, EAST, a township, in the parish and division of Bedlington, union
of Morpeth, county of Northumberland, 6¾ miles
(E. S. E.) from Morpeth; containing 72 inhabitants.
This township, which is the property of the see of Durham, has the ocean at a short distance on the east; and
the tide covers a low piece of ground of considerable
extent. The Sleek burn rises a little to the west of
Tranwell, in the parish of Morpeth, where it is called
Catch burn, and pursues its course to the river Blyth;
it is for some distance very narrow and sluggish, and
throws down much slake or mud, from which the township derives its name. There is a small village. The
vicarial tithes have been commuted for £12. 12.; and
the appropriate for £127. 6., payable to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.
Sleckburn, West
SLECKBURN, WEST, a township, in the parish
and division of Bedlington, union of Morpeth, county
of Northumberland, 5¾ miles (E. by S.) from Morpeth; containing 225 inhabitants. This place is situated not far from the sea, the spring tides flowing up to
it, and near the Sleek burn, which runs across the parish
from Morpeth common to the river Blyth. A moiety
of the manor was anciently held by William de Dunum,
in capite, by fealty, and the payment of £4. 10. rent,
besides suit at the three courts of Bedlington, and
"grinding his corn at the bishop's mill, now known as
Bebside mill, at a sixteenth mulcture." The township
is at present in great part the property of the see of
Durham. The tithes have been commuted for £16. 13. 6.
payable to the vicar, and £177. 8. to the Ecclesiastical
Commissioners.
Sleddale, Long
SLEDDALE, LONG, a chapelry, in the parish, union,
and ward of Kendal, county of Westmorland, 8 miles
(N. by W.) from Kendal; containing 160 inhabitants.
It comprises 5085 acres, nearly half of which consists of
pasture and woodland. Here are quarries of fine blue
slate, situated amid mountain scenery of the most romantic character. The living is a perpetual curacy;
net income, £80; patron, the Vicar of Kendal. The
chapel was rebuilt in 1712.
Sledmere (St. Mary)
SLEDMERE (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of
Driffield, wapentake of Buckrose, E. riding of York,
12 miles (S. E. by E.) from Malton; containing 435 inhabitants. This parish comprises, with the hamlet of
Croom, about 6650 acres of land, rising in bold acclivities,
on which are numerous plantations of beech, ash, larch,
and fir. It is divided between arable and meadow, and
sheep-walks, the former of which preponderate. Sledmere House, a spacious mansion of stone, the seat of
Sir Tatton Sykes, Bart., is seated near the foot of an
acclivity, in a beautiful and finely-wooded park, south
of the village; it was built by Sir Christopher, the
second baronet, from his own designs, and was improved and enriched by his son, the late Sir Mark Masterman Sykes, brother of the present baronet. Sledmere
Castle, on the east side of the park, is a modern edifice.
The living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of Sir
Tatton. The church, which stands within the park, is a
neat fabric, consisting of a nave, chancel, and square
tower, and containing some handsome monuments to
the Sykes family.
Sleep
SLEEP, a hamlet, in the parish of St. Peter, St.
Alban's, poor-law union of St. Alban's, hundred of
Cashio, or liberty of St. Alban's, county of Hertford;
containing 751 inhabitants.
Sleningford
SLENINGFORD, with North Stainley, West
riding of the county of York.—See Stainley, North.
Slimbridge (St. John the Evangelist)
SLIMBRIDGE (St. John the Evangelist), a parish, in the union of Dursley, Upper division of the
hundred of Berkeley, W. division of the county of
Gloucester, 4 miles (N. by W.) from Dursley; containing 866 inhabitants. The parish is bounded on
the north by the Severn, and comprises by measurement 3392 acres, of which the greater part is the
property of the Berkeley family. The Gloucester and
Berkeley canal and the Gloucester and Bristol railroad
intersect it. The manufacture of iron was formerly
carried on; the site of the works is now occupied by a
saw-mill. Fairs are held on the 3rd of April and the
first Tuesday in October. The living is a rectory, valued
in the king's books at £28. 2. 11.; net income, £601;
patrons, the President and Fellows of Magdalen College,
Oxford. The tithes were commuted for land and a
money payment in 1801 and 1813. The church is a
handsome structure in the decorated English style, with
a lofty and well-proportioned spire: it was lately restored, at a cost of nearly £1000. There is a place of worship for Independents.
Slindon
SLINDON, a township, in the parish of Eccleshall, union of Stone, N. division of the hundred of
Pirehill and of the county of Stafford; containing
115 inhabitants. The appropriate tithes have been commuted for £70. 1., payable to the Dean and Chapter of
Lichfield, and the vicarial tithes for 18s. 1d.
Slindon (St. Mary)
SLINDON (St. Mary), a parish, in the hundred of
Aldwick, rape of Chichester, W. division of Sussex,
4¼ miles (W. by N.) from Arundel; containing 544 inhabitants. The parish comprises 2504a. 2r. 6p., of
which 777 acres are arable, 475 meadow and pasture,
968 woodland, and 237 common: the surface is varied.
Slindon House, the seat of the Countess Dowager of
Newburgh, was originally built by one of the archbishops
of Canterbury, and was for some time the residence of
the celebrated Archbishop Langton, who died here in
the reign of Henry III.; the present mansion, erected
by Sir George Kemp in the reign of Elizabeth, is a
handsome structure, on a bold eminence. The living is
a rectory, valued in the king's books at £14. 13. 1½., and
in the patronage of the Countess: the tithes have been
commuted for £270, and the glebe comprises 43 acres.
The church is in the later English style. There is a
Roman Catholic chapel.
Slinfold (St. Peter)
SLINFOLD (St. Peter), a parish, in the union of
Horsham, partly in the hundred of East Easwrith,
rape of Bramber, but chiefly in the hundred of West
Easwrith, rape of Arundel, W. division of Sussex,
4 miles (W. by N.) from Horsham; containing 691 inhabitants. It is intersected by the road from Horsham
to Guildford, and comprises about 3550 acres. The soil
in some parts is light and fertile, but is generally a deep
stiff clay; the surface is hilly, and the substratum contains good building-stone, which is quarried in blocks of
large dimensions. Two branches of the river Arun
unite in the parish. The living comprises a sinecure
rectory and a vicarage united, valued jointly in the king's
books at £12. 14. 2.; net income, £472; patron, the
Bishop of Chichester. The church is an ancient edifice,
with a low tower. The Roman road from Regnum to
London passed for about two miles through the parish;
and Roman swords and ornaments of brass have been
found. The Rev. James Dallaway, author of the Topography of the Rape of Arundel, was rector of Slinfold.
Slingley.—See Seaton, Durham.
SLINGLEY.—See Seaton, Durham.
Slingsby (All Saints)
SLINGSBY (All Saints), a parish, in the union
of Malton, wapentake of Ryedale, N. riding of York,
6 miles (N.) from Whitewell, and 6 (W. N. W.) from
Malton; containing 609 inhabitants. This place, at the
time of the Conquest, belonged to the Lacy family; and
afterwards to the Mowbrays, who had a castle here.
The Wyville family, the Knights Templars, and others,
held lands under the Mowbrays; and the castle subsequently became the property of the noble family of
Hastings, who are supposed to have rebuilt it. William,
the great Lord Hastings, was beheaded by Richard III.,
and was succeeded here by his son Edward, who by
will in 1497 directed Slingsby to be sold. The castle
and manor were purchased, some time previously to
1619, by Sir Charles Cavendish, whose son took down
the castle, and in 1643 erected on its site a large and
elegant mansion of quadrangular form, with towers on
the eastern and western sides, in the style of Inigo
Jones. This mansion afterwards became the property
of the poet, Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham. Not being
inhabited, however, it fell into decay; and after the
death of the duke, was purchased, along with the estate,
in 1735, by an ancestor of the Earl of Carlisle, the
present proprietor, by whom the dilapidated remains
are carefully preserved.
The parish comprises by measurement 2300 acres, of
which 1850 are arable, 400 pasture, and 50 wood. The
southern portion is chiefly a moorland valley in the
bosom of the Howardian hills; advancing northward,
the surface abruptly rises to an elevated natural terrace,
forming a portion of the boundary of those fine hills,
flanked on the east and west with ancient woods of
stately oak. Towards the south, the terrace commands
a view of Castle-Howard, with its princely domain; towards the north, a view of the whole range of the eastern
moors from Whitestone cliff to Seamer Beacon, with the
richly-cultivated vale of the river Rye in the foreground.
The soil in the middle part of the parish is a rich hazel
loam, producing turnips, oats, and barley; and in the
northern portions, which are marshy, a strong clay, well
adapted for wheat. The hills are of the oolite limestone
formation, and in the lower grounds are extensive beds
of fine blue clay: the stone is quarried for building, for
burning into lime, and for the roads; and some kilns
have been established for the manufacture of bricks and
tiles from the clay. The village is spacious and well
built, pleasantly situated at the base, and partly on the
acclivity, of the northern ridge of the Howardian hills,
and watered by the Wathbeck rivulet. It is one of three
villages in Yorkshire that retain their rustic maypole.
The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at
£12. 1. 10½., and in the patronage of the Earl of Carlisle,
with a net income of £548: there are 100 acres of glebe.
The church is a neat structure, partly Norman, and
partly in the later English style; it contains several
ancient monuments, including one of a templar in the
full costume of a Norman knight, recorded by Dodsworth to be a member of the Wyville family. Here is
a place of worship for Wesleyans.
Slipton (St. John the Baptist)
SLIPTON (St. John the Baptist), a parish, in the
union of Thrapston, hundred of Huxloe, N. division
of the county of Northampton, 3¼ miles (W. by N.)
from Thrapston; containing 159 inhabitants. It comprises 768a. 2r. 35p., including roads, cottage-gardens,
and the glebe farm: the substratum contains limestone,
which is quarried for road-making, and for building
tenements and walls. The river Nene is about 3 miles
eastward of the place; at Thrapston is a station of the
Blisworth and Peterborough railway, and the Northampton road is about a mile distant. The living is a
discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at
£5. 12. 3½.; net income, £104: the patronage and
impropriation belong to Mrs. William Stopford. The
tithes were commuted for land in 1771; the glebe
comprises about 112 acres, with a glebe-house, which
is let with the farm. The church is an ancient structure.
A school of industry for girls, and a Sunday school for
both sexes, are supported by Mr. and Mrs. William
Stopford.
Sloley (St. Bartholomew)
SLOLEY (St. Bartholomew), a parish, in the Tunstead and Happing incorporation, hundred of Tunstead, E. division of Norfolk, 1 mile (E.) from Scottow; containing 291 inhabitants. It comprises by measurement 719 acres, of which 640 are arable, 20 meadow
and pasture, and 50 wood: the lands are chiefly the
property of the Rev. B. Cubitt. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £5. 6. 8.,
and in the gift of the Rev. B. Cubitt: the tithes have
been commuted for £240. 10., and the glebe comprises
24 acres. The church is in the Norman style, with later
additions, and a square embattled tower; it was thoroughly repaired in 1841.
Sloothby
SLOOTHBY, a hamlet, in the parish of Willoughby, union of Spilsby, Wold division of the hundred of
Calceworth, parts of Lindsey, county of Lincoln;
containing 242 inhabitants.
Slough
SLOUGH, a village, partly in the parish of StokePoges, and partly in that of Upton, union of Eton,
hundred of Stoke, county of Buckingham, 21 miles
(W.) from London; containing 1189 inhabitants. A
cattle-market is held on Tuesday. Here is a station of
the Great Western railway, much frequented by visiters
to Windsor Palace and Eton College: a handsome hotel
has been erected. Sir William Herschell, the astronomer,
resided at this place, where he constructed his powerful
telescope.
Slyne
SLYNE, with Hest, a township, in the parish of
Bolton-le-Sands, hundred of Lonsdale south of the
Sands, N. division of Lancashire, 3 miles (N. W.)
from Lancaster; containing 316 inhabitants. Slyne
with Hest forming one manor, has always appertained
to the duchy of Lancaster. From the reign of Henry
VII. to that of Mary, Slyne was held by the Singletons
of Brockholes, and there is little doubt that it included
Hest: the manor was afterwards held by a family named
Gervise. The late John Fenton Cawthorne, Esq., sold
the property to the Greene family about the year 1817.
The township comprises 1105a. 3r. 39p., whereof 723
acres are meadow and pasture, 341 arable, and the
remainder woodland and waste. The views comprise
the Lake mountains, Morecambe bay, and the district
of Furness. A breakwater was constructed at Hest
Bank in 1820, alongside of which Liverpool and Glasgow vessels load and unload their cargoes; and by
means of a canal extending to within a short distance
of the shore, a considerable trade is carried on with
Kendal and other inland towns. Hest has become a
place of resort for sea-bathing, being delightfully situated on the east side of Morecambe bay: from this point
travellers commence crossing the sands to Ulverston,
a guide being always in attendance at the channel of the
river Kent. The Lancaster and Carlisle railway runs
through the township, near the shore; and the great
road to Kendal, Carlisle, and Glasgow passes through
the village of Slyne. Courts leet and baron are held.
The great tithes, amounting to £200, are payable to the
lessees of the Bishop of Chester. There are traces of
salt-works in the neighbourhood.