ROYTON
Ruhwinton, 1212; Ritton, 1226; Ryton, 1260—
usual; Ruyton, 1332.
The extreme measurements of Royton are about
2 miles from east to west, and 1½ from north to
south; the area is 1,372 acres. (fn. 1) The general slope
of its hilly surface is from east to west, the limits
being 825 ft. on Oldham Edge and 400 ft. at Street
Bridge. The old village of Royton, which has now
become a small town, is situated in a deep valley in
the north-west quarter of the township; to the southwest of it are the hamlets of Haggate, Royley, and
Holdenfold; to the north-west lies Thorpe; to the
north, Dogford; to the east are Luzley Brook and
Heyside; and to the south Longsight. The River
Irk rises on the northern border, and flows west along
it. Oldham has begun to spread over the southern
border. The population in 1901 was 14,881, including part of that of Thornham. (fn. 2)
The principal road is that from Oldham to Rochdale, which passes through the town. A branch of it
goes north-east to Shaw, to which place another road
from Oldham passes through the township. Another
important road is that from Royton to Middleton.
The Oldham and Rochdale branch of the Lancashire
and Yorkshire Railway passes through one corner of
the township; a branch line from the north of Oldham runs north-west to Royton, its terminus. The
Oldham electric tramway to Crompton passes through
the township.
The soil is sand, with subsoil of clay. Hay is the
chief crop. There are large cotton factories; fustian
cutting is carried on, and there is a colliery. (fn. 3)
About 1780 Royton village 'contained only a few
straggling and mean-built cottages,' but with the
introduction of the weaving of fustians and other
branches of the cotton manufacture it increased
rapidly. (fn. 4) A local board was formed in 1863, (fn. 5) and
the bounds were extended by the addition of part
of Thornham in 1879. (fn. 6) A town hall and market
were built in 1880. The local board gave place in
1894 to an urban district council of fifteen members,
chosen for five wards—Dogford, Dryclough, Haggate, Heyside, and Thornham. There is a cemetery
in Rochdale Road, opened in 1879.
The 'wakes' are held on the first Saturday in
August.
At Whitebanks, near Oldham Edge, there was 'a
good chalybeate spring.' (fn. 7)
An account of Royton, its chapel, politics, and
celebrities, written by John Higson, is printed in
Oldham Notes and Gleanings. (fn. 8) John Butterworth, a
noted mathematician, who died in 1845, is buried in
the churchyard. George Travis, born at Royton in
1741, became vicar of Eastham and Archdeacon of
Chester, dying in 1797. He distinguished himself by
his knowledge of the law of tithe, which he used to
advance the value of his benefice from £30 to £100
a year. He also had a bitter controversy with Gibbon
and Porson, defending the authenticity of 1 John v.
7. (fn. 9) Richard Dean, 1727–78, was another divine
and author. (fn. 10)
A local saying, of unknown origin, refers to 'the
seven that came from Royton.' (fn. 11)
The residence of Richard and Thomas Percival in
1666 had twelve hearths liable to the tax; the rest
of the township brought the total up to 54. (fn. 12)
Manor
In 1212 ROYTON was held of the
king in thegnage as twelve oxgangs of land
by a rent of 24s., the tenant being William Fitz William. (fn. 13) William died about the end of
1223, and was succeeded by his son Thomas, (fn. 14) who
was still living in 1254. (fn. 15) Thomns had a daughter
Margery, who married Alexander Luttrell of Somerset, and in or before 1260 they sold nine oxgangs in
Royton and 60 acres in Thorpe and Healey to John
de Byron. (fn. 16) It appears, however, that Alice de
Byron, mother of Roger, had 'the whole town' in
1246, and had farmed it out to Roger Gernet. (fn. 17)
From 1260 or 1270 to the beginning of the 17th
century the manor descended in the Byron family, (fn. 18)
and during the later part of
this period seems to have been
their chief residence. (fn. 19) In
or about 1622 it was sold to
the Standishes of Standish, (fn. 20)
and was again sold in 1662
to Thomas Percival, probably
a trader of Manchester. (fn. 21) It
continued in this family for
a century, (fn. 22) when Catherine
daughter of a later Thomas
Percival of Royton, who died
in 1763, carried it in marriage to Joseph Pickford (fn. 23) of Althill. She died in
1765, leaving an only son William Percival Pickford. He died in 1815 without issue, and gave
Royton to his father, who had married again, and
in 1795 took the name of Radcliffe on inheriting the
estates of his mother's brother, William Radcliffe of
Mills Bridge, Yorkshire. He was created a baronet
in 1813, having taken a prominent part in suppressing
the Luddite riots of the previous year. (fn. 24) Royton has
descended with the issue of this second marriage to
the present baronet, Sir Joseph Edward Radcliffe, of
Rudding Park, Knaresborough.
Byron. Argent three bendlets enhanced gules.
Royton Old Hall was described in 1795 as 'a firm,
well-built stone edifice of ancient date . . . pleasantly
seated in a deep valley, surrounded by high grounds. In
front of the house runs a small
stream dividing the gardens
from rich meadows.' (fn. 25) This
description was substantially
repeated thirty years later, (fn. 26) the
meadows being still 'fertile'
and 'luxurious,' but the surroundings have since so much
changed that the original
aspect of the building is somewhat difficult to reconstitute, though the stream, now much polluted, still
runs at the bottom of the garden. The park and
grounds have long disappeared, and the surroundings
are now purely industrial.
Radcliffe of Royton, baronet. Argent a bend engrailed sable charged with a crescent of the field for difference.
The hall was largely rebuilt in the 18th century,
but part of the 17th-century structure remains at the
east end, consisting of a wing running north and south
with a gable at each end. The house is built of
stone, with stone slated roofs and brick chimneys, and
has a long frontage facing south, with a slightly
recessed middle portion two stories high and loftier
gabled wings. The site slopes from north to south,
so that in the south or principal front the ground
floor is raised well above the level of the garden,
allowing for a good basement. A double flight of
stone steps leads from an outer door on this side to
the garden.
The 18th-century rebuilding, together with subsequent additions and alterations on the north side, has
made it very difficult to determine the lines of the
original plan, but the whole of the later work on the
south front is built on an older basement apparently
of the same date as the east wing, which goes to show
that the extent of the original house on this side was
the same as that of the present one. The buildings
are grouped round a quadrangle of irregular shape,
longer from west to east, but those on the north and
part of the west side are of modern date, which makes
it impossible to say how far they carry out the original
arrangement. The east wing, as before stated, is part
of the 17th-century building with mullioned and
transomed windows and a square projection on the
west side to the courtyard containing a radiating oak
staircase. (fn. 27) The south and south-west parts of the
building are of plain 18th-century work with little or
no architectural detail. The older wing has a good
stone chimney on its east side with brick shafts set
diagonally, and at the north end has string-courses
marking the first and second floors, which are not
continued round the south end. The gable is without coping, and the general appearance of the wing
at this end suggests that it had formerly been the
back of the house or that some of its features have
been removed in later times. It is probable that the
original house was built on three sides of the courtyard only, the north, which would be the principal
front of the building, being left open.
The 18th-century rebuilding appears to have been
done at two different times, there being a straight
joint on the south front about the middle of the centre
wing, between the door and the window east of it.
The spacing of the windows also points in the same
direction. They are of the usual tall square-headed
type, with stone architraves, and originally had casements and wooden millions, but these have been
replaced by sashes, which detract from the appearance
of the house. The walls of the older wing are of
rough masonry, but the later work is built in squared
coursed stones, with projecting quoins, and at its west
end is faced with brick. Against the brick wall at
the south-west corner is a spout-head with the initials
P/ TM and the date 1768.
There is some good 18th-century panelling with
classic cornice, now painted over, in a room in the
middle wing, and a large room in the east wing,
which was altered in the 18th century and has two
windows of that date on its east side, preserves a
portion of its decoration, though the oak dado has
recently been taken away.
The house has been for a long time divided into
two. The western part is now a private residence,
and the east wing is used as a Church Institute.
There was recently a pedestal sundial in the garden
with many facets, but it has been taken away by the
owner. A wall sundial on the south side over the
door is still in position.
Other local families may be named. The Shaws of
Heyside recorded a pedigree in l664, and occur in
various ways for a century longer. (fn. 28) The Tetlows of
Royley (fn. 29) seem to have been succeeded in the 17th
century by the Rhodes family. (fn. 30) Holdens of Holdenfold occur. (fn. 31) At Thorpe the Taylors had a residence. (fn. 32) Dryclough was once held by the Mellors. (fn. 33)
There are incidental notices of other estates in the
township. (fn. 34)
Royton Moss has long been inclosed. (fn. 35)
For the Established Church St. Paul's was built in
1754 (fn. 36) and consecrated in 1757; it was restored and
enlarged a century later, and was rebuilt between
1883 and 1889. An ecclesiastical parish was assigned
to it in 1835. (fn. 37) There is a mission church, All
Saints', in connexion with it. The rector of Prestwich is the patron. St. Mark's, Heyside, was built in
1878; (fn. 38) the patronage is vested in five trustees; it
has a mission room called St. Chad's.
The Wesleyan Methodists have a chapel built in
1804. The Primitive and Independent Methodists
also have chapels
The Baptist Church dates from 1873.
From 1847 to 1861 Royton and Shaw were
worked together by the Congregationalists. In the
last-named year a separation was made, and a church
was built at Royton in 1864. At Heyside, where
services began in 1842, a school-room was built in
1851 and a chapel in 1880. (fn. 39)
The Society of Friends have had a meeting-place at
Turf Lane, Heyside, from about 1665; (fn. 40) the first
burial took place in that year. The house was rebuilt
in 1885, but is used only occasionally. (fn. 41)
The Roman Catholic school-chapel of SS. Aidan
and Oswald was built in 1880. (fn. 42)
The Calvinistic Methodists and the Mormons had
meeting-places in 1856.