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Universal British Directory, 1791

Chipping Norton

In the hundred of Chadlington, is a large, regular, well-built town; has a market on Wednesday for corn, &c. and seven annual fairs, viz. March 7, May 6th, last Friday in May, July 18th, September 4th, November 8th, and the last Friday in November, for horses, cows, sheep, and all sorts of ware. It is a borough town, governed by two baliffs and twelve burgesses. Their charter was granted by James I. in 1606: the bailiffs are chosen annually on the first Monday after St. Michael, and must be sworn into office at their court leet and baron (being lords of the manor) within one month after their being so chosen. They are empowered to hold a court, and to determine actions under 40s. The names of those at present in office are:

The free grammar-school, founded by King Edward VI. is at present in high estimation. The master, who is appointed by the Corporation, has a handsome salary.

The church, situated below the town, is a noble structure in the Gothic taste, 98 feet long by 87 feet wide, the middle aile 46 feet high, is much noticed for its light and curious workmanship in the windows: the church contains a number of brass monuments, erected in the 14th century to the memory of divers merchants, which shews it to have been formerly a place of great trade. The tower is lofty, with a peal of six musical bells. There are marks of a castle by the church, and ROman coins are frequently found there. Chipping Norton sent burgesses to parliament once in the reign of Edward I. and twice in that of Edward III. but never since. In the centre of the town, grows a fine spreading elm, with a numerous rookery in it; the birds are almost as tame as domestic fowls, a circumstance which is taken much notice of by traveller for its rarity. On Chapel-heath, near the town, there are annual horse-races. Not far from this there are Rollrich stones, a little Stonehenge, being a circle of great stones standing upright, some of them from five to seven fet high, and probably the vestigies of an old British temple, as that was.

The town is situated on the turnpike road from London to Worcester; distant from London 74 miles, and from Worcester 37.

There is a considerable manufactory carried on here for making horse-cloathing, tilting, &c. by Mr. Thomas Bliss and SOns, (F.) — and two others for harreteens, the one by Mr. S. Biggerstaff (F.), and the other by Mr. Joseph Freeman.

The post-office is kept by Mrs. Hannah Mackarness, in the New-street, and all letters must be put in the office by six o'clock in the evening: postage of letters to and from London 4d. to and from Worcester 3d.

The mail-coach arrives every morning from London at 6 o'clock, and returns from Worcester every evening at 7: inns at the George and Blue Boar, Holborn, London; and Starr and Garter, Worcester. — The Worcester heavy coach passes through the town every morning at 3 o'clock from London, and returns from Worcester every night at 8: inns at the Bull and Mouth, Bull-and-mouth-street, London; and Hop-pole, Worcester. Mr. William Beck, at the Black-boy, is one of the proprietors; at his house the horses are kept, places taken, and parcels delivered. — This town has four large inns, viz. the White Hart, the Crown and Cushion, the Talbot, and the Swan; besides a great number of public-houses.

WAGGONS. — Thomas Ward, (F.) sends two waggons to London every week; one sets out early on Monday morning, arrives in London on Wednesday morning at 7 o'clock, and returns on Friday evening; the other sets out on Tuesday morning, arrives in London on Thursday morning, at the same hour with the former, and returns on Saturday evening. He has also two waggons every week to Birmingham. Inns at the Bell, West Smithfield, London; and at the White Hart, Digbeth, Birmingham. — John Guy, (F.) sends one waggon every week to London, which sets out at 5 o'clock on Monday morning, arrives in London on Wednesday, and returns on Saturday afternoon. He sends one other waggone weekly to Birmingham, which sets out on Tuesday morning, and returns on Saturday afternoon. Inns at the Bell inn, Wood-street; and the White Hart inn, Paradise-row, Birmingham. — William Simkins, (F.) sends a waggon to Oxford regularly twice a-week, Tuesday and Fridays. Inns at the White Hart, Corn-market, Oxford.

BANKERS. — Wapshott, Palmer, Matthews, and Palmer; their bills payable at Down, Thornton, and Free's, No. 1, Bartholomew-labe, London. — Padget, Corgan, and Winter; payable at Langstone, Towgood, and Amory's No. 29, Clament's-lane, London. — William Atkins, (F.) and mealman; payable at Smith, Wright, and Gray's, No. 21, Lombard-street, London.

The names, &c. of the principal inhabitants are as follows:

SEATS. — At Chadlington, 4 miles South of Chipping Norton, there is a neat little house of Drake Tyrwhitt's, Esq. and another handsome one of Mrs. Rollinson's; about a mile further is the seat of Admiral Pigot, in the forest of Whichwood; a mile beyond that is Blanford Park, the seat of the Duke of Beaufort. Heythrope, the seat of the Hon. Charles Earl of Shrewsbury, is 4 miles distant; Ditchley, the seat of the Hon. Charles Dillon, 6 miles; Sarsden, the seat of John Roole, Esq. 3 miles; Cornwell, the seat of Francis Pennyston, Esq. justice of peace, 3 miles; Dailsford park and house, the seat of Warren Hastings, Esq. 4 miles; Swerford Park, the residence of —— Smith, Esq. 5 miles; Great Tew, the seat of George Stratton, Esq. 5 miles; Over Norton, the seat of Henry Dawkins, Esq. 3 miles; Salford, the seat of J. Newton, Esq. 2 miles; Chastleton, the seat of John Jones, Esq. 5 miles; Sandford, the seat of James Taylor, Esq. 1 mile; Pudlicot, the seat of Richard Gorge, Esq. 4 miles; and Upper Norton, the seat of Col. Gore Langton. About a mile distant, on the Birmingham road, is a large inn, called Chapel House.