Kendal Parish Description
KENDAL, or KIRKBY-IN-KENDAL, the most extensive parish in Westmorland, has for its capital the largest town in the county, and averages upwards of ten miles in length and breadth, forming a beautifully diversified region of towering fells and scars, and fertile and picturesque valleys, glens, and thwaites, watered by the river Kent and its numerous tributary streams, flowing from the surrounding mountains, and giving motion to the machinery of many mills and manufactories. Most of the commons and moors have been enclosed and cultivated, and fine crops of corn are now raised. Near Crook are lead veins, though not now worked; and fine limestone, suitable for building-stone, for mortar, and for the sculptor, is found in various parts of the parish, in which is the small lake of Kentmere, and many interesting objects. Besides the populous town of Kendal, the parish contains upwards of 50 villages and hamlets, with 14 chapels of ease, and is divided into 26 townships, of which the following is an enumeration, with the number of inhabitants in 1801, 1811, and 1821, and the annual value of the lands and buildings in 1815, as assessed for the property tax:
|
KENDAL |
_________Population________ |
Annual Value £ |
|||||||||||||
|
(Parish) |
1801 |
1811 |
1821 |
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|
persons |
persons |
houses |
families |
persons |
|||||||||||
|
Kirkby-in-Kendal Twp. |
6892 |
7505 |
1881 |
2048 |
8984 |
21,202 |
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|
Crook Chpy. |
179 |
176 |
37 |
42 |
227 |
1109 |
|||||||||
|
Dillicar* Twp. |
77 |
78 |
16 |
17 |
89 |
584 |
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|
Docker Twp. |
65 |
71 |
15 |
16 |
89 |
923 |
|||||||||
|
Fawcet Forest= Twp. |
81 |
61 |
8 |
8 |
54 |
807 |
|||||||||
|
Grayrigg Chpy. |
199 |
208 |
39 |
40 |
229 |
1998 |
|||||||||
|
Helsington Chpy. |
230 |
229 |
47 |
47 |
268 |
3556 |
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|
Hugill (inc. Ing’s Chapel) Chpy. |
237 |
243 |
53 |
53 |
300 |
1449 |
|||||||||
|
Kentmere Chpy. |
166 |
212 |
39 |
39 |
212 |
1409 |
|||||||||
|
Kirkland‡ Twp. |
1086 |
1245 |
122 |
330 |
1378 |
1738 |
|||||||||
|
Lambrigg Twp. |
124 |
137 |
27 |
33 |
164 |
1025 |
|||||||||
|
Long Sleddale Chpy. |
187 |
172 |
34 |
36 |
185 |
1392 |
|||||||||
|
Natland Chpy. |
205 |
188 |
44 |
50 |
244 |
1959 |
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|
Nether Graveship Twp. |
37 |
43 |
14 |
14 |
76 |
1953 |
|||||||||
|
Nether Staveley Twp. |
131 |
155 |
28 |
33 |
189 |
1507 |
|||||||||
|
New Hutton Chpy. |
125 |
110 |
25 |
26 |
127 |
1490 |
|||||||||
|
Old Hutton & Holmescales Chpy. |
368 |
376 |
76 |
85 |
424 |
3242 |
|||||||||
|
Over Staveley (with Chpl) Twp. |
324 |
230 |
60 |
60 |
312 |
1367 |
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|
Patton § Twp. |
77 |
81 |
12 |
13 |
89 |
§ |
|||||||||
|
Scalthwaiterigg Hay, & Hutton-I-‘th-Hay Twp. |
250 |
276 |
55 |
57 |
348 |
3120 |
|||||||||
|
Selside with Whitwell Chpy. |
192 |
234 |
37 |
41 |
291 |
1873 |
|||||||||
|
Skelsmergh § Twp. |
247 |
220 |
40 |
41 |
258 |
4609 |
|||||||||
|
Strickland-Ketel Twp. |
269 |
310 |
70 |
72 |
390 |
} 5929 |
|||||||||
|
Strickland-Roger Twp. |
250 |
302 |
56 |
62 |
341 |
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|
Underbarrow & Bradley-field Chpy. |
376 |
349 |
78 |
90 |
504 |
3346 |
|||||||||
|
Whinfell Twp. |
184 |
193 |
34 |
36 |
204 |
1878 |
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|
Winster ¶ Chpy. |
… |
97 |
… |
… |
… |
¶ |
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|
Total |
12,558 |
13,501 |
2947 |
3389 |
15,976 |
69,465 |
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* Dillicar is in Lonsdale Ward, and all the others in Kendal Ward.
= Fawcet-Forest extends into the parishes of Orton and Shap, which see.
‡ Kirkland adjoins the town of Kendal, and is greatly burthened with poor-rates.
§ Patton. – The annual value is included with Skelsmergh.
Strickland Ketel and Strickland Roger are in Burnside Chapelry.
¶ Winster is included with Undermillbeck, in the parish of Windermere, with which township it is united for the support of paupers.
The increase in 1821, in Selside and Whitwell, was occasioned by labourers making a road.
This parish, though now so very extensive, was anciently much larger, for it once comprised Windermere and Grasmere, which have long been separate parishes, and are now the only rectories within the great BARONY OF KENDAL, which, with a genealogical sketch of its successive lords, is described in the section titled BARONY OF KENDAL. The parish is bounded by the parishes of Shap, Orton, Sedbergh, Kirkby-Lonsdale, Burton, Heversham, Windermere, and Grasmere.