England Described, Treatise · County 5
Cheſhire.
IT is very pleaſant and plenteous in Cheſhire chief of men; Lancaſhire fair women. King of Cheſhire.all things needfull for mans uſe, and therefore had the name of the Vale Royal of England from Edward the Firſt.
The Graſſe and Fodder there is of that goodneſſe and vertue, that Cheeſes are made there in great number, of a moſt pleaſing and delicate taſte, ſuch as all England again affordeth not the like; no, though the beſt dayriwomen otherwiſe, and skilfulleſt in Cheeſ-making be had from hence.
This Region hath alwayes bred more Gentry than the other Countreys in England: For you have not in all England again any one Province beſide, that in old time either brought more valorous Gentlemen into the field, or had more families in it of Knights degree.
The Breretons, Manwarings and Venables are the moſt noble Families in that County.
On the South-ſide it is hemmed in with Shropſhire, on the Eaſt-ſide with Staffordſhire and Darbyſhire, on the North with Lancaſhire, and on the Weſt with Denbigh and Flintſhire.
The River Dee, called in Latine Deva, breeding very great plenty of Salmons, ariſeth out of two fountains in Wales, and thereof men think it took the name: for Dwy in their tongue ſignifieth two.
This River no ſooner is entered into Cheſhire, but it paſſeth by Banchor, a Yet Banchor is in Flintſhire.famous Monaſtery. It foſtered and brought up (as ſome write) the moſt wicked Arch-heretique Pelagius, who injuriouſly derogating from the grace of God, troubled a long time the weſt Church with his peſtiferous Doctrine. Proſper Aquitanus in this Verſe of his, termeth him the Britiſh Adder,
Peſtifero vomuit coluber ſermone Britannus.
A Britiſh Snake, with venemous tongue,
Hath vomited his poiſon ſtrong.
Cheſter *It is chiefly one ſtreet, of very mean building. Lel. Itin.or Weſt-Cheſter, of the Weſt ſituation.
Ceſtria de caſtris nomen quaſi castria ſumpſit.
This City built in form of a quadrant, Ceſtria Epiſcopalis magnifica, & celeberrima Angliae urbs, amplitudine, ſuperbo aedificiorum nitore, & cultiſſimorum hortorum elegantia commendata, duo paſſuum millia, in circuitu colligit. Eccleſias Parochiales novem, & Cathedralem elegantem exhibet praeter loca alia ſacra, ut hospitalia, & noſocomia religioni nuncupata. Georgius Bruin. Theat. Ʋrbium praecipuarum totius mundi.four ſquare, is encloſed with a wall that taketh up more then two miles in compaſſe, and hath eleven Pariſhes.
Neer unto the River ſtandeth the Caſtle upon a rocky Hill, built by the Earls: where the Courts Palatine, and the Aſſizes, as they call them, are kept twice a year.
The Houſes are very fair built, and along the chief ſtreets are Galleries or Walking-places, they call them Rows, having ſhops on both ſides, through which a man may walk dry from one end to another.
It is called the County Palatine of Cheſter, becauſe the Earls thereof had Royalties and Princely priviledges belonging to them, and all the Inhabitants owed Allegiance and Fealty to them as they did to the King.
One Hugh Wolf was made Earl of Cheſter by William the Firſt, and the County given him in Fee, Tenendum ſibi & Haeredibus it a vere ad Gladium ſicut ipſe Rex tenebat Angliam ad Coronam. And as the King, ſo he for his Heirs had their Barons, by that name ſpecially known.
King Edgar in magnificent manner triumphed over the Britiſh Princes. For ſitting himſelf in a Barge at the fore-deck, Kennadie King of the Scots, Malcoline King of Cumberland, Macon King of Mann, and of the Iſlands, with all the Princes of Wales, brought to do homage, and like Watermen working at the Oar, rowed him along the River Dee, in a triumphant ſhew, to his great glory, and joy of the beholders.
King Henry the Seventh made it a County by it ſelf incorporate.
Bunbury contractly ſo called, or Boniface-Bury, Boniface was the Patron Saint there.
Beeſton-Caſtle hath a wall of a great circuit.
Here are very famous Salt-pits, or Salt-wiches, five or ſix miles diſtant Salinae Anglicè, The Wiches, videlicet Nantovicum, Nortovicum, & Dirtovicum, in quibus locis ſal puriſſimus conficitur. Leland. Cheſhire excelleth for white ſalt, not only all other Shires in England, but alſo all other Countreys beyond the Seas. King of Cheſhire.aſunder, where brine or ſalt water is drawn out of pits, which they boile over the fire, to make ſalt thereof. Theſe were known unto the Romanes, and from hence was uſually paid the Cuſtome for ſalt, called Salarium.
Nantwich, Middle-wich, Nortwich:
Nantwich, which the River Wever firſt viſiteth, is reputed the greateſt and faireſt built Town of all this Shire after Chester. It is called the White-wich or Salt-pit, becauſe the whiteſt ſalt is there boiled.
North-wich is called the Black-ſalt pit.
Congleton a Mercat Town, famous for Gloves, Purſes and Points of Leather.
Kinderton the old ſeat of the ancient race of the Venables, who ever ſince the firſt coming in of the Normans have been of name and reputation here, and commonly are called Barons of Kinderton.
Brereton hath given Name to the A rebus of a Brier and a Tun.worſhipfull, ancient and numerous Family of the Breretons Knights.
Before any Heir of this Houſe of the Breretons dieth, there are ſeen in a Pool adjoyning, bodies of trees ſwimming for certaine dayes together, ſo Camden, but ſome deny this.
Middle-wich, there are two Wels of ſalt water parted one from the other by a ſmall brook.
Maclesfield one of the faireſt Towns of this County.
Lee from whence there is a Family bearing the ſame ſurname, that is not Adlington the chief ſeat of that race of Leighs of Adlington, which is one of the great names of Gentry in this County, whereof theſe have had a very ancient continuance here from many Knights and Eſquires, down to the preſent owner Sir Ʋrian Leigh Knight. King of Cheſhire.only of gentle bloud, and of eſpecial note, but alſo farre and fairly propagated into a number of branches. Camd Britan.
High Leigh in Cheſhire I think gave Names to all the renowned Races of that Name in this County. Two diſtinct Deſcents of the ſame Name have their ſeats in the ſame place, and there have continued in a long ſucceſſion of their Anceſtors, Knights and Eſquires of much worth: one is Thomas Leigh, the other is Peter Leigh Eſquires. King of Cheſhire.
Lime in Cheſhire a great Family of the Name of the Leighs, of whom there have been many famous Knights, Sir Peter now the Poſſeſſor thereof. King of Cheſhire.
Nor thou magnanimous Leigh muſt not be leftIn Richard the Seconds reign, this was Anceſtor of Sr Peter Leigh of Lime in Cheſhire that now is.
In darkneſs, for thy rare fidelity;
To ſave thy faith, content to loſe thy head:
That reverent head, of good men honored.
Daniels Second Book of Civil Warres.
Cholmundeſton or Cholmeſton anciently the Lands of the Leighs of Ruſhall in Staffordſhire. King of Cheſhire, pag. 74.
It containeth thirteen Market Towns, and ſixty eight Pariſhes.