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Hornby

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HORNBY, a village, a township, and a chapelry, in Melling parish, Lancashire. The village stands at the confluence of the Wenning and the Lune rivers, adjacent to the Little Northwestern railway, 8½ miles NE by E of Lancaster; is neatly built; commands beautiful scenery along the valleys; is sometimes visited by tourists; has a station on the railway, a post office under Lancaster, and an inn; is a seat of petty sessions; was formerly a market town; and has still cattle fairs on every alternate Tuesday of the summer months. The township comprises 2,115 acres. Real property, £4,066. Pop., 317. Houses, 75. The manor belonged, in the 12th century, to Nicholas de Montbegon; passed to the Stanleys, Lords Monteagle; and belongs now to John Foster, Esq. Hornby Castle, the manorial seat, was founded by N. de Montbegon; retains two towers built by one of the Lords Monteagle and by Lord Wemyss; has undergone recent extensive renovations and improvements; and stands on an eminence, overlooking the rich surrounding scenery. The estate was the subject of a famous litigation, called "the Great Will Cause, " begun in 1826. Hornby Hall is the seat of John Murray, Esq. A Roman mound is near the Lune. A Premonstratensian priory, a cell to Croxton abbey, was anciently here; and was given, at the dissolution, to the Stanleys; and the remains of it are now a farm-house. The chapelry was constituted a parish in 1859, and is larger than the township. Pop., 455. Houses, 98. The living is a p. curacy in the diocese of Manchester. Value, £130. * Patron, John Foster, Esq. The church is ancient; has a chancel, and an octagonal tower, built by the first Lord Monteagle, after the battle of Flodden; and contains a tablet to Dr. Lingard, the historian. The shaft of an ancient cross is in the churchyard. A small Roman Catholic chapel, to the W of the church, was served by Dr. Lingard.

John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72)

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Archives & Libraries

Local studies information is held at Lancaster and Morecambe libraries.

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Census

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Civil Registration

The Register Office covering the Hornby area is Lancaster.

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Description & Travel

You can see pictures of Hornby which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

"HORNBY, a township and chapelry in the parish of Melling, hundred of Lonsdale South of the Sands, county Lancaster, 9 miles N.E. of Lancaster, its post town. It is a station on the North-Western railway. The parish, which is wholly agricultural, is situated at the bridge on the rivers Lune and Welling. It was formerly a market town, and had a Premonstratensian priory founded as a cell to Croxton Abbey. At the Dissolution the site was given to Lord Monteagle, of Hornby Castle. Petty sessions are held at the Castle Inn every alternate Tuesday. The living is a perpetual curacy in the diocese of Manchester, value £92. The church, dedicated to St. Margaret, is an ancient structure with an octagonal tower containing six bells. The interior of the church contains a tablet to Dr. Lingard, the historian. Hornby Castle is the principal residence. It was formerly the seat of the Marsden, but is now the seat of Pudsey Dawson, Esq., who is lord of the manor. The parochial charities produce about £14 per annum. Here is a Church school for both sexes, supported by Pudsey Dawson, Esq. A market for cattle is held every alternate Tuesday."

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Historical Geography

In 1835 Hornby was a township in the parish of Melling.

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Maps

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View maps of Hornby and places within its boundaries.

View a map of the boundaries of this town/parish.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SD590695 (Lat/Lon: 54.119826, -2.629412), Hornby which are provided by:

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Poor Houses, Poor Law

The Workhouse site has an interesting description of Lunesdale workhouse.

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Probate Records

For probate purposes prior to 1858, Hornby was in the Archdeaconry of Richmond, in the Diocese of Chester. The original Lancashire wills for the Archdeaconry of Richmond are held at the Lancashire Record Office.

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Societies

You can also see Family History Societies covering the nearby area, plotted on a map. This facility is being developed, and is awaiting societies to enter information about the places they cover.