The last time that I heard anything of the son of old William Wyche was in September, 1848, when I learnt that he had been for some time an ostler at a small inn at Knutsford, and had since been a labouring gardener at Manchester, or in its vicinity, and was then in very indifferent circumstances, and out of work. Such has been the falling away, and sad reverse, in the fortunes of the old and once high and influential Cheshire family of Wyche, or De la Wyche!
CHAPTER XII.
WILMSLOW CHURCH,
CHESHIRE. [253a]
The village of Wilmslow is in the hundred of Macclesfield, in Cheshire, and before the introduction of railways, the mail-coach road from Manchester to Birmingham passed through it. It has not the advantage of having a market, but has some little trade, and possesses the convenience of being one of the stations of the London and North-Western (formerly the Manchester and Birmingham) Railway, which passes close to it; and it is pleasantly situate on the south bank of the river Bollin, which there flows through a picturesque and beautiful valley.
The parish of Wilmslow (anciently called Le Bolyn) contains four townships:—Bollin Fee, which comprehends the hamlets of Bollin-cum-Norcliffe, Hough, and Dean Row; Pownall Fee, which comprehends the hamlets of Morley and Styal; Chorley, also comprehended in the manor of Pownall Fee; and Fulshaw.
Wilmslow, in strictness, singularly enough, consists exclusively of the parish church with its churchyard, and of a small plot of land, now covered with buildings, near the church; and nearly the whole of the town is built in the hamlets of Hough and Dean Row.
The church is dedicated to St. Bartholomew, and is built of dark-coloured stone, close to the river, and consequently derives no advantage from elevation or position. The tower is ornamented with battlements and pinnacles, and has a peal of six bells; and both the tower and the church are of the Gothic style of architecture, though with some modern alterations. The church has evidently been rebuilt and considerably altered, at various periods, one of the latest of which must have been not long prior to the Reformation; and it has a clerestory and rood-loft. The nave of the church is spacious, and on each side of it, and of the chancel, are lofty and pointed arches, supported by octagonal pillars.
The pulpit has some handsome carved work, of a style which was common in the time of Elizabeth and James I. On each side of the chancel is an oratory or chapel. These chapels are separated from the altar, by projecting wing-walls, and also from the body of the chancel, by portions of an oaken screen, much mutilated; but the portions which remain are sufficient to show that it has been handsome; and on the south side, some small Tudor roses are yet visible in many parts; and a continuation of the wood-work, much defaced, extends under the rood-loft, so as to separate the chancel from the nave.
The chapel on the south side of the chancel is called the Earl of Stamford’s Chapel, or the Booth Chapel. The present Earl of Stamford is a descendant of the family of that name. It contains a massive raised tomb, evidently of very great antiquity, built against the wall on the south side, and bearing a strong resemblance to an altar; the inscription, if it ever contained any, is now quite obliterated. A grave-stone near it commemorates the “fifth son of S. William Booth, of Dunham Massey, who departed this life the 28th day of March, 1620,” at least so the date appeared to me; but there is some difficulty in deciding upon the two last figures of it, because the wood-work of a partition nearly covers them. Adjoining to it is another grave-stone, much defaced, to the memory of Lady Elizabeth Booth, who died on the 14th June, 1636. It appears, from a statement of donations painted up in another part of the church, that this lady benevolently left a sum of money, for the distribution of twelve loaves of bread weekly, to poor aged persons in Wilmslow; a dole which is still kept up.
In this chapel, close to the left side of the door, on entering from the churchyard, is an ancient pew, with carved panels at the back, on one of which are cut the following initials and date:—
S G B B
1557.