History of Cheshire

The History of Cheshire as an administrative area can be traced back at least to the Domesday Book, where it was recorded as having different boundaries to the ones existing today. The area in between the Mersey and Ribble (referred to as "Inter Ripam et Mersham" in the book) formed part of the returns for Cheshire. [Morgan (1978). pp.269c–301c,d.] Sylvester (1980). p. 14.] Although some have taken this to mean that, at this time, south Lancashire was part of Cheshire, it is not clear that this was the case, and more recent research indicates that the boundary between Cheshire and what was to become Lancashire remained the Mersey. [Harris and Thacker (1987). write on page 252: quotation|Certainly there were links between Cheshire and south Lancashire before 1000, when Wulfric Spot held lands in both territories. Wulfric's estates remained grouped together after his death, when they were left to his brother Ælfhelm, and indeed there still seems to have been some kind of connexion in 1086, when south Lancashire was surveyed together with Cheshire by the Domesday commissioners. Nevertheless, the two territories do seem to have been distinguished from one another in some way and it is not certain that the shire-moot and the reeves referred to in the south Lancashire section of Domesday were the Cheshire ones.] [Phillips and Phillips (2002). pp. 26–31.] [Crosby, A. (1996). writes on page 31: quotation|The Domesday Survey (1086) included south Lancashire with Cheshire for convenience, but the Mersey, the name of which means 'boundary river' is known to have divided the kingdoms of Northumbria and Mercia and there is no doubt that this was the real boundary.]

The land south of the River Mersey was made up of twelve hundreds: Atiscross, Bochelau, Chester, Dudestan, Exestan, Hamestan, Middlewich, Riseton, Roelau, Tunendune, Warmundestrou, and Wilaveston. [Harris and Thacker (1987). pp. 340-341.] (There are slight variations between various sources in the spellings of these names.)

This period of uncertainty of the northern border lasted until 1182, when the land north of the Mersey became administered as part of the new county of Lancashire. Later, the hundreds of Atiscross and Exestan became part of Wales. Over the years the remaining ten hundreds consolidated to just seven with changed names: Broxton, Bucklow, Eddisbury, Macclesfield, Nantwich, Northwich, and Wirral.

In a local government reform in 1974, some areas near the border with Lancashire became part of the new counties of Greater Manchester and Merseyside, notably Stockport, and the Wirral area around Birkenhead. Also at this time, Cheshire gained Widnes, Warrington and its surrounding district from Lancashire.

Halton (containing Widnes and Runcorn) and Warrington became unitary authorities independent of Cheshire on April 1, 1998.

Notes and References

Bibliography

*Beck, J. (1969). "Tudor Cheshire. (Volume 7 of Cheshire Community Council Series: A History of Cheshire)." Series Editor: J. J. Bagley. Chester, UK: Cheshire Community Council.

*Bu'Lock, J. D. (1972). "Pre-Conquest Cheshire 383-1066. (Volume 3 of Cheshire Community Council Series: A History of Cheshire)." Series Editor: J. J. Bagley. Chester, UK: Cheshire Community Council.

*Crosby, A. (1996). "A History of Cheshire." "(The Darwen County History Series.)" Chichester, UK: Phillimore & co. Ltd. ISBN 0850339324.

*Dore, R.N. (1966). "The Civil Wars in Cheshire. (Volume 8 of Cheshire Community Council Series: A History of Cheshire)." Series Editor: J. J. Bagley. Chester, UK: Cheshire Community Council.

*Driver, J. T. (1971). "Cheshire in the Later Middle Ages 1399-1540. (Volume 6 of Cheshire Community Council Series: A History of Cheshire)." Series Editor: J. J. Bagley. Chester, UK: Cheshire Community Council.

*Harris, B. E. (1979). "'The Victoria History of the County of Chester. (Volume 2)." Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 019722749X.

*Harris, B. E. (1980). "'The Victoria History of the County of Chester. (Volume 3)." Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0197227546.

*Harris, B. E., and Thacker, A. T. (1987). "The Victoria History of the County of Chester. (Volume 1: Physique, Prehistory, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Domesday)." Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0197227619.

*Hewitt, H. J. (1967). "Cheshire Under the Three Edwards. (Volume 5 of Cheshire Community Council Series: A History of Cheshire)." Series Editor: J. J. Bagley. Chester, UK: Cheshire Community Council.

*Higham, N. J. (1993). "The Origins of Cheshire." Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press. ISBN 0719031605.

*Hodson, J. H. (1978). "Cheshire, 1660-1780: Restoration to Industrial Revolution. (Volume 9 of Cheshire Community Council Series: A History of Cheshire)." Series Editor: J. J. Bagley. Chester, UK: Cheshire Community Council. ISBN 0903119110.

*Husain, B. M. C. (1973). "Cheshire Under the Norman Earls 1066-1237. (Volume 4 of Cheshire Community Council Series: A History of Cheshire)." Series Editor: J. J. Bagley. Chester, UK: Cheshire Community Council.

*Morgan, V., and Morgan, P. (2004). "Prehistoric Cheshire." Ashbourne, Derbyshire:Landmark Publishing Company. ISBN 1843061406.

*Phillips, A. D. M., and Phillips, C. B. (Eds.) (2002). "A New Historical Atlas of Cheshire." Chester, UK: Cheshire County Council and Cheshire Community Council Publications Trust. ISBN 0904532461.

*Scard, G. (1981). "Squire and Tenant: Rural Life in Cheshire 1760-1900. (Volume 10 of Cheshire Community Council Series: A History of Cheshire)." Series Editor: J. J. Bagley. Chester, UK: Cheshire Community Council. ISBN 0903119137.

*Scholes, R. (2000). "The Towns and Villages of Britain: Cheshire." Wilmslow, Cheshire: Sigma Press. ISBN 1850586373.

*Sylvester, D. (1980). "A History of Cheshire, (The Darwen County History Series.)" (Second Edition, original publication date, 1971). London and Chichester, UK: Phillimore & Co. Ltd. ISBN 0850333849.

*Sylvester. D., and Nulty, G. (1958). "The Historical Atlas of Cheshire." (Third Edition) Chester, UK: Cheshire Community Council.

*Thompson, F. H. (1965). "Roman Cheshire. (Volume 2 of Cheshire Community Council Series: A History of Cheshire)." Series Editor: J. J. Bagley. Chester, UK: Cheshire Community Council.

*Tigwell, R. E. (1985). "Cheshire in the Twentieth Century. (Volume 11 of Cheshire Community Council Series: A History of Cheshire)." Series Editor: J. J. Bagley. Chester, UK: Cheshire Community Council.

*Varley, W. J. (1964). "Cheshire Before the Romans. (Volume 1 of Cheshire Community Council Series: A History of Cheshire)." Series Editor: J. J. Bagley. Chester, UK: Cheshire Community Council.

*Youngs, F. A. (1991). "Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England. (Volume 1: Northern England)." London: Royal Historical Society. ISBN 0861931270.

ee also

* History of England