Cleckheaton, West Riding

Description
Cleckheaton, a township and three ecclesiastical parishes in the old parish of Birstall, in the W. R. Yorkshire. The township lies on an affluent of the river Calder, and has a station on the L. & Y.R., 5 miles SSE of Bradford; it includes the hamlets of Scholes and Oakenshaw, and has a post, money order, and telegraph office (S.O.) Acreage, 1755 ; population, 11,826. Many of the inhabitants are employed in worsted spinning, making woollen cloths, flannels, blankets, machine making, card making, &c., and the neighbourhood abounds in coal mines. Vestiges of a Roman town were discovered here by Dr. Richardson. The three livings of Whitechapel, St John's, and St Luke's are respectively £a vicarage, value £225; a vicarage, value £300 with residence; a perpetual curacy, value £150, all in the diocese of Wakefield. Population of ecclesiastical parishes 3513, 6847, and 1717. There are ten dissenting chapels, a very handsome town-hall, Liberal and Conservative clubs, public baths, gasworks, waterworks, and wash-houses, and two fairs are held for the sale of cattle on Easter Monday and the last Thursday in August.