Macclesfield: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Town Hall, Macclesfield. 1823-4. Recently refurbished..JPG|thumb|Macclesfield Town Hall]]

 

Before the [[Norman Conquest]], Macclesfield was held by [[Edwin, Earl of Mercia]] and was assessed at £8. The [[Middle Ages|medieval]] town grew up on the hilltop around what is now [[St Michael's Church, Macclesfield|St Michael's Church]]. It was granted a charter by [[Edward I of England|Edward I]] in 1261, before he became king. [[King's School, Macclesfield|Macclesfield Grammar School]] was founded in 1502. The town had a [[silk]]-button industry from at least the middle of the 17th century and became a major [[Silk industry of Cheshire#Macclesfield|silk-manufacturing centre]] from the mid-18th century. The [[Macclesfield Canal]] was constructed in 1826–31.

The [[Northern Chamber Orchestra]] is the oldest professional chamber ensemble in the North West; its home is the Macclesfield Heritage Centre and presents a series of eight concerts a year, attracting international guest soloists.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Northern Chamber Orchestra |url=https://www.ncorch.co.uk/ |access-date=25 September 2019 |website=Northern Chamber Orchestra |archive-date=30 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330122531/https://www.ncorch.co.uk/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Silk Opera Company was created to perform 'The Monkey Run' at Barnaby.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Turner|first=Ben|date=8 June 2010 |title=Debut for 'Monkey Run' opera |url=http://menmedia.co.uk/macclesfieldexpress/news/s/1242408_debut_for_monkey_run_opera |newspaper=Macclesfield Express|access-date=23 December 2010 |archive-date=12 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112164704/http://menmedia.co.uk/macclesfieldexpress/news/s/1242408_debut_for_monkey_run_opera |url-status=dead }}</ref>

 

 

The Macclesfield Model Railway Group is recognised nationally as a leading railway modelling club, known for many layouts since its foundation in 1957.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Macclesfield Model Railway Group |url=https://www.macclesfieldmrg.org.uk/ |access-date=31 December 2019 |website=Macclesfield Model Railway Group |language=en-GB |archive-date=31 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231005751/https://www.macclesfieldmrg.org.uk/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

 

[[Gawsworth Hall]] hosts an annual [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]] festival as well as many arts and music events throughout the year.

 

Macclesfield has appeared in film; it was used as the location for [[Sir John Mills]]' film ''So Well Remembered'' in 1947.{{CN|date=July 2024}} Some of the locations are still recognisable, such as Hibel Road. A fictionalised version of Macclesfield's railway station appeared in the 2005 football hooliganism film ''[[Green Street (film)|Green Street]]''.{{CN|date=July 2024}} It was also the location of ''[[Control (2007 film)|Control]]'' (2007), a film about [[Ian Curtis]], the lead singer of [[Joy Division]].

Local news and television programmes are provided by [[BBC North West]] and [[ITV Granada]]. Television signals are received from the [[Winter Hill transmitting station|Winter Hill]] TV transmitter and the local relay transmitter situated south east of the town.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Macclesfield|title=Freeview Light on the Macclesfield (Cheshire East, England) transmitter |publisher=UK Free TV |access-date= 25 May 2024}}</ref>

 

 

''[[Macclesfield Express]]'' is the town's local newspaper which publishes on Wednesdays. <ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.britishpapers.co.uk/england-nw/macclesfield-express/|title=Macclesfield Express|date=5 May 2014|website=British Papers|accessdate=25 May 2024}}</ref>

 

=== Public service ===

[[File:JCRylePhoto.jpg|thumb|140px|John Charles Ryle, 1888]]

* [[John Shert]] (c.1544–1582) English Catholic priest and martyr,<ref>[http://www.dioceseofshrewsbury.org/about-us/saints-and-martyrs/blessed-john-shert Blessed John Shert, Diocese of Shrewsbury] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124091853/http://www.dioceseofshrewsbury.org/about-us/saints-and-martyrs/blessed-john-shert |date=24 January 2013 }} retrieved December 2017</ref> executed during the reign of [[Elizabeth I]], beatified in 1889.

 

=== Commerce ===

* [[Charles Roe]] (1715–1781) industrialist,<ref>[https://archive.today/20071029115331/http://www.toxteth.net/places/liverpool/history/roes%20copper%20works.htm www.toxteth.net archive, Charles Roe and Company] retrieved December 2017</ref> helped establish the silk industry in Macclesfield

* [[James Pigot]] (1769–1843) British publisher of directories, and a pioneering publisher of [[Business directory|trade directories]]

* [[Thomas Wardle (industrialist)|Sir Thomas Wardle]] (1831–1909) businessman,<ref>{{cite DNB12|wstitle=Wardle,_Thomas |short=x}}</ref> known for his innovations in silk dyeing and printing on silk

* [[William Ryle|William Ryle II]] (1834–1881) silk manufacturer<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia= Nelson's Biographical Cyclopedia of New Jersey |title=Arthur Ryle |year=1913 |quote=William Ryle, son of William Ryle, was born in Macclesfield, England, March 8, 1834, and died in Paterson, New Jersey, November 5, 1881. He came to the United States at the age of eighteen, also with the purpose of embarking in the silk business, but, obtaining employment with a Wall street banking firm in New York City, he was for some time engaged in financial concerns. | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ttUwAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA697-IA15&ci=219%2C718%2C667%2C76 |pages=704–705 |access-date=2023-07-01 |via=Google Books}}</ref>

 

=== The Arts ===

* [[Alfred Gatley]] (1816–1863) was an English sculptor<ref>{{cite DNB|wstitle=Gatley,_Alfred |volume= 21 |short=x}}</ref>

* [[John William Wadsworth]] (1879–1955), ceramics designer<ref>[http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/term_details.aspx?bioId=176097 The British Museum, John William Wadsworth (Biographical details)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216091107/http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/term_details.aspx?bioId=176097 |date=16 December 2017 }} retrieved December 2017</ref> for [[Mintons]], born in Macclesfield

 

=== Journalists and writers ===

* [[Hester Rogers]] (1756–1794) British Methodist writer and role model for women Methodists

* [[Sui Sin Far]] (born Edith Maude Eaton; 1865–1914) author,<ref>[http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio.php?id_nbr=7353 EATON, EDITH MAUD, in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 14, University of Toronto] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227121803/http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio.php?id_nbr=7353 |date=27 December 2017 }} retrieved December 2017</ref> wrote about Chinese people in North America

 

=== Music ===

* [[Forbes Robinson]] (1926–1987) bass, known for his performances in works by Mozart, Verdi, and Britten.

* [[Noddy Holder]] (born 1946) lead singer of [[Slade]], lives in the town.

* [[Ian Curtis]] (1956–1980) lead singer of [[Joy Division]], lived and died there. He is buried in the Macclesfield cemetery.

 

=== Sport ===

* [[Joseph Hawcridge]] (1863 in Macclesfield – 1905) a rugby union<ref>[http://en.espn.co.uk/england/rugby/player/700.html espnscrum.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171226234648/http://en.espn.co.uk/england/rugby/player/700.html |date=26 December 2017 }} retrieved December 2017</ref> footballer

* [[Linton Hope]] (1863–1920) sailor,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130323035210/http://databaseolympics.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=HOPELIN01 databaseOlympics.com Archives] retrieved December 2017</ref> competed at the [[1900 Summer Olympics]] in [[Meulan]], France