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About the Area
| Hot Links to page items | Trades | Barons | Public Officers | Wars |
| Great Fire of Nantwich | Pestilence | Famine | Flood | Other Sources |
First mentioned in the Domesday Survey simply as Wiche, Nantwich has variously been called Wicus-Malbanus, Wich-Malbank, Malbanewic (names given in honour of the Baronial family of Malbank), Nant-wyche and Nampt-wyche before the more readily recognized name of today's "Nantwich". The term Wich, is commonly thought to refer to salt towns, and Nantwich still has a brine spring, which was known as the 'Brine-pit' or 'Old Biot' in former years.
Hotlink back to 'About the Area'
The salt making (known as 'walling') has been an important part of the local economy throughout Nantwich's history, and many other trades were dependent on this salt industry. In particular, Nantwich had a thriving tanning industry at one time, which requires salt for the process. Cheese-making too, requires salt during the process and both of these trades would also have been secondary industries of dairy farming.
A corn mill also existed in Nantwich and would have played an important part in the local economy. The corn mill was in later years converted into a cotton mill at around 1789. Later again, it reverted to a corn mill after about 85 years until in 1883 it is documented as both a foundry for making agricultural implements in the lower part of the building and a clothing factory in the upper part.
For many years, there was a thriving knitted stocking trade, as in many towns across the country. This was due to the invention of the stocking-frame by William Lee in 1589. The industry was protected throughout the country until 1753, which saw the decline of the trade in many parts of the country including Nantwich. The last known documentation of stocking-loom working in Nantwich was for 1825.
Shoemaking and glove making were trades carried out for many centuries in Nantwich, with shoemaking only declining in 1873 following a strike. The glove making trade finally died out in 1863.
The first clothing factory in Nantwich was opened in 1872 on the Barony, but this no longer exists.
Other trades in Nantwich which have since died out include, peruke-making, tobacco manufacture, flax-dressing, dyeing, stay-making, straw-plaiting and thread-making to name but a few. Return to Top
Nantwich was created the head of a Barony about the year 1070. There were three Barons in succession of the Norman family of Malbank, and held their possessions 'in capite' from the Earl of Chester. These Barons were namely, William Malbedeng, Hugh Malbank and William Malbank, the first, second and third Barons respectively of Wich-Malbank. Return to Top
From 1500 onwards various public officers were appointed in the town. These had titles such as 'Rulers of Walling', 'Heath-keepers', 'Leave-lookers', 'Ale-tasters', 'Fire-lookers', Channel-lookers', 'Town-crier' to name just a few.
From the early 1700s until 1832, six men of the town were employed by the tradesmen of Nantwich as Night Watchmen. Until 1868, one only was still employed, "Old Jack Sutton", who had been a Night Watchman for 50 years. Return to Top
During the Wars of the Roses a savage battle took place at Bloreheath, near Market Drayton, on 23rd. September 1459, during which many Nantwich men were killed.
During the great civil war, there were many skirmishes and battles in Nantwich, not least because the people of the town were split between the two parties of Royalists and Roundheads. Some of the most notable battles took place as follows:
May 1643 - the Drayton Battle - a battle just outside of Nantwich in the direction of Market Drayton meeting opposing forces from Market Drayton. Also in this month, the battle of Barton's Cross near Stapeley.
October 1643 - battle at Acton Church and Durfold House.
December 1643 - Burford and later Barthomley Church - this was also the start of the great siege of Nantwich which continued until the end of January of the following year.
It was at the relief of the Nantwich siege, that the war in Cheshire reached a crisis. After the relief, the war was mainly over in this county, although it still continued throughout the rest of the country. Return to Top
The Great Fire of Nantwich took place on the night of Tuesday, 10th. December, 1583. The greater part of the town was destroyed and originated "through negligence of undiscreet persons brewing" at the Water Lode. On the following day, all that remained of the town on the east side of the river was the Church, the Grammar School, the Corn-mill, and a few houses at the ends of Beam St., Hospital St. and Pillory St.
A sum of £3,224 6s 91/2 was presented to the town on 13th November 1585, which included a gift of £1,000 from Queen Elizabeth I. This sum had been collected throughout the realm during the previous two years for the sole purpose of re-building Nantwich, because of its strategic position for the defence of the country. Return to Top
In 1604, the town first suffered an epidemic of the plague, like many towns throughout the country. The first recorded date for the plague is the 24th. June of that year and it continued for about five months. However, precise details are hard to come by, as records were not properly kept during this period. However, at least 430 persons may have died of the disease at this time. The numbers would no doubt have been greater, but for the fact that the wealthier people of the town, fled to their country houses at the first sign of the disease.
In June of 1849, the town was visited by Asiatic Cholera and in just 14 weeks, nearly 1,000 cases were reported out of a population of 6,000 resulting in about 180 deaths.
During the years 1727 to 1731, an epidemic of Distemper raged in the town, when the normal death rate doubled or trebled, with a peak 209 deaths in 1728. Return to Top
There were two main years of famine in Nantwich, 1585 and 1597. That of 1585 was caused by the scarcity of corn due to crop failure. Again in 1597 there was a scarcity of corn due to crop failure, but this time the famine was compounded by the lack of other staple foods as well. Return to Top
On the 26th. November, 1574, there was a great flood when the river Weaver broke its banks, flooding 64 houses in the vicinity. The river Weaver "came up to the brydge" according to one eye-witness. Return to Top
A History of the town and Parish of Nantwich by James Hall first published 1883.
The Great Fire of Nantwich by Jeremy Lake first published 1983.
The Nantwich Museum, Pillory St. Nantwich - entrance free.