Eccleston is a
civil parishIn England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and in some places the lowest tier of local government, below districts and counties. A civil parish can alternatively be known as a town, village, neighbourhood or community by resolution of its parish council; and in a limited number of...
and
villageA village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a town or city. Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New York City and the Saifi Village in...
in the unitary authority of
Cheshire West and ChesterCheshire West and Chester is a unitary authority area with borough status, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire. It was established in April 2009 as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health...
and the ceremonial county of
CheshireCheshire ; also known, archaically, as the County of Chester) is a ceremonial county in North West England. The traditional county town is the city of Chester, although Cheshire's largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Widnes, Runcorn, Macclesfield,...
, and close to
ChesterChester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
. According to the
2001 CensusA nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census....
, the population of the entire civil parish was 184.
The village is situated on the estate of the
Duke of WestminsterThe title Duke of Westminster was created by Queen Victoria in 1874 and bestowed upon Hugh Grosvenor, the 3rd Marquess of Westminster. The title is derived from Westminster. The current holder of the title is Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster...
who maintains his ancestral home at nearby
Eaton HallEaton Hall is the country house of the Duke of Westminster which is set within a large estate south of the village of Eccleston, Cheshire, England . The estate covers an area of about 4,400 hectares within which is parkland of about 500 hectares and formal gardens of around 20 hectares...
.
It is believed that the name of the village derives from the
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
for 'Meeting Place'
Formerly a township in
Broxton HundredThe Hundreds of Cheshire, as with other Hundreds in England were the geographic divisions of Cheshire for administrative, military and judicial purposes. They were introduced in Cheshire some time before the Norman Conquest...
, it includes the
hamletA hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community...
s of
Belgrave and
Morris Oak.
Eccleston is a
civil parishIn England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and in some places the lowest tier of local government, below districts and counties. A civil parish can alternatively be known as a town, village, neighbourhood or community by resolution of its parish council; and in a limited number of...
and
villageA village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a town or city. Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New York City and the Saifi Village in...
in the unitary authority of
Cheshire West and ChesterCheshire West and Chester is a unitary authority area with borough status, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire. It was established in April 2009 as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health...
and the ceremonial county of
CheshireCheshire ; also known, archaically, as the County of Chester) is a ceremonial county in North West England. The traditional county town is the city of Chester, although Cheshire's largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Widnes, Runcorn, Macclesfield,...
, and close to
ChesterChester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
. According to the
2001 CensusA nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census....
, the population of the entire civil parish was 184.
The village is situated on the estate of the
Duke of WestminsterThe title Duke of Westminster was created by Queen Victoria in 1874 and bestowed upon Hugh Grosvenor, the 3rd Marquess of Westminster. The title is derived from Westminster. The current holder of the title is Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster...
who maintains his ancestral home at nearby
Eaton HallEaton Hall is the country house of the Duke of Westminster which is set within a large estate south of the village of Eccleston, Cheshire, England . The estate covers an area of about 4,400 hectares within which is parkland of about 500 hectares and formal gardens of around 20 hectares...
.
History
It is believed that the name of the village derives from the
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
for 'Meeting Place'
Formerly a township in
Broxton HundredThe Hundreds of Cheshire, as with other Hundreds in England were the geographic divisions of Cheshire for administrative, military and judicial purposes. They were introduced in Cheshire some time before the Norman Conquest...
, it includes the
hamletA hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community...
s of
Belgrave and
Morris Oak. The population was 199 in 1801, 289 in 1851, 320 in 1901 and 272 in 1951.
Church
The church at Eccleston is called St. Mary's Church. It was built at the expense of the
Duke of WestminsterThe title Duke of Westminster was created by Queen Victoria in 1874 and bestowed upon Hugh Grosvenor, the 3rd Marquess of Westminster. The title is derived from Westminster. The current holder of the title is Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster...
and cost £40,000 in 1899. It was built on the site of an earlier church that was constructed in 1809. Part of the churchyard is unusual in that it is circular in shape, which indicates pagan origins. In 1929 an excavation revealed 20 bodies which are believed to date from 390 AD. They are the earliest known
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
burials in Cheshire.
Two War Memorials exist within the Church, one of Bronze recording those that fell during
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
and a wooden memorial recording those that fell during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
The Churchyard is also the resting place of
Alfred Ernest IndAlfred Ernest Ind VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
VC, who died on 29 November 1916. Ind was a Farrier Sergeant in the
Royal Horse ArtilleryThe regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
. He was awarded the
Victoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration which is, or has been, awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories. It takes precedence over all other orders, decorations and medals...
on 20 December 1901 at Orange River,
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland, while Lesotho is an independent country surrounded by South Africa.Modern...
during the
Second Boer WarThe Second Boer War , commonly referred to as The Boer War and also known as the South African War , the Anglo-Boer War and in Afrikaans as the Anglo-Boereoorlog or Tweede Vryheidsoorlog , or the Engelse oorlog was fought...
.
See also
- St Mary's Church, Eccleston
St Mary's Church, Eccleston is in the village of Eccleston, Cheshire, England, on the estate of the Duke of Westminster south of Chester . The church is a Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of...