Gisburn, West Riding

Description
Gisburn, a market-town, a township, and a parish in W. R. Yorkshire. The town stands near the river Ribble, 10 1/2 miles WSW of Skipton, and has a post, money order, and telegraph office under Skipton, a station on the L. & Y.R., and a bank. Markets are held on Mondays, fortnightly for Cattle and sheep, and fairs on Easter Monday and 18 Sept. The township includes the town. Area of township, 1997 acres ; population, 444. The parish contains also the townships of Middop, Eimmington, Horton, Newsholme, and Paythorne, in Clitheroe union, and the townships of Swinden and Nappa in Settle union. Gisburn Park, the seat of Lord Ribblesdale, is a handsome mansion standing in a beautifully wooded park of 160 acres at the confluence of the Ribble and Stockbeck, and contains among other pictures a noteworthy portrait of Oliver Cromwell by Lely, taken at his own request, presented to General Lambert, and held to be a faithful likeness. A herd of wild cattle, a remnant of the ancient Lancashire breed, were in the grounds, but are extinct. They were milk-white except the tips of the nose, the ears, and the feet, which were black. They were never thoroughly tamed, yet they bred freely with tamed cattle. Most of the parish is disposed in grazing farms. A rich vein of lead ore with considerable portion of silver is in Eimmington manor. Traces of a Danish camp are at Castle Haugh. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Ripon ; net yearly value, £294 with residence. Patron, the Lord Chancellor. The church was built in the beginning of the 12th century, and partly rebuilt in the time of Henry VII. and restored in 1872; and has a tower, contains tombs of the Listers. There are Congregational and Wesleyan chapels.