The Annals of Hyde

Thomas Middleton's book The Annals of Hyde, published in 1899 is now available for download in various formats incluing PDF from the University of California Library.

This brief extract recalls the early origins of the town.

The earliest references to modern Hyde are contained in Aiken's "Forty Miles Round Manchester," published in 1795, and in a History of Cheshire written 20 years later, Aiken, speaking of this district, says :

Near the commencement of the Eastern Horn of Cheshire, which runs up into the wild country bordering on Yorkshire and the Peak of Derbyshire, is Hyde Chapel, or, as it is now called, Gee Cross. The chapel is a Dissenting place of worship. About 25 years ago there was only one house besides; now the place looks like a little town, and forms a continued street of nearly a mile; near it is Red Pump Street, a new village lately built by Mr. Sidebotham.

In a work entitled "Cheshire; or, Original Delineations :Topographical, Historical, and Descriptive of that County: the result of personal survey by E. W. Brayley and J, Briton, published in 1818, this passage occurs:

Hyde Chapel, or Gee Cross as it is now generally denominated, is a small village which obtained its primary name from a chapel for Dissenters, which, with a solitary house, were the only structures here till within these 40 years. The place now resembles a small town, and the houses range along each side of the road for nearly a mile; near it is a new milage lately built and called Red Pump Street.

It is noteworthy that the above writers make no mention of either town or village of Hyde by the present name.

A map of the Environs of Mottram-in-Longdendale, which accompanies Aiken's book, gives the names of such familiar places as Hyde Hall, Hyde Chapel, Godley Green, Gibraltar, Smithy Fold, Newton Green, Newton Hall, and Harrop Edge, but beyond the location of Red Pump Street no trace of Hyde is found. The name Red Pump Street (which was given to a row of, cottages built by Mr. Hegginbottom, and not by Mr. Sidebotham, as Aiken states) was the name by which modern Hyde was first known. Later, we find the name of Hyde Lane (the principal road from Red Pump Street to Gee Cross) used to designate the growing village. Finally, with the increase of the population, the name of the township seems to have become generally used.