Hartford

History

Hartford was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, when the Manor was held by Gilbert de Venables as part of the Barony of Kinderton. Prior to the reign of Edward III, it was held by a family who assumed the local name, from which it passed to the Horton, Massey, Holcroft, Marbury and Davies families. In 1644, during the English Civil War, a battle was fought at Hartford Green when Royalists from Chester encountered the Parliamentary forces from Northwich. St John the Baptist Church was built in 1875, on the site of an earlier church that was consecrated in 1824. The original building was replaced because the village's population grew and the church became too small. The new building was designed by John Douglas. Hartford was formerly a township divided between two ancient parishes; the greater part belonged to Witton chapelry of Great Budworth ancient parish, and a much smaller part in Weaverham cum Milton ancient parish. It also formed part of Eddisbury Hundred and was placed in Northwich poor law union in 1836. It was constituted a civil parish in 1866 and, in 1875, was added to the newly formed Northwich rural sanitary district. Hartford railway station opened in 1837. A war memorial to those from the village who fought in World War I was erected in 1921 and stands in the centre of a path in the churchyard of St John's Church. From 1894 to 1974, the whole of Hartford was part of Northwich rural district and it was served by Vale Royal borough council. In April 2009, the latter ceased to exist and Hartford is now a civil parish within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester.