A Brief History of Sandbach
Although the Roman road from Middlewich to Chesterton passed through Sandbach Township few traces of life prior to Saxon times have been found in Sandbach. There are two entries in the Domesday Survey taken in 1086. The greater part was owned by Bigot who owned much land in other parts of the county and the remainder was owned by the Earl of Chester. There was a priest and church. It is thought that Sandbach parish which covered a much larger area than the current township was a minster parish in Saxon times and formed an important part of the Diocese of Lichfield.
Early in the 13th century, the land in and about Sandbach was held by Richard de Sandbach, High Sheriff of Cheshire in 1230. In succeeding centuries the ownership of the manor passed from the Sandbach family to the Leghs of Booth and then the Radcliffes of Ordsall who held Sandbach for about 250 years. In 1611 the Radcliffes sold part of the centre of Sandbach to local yeomen and then in the following year sold the rest of the manor to the Crewes of Crewe Hall. The Crewes disposed of most of their Sandbach properties at a sale in 1917.
The only event of note in Sandbach during the Civil War occurred on 3rd September, 1651. Whilst the September fair was taking place, a skirmish occurred on the town’s Common. A party of nearly 1,000 exhausted Scottish troops on horseback, retreating from the Battle of Worcester, were passing through and were attacked by local people. A contemporary newspaper said: The dispute was very hot for two or three houres, and there were some townsmen hurt and two or three slaine, the Townesman slew about nine or ten and tooke 100 prisoners. The Common has since been known as Scotch Common.
In the early 19th Century Sandbach was an important coaching halt on the roads from London and Birmingham to both Liverpool and Manchester. Local inns were calling places for coaches such as the ‘Royal Sovereign’, the ‘Rocket’ and the ‘Nettle’.
In the late 16th and early 17th centuries Sandbach was noted for the production of fine worsted yarns and malt liquor, and the revenue from these, together with that from the fairs and market, made the town modestly affluent. During the 19th century the town produced silk, boots and shoes and enjoyed extensive trade with its corn mills and salt works along the Trent and Mersey Canal.
The turn of the Century saw the upsurge of the heavy vehicle manufacturing industry. The early years saw the huge success of the Foden Steam Wagon which attained a worldwide reputation for economy and reliability. Since the early 1930’s the industry has concentrated on diesel powered heavy goods vehicles which were produced in the factories of both E.R.F. and Foden. Both companies have now left the area.