The name Withington
is derived from Withy-ton, Saxon for a settlement in a marshy area where willows
or 'wythes' grew. Withingtons name could also be derived from a Saxon Chieftain
'Widdingas' who may have lived locally.
In the early 13th
Century, Withington was an independent Manor whose Lord was William de Withington.
By the end of that century however, Withington became a sub-manor of the Barony
of Manchester, a larger area stretching as far as Denton.
The Manor changed hands several times before being acquired by the Egertons
of Tatton, the last Lords of the Manor, but it remained a rural hamlet with
virtually no significant industrial or commercial activity until the middle
of the 19th Century.
With the establishment of the the Manchester and Wilmslow Turnpike Trust, the
construction of Cheadle Bridge, and the opening of Palatine Road in 1862, communications
improved vastly and Withington began to expand rapidly in the wake of Manchester's
prolific industrial growth. This was further aided by opening of the Midland
Railway in 1880.
Possibly Withington's first urban development was the construction of Queen
St and Albert St in 1859. The Egerton Estate was gradually acquired from 1887
onwards until virtually all the open rural areas were controlled.
In 1904, Withington was incorporated into the City of Manchester.
The original character of suburban Withington was based on large private houses
set in tree-lined streets but changed in the 20th Century as single occupancy
of the large properties was replaced by multiple occupancy.
