MACCLESFIELD, market town, municipal borough, Mac clesfield parliamentary division, Cheshire, England, 166 m. N.W. of London, on the L.M.S. and L.N.E. railways. Pop. (1931) 34,902. It stands on the banks of the river Bollin in a deep gorge with heights up to i,000 ft. on the east. The bleak upland country retains its ancient name of Macclesfield forest. The church of St. Michael was founded in 1278, and in 1740 was partly rebuilt and enlarged. Connected with the church there are two chapels, one of which, Rivers chapel, belonged to a college of secular priests founded in 1501. The free grammar school, originally founded in 1502, was refounded in 1552, and a commercial school was erected in 1840 out of its funds. The county lunatic asylum is situated here. Originally the trade of Macclesfield was princi pally in twist and silk buttons, but this has developed into the manufacture of all kinds of silk. Also there are various textile manufactures and extensive breweries; while stone quarries, as well as coal-mines, are worked in the neighbourhood. Recreation grounds include Victoria park and Peel park, in which are pre served the old market cross and stocks. Water communication is provided by the Macclesfield canal. The populous suburb of Sut ton, extending south-south-east of the town, is partly included in the borough.
Before 1066, Macclesfield (Makesfeld, Mackerfeld, Macclesfeld, Meulefeld, Maxfield) was held by Edwin, earl of Mercia, and in the Domesday Survey it is in the lands of the earl of Chester.
The names Jordangate, Chestergate and Wallgate bear witness to 13th century fortifications. In the 15th century Henry Stafford, duke of Buckingham, had a fortified manor-house here; its traces remain. The earliest of the many charters, granted by Edward, prince of Wales, in 1261, constituted Macclesfield a free borough with a merchant guild. In 1684 Charles II. issued a new charter, which continued until the Municipal Reform act, 1835. The earli est mention of a market is in 1617. In the charter of 1666 a mar ket is included among the privileges confirmed to the borough. The charter of Elizabeth (1595) granted an annual fair in June and Charles II. (1684) granted fairs in April and September. Ex cept during the three winter months fairs are now held monthly, the chief being "Barnaby" in June, when the town keeps a week's holiday. Macclesfield borough sent two members to parliament in 1832 for the first time. In 188o it was disfranchised, and in 1885 was merged in the county division of Macclesfield. The manufac ture of silk-covered buttons began in the 16th century, and flourished until the early i8th. The first silk mill was erected about the year 1755, and silk manufacture on a large scale was introduced about 1790. The manufacture of cotton began in Macclesfield about 1785.