Forest of Rossendale. i 75 



scheme the Foundation is administered by a governing body 

 consisting of twelve members. Six of these are representative, two 

 each being chosen by the Town Councils of Bacup and Rawtenstall, 

 and one each by the Newchurch School Board and the Council of 

 the Victoria University. The other six are Co-optative, and consist 

 of gentlemen resident in the district. Mr. T. E. Jackson, M.A., is 

 the present Head Master, his appointment dating from July, 1S92. 



In addition to the foundation of the Grammar School and the 

 contribution towards the building of St. Nicholas Sunday School, 

 two other Newchurch bequests may be recorded in this place. 



" Ormerod's Charity " consisted of a gift about the middle of last 

 century of ;^3oo advanced towards the building of a workhouse 

 for the use of the poor in the township of Newchurch-in-Rossendale. 

 In respect of this sum of ^^300, the yearly sum' of ;^i3 los. od., or 

 at the rate of 4J4 per cent, interest, the Charity Commissioners 

 (1830) found was paid as a charge upon the workhouse out of the 

 poor rates, and was distributed by quarterly payments of ;^3 7s. 6d., 

 principally in sums of 2s. or 2s. 6d., amongst poor persons of the 

 chapelry, not receiving relief 



The other is the charity of the late Mrs. P"rances Strong, of 

 Height Side, Newchurch, who by her Will of December 4th, 1856, 

 directed her trustees to invest the sum of p^iooo out of her purely 

 personal estate, and to pay the interest thereof in money, clothing, 

 or otherwise, at their discretion, amongst deserving poor people 

 resident within Deadwenclough, in Rossendale, for ever. Such 

 distribution to take place yearly, on the thirteenth day of October, 

 being her birthday. The first trustees were the late George 

 Hargreaves, of Newchurch, and John Whitaker, late of Broad- 

 clough, Bacup. 



From the date of the erection of the New Church in 15 n, to 

 the 32nd year of the reign of King Henry VIII. (1540), the 

 population of Rossendale had gone on steadily increasing. At the 

 latter date they amounted, probably, to between 600 and 700 

 souls. These were widely scattered over the district, and it soon 

 became manifest that one small chapel was insufficient for their 



