82 A HISTORY OF LONGRIDaE. [Chap. 3. 



CHAPTEE III.— SOCIAL AND POLITICAL HISTOEY. 



Local Government, 1780— 1S20— 1840— 1868— Plan of Eoads— Sanitary Authority— 

 Foi-mation of Local Board, 1883 : First Election -Great Excitement -" Selling his 

 friends "—Result— Officers of Board- Members- -Rev. Dr. Boardman thrown out, 

 18S4 -" No Popery" Cry-Election, 1887— "Hou.semaid's Letter"— Work of Board 

 - Sewerage question : Wilful neglect— Births and Deaths, 1878-82 : 1883-87— Incon- 

 sistency of Board— District Council- Broughtou *. Longridge— Amounderness 

 "wins the day "—" The Curse of Longridge" — Number of Inns -Poor Accommo- 

 dation— The Remedy— Sobriety of People —The Co-operative Movement— Its rise 

 andsucoess- -The Originators— Free Library— Friendly Societies -Facts and Figures 

 — Flor.il Society -Debating Society— Lectures— Concerts- -Cricket and Football— 

 St. Wilfrid's Dramatic Society — Volunteer Corps— Amateur Christy Minstrels- 

 Congregational M.I. Society— Longridge in two Parliamentary Divisions — Incon- 

 veniences and Absurdities— Remedies— Political Birth— Mr. Gladstone and Irish 

 Church— 18138 Election— Liljeral Churchmen —Boycotting and Intimidation— 1880 

 Election— Formation of Liberal Association, 1884 • Its Work- Liberal Club opened 

 by Irish M.P.— Ribehester Liberal Club —Chipping Liberal Club— Wrath of Torie.'s 

 —Conservative Club : Opened by Viscount Cranborne, M.P.— Its Work— Ribehester 

 Conservative Club— Primrose League— Free Tea Parties— Rev. C. 0. Gordon and 

 " his " school— Disorderly Liberal Meetings -Tory Tactics-" A Medium between 

 God and the Devil "-Alderman B. Walmsley— Expulsion of Tories— Quietness 

 restored- Position of Parties—" Balance of power" in Dilworth. 



The state of " local government," to use a phrase then undreamt of 

 in Longridge, from 1780 to 1830 or 1840, has been described in as 

 graphic a manner as possible in chapter I. How long the " select 

 vestry" continued in office I do not know, but of course their " Poor 

 law powers " were taken from them in 1837, when the new Poor Law 

 Act came into force. Probabl}' " survej-ors of highways " and " over- 

 seers " were the guardians of the public weal — subject only to the 

 nominal authority of a " Town's Meeting," held once a year. I have 

 tried in vain to prociu-e the minute books and other papers of these 

 surveyors, etc., which I regret esceedinglj', as there would be some 

 interesting reading in them. 



It has been said that the late George Whittle was the " Maker of 

 Longridge," i.e., that he laid the foundations of its material comfort 

 and wealth. In those days, from 1838-68, local government in Long- 

 ridge was conspicuous by its absence. Men built houses, and laid out 

 streets, etc., just as suited their interest and convenience. No regard 

 was paid to public utility. True, as we have seen, there were survey- 

 ors of the highway who were supposed to look after the interests of 

 the place, but, with exceptions, these men were either tools in the 

 hands of others, or very easy-going persons. So that it is not surpris- 



