BLACKBURN HUNDRED 



BLACKBURN 



Borough of Black- 

 burn. Urgent a fesie 

 tva'vy sable between three 

 bees proper^ on a chief 

 'vert a hunting-horn of 

 the field stringed gules 

 betioeen fwo lo%enges or. 



Act of Parliament passed in 1 847 their powers were 

 merged in those of the improvement commissioners 

 appointed under that Act.'^ In consequence of a 

 petition from the inhabitants 

 the borough was incorporated 

 in 1 85 1, and divided into six 

 wards, each returning six 

 councillors and having two 

 aldermen ; in 1854 the func- 

 tions of the improvement 

 commissioners were transferred 

 to the town council.^* A coat 

 of arms was granted the same 

 year.'' By the Reform Act, 

 1832, Blackburn had been 

 constituted a parliamentary 

 borough and it returns two 

 members.'* The limits of the 

 parliamentary and municipal 

 boroughs were co-extensive 

 and identical with the ancient 



township, having an area of 3,681 acres. By the 

 Blackburn Borough Extension Act, 1877, the muni- 

 cipal limits were enlarged by the inclusion of part 

 of the townships of Witton, Livesey and a small 

 portion of Little Harwood." By the Improve- 

 ment Act, 1879, '^^ remainder of Little Harwood 

 and the greater part of the township of Lower 

 Darwen were included in the municipal borough.'* 

 Under the Local Government Act, 1888, the town 

 was constituted a county borough, and has a com- 

 mission of the peace and a police force. It was 

 constituted by charter in 1886 a quarter sessions 

 borough. Under the Blackburn Corporation Act, 

 1892, the number of wards in the borough was 

 increased to fourteen," each having an alderman and 

 three councillors, and the townships and parts of 

 townships included within the borough were con- 

 solidated into one civil parish" ; by a further Act in 

 I go I parts of the civil parishes of Livesey and 

 Witton were added to the civil parish and county 

 borough, which has now an area of 7,418 acres." 

 The corporation consists of the mayor, fourteen 

 aldermen and forty-two councillors. The population 

 in 1901 was 127,626.'^ 



Among other public buildings in the town are the 

 town hall and central police station in the market 

 place opened in 1856 ; municipal offices in Victoria 

 Street, near the former, erected in 1880 ; county 

 court offices in the same street, built in 1862 ; 

 county police offices erected in 1873. 



Blackburn was a market towji in the time of 

 Elizabeth, but no charter for market or fair is known. 

 Till about 1774 the market day was Monday, but 

 a change was afterwards made to Wednesday and 

 Saturday. The old fair day was I May."' The 

 general market was erected in 1848, a market house 



in 1872, a fish market in 1874, and a cattle market 

 in Harrison Street, with public slaughter-houses 

 adjoining. 



Public baths were built in 1868 and enlarged in 

 1884. There is a fire brigade station. A free 

 library was opened in 1862"; the building in 

 Library Street was opened in 1873, and extended in 

 1893. It contains about 65,000 volumes, and also 

 includes a museum of natural history and antiquities 

 and an art gallery. The municipal technical school 

 on Blakey Moor was founded in 1887-91 and 

 extended in 1894. A school board was formed 

 in 1870. 



The corporation fever hospital in Longshawe 

 Lane can accommodate ninety-eight patients. It was 

 erected in 1895 and enlarged in 1901. A dispen- 

 sary was opened in 1824 and closed in 1838, owing 

 to the falling off of subscriptions.*'" The Blackburn 

 and East Lancashire Infirmary at Hollin Bank, to 

 which the funds of the old dispensary were given, 

 was commenced in 1858, enlarged in 1884 and 

 again in 1 900 by the addition of the Victoria Wing 

 in commemoration of Queen Victoria's Diamond 

 Jubilee. The present accommodation provides about 

 1 10 beds. 



On the southern slope of Revidge Hill, lying 

 towards the town, is the Corporation Park of 56 

 acres, opened in 1857. Queen's Park, on the 

 eastern side of the town, containing 33 acres, was 

 opened in 1887. There is a cemetery of 41 acres 

 lying en the hill side near the Whalley road, opened 

 in 1857. It is under the control of the corporation. 



The first water-works were established in 1772 and 

 purchased by a company in 1 848 from Mr. Joseph 

 Feilden. In 1845-7 reservoirs were constructed at 

 Pickup Bank, Hoddlesden and Guide, at Daisy Green 

 in 1849, and New Audley in 1856, and Fishmoor in 

 1 861. These undertakings were purchased by the 

 corporation in 1875. Additional supplies are now 

 obtained from the upper watershed of the River 

 Hodder in Bowland Forest, co. York., and from the 

 Rivers Brennand, Whitendale and Dunsop. The first 

 gas-works were established in i 8 1 8 and acquired by 

 the corporation in 1877. Electric-lighting works were 

 established in 1894. 



In connexion with the Church of England there 

 are now in the town fourteen churches, several of 

 which have mission rooms and chapels of ease attached. 

 The parish church has been described above." No 

 other was required till 1789, when St. John's, to the 

 north, was built by subscription as a chapel of ease ; 

 St. Peter's, in the Bull Meadow, 182 1, was aided by 

 the parliamentary grant ; St. Paul's, Blakeley Moor, 

 was built in 1 791, but used by the Countess of 

 Huntingdon's Connexion till 1829. These three 

 churches had districts assigned to them in 1842,*' and 

 the vicar of Blackburn is patron. There is a deaf 



" Abram, op. cit. 375. 



8* Ibid. ; the wards were named St. 

 Mary's, St. John's, Trinity, Park, St. 

 Peter's, St. Paul's. The first mayor was 

 William Henry Hornby, who was mem- 

 ber of Parliament for the borough 

 1857-69 ; he died in 1884. 



85 Ibid. 376. 



8^ For the representatives see Pink and 

 Beaven, Pari. Repre. of Lams. 315-20. 

 After the election of 1868 both members 

 were unseated ' on account of intimida- 



tion of voters by expulsion from factories 

 by partizan workmen.' 



3? 40 & 41 Vict. cap. 115. 



'^ 42 & 43 Vict. cap. 116. 



" Except Park Ward they are named 

 from churches : Trinity, St. Andrew, St. 

 John, St. Luke, St. Mary, St. Mark, St. 

 Matthew, St. Michael, St. Paul, St. Peter, 

 St. Silas, St. Stephen, St. Thomas. 



■■" Blackburn Corporation Act, 1892. 

 The area was then 6,978 acres, including 

 129 of inland water. 



247 



41 Ibid. 1 901, 



4^ After the last extension in Nov. 

 1901 the population of the enlarged 

 county borough was 129,216; that of 

 Blackburn proper was 124,000. 



^^ The fair was abolished in 1878 ; 

 Lond. Gaz. 23 Apr. 



'•'• Abram, op. cit. 378. 



"5 Ibid. 382. 



4^ For the newer churches see ibid, 



351-3- 



*^ Land. Gaz. 20 Sept. 1842. 



;^ 



