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New ReformBill - 1852
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Author:  Mel [ Sun Jan 17, 2010 8:58 am ]
Post subject:  New ReformBill - 1852
Preston Guardian

Saturday 21 February 1852

The Lancashire Boroughs of the New Reform Bill

The ministerial reform bill now before Parliament proposes to create one new borough in this county (Burnley), and to enlarge another (Clitheroe), by the addition to it of the township of Colne.

BURNLEY.
The "temporary contents and boundaries" of Burnley are to be "the space defined and ascertained by and under" the act 59th Geo. III. intituled, "An act for paving, lighting, watching, and improving the town of Burnley," and therein referred to, as "the limits" of that act. — Burnley is a parochial chapelry, township and market town in the honour of Clitheroe, manor of Ighton Hill Park, the parish of whalley, the upper or Burnley division of Blackburn hundred, and the polling district and poor-law union of Burnley. The chapelry, as popularly understood, comprises 19,930 statute acres, and seven sub-divisions, Burnley, Briercliffe with Extwisle, Cliviger, Habergham Eaves, Ighton Hill Park, New Laund Booth, Reedly Hollows, and Filly Close, and Worsthorn with Hurstwood - Ighton Hill Park, New Laund Booth, Reedly Hollows, and Filly Close are said to be extra-parochial, and not strictly in the chapelry. [The chapelry proper contains 1,630 statute acres] The town of Burnley is 25 miles north of Manchester, and is conjectured to have been a Roman settlement. The town is governed by police commissioners, according to act passed May 19, 1819; and by constables of the magistrates' and ratepayers' election; a weekly petty sessions is held. The market, held by charter granted 1294, is on Mondays; and the fairs are March 6, Easter eve, May 9, 13, July 10, October 11, third Thursday in October, and every alternate Monday. The trade consists of calico weaving, cotton and worsted spinning, machine making, calico printing &c. In 1825 there were in the town and vicinity 37 steam engines; in 1833, about 40; 21 of which were in cotton works. In 1834 the town contained 17 cotton mills. In 1838 the number of cotton manufactories, or firms, was 28, employing about 3,000 hands. The Leeds and Liverpool canal, cut in 1772, passes the town. In 1311 the population of the township was 265; in 1801, 3,305; 1811, 4,368; 1821, 6,378; 1831, 7,551. The town is in Burnley and Habergham Eaves townships, and contained, in 1831, about 11,551 persons. The population of the chapelry, in 1801, was 8,215; 1811, 10,451; 1821, 14,972; 1831, 18,151. The town contains a well-endowed school, three episcopal national schools, and ten Sunday Schools, — there is a slightly-endowed school in Cliviger. The national schools educated 770 children in 1833. The principal public institutions are water works, date 1819.; gas works, 1824; new market, 1831; and barracks, 1819. Not above one-fourth of the land is arable, and rents vary from £2 to £4 per acre. Stone, coal, and lime abound. The annual value of property in the chapelry, in 1815, was £27,975; 1829, £43,849. We have taken these statements from Butterworth's Statistical Sketch of the County, but he has treated throughout of the chapelry "as popularly understood," and as we have to deal with it as legally defined, we subjoin a few statistics as to the census of 1841 and that of 1851, premising that what that return calls "the chapelry" is probably what Butterworth terms the township of Burnley:-

Population in 1841
Burnley...........10,558
Habergham Eaves...8,147
Town of Burnley...18,735

Population in 1841
Burnley...........14,706
Habergham Eaves...12,275
Town of Burnley...26,981

Showing an increase of population in the town of Burnley in the ten years of 8,246. In round numbers, then, the population of the about to be created borough is 27,000.

CLITHEROE, WITH COLNE.
We take the following notices of Clitheroe from Butterworth's Statistical Sketch:-
"Clitheroe, a township, parochial chapelry, market town, corporate and parliamentary borough, in the parish and polling district of Whalley, the honour and poor-law union of Clitheroe, and upper or Burnley division of Blackburn hundred. The parliamentary borough contains about 28,800 statute acres, the corporate borough, 2,410. The town is ten miles N.N.E. of Blackburn. The principal antiquities are the ruins of the castle, founded about 1070; remains of an hospital for lepers, founded about 1240, and a fine Saxon arch, near the church. A wapentake court for Blackburn hundred, a court leet and copyhold, and court baron for the honour, are held here. The place was rendered corporate by a charter, prior to 1147; and in 1240 there were 66 free burgesses; — the corporation consists of 12 councillors, and 4 aldermen, with a mayor; the council is elected by about 240 voters. Borough courts leet, baron, and record, and petit sessions are held. From 1558 to 1832, Clitheroe township returned two members to Parliament; but by the Reform Bill, passed 1832, the place was granted only one member, and the limits of the parliamentary borough were extended to Downham, Whalley, Wiswall, Pendleton, Henthorn, Little Mitton, Chatburn, Twiston, Worston, Mearley, and Coldcoats, in addition to Clitheroe; the number of electors is about 300. The town is lighted. The market has been held by prescription since 1070, on Saturdays; and fairs, March 24, 25, Aug. 1, 2, fourth Thursday and Friday after September 29, December 6, 7, and every alternate Monday. In the vicinity are large cotton spinning, and weaving, and calico printing works. In 1825 there were five steam engines; in 1834, 11. Lowmoor, a manufacturing village is one mile S.S.W. The population of the township in 1801 was 1,368; 1811, 1,767; 1121, 3,213; 1831, 5,213, of the town at the latter period, 4,200; and the parliamentary borough 9,920. The grammar school, founded 1554, is endowed with £400 per annum. In 1833 there were three daily, five Sunday, and one infant school. The public buildings are the New Moot Hall, date 1820; Market House, projected 1838; Dispensary, date 1832. Pasture land predominates over arable; average rent per acre, £2 10s. Limestone abounds, and there are many lime kilns. There is a petrifying spring near the Ribble, and a sulphur spring at Shaw Brook. Annual value of property in the chapelry 1815, £9,098; 1829, £17,37." We do not possess any official returns of the census of 1851 as to Clitheroe. If any one can supply these, we should be obliged by their transmission by post. — By the census of 1841, the parliamentary borough of Clithero had a population of £5,512 males, and 5,812 females: total, 11,324. The constitunecy is stated by Dodd to comprise tenants for fee, or in fee of certain borough lands, and houses, and 270 houses of £10 rental; but the number of registered electors in 1851 was only 471. The borough is now represented by Matthew Wilson, Esq., M.P. By Schedule B of the new Reform Bill, the borough of Clitheroe is to have the town of Colne added to it, the "temporary contents and boundaries," being defined to be those of "the township of Colne." Now, though Colne is a nearer neighbour to Burnley (from which it lies six miles N.N.E.) than to Clitheroe, (from which it is distant about sixteen miles E.); yet Burnley being a sufficient borough in itself, and Colne the nearest town, not a borough, to Clitheroe, it is consequently to be annexed thereto in parliamentary franchise.
"Colne (says Butterworth), is a township, parochial chapelry, and market town in the parish of Whalley, honour of Clitheroe, the upper or Burnley division of Blackburn hundred, and in the polling district and poor-law union of Burnley. The chapelry comprising Colne, Foulridge, Trawden, in Colne manor, Great and Litle Marsden, in Ighton Hill manor, and Barrowford, in Pendle — covers 23,040 statute acres. The town is six miles N.N.E. of Burnley, and sixteen E. of Clitheroe. Here are traces of a Roman station, and numbers of Roman coins have been found. Two manorial courts are held yearly. Petty sessions are occasionally held. A customary market held on Wednesdays; and fairs, March 7, May 13, 15, Oct. 11, Dec. 21, and last Wednesday in every month. The prevailing trade is cotton spinning and weaving: in 1825 the chapelry contained eight steam engines; in 1834, eleven, - seven in cotton, one powerlooms, and three in collieries. In 1650, the population of the chapelry was about 3,000; in 1801, 7,448; 1811, 12,906; 1821, 17,201; 1831, 19,697: of the township of Colne, 1801, 3,626; 1811, 5,336; 1821, 7,274; 1831, 8,030. In 1837 there were 9,035 of the population whose income was under two shillings per head per week. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal passes here. The grammar school, date prior to 1687, is slightly endowed; - in 1833 there were partially endowed schools, 2; daily schools, 12; Sunday, 8. The public institutions and buildings are a cloth hall, date 1775; water works, 1806; and literary society, 1827. Not more than one fifth of the aland is arable, average rent per acre, £1 5s. Coal is obtainable, and there is stone of an ordinary kind. The annual value of the property in the chapelry, 1815, was £27,482; 1829, £39,336."
The township of Colne covers 8,050 acres. Its population in 1841 was (4,241 males, and 4,374 females), 8,615, having 1,644 inhabited houses, and 119 uninhabited. In 1851, the population had only risen to 8,987, being an increase of 372 in ten years. The population of the future borough of Clitheor, after Colne has been added, we cannot state until we have been favoured with the population of the present parliamentary borough of Clitheroe, by the census of 1851.
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