Haslingden, Lancashire Genealogy

England Lancashire  Lancashire Parishes

Chapelry History
HASLINGDEN, a market-town and parochial chapelry, and the head of a union, in the parish of Whalley, Higher and Lower divisions of the hundred of Blackburn, N. division of the county of Lancaster, 40 miles (S. E.) from Lancaster, 17 (N.) from Manchester, and 203 (N. N. W.) from London; containing 14,355 inhabitants. This chapelry, which is divided into four posts or parts, namely, Haslingden, Henheads, and Higher and Lower Booths, comprises 13,315 acres, mostly pasture land, and situated in the midst of a mountainous district, on the border of the forest of Rossendale. It probably took its name from the abundance of hazel-trees that formerly grew here. The town originally stood on the declivity of a hill, but the modern buildings have been erected at its base, and many old houses of mean appearance have been replaced by new and substantial edifices, which contribute much to the uniformity of the whole. A mechanics' institute was established in 1840. Races were held on Laund-Hey, near the town; but the ground has been inclosed for cultivation. The improvements which have taken place since the beginning of the present century, have been greatly facilitated by the abundant supply of stone for building afforded by the neighbouring mountains of granite, and the slate and flags furnished by the quarries of Hutchbank and others. The woollen manufacture formerly constituted almost the sole occupation of the inhabitants, and is still carried on to some extent; but the cotton-trade has in a great degree superseded it, and the numerous mills on the banks of the Swinnel are principally owned by the manufacturers of cotton goods. The East Lancashire railway passes by the town, in its progress from Bury to Accrington. The market-day has been changed from Wednesday to Saturday, to prevent its interfering with the market of Blackburn; and fairs are held on February 2nd, on Easter-Tuesday, May 8th, July 4th, and October 2nd: the Easter fair is for the sale of horses, and the others are chiefly for cattle. The powers of the county debt-court of Haslingden, established in 1847, extend over the registration-district of Haslingden. Petty-sessions are held every Friday. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £176; patrons, the Hulme Trustees. The chapel, dedicated to St. James, and standing on an eminence at the north end of the town, is a substantial edifice, built in the reign of Henry VIII., and rebuilt of stone about 70 years since, except the tower; it was enlarged in 1828, and the tower rebuilt, which has a peal of eight new bells founded by Mears of Whitechapel. At Rawtenstall and Higher Booths are other livings. There are places of worship for Baptists, Independents, Primitive Methodists, Roman Catholics, Unitarians, Friends, Wesleyans, Sandemanians, and Swedenborgians. A free school was founded in 1749, and subsequently endowed with property producing about £18 per annum. The union of Haslingden comprises 10 townships in the parishes of Whalley and Bury, and contains 41,280 persons.

From: A Topographical Dictionary of England by Samuel Lewis (1848), pp. 435-441. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51013 Date accessed: 01 July 2010.

Civil Registration
Birth, marriages and deaths were kept by the government, from July 1837 to the present day. The civil registration article tells more about these records. There are several Internet sites with name lists or indexes. A popular site is FreeBMD.

Church records
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Census records
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Probate records
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Lancashire Probate Records to find the name of the court having primary jurisdiction. Scroll down in the article to the section Court Jurisdictions by Parish.

Maps and Gazetteers
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 * England Jurisdictions 1851
 * Vision of Britain

Web sites
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