Blackrod Urban District

Summary

Blackrod was, from 1872 to 1974, a local government district centred on the village of Blackrod in the administrative county of Lancashire, England.

Blackrod Urban District
Area
 • 19112,392 acres (9.7 km2)[1]
 • 19612,392 acres (9.7 km2)[1]
Population
 • 18914,021
 • 19714,805
History
 • Created1872
 • Abolished1974
 • Succeeded byMetropolitan Borough of Bolton
Status

History edit

Blackrod was a township and chapelry in the civil and ecclesiastical parish of Bolton le Moors in the Salford Hundred of Lancashire.[2] The township became part of the Wigan Poor Law Union on 1 February 1837 which took responsibility for funding the Poor Law within that Union area.[3] In 1866, Blackrod was given the status of a civil parish.[4][5]

A resolution for the adoption of the Local Government Act 1858 was passed on 9 May 1872 by the owners and ratepayers of the township of Blackrod,[6] and a local board was created to provide for the water supply and drainage of the township.[7][8] After the Public Health Act 1875 was passed by Parliament in that year, Blackrod Local Board assumed extra duties as an urban sanitary district, although the Local Board's title did not change.[9]

Following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1894, Blackrod Local Board was transformed into an elected urban district council of nine members.[7] Blackrod Urban District Council had three electoral wards: Central, North, and South, each represented by three councillors.[10]

Under the Local Government Act 1972, Blackrod Urban District was abolished on 1 April 1974 and its former area became a successor parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester.[11][12]

Demography edit

Population changes of Blackrod, 1891–1971
YearPopulation±%
1891 4,021—    
1901 3,875−3.6%
1911 3,896+0.5%
YearPopulation±%
1921 3,867−0.7%
1931 3,599−6.9%
1939 3,072−14.6%
YearPopulation±%
1951 3,153+2.6%
1961 3,606+14.4%
1971 4,805+33.3%
Sources: Urban Sanitary District (USD) 1891.[10][13] Urban District (UD) 1901–1971.[10][14][15]

Lists of office holders edit

Chairmen of Blackrod Local Board edit

Chairmen of Blackrod Local Board
Name Party Tenure Notes
Henry Smith
1872–1873
He was later Medical Officer of Health for Blackrod Local Board.
Benjamin Davies Conservative
1873–1881
He was a member the first Board of Governors of Rivington and Blackrod Grammar School in 1875.
James Eckersley Conservative
1881–1894
Last Chairman of Blackrod Local Board.
Source(s):[12]

Chairmen of Blackrod Urban District Council edit

Chairmen of Blackrod Urban District Council
Name Party Tenure Notes
James Eckersley Conservative
1894–1901
First Chairman of Blackrod Urban District Council.
John Unsworth Liberal
1901–1907
Previously Chairman of Westhoughton Local Board: 1893-94.
The Rev. George Worsley Coleman
1907–1910
Also was Vicar of St Katharine's Church, Blackrod: 1900–1911.
Edward Cherry Liberal
1910–1916
1st term.
Robert Berry Labour
1916–1919
Aaron Helme
1919–1922
Adam Brindle Conservative
1922–1925
William Metcalfe
1925–1927
Albert Worthington Independent
1927–1930
1st term.
Ellis Atkinson
1930–1933
William Edward Moss
1933–1934
John Kellett
1934–1938
Edward Cherry Liberal
1938–1939
2nd term.
Albert Worthington Independent
1939–1940
2nd term.
Thomas Roocroft Labour
1940–1941
1st term.
Harry Fowles Independent
1941–1942
Joseph Jolley Independent
1942–1943
1st term.
Thomas Booth Labour
1943–1944
1st term.
John Pilkington
1944–1945
Rupert Henry Capper
1945–1946
Edward Cherry Liberal
1946–1947
3rd term.
Thomas Roocroft Labour
1947–1948
2nd term.
Albert Worthington Independent
1948–1949
3rd term.
Joseph Jolley Conservative
1949–1950
2nd term.
Thomas Booth Labour
1950–1951
2nd term.
John Marshall Conservative
1951–1952
1st term.
James Hodge
1952–1953
1st term.
Thomas Roocroft Labour
1953–1954
3rd term.
Harry Jones
1954–1955
Joseph Jolley Conservative
1955–1956
3rd term.
Thomas Booth Labour
1956–1957
3rd term.
Christopher Charles Cutler Conservative
1957–1958
1st term.
James Hodge
1958–1959
2nd term.
Thomas Roocroft Labour
1959–1960
4th term. Died in office.
Walter Chadwick Independent
1960–1961
Joseph Jolley Conservative
1961–1962
4th term.
Thomas Booth Labour
1962–1963
4th term.
Christopher Charles Cutler Conservative
1963–1964
2nd term.
John Marshall Conservative
1964–1965
2nd term.
Joseph Jolley Conservative
1965–1966
5th term.
John Foster Labour
1966–1967
Christopher Charles Cutler Conservative
1967–1968
3rd term.
John Marshall Conservative
1968–1969
3rd term.
Joseph Jolley Conservative
1969–1970
6th term. Later Mayor of Blackrod: 1979–80.
Reginald Winstanley Conservative
1970–1971
Constance Mary Everin Conservative
1971–1972
Later Mayor of Blackrod: 1977–78, 1982–83.
Lancelot Watkinson Labour
1972–1973
Later Mayor of Blackrod: 1985–86.
George Arthur Gardiner Labour
1973–1974
Last Chairman of Blackrod Urban District Council. First Mayor of Blackrod: 1974–75.
Source(s):[12]

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b Great Britain Historical GIS Project. "Blackrod UD: Area (acres)". A Vision of Britain through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  2. ^ Farrer, William; Brownbill, J., eds. (1911). "The parish of Bolton-le-Moors". A History of the County of Lancaster. Vol. 5. British History Online. pp. 235–243. Retrieved 24 July 2016. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  3. ^ Higginbotham, Peter. "The Workhouse: Wigan, Lancashire". The Workhouse: The story of an institution... Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  4. ^ Great Britain Historical GIS Project. "Blackrod CP/Ch: Relationships and changes". A Vision of Britain through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  5. ^ Great Britain Historical GIS Project. "Status details for Civil Parish". A Vision of Britain through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  6. ^ "No. 23874". The London Gazette. 9 July 1872. p. 3106.
  7. ^ a b Farrer, William; Brownbill, J., eds. (1911). "Townships: Blackrod". A History of the County of Lancaster. Vol. 5. British History Online. pp. 299–303. Retrieved 24 July 2016. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  8. ^ Hampson, Thomas (1882). History of Blackrod. Wigan: "Observer" Office. pp. 66–70.
  9. ^ Great Britain Historical GIS Project. "Blackrod USD: Relationships and changes". A Vision of Britain through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  10. ^ a b c Tatton, Pauline. Local population statistics 1801–1986: abbreviated tables compiled from census statistics for Bolton. Bolton Libraries.
  11. ^ "Greater Manchester Gazetteer". Greater Manchester County Record Office. Place names – B. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  12. ^ a b c Links in a Chain Project. "Blackrod 1872–present". Links in a Chain. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  13. ^ Great Britain Historical GIS Project. "Blackrod USD: Males & Females". A Vision of Britain through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  14. ^ Great Britain Historical GIS Project. "Blackrod UD: Total Population". A Vision of Britain through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  15. ^ The 1939 population is estimated from the number of identity cards issued to the inhabitants of Blackrod in that year, which were required under the National Registration Act 1939. The 1941 census did not take place because of the Second World War.

53°35′23″N 2°34′51″W / 53.5898°N 2.5809°W / 53.5898; -2.5809