Ritchie tells us that £30,000 worth of propery was destroyed in one week in the manufacturing districts of Lancashire. According to E. Butterworth, the distressed conditions of the people manifested itself in riots at various places, and on Sunday, the 30th April, a mob from Rochdale and the neighbourhood broke into the cotton mills of Messrs. Milne and Travis at Luzley Brook, Royton, and Mr. John Clegg, High Crompton, where they destroyed a considerable number of power looms, under the erroneous impression that they were the real cause of the prevailing distress. The voice of the people may not always be the voice of God. I think it is T. Carlyle who reminds us that even yet on occasion the people are prepared to cry, “Not this man but Barrabbas.” May 7th – A party of the 73rd Regiment on there rout from Liverpool to Huddersfield, passed up Burnley-lane. Higson says Joseph Lees, of Lower Clarksfield, gentleman, died May 10th. May 14th – This morning, died at John Wood’s, Bottom of Northmoor, John Walmsley, late of Burnly Gate. The different vicissitudes of this man’s life have been various and wonderful. His conduct was not at all times free from cencure; still at many a time he proved himself a kind neighbour and a warm friend; his age, 54 years. May 5th – This day the bells rang a merry peal, and there was other demonstrations of joy on the arrival of £500 which had been subscribed in London in aid of the distressed in Oldham, when the gentlemen of Oldham emediatley comenced a subscription in aid of the starving poor, and a large quantity of meal, peas, and bacon, and flour where distributed to the starving poor. May 19th – Was intered at Oldham, Kitty, widdow of the late Mr. Thomas Taylor, of Lees Brook, cotton manufacturer. She was daughter of the late Mr. Samuel Whitaker, chandler, of Oldham. May 23rd – Was a fair at Pit Bank, for all kinds of cattle. Being first and rather novel, was numerously attended. May 27th – Was the first day for relieving the distressed poor for the township of Chaderton, when 474 wher releived with portions of meal and flour. £300 was received from London for the purpose. On the 26th was the day for releiving the distressed in Oldham with meal, flour, and bacon, when a very large number received the above bounty. May 26th – Act for governing and improving Oldham received Royal Assent. It is known as the Oldham Police Act, and empowers the inhabitants of Oldham to establish a local police for the purpose of lighting, cleansing, and watching the town. Henceforth the town became governed by a body of Police Commissioners until Oldham became a municipal borough. An Act for establishing a railway from Oldham to Manchester received Royal Assent, May 26th. This and another scheme later on were never carried out on the original plans. – (Ed.). |
May 29th – Was interred at Royton, Benjamin Cowper, of that place or its neighbourhood, a man upwards of 70 years of age. June 2nd – Was intered Whitehead, landlord of the Oxford Blue public-house, Yorkshire-street, Oldham. June 2nd – Was intered at Bowden, in Cheshire, Sarah, daughter of Thomas Okel, of the Waggon and Horses public-house, Hollinwood. Age, about 20 years. Great drought or want of water is such as was scarsely ever experienced before; the earth is so dry and parched for want of rain that the pastures are bare and in a manner burned up. June 8th – John Whitehead, formerly of Maygate-lane, but late of Glodwick, a school-master, and who had an imperfection in his arms, drowned himself at near Sheepwashes. June 3rd – Paul Ogden, of Bottom of Northmoor, and who had a cow stolen a few weeks since, received information that the thief was in custody at Stockport. On the 4th Ogden repaired to Stockport, and, to his great joy, got possession of his cow. June 11th – Some loud cracks of thunder, and it rained a little. June 18th – The most excessive drought ever remembered still continues, and water is become exceedingly scarce. June 16th – Died at Mr. Joseph Bradley’s, of Oldham, corn dealer, Miss Sally Buckley, niece to the above gentleman, and to Mrs. Horrocks of the Lamb Inn. July 22nd – The drought still continues, and no apearance whatever of rain and several farmers are busily employed in the hay. July 23rd – The meal and flour wich is given to the distressed in Oldham is given on a Friday. Bacon was distributed in the beginning of the time, but now only meal and flour is given, according to the distress and number in a family. In Chadderton the day of relieving is on Sauterdays. Relief is given to the starving poor in all the manufacturing districts in the kingdom. June 30th – A moist excessive hot day, such a one as perhaps no one living ever felt before, and water is become exceeding scarce. They are fetching it both day and night up Burnly-lane from Betty Clegg spout and other places in the neighbourhood, and out of the edge of Saddleworth and Cromton, and other places they convey it in large tubs and barrels, in carts and wheelbarrows. When arived at Oldham it is eagerly bought up at 1 1/2d a burn. It is observable that during this great drought there has never been the least apearance of any honey fall, and not the last apearance of any due. E. Butterworth says:- “The increasing importance of the town urgently required legislative measures for street regulations and general improvement. Accordingly, Acts of Parliament were obtained at this period for establishing a system of local government and the erection of gas and water works, for the former purpose (gas) in 1826, and for the latter (water) in 1825. |
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ANNALS OF OLDHAM No. CVIII 1826 June 28th – Yesterday, extremely hot, as usual, and most awful claps of thunder and very heavy showers of rain. The lightning did a deal of damage at the Friendship Inn, Oldham-lane. A deal of windows were broke, and the furniture and part of the family much injured, especially two young ladys, daughters of the landlord. Happily no lives were lost. The landlord’s name is G. Halstead. June 28th – A lamentable misfortune happened at Lowermoor, near Oldham. A man attending his labour as a turner of iron, the grindstone broke by its quick motion, and killed the man on the spot, who has left a wife and large family. July 10th – Was interred at Oldham Robert Dalton, originally of Oldham, but has resided a great part of his life in Manchester, formerly a very eminent manufacturer of calico, &c.; his age, 70 years; a man of respectable character. July 14th – For several days past some fine refreshing rain, which has much refreshed the earth, and the great heat, wich as been of such long continuance, is at an end. July 14th – Last night some villains attacked the watchman at the factory of Messrs. Travis and Miln, and bound his hands and legs, and bound him to a wagon wheel wich was in the yard. They then broke open the counting house and carried off near 150 sovereigns and a few notes, and not a trace left behind. The premises are situated at Shaw. July 14th – This morning a paper of an enflammatory nature, calling on the weavers and others to meet on Tandle Hills on the 17th, and from thence to proceed in a body and break all steam looms. The paper was taken down by James Chadwick, constable. July 15th – One Joseph Wright, a youth of 13 years of age, who was flying a paper kite, had the missfortune to fall into an old coalpit, wich was incautiously left open and several yards deep of water, and was drowned before help could be obtained, at the Union Ground, Oldham. He was the son of Joseph and Ann Wright, of Church-street. His epitaph in Oldham Churchyard records:
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July 16th – Mr. Henry Blagmire died suddenly; aged 38 years. He was master of a popular mercantile academy, which he had conducted for 16 or 17 years, in Duke-street, Oldham. In order to render the school more select each pupil was required to pay an entrance fee of half a guinea. The Manchester Gazette, in a highly eulogistic obituary notice, states that he possessed great literary talents, and for a number of years had been a contributor to that paper. He was buried at Greenacres Chapel, July 20th – Higson. July 17th – It is a painful duty to relate another dreadful misfortune which happened this day at Dry Clough Collory. Samuel Farrar whilst at work there a large fall of coal fell upon his legs and thigs, and bruised him so much that he died a few hours after. July 21st – For several days past, a deal of rain as fallen, wich as very much refreshed the earth. The fields and meadows, wich where so burned up with the heat of the sun, have a very grand apearance. July 27th – Died near the tolbar, North Moor, Ralph Barns, a joyner or mecanick by trade, age 57 years. July 28th – Five hush sellers were conficted by the magistrates at Rochdale. A great number were summoned. Mr. Folkes, the solicitor from Manchester, advocated their causes, and so nobbely conducted it that only five were convicted. August 3rd – A number of hush sellers were summoned before the Rev. Mr. Holme at Hollinwood, when seven where convicted and fined in the mitigated penalty of twelf pounds ten shillings each.
August 1st – John Ashworth left the White Hart public-house, Maygate-lane, and was succeeded by John Poizier, from Manchester. August 6th – The weather is excessively hot and droughty; the hay harvest is nearly finished, and is extreemly light all over the country, and the corn harvest is nearly finished, and oats are extreemly light. Wheat is a very promising crop; barley, peas, and pottatos promise but very light crops, and trade in the most dismal situation. Cords or velveteens are wove at from 9d. to 1s. per pond, tabbys of the finest kind upwards of sixty hanks betwixt eleven and twelve pond for 21s. or 22s., and the poor in a most lamentable situation. |
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William Rowbottom's Diary as published in the Oldham Standard |
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