OLDHAM, a town, a township, several chapelries, two sub-districts, and a district, in Lancashire. The town stands on an elevation between the rivers Irk and Medlock, near the source of the former and near the W bank of the upper part of the latter, on branches of the North-western and the Lancashire and Yorkshire railways, at the junction-terminus of the Oldham, Ashton-under-Lyne and Guide-Bridge railway, and at a branch canal from the Rochdale and other canals, 7 miles N E of Manchester. The Roman road from Westmorland into Yorkshire passed through its site, and can still be traced in the vicinity; but scarcely any other vestiges of antiquity about it either meet the eye or figure on record. The town, in despite of its name, is all comparatively modern, and makes little or no appearance in history. It originated in the introduction of textile manufactures, seemingly in the time of Charles I.; it acquired an impulse by the introduction of the factory-system about theyear 1770; it acquired a still greater impulse by the expiration of Arkwright's patents in 1783 and 1789, and by the introduction of the steam-engine; it got great advantage from the existence of numerous and valuable coal mines in the immediate vicinity; it reaped benefit from successively the water-power of the neighbouring streams, the formation of the canals, and the formation of the railways; and, under combination of these advantages with local enterprise and skill, it rose, within the limits of the township, from a pop. of 12,024 in 1801 to a pop. of 72, 333 in 1861.

The town consists of numerous streets, and contains numerous fine buildings, both public and private; but, in a general view, is irregularly constructed, presents the dingy aspect of a crowded seat of manufacture, and is more notable for factories than for any other feature. The Town-Hall stands in Yorkshire-street; was built in 1840, at a cost of about £4,000; has a tetrastyle Ionic portico, copied from the temple of Ceres, on the Ilyssus, near Athens; includes the Police Office, with separate entrances from Greaves-street; and contains a beautiful public assembly-room, 66 feet long and 33feet wide. The Working Man's Hall stands in Horsedge-street; was built in 1814, and rebuilt in 1854; and contains a public room, not much inferior in size and beauty to that in the Town-Hall. The Lyceum stands in Union-street, with a side-entrance from Clegg-street; was built in 1856; is a handsome edifice, with deep sunk area, enclosed by ornamental iron palisades:and contains a staircase-hall, a lecture-room, a news-room, a reading room and library, Various class-rooms, and other apartments. The Temperance Hall stands in Horsedge-street, was built for a Hall of Science, by the followers of Robert Owen; and passed, by sale, to the Temperance Society. The school of Science and Art was built in 1865; is in the pointed style, of brick, with stone dressings; measures 80 feet in length, and 45 feet in width; is adorned, in front, with distyle doorway, and with stone medallions; and contains a gymnasium, 42 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 14 feet high, an antiqueroom, 42 feet long and 20 feet wide, and a mechanical drawing-room, 35-feet long and 28½ feet wide. The Free-masons' Hall was founded in the latter part of 1868, is in the Italian style, and cost about £2, 500. The Public Baths stand in Union-street, with a separate entrance for females from Clegg-street; were erected in 1854, as a memorial to Sir Robert Peel; have ornamentalvestibules and waiting-halls, for respectively males and females, adorned, at the entrance of the males' waiting-hall, with a fine marble bust of Sir Robert Peel; and contain plunge baths, hot and cold shower baths, and vapour baths, in excellent arrangements, and with all requisite appliances. A subscription bowling-green is on Frank-hill, and has convenient refreshment-rooms. A public park was formed in 1865, under the operation of the Lancashire Public Works' Act, at a cost of about £31,000; comprises nearly 60 acres, obtained chiefly by purchase of the Swine-Clough estate; has two principal entrances, the one on the W or Sheepwashes side, the other on the E or Glodwick side; and is adorned with entrance-buildings, in the Italian style.

Oldham church, or St. Mary's, dates from an early period, probably the latter part of the 12th century; stands on an eminence, near the centre of the town; was built in 1827; is in the later English style; has a pinnacled tower, and several beautiful painted windows; and contains a few monuments. St. Peter's church stands in Chapel-street, near the centre of the town; and was built in 1756, and enlarged in 1804. St. James' church stands in Greenacres Moor; and is a recent stone edifice in the pointed style. St. John's church, in Chadderton, is a cruciform edifice, in the later English style; and has a tower, intended to be surmounted by a spire. Holy Trinity church, in Coldhurst, was built in 1848; and is in the early English style. Holy Trinity church, in Waterhead, also is in the early English style; and consists of nave, aisles, and chancel, with a porch. Christchurch, in Glodwick-road, was built in 1844, on a site presented by Earl Howe; and is a neat cruciform building, in the early English style. St. Thomas' church, in Werneth, was built in 1855: and is in the early English style, with tower and spire. St. Margaret's church, in Hollingwood, is a plainstructure, with aisles, chancel, and tower. The school-church in York-street was built in 1865, at a cost ofabout £1,000; is in the early English style; and consists of nave and semi-octagonal chancel. Independent chapels are in Hope-street, Union-street, Greenacres, Hollinwood, and Dunkerley-street; Baptist chapels, in Manchester-street, Ferney-bank, Horsedge-street, King-street, and two parts of Hollinwood; Wesleyan chapels, in Manchester-street, Greenacres Old-road, and Hollinwood; Primitive Methodist chapels, in Waterhead and Lees-road; New Connexion Methodist chapels, in New-street and another locality; Independent Methodist chapels, in Lower King-street and George-street; United Methodist chapels, in Grosvenor-street and King-street; a Moravian chapel, in Lees-brook; a Unitarian chapel, in Lord-street; and a Roman Catholic chapel in Shaw-street. One of the Independent chapels was enlarged, and another built, in 1865. The Manchester-street Baptist chapel is a spacious building. The Manchester-street Wesleyan chapel was built in 1789, and enlarged in 1850; and contains about 1, 500 sittings. The Greenacres Old-road Wesleyan chapel was rebuilt in 1864, and contains about 1,000 sittings. Two public cemeteries were formed, at Greenacres and at Chadderton, in 1857, at a cost of £9,733 for land, and about £12,000 for buildings, laying out, and incidental expenses; they jointly comprise about 39 acres; and they are tasteful and ornate.

The blue coat school stands on an elevated and commanding spot, within the town; originated in a bequest by T. Henshaw, Esq., in 1807, of a sum of money which accumulated to upwards of £100,000; was built in 1834; is an oblong structure, with three gables, and with the front to the S; and is usually attended by about 120 scholars. A grammar school is in Schoolcroft; was founded by Mr. Asheton; and has £33 a year from endowment. Another endowed grammar school is at Hollinwood; an Independent grammar school is at Green-acres; public schools are connected with seven of the churches, with six of the dissenting chapels, and with the Roman Catholic chapel; and there are two other public schools at Glodwick and Townfield. The work-house stands in Royton-road; was built in 1851, at a cost of £13,305; and, at the census of 1861, had 432 inmates. Numerous improvements have been made in the arrangements of the workhouse, at different times; and a new lunatic asylum was constructed, at a cost of £2,000, in 1856 The endowed charities, additional to those of the schools, amount to about £135.