ing to Mr. John Clegg, father of the late Mr. Arthur Clegg. On the side of the yard nearest to Bent, there stood a small gloomy looking edifice, used as the prison for the village, and called "the dungeon." In 1789 a new lock-up or prison was erected, and it is probable the timber yard was cleared away about that time, and a street formed across it. It does not appear, however, that a market was fully established till about 1804, and several gazetteers published in the early part of the present century, as well as some of a later date, describe Oldham as destitute of a regular market. The fair held on the 8th of July was not commenced till 1807. The fair held on the 2nd of May appears to have been established about the middle of the last century, if not before; and the one held in October originated a few years later. So late as 1811 the principal streets in the town were only seven in number, namely, Manchester street, High street, Yorkshire street, West street, King street, George street, and Henshaw street. The smaller streets amounted to about 30, exclusive of 10 at Greenacres moor. In 1844 the principal streets numbered about 20, and the smaller streets were estimated to reach about 120 in number, exclusive of about 50 streets, large and small, at Greenacres moor and its vicinity.

The population of the township of Oldham in 1811, as stated in the parliamentary returns, was 16,690, Crompton, 4746, Chadderton, 4133, and Royton, 3910. The aggregate population of the four townships at this period was 29,479. The increase per cent. of the population of Oldham township from 1810 to 1811 was 383/4 The population of the town in 181 1, exclusive of Greenacres moor and North moor, was about 4650, and inclusive of those suburbs about 6620. The population of Ashton-under-Lyne parish in 1811 was 19,052, town about 7800 ; Rochdale parish, 37,229, town, 10,968 ; Bury parish, 27,917, town, 7500 ; Bolton-le-moors parish, 39,701, town 22,000 ; Preston parish, 19,528,

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