Kearsley - An Illustrated History

The town of Kearsley, between Bolton and Manchester, has a rich and fascinating history. With around 500 pictures and 70,000 words this book attempts to convey how it has grown from a sparsely populated area comprising of no more than a few dozen farms and cottages to the busy and industrious town of today.

Early township records show many interesting details, such as land ownership and how relief was administered to the poor and needy, but also how some unfortunate souls were removed to the dreaded workhouse.

The earliest known written record of Kearsley is also shown which dates from around the year 1222, and special permission had to be granted for it to be photographed for reproduction in this book.

Kearsley and the surrounding area became a hotbed for manufacturing as the industrial revolution took hold, with many factories and mills springing up, particularly beside the overworked River Irwell. There are numerous pictures, maps and documents to illustrate how these developed then declined during the twentieth century as post war Britain could no longer compete in these traditional industries. The coal industry is described along with its dangers, and details of several local mining disasters are given. A large section is dedicated to the Unity Brook colliery disaster, which to this day remains as the single worst tragedy in the history of Kearsley. Unique pictures that were drawn by a local artist at the scene of the disaster during the rescue operation have been uncovered and feature in this compelling section as well as evidence from the inquests that followed.

There is a wealth of information on the schools, Churches, public houses, roads, bridges, tram-systems, railways, canals, farms and the former Kearsley Power Station. The neighbouring towns of Farnworth and Clifton are also largely featured, as is the district once referred to as Halshaw Moor, which took in parts of both Kearsley and Farnworth. Again, there are numerous rare and unique pictures, maps and documents to accompany all of these chapters and areas.
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