The history of Blackburn

The name of the town derives from the stream known as "Blakewater". The name dates from the Dark Ages, although the site itself is even older. Its old main road from south to north was the Roman road which linked Manchester with Ribchester. Blackburn’s position on this road in Saxon and Viking times made it the chief town of North East Lancashire, which was known then as the Blackburn Hundred.

The first entry in the Domesday book of 1086 for Blackburn Hundred was St. Mary’s Parish Church. A church is believed to have stood on, or near the site since 596, and in 1996,1400 years of Christianity were celebrated with year-long celebrations. The present church was consecrated in 1826 and in 1926 became Blackburn Cathedral when the Diocese of Blackburn was created.

The original Grammar School, which is now Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School was founded here in 1509 and the classes used to be held in the old church. It moved to its current premises in 1886.

The Industrial Revolution brought momentous changes to Blackburn. In 1750 Blackburn was little more than a village, but by 1850 it had become a boom town with a tenfold increase in its population. Cotton from America became the raw material for textiles. By the end of the nineteenth century Blackburn had become the cotton weaving capital of the world.

The completion of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal in 1816 and the coming of the railway in 1846, cut transport costs dramatically and increased demand for cotton, and caused further expansion of both town and industry. Improvements were also made to the road system, with turnpike roads replacing the old pack horse routes.

The growth of the town required the provision of new services. In 1832 The first MPs were elected. In 1851 the town received its Charter of Incorporation and a new town council was established. The council embarked on a series of measures to improve the health and welfare of its residents, such as better sanitation, provision of a public cemetery and an adequate water supply. This was also a time when many public buildings sprang up, the Town Hall, Museum, College and the Cotton Exchange being examples.

Football was and is a popular recreation. Blackburn Olympic were the town’s first successful football club, winning the F.A. Cup in 1883. Sadly the club soon folded, as it did not have the financial backing that allowed Blackburn Rovers to prosper. The Rovers were formed in 1875. They have won the F.A. Cup 6 times and have been League Champions on 3 occasions. Their most recent success was when they became Premier League Champions in May 1995, after a gap of 81 years.

The 20th century has brought many changes to the town. The textile industry has declined and other industries such as engineering and electronics have grown up. The canal has been developed as a leisure facility. The motorway network has greatly improved access. The long-awaited extension to the M65 was finally opened in December 1997.

The town centre has been altered dramatically, with many older buildings such as the Market Hall being demolished to make way for a new market and shopping centre.

Changes to the population have made their mark on the town. During and shortly after World War 2 many Polish and Ukrainian refugees came here. The last 30 years have seen a growing population of residents of Indian and Pakistani origins.

Local Government reorganisation in 1974 brought Darwen and surrounding villages into The Borough of Blackburn. On 1st April 1998 Blackburn with Darwen achieved independence from Lancashire County, when it became a Unitary Authority. This now makes it responsible for all its own services, many of which were previously the responsibility of The County Council.