County Library and Information Service
Community History - Guide to the Local Collections - Haslingden Collection
Rossendale District.
Deardengate
Haslingden
Rossendale
Lancs
BB4 5QL
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Tel: 01706 215690
Fax:01706 228526
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
09:30 - 19:30
09:30 - 19:30
Closed
09:30 - 17:00
09:30 - 17:00
09:30 - 16:00
4. Scope and arrangement of the collection
The local collection consists of books, pamphlets, maps, manuscripts, slides, plans, photographs, gramophone records, cassettes, paintings and drawings relating to the town of Haslingden and neighbouring towns and villages in Rossendale. A selection of material is kept on major towns of neighbouring county districts and the whole collection is supplemented by many general works on the county as a whole. Much of this general material is shelved in the lending department.
Some items from the collection are available in certain cases for short loans to students, research workers, etc. and some titles may be available through the inter-library loan service.
5. Catalogues and bibliographies
The Local Studies catalogue is available as part of the Lancashire County Library and Information Service’s Talis online catalogue. It is possible to search by author, title, keyword, subject and class number.
There is a card catalogue to the stock of books, pamphlets and maps which is arranged in author and subject sequences. Microfilms and maps have subject and chronological sequences.
All volumes of the Lancashire Bibliography published to date are held.
The following regional trade directories for north-east Lancashire are in stock:
1818 Directory of Bury and Rochdale, by J.LEIGH.
1824 History, Directory, and Gazetteer of the County of Palatine of Lancaster, by Edward BAINES. 2 vols.
1875 Directory of North East Lancashire. Vol. 1, Preston, Blackburn, Accrington, Darwen, Chorley, etc., by P. MANNEX & Co.
1876 Directory and Topography of North East Lancashire with Bury and District, by P. MANNEX & Co., Vol. 2.
1879 Macdonald's Directory of Rochdale, Milnrow, Littleborough, Bacup, Rossendale, Haslingden, and Todmorden. Published by Macdonald and Macdonald.
1925 Barrett's General and Commercial Directory of Blackburn and District. 14th ed. Published by P. Barrett & Co.
1969 Classified Rossendale Directory. Published by Rawtenstall Library.
Directories can be found on the Library’s online catalogue.
7. Electoral registers and poll books
Electoral Registers for Haslingden are available on microfilm from 1948 - 1974 and from 1974 in their original form. Bound Burgess Rolls are kept for 1891 - 1915.
Haslingden, 1829, 1895, 1896, 1905, 1936, 1939. The main collection of rate books for the county is held at the Lancashire Record Office
9. Census enumerators' returns
Returns for the years 1841 - 1901 are available on microfilm for the following areas:
1841 Haslingden.
1851 Rawtenstall and surrounding area, Tottington Higher End, Musbury, Old and New Accrington, Rising Bridge and Haslingden.
1861 Higher and Lower Booths, Cowpe, Lenches, Newhallhey, Hall Carr, Musbury, Tottington Higher End and Haslingden.
1871 As 1861.
1881 Haslingden, Henheads, Tottington, Higher End, Musbury.
1891 Haslingden, Edenfield, Accrington.
1901 Haslingden, Helmshore, Musbury
St. James' Parish Church registers are deposited at the Lancashire Record Office, Preston, with a microfilm copy at Rawtenstall Library. Microfilms of registers held include those for churches in Crawshawbooth, Newchurch-in-Rossendale, Whitewell Bottom, Musbury, Loveclough, Rawtenstall, Cloughfold, Townsend Fold and Scout Bottom.
Volumes 1 - 52 (1898 - 1915) of the LANCASHIRE PARISH REGISTER SOCIETY series, are also available.
International Genealogical Index (I.G.I.) for Lancashire, 1988 edition; on microfiche
The main collection of parish records for the county is held at the Lancashire Record Office.
Accrington Observer and Times 1907. Not indexed or microfilmed.
Bacup Times 1865 - 1867. Not indexed. Microfilmed.
Haslingden and Rawtenstall Express 1864 - 1866. Not indexed. Microfilmed.
Haslingden Borough News 1977 - 1984. Not indexed. Microfilmed.
Haslingden Chronicle and Ramsbottom Times 1867 - 1871. Not indexed. Microfilmed.
Haslingen Gazette 1901 - 1926. Microfilmed.
Haslingden Guardian 1891 - 1922. Indexed 1891 - 1925. Microfilmed.
Haslingden Midweek Observer 1974 - 1976. Not indexed or microfilmed.
Haslingden Observer and Times 1926 - . Microfilmed.
Midweek Observer 1977 - . Not indexed. Microfilmed.
Rossendale Free Press 1901-14, 1976 - . Not indexed. Microfilmed.
Most original bound copies stored in Preston.
A cuttings file exists for the Haslingden Guardian and Haslingden Gazette for the years 1930 - 1965. There is also an obituary file for the Haslingden Observer for 1930 - 1965.
An index to holdings of North West newspapers is available on the Museums, Libraries and Archives website.
Lancashire Lantern includes an index to stories from local newspapers covering several areas of the county.
CHETHAM SOCIETY Remains....., Vol. 1-48, 1848 - 1902 and vols. 24, 25, 27, 3rd Series.
FOOTPATH (PENNINE PATHS PROTECTION SOCIETY) 31st issue, 1964 - . Several issues missing.
HISTORIC SOCIETY OF LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE. Proceedings, Vols. 11, 13, 32, 1858 - 1880, N.S. Vols. 1 - 9, 11 - 18, 84, 118 - ,1885 - 1902, 1932, 1966 -
LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY. Transactions, Vol. 1 - 77, 1883 - 1967.
The oldest map in stock is for Musbury Park, 1580, a copy of an original map in the Lancashire Record Office.
Other photocopied and manuscript maps include Haslingden in 1834 and 1846, the latter map being photocopied from 'Haslingden: a topographical history' by Thomas WOODCOCK. (Chetham Society, 3rd Series, Vol. 4, 1952).
There is a miscellaneous collection of Ordnance Survey maps covering the whole of the Rossendale area and neighbouring districts of Burnley, Bury, Manchester, Accrington and Darwen. Scales range from 1" (1:63,360) to 50" (1:1250) to the mile and dates range from 1843 to 1995, but total coverage for all surveys is far from complete.
Plans are also available on a variety of special subjects, including the local railway, local industries and a nearby stone circle.
14. Council minutes and minutes of official bodies.
HASLINGDEN. Borough. Minutes, 1927 - 1974.
ROSSENDALE. Borough. Minutes, 1974 -
Yearbooks for Haslingden Borough cover the period 1892 - 1974 and those for the Borough of Rossendale are held from 1978 to date.
Haslingden Union minutes for the years 1907 - 1930 are also held.
HASLINGDEN. Medical Officer of Health. Annual Reports, 1898 - 1972.
HASLINGDEN. Corporation. Accounts, 1892 - 1974.
ROSSENDALE. Borough Council. Abstract of Accounts, 1974 -
The illustrations collection consists of photographs, aerial photographs, 1,500 black and white and colour slides, drawings, postcards and paintings featuring people, places and events in Haslingden and the Rossendale area. Photocopies or photographic prints can be supplied, subject to copyright restrictions.
The Library is currently developing an online database of photographs from the county’s various library collections; this is available as part of Lancashire Lantern.
16. Sound and video recordings
Cassettes are available of local dramatic society productions and of the Rossendale Male Voice Choir. Discs (33 r.p.m.) are available of Alan Rawsthorne and the Rossendale Male Voice Choir. Discs (78 r.p.m.) feature recordings of Haslingden Arts Club.
The majority of manuscripts in stock originate from the Halstead Collection and include transcripts of Haslingden Parish Church Registers 1650 - 1696 and Haslingden Vestry Books 1780 - 1911, biographical notes on Lancashire authors and famous local personalities, local dialect poems, genealogical data relating to local families and much material relating to Haslingden.
Another manuscript volume by Haslindgen historian Henry Stephenson contains much local information on local families and nicknames.
Copied from originals deposited at the Lancashire Record Office are Rules, orders and regulations for the Society of North Britons (in Haslingden) 1796 and an uncompleted certificate of application for sickness allowance by a distant member of North Britons Friendly Society, Haslingden, 1827.
Also held is an account book of local blacksmith John Kemp 1824 and an account book of the Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers of Haslingden, 1921 - 1926.
The main repository of archives for the county is held at the Lancashire Record Office.
Haslingden collection. This consists of several hundred books, pamphlets, diaries, letters, scrapbooks, photographs and newspaper cuttings donated to the library by local politician and ex-Mayor, Major David Halstead.
Haslingden Arts Club. Includes membership registers, posters, records, press cuttings, autographs and programmes, 1944 - 1974. These have now been transferred to the Lancashire Record Office.
Local cricket. A further collection covers Haslingden Cricket Club and the Lancashire League and comprises official handbooks, annual reports, scorecards, etc., dating from 1875.
Newspapers and newscuttings - see Section 11.
Census - see Section 9.
A list of local societies is maintained in the lending department.
Local Men killed in World War One, compiled by W. Turner. (Manuscript)
International Genealogical Index (I.G.I.) for Lancashire, 1988 edition; on microfiche.
Microfilm reader, microfiche reader, photocopier.
21. Books useful as introductory reading
* ASPIN, C. and PILKINGTON, D. Haslingden. Helmshore Local History Society, 1979.
* ASPIN, C. and PILKINGTON, D. Helmshore. Helmshore Local History Society, 1977.
ASPIN, C. Haslingden, 1800 - 1900. Helmshore Local History Society, 1962.
ASPIN, C. Haslingden and district in old picture postcards. European Library, 1992.
ASPIN, C. Historical notes on Haslingden and Helmshore. Typescript, 1963.
DUNLEAVY, J. Haslingden Catholics. L.C.C., Library and Leisure Committee, 1987.
* DUNLEAVY, J. Michael Davitt and Haslingden. Haslingden Local History Society, 1979.
GOLDTHORPE, Ian. Rossendale rambles. Rossendale Groundwork, 1985.
GRANE revisited. Rossendale Heritage Network, 1991.
* HALSTEAD, D. Annals of Haslingden. Haslingden Observer. 1916.
HASLINGDEN. Borough. Haslingden Planning Scheme. 1942.
HELMSHORE LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY. Helmshore Historian: journal of Helmshore Local History Society, 1955 - 1961.
* MATHER, J.M. Rambles round Rossendale. 1st series, 1888; 2nd series, Rawtenstall: J.J. Riley, 1894.
* NEWBIGGING, T. History of the Forest of Rossendale. Simpkin, Marshall and Co, 1868; 2nd ed., Riley, 1893.
NOW and then. Haslingden and Helmshore Millgate Publications, 1987.
STEPHENS, P. and HAWKIN, R. Historical notices of Helmshore and Musbury. Incomplete, no date.
* TUPLING, G.H. Economic history of Rossendale. Manchester University Press, 1927.
WOODCOCK, T. Haslingden: a topographical history. Chetham Society, 3rd Series, Vol. 4, 1952.
* indicates loan copies available.
22. Other Family History Sources
All our libraries provide free access to the Ancestry website which gives access to Census Records for England, Wales and Scotland 1841-1901) and indexes to Births, Deaths and Marriages for England and Wales (1837-2005).