Monday 29 April 2013

Ahoy There !

Today in 1856 a Steamer and Pleasure Boat was put on Hollingworth Lake by Mr. James Sladen, the proprietor of the Beach Hotel.

Sunday 28 April 2013

M.P.

On the 28th April 1859 Mr. Richard Cobden was elected Member of Parliament for the Borough.

Saturday 27 April 2013

Come And See !!!

A Band of Gipsies from Epping Forest visited the district and took up their quarters in a field at Hyde Park, Milnrow Road.
They were visited by vast numbers of the population.

From The Rochdale Almanack, 27th April 1874.

Friday 26 April 2013

A Few Firsts

The first Waterworks were constructed near Packer Street around 1770.

The first Sunday School in 1782 was established by James Hamilton in White Bear Passage, Blackwater Street.

The first Steam engine in 1787 was at Smallbridge and was used for lifting coal out of a pit.

The first Stage Coach in Rochdale which ran to Manchester was introduced in 1790.

 The first cotton mill in 1795 was at Hanging Road.

The first bank in Rochdale was opened in 1819.

In 1824 Gas was first introduced for lighting the town.

In 1827 the Rochdale Recorder was first published.

Wednesday 24 April 2013

The Roar of the Crowd !!!

The 24th of April saw the Rochdale Amateurs give an impressive performance at the Prince of Wales Theatre, the proceeds of which were given to the Infirmary fund.
1874.

Tuesday 23 April 2013

Fair Weather Please

An Open Air Concert was performed today on the Park Slopes.
April 23rd 1876.

Monday 22 April 2013

Suspended in a box over the Roche !

Herr Dobler, the cleverest of travelling illusionists made his second visit to Rochdale after an absence of several years aided by Professor Wernolf, and gave one of his marvellous entertainments at the Public Hall.

From Taylor's Almanack April 1874.

Sunday 21 April 2013

In the nick of time !!!!!

The Observer reported today in 1907 that a 'dead' man came to life whilst being measured for his coffin !

Saturday 20 April 2013

Lock Up Your Lurcher !

An epidemic of dog stealing was reported in the local paper today in 1907.

Friday 19 April 2013

Sober Up !

Today in 1914 a taxi-cab man was fined for being drunk in charge of his cab. This was the first case of it's kind in Rochdale.

Thursday 18 April 2013

Interesting ?

Did you know :
In 1731 an Act of Parliament was passed to prevent the stealing of flannel whilst in the fields to dry.

In 1734 the road over Blackstone Edge was turnpiked.

Charles Wesley visited the town in 1745.

In 1752 St. Chad's Vicarage was rebuilt by Dr. Dunster.

£40 a year was the stipend of the curate at St. Chads in 1765.

Healey Hall was rebuilt in 1774.

Tim Bobbin died in 1786 aged 76.

In 1788 the fare to Manchester by the York Royal Mail Stage Coach was 5s.

The canal from Sowerby Bridge to the town opened in 1798.

Wednesday 17 April 2013

March This Way !

In 1860 on this day the Rochdale Rifle Volunteer Corps paraded for the first time.
Accompanied by the Yeomanry Cavalry Band the Corps marched to Littleborough.

Tuesday 16 April 2013

Telegram From Queen Victoria ?

A centenarian, Foulkes Foulkes, died in Marland Workhouse. Formerly a lamplighter in London  he came here in 1829 to follow the same career.
16th April 1863.

Monday 15 April 2013

Rochdale's Most Magnificent Building

On the 15th of April 1860 the Wood Estate was selected as the site for the new Town Hall.
The purchase was completed in September 1863 and it was recommended that Rochdale should spend £25,000 on its town hall.
The cost eventually rose to over £154,000 due to many alterations, one of which was the addition of an Exchange. It was thought Rochdale needed this to prevent trade emigrating to Halifax and other towns but in actual fact the Exchange was never used as such.
By 1871 the Town Hall was completed and opened on September 27th with enormous celebration.
There was a procession about two miles long which included seven bands with a banquet held in the afternoon in the Assembly Hall attended by six hundred guests.
The Town Hall was open to the public in October and over four thousand people visited during the first  three days!

Sunday 14 April 2013

New Printing Process

Steam printing was introduced to Rochdale around this time in 1858 by Messrs. E. Wrigley and Sons.
Their works were on Acker Street and they had offices on Yorkshire Street.
The following month it was announced that the 'Observer and Standard' would be printed in Rochdale by this new method.

Saturday 13 April 2013

Living off the Land

It was during April 1848 that Messrs. Bright having obtained a lease of a portion of Cronkeyshaw, let the same in allotments to their workpeople.

From New Annals of Rochdale by T.T. Heywood.

Monday 8 April 2013

From Malta To Rochdale !

Today in 1951 the first girls from Malta arrived in Rochdale to work at Fothergill and Harvey's at Littleborough.

Sunday 7 April 2013

Guard Your Eyes

An eclipse of the sun today in 1921 was seen by the people of Rochdale, conditions were ideal !

Saturday 6 April 2013

Send In The Clowns !

Charles Adam's Circus arrived in Rochdale today in 1876, it was probably the best of it's kind to yet visit the town.

Thursday 4 April 2013

Huge Crowd !

A meeting on the Government Reform Bill was held in the new shed at Mitchell Hey, belonging to the Manufacturing Society.
The meeting was attended by upwards of 5,000 people.
John Bright Esq. M.P. and T.B. Potter Esq. M.P. addressed the meeting.
April 4th 1866.
Extracted from Wrigley and Sons' Household Almanack.

Wednesday 3 April 2013

Going Up

A Census was taken today in 1871 showing that 29,712 males and 33,761 females were living in the Rochdale Parliamentary Borough.
Today Rochdale has a population of 211,700.

Tuesday 2 April 2013

Robbers Retreats

Today in 1869 it was reported that forty one houses were known to the police as the resort of thieves.

Monday 1 April 2013

Watch Out !!!

April Fool's Day is celebrated in many countries on this day, it is not a national holiday ( other than when it falls on a bank holiday ) but is a day when people play practical jokes and hoaxes on each other.
The earliest association between April 1st and foolishness can be found in Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales', written in 1392.
In 1539 Flemish poet Eduard de Dene wrote of a nobleman who sent his servants on foolish errands on April 1st. In 1686 John Aubrey referred to this day as 'Fooles Holy Day', the first British reference.
In 1698 people were tricked into going to the Tower of London to see 'The Annual Ceremony Of Washing The Lions'.
In recent times hoaxes have included :
The Swiss spaghetti harvest
O.F.O.'s landing in London
Flying penguins
Big Ben goes digital
                                  to name but a few!