Turton, Lancashire
Encyclopedia
Turton was a township and later civil parish and local government district in Lancashire
, England. Its former area is now divided between two local authorities. North Turton
is part of the Borough of Blackburn with Darwen
, and South Turton
is part of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton
. Although no longer used as an administrative area, Turton is still used as an historical area.
/Þor's village", from the Old Norse personal name Thor/Þor and Old English
tun "farm, village". It was recorded as Thirtun in 1185 and variously recorded as Turton in 1212, Thurton in 1277 and Terton alias Torton in 1282.
The Scandinavian etymology
would seem to fit, considering that there are other place-names in the area of this origin.
and Egerton
are the remains of prehistoric
stone circle
s on moorland
at Cheetham Close
which date back to the Bronze Age
. These stone circles are the earliest evidence for settler
s in the Turton area. One of the circles was 15 metres (51 ft) in diameter and some of the stones were several feet in height. In the 19th century there were many uninvited visitors to the site which caused the local farmer, a tenant of Turton Tower, to break it up in 1871 using his team of carthorses and sledge hammers. Before this happened, antiquarian
, Gilbert French, had made sketches, maps and plans and written a detailed description which is now in Bolton
Reference Library.
To the south are the remains of another circle, slightly larger in circumference, which is thought to have been a livestock enclosure.
Turton Tower in Chapeltown
was home to the Lords of the Manor
of Turton and dates to the 12the century. The earliest reference to the Manor
of Turton is found around 1200 when it was part of the barony of Manchester by which time part of the manor was in the hands of the de Lathom family (sometimes called "de Torbac").
Turton Tower was inherited in 1420 by the Orrell family. The pele tower was rebuilt in 1420 and around 1596 the height was increased and the floors raised, creating the three spacious rooms. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the timbered farmhouse buildings on the east and north of the Tower and the Entrance Hall were added. In 1628 the Orrells sold Turton Tower to Humphrey Chetham
, the Manchester
merchant
responsible for the creation of Chetham's Library
and Chetham's School of Music
. The Tower passed to his descendants, the Bland, Green and Frere families who leased it to a succession of tenant farmer
s.
The tower was sold in 1835 to James Kay (1774–1857), who had harnessed steam power and developed the first commercially successful wet-spinning process for flax
in 1825. Kay restored the tower and few rooms in the main part of the Tower escaped his attention, but his valuable work was marred by his inability to resist the temptation to 'restore' what has never been there in the first place. James Kay sold the tower to Elizabeth and Anne Appleton who leased the tower to William Rigg, a calico manufacturer, whose daughter, Ellen, wrote her memories of Turton now published as "Victorian Children at Turton Tower".
In October 1903 the tower was bought by Sir Lees Knowles, 1st Baronet
MP for Salford West
for £3,875. He made his fortune from his family's collieries
on the Manchester Coalfield
. After his death in 1929, his widow, Lady Nina Knowles, presented Turton Tower to Turton Urban District Council in 1930, and it became the council chamber.
After local government re-organisation in 1974, Turton was split and the tower became part of the new Borough of Blackburn
, and was administered by Lancashire County Museums Service. Following changes to the Lancashire County Museum Service, the tower was taken over by Blackburn with Darwen Council.
The Summerhouse east of Turton Tower, a grade II* listed building is on the heritage at risk register.
.
in the ancient ecclesiastical parish of Bolton le Moors in the Salford hundred of Lancashire.
In 1837 Turton joined with other townships or civil parishes in the area to form the Bolton
Poor Law Union
and took joint responsibility for the administration and funding of the Poor Law
in that area. There was a workhouse at Goose Cote Farm in Turton. In 1873 a Local Board of Health
was established for the Turton township area. In 1894 Turton became an Urban District
of the administrative county
of Lancashire. Then in 1898 the civil parishes of Belmont
, Bradshaw
, Harwood
, Longworth
, Entwistle
, Edgworth and Quarlton were added to the Urban District.
Under the Local Government Act 1972
, Turton Urban District was abolished on the 1 April 1974 and was divided in two. The larger rural
area, North Turton
, became a civil parish of the Borough of Blackburn
. The smaller urban area
, South Turton
, became an unparished area
of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton
.
, Turton Heights at 1100 feet (335 m) and Turton Moor at 1280 feet (390 m). The Bradshaw Brook
which formed the northern and eastern boundaries, was dammed to form two reservoir
s for the Bolton Waterworks.
The main road from Bolton divided at the southern end of the township to pass each side of the central hill, the eastern branch through Turton village to Edgworth
and Darwen
, and the western branch through Egerton
, over Charters Moss at 916 feet (279 m) to Blackburn.
Turton had two Anglican chapels of ease
in the ancient ecclesiastical parish
of Bolton le Moors
, in the hundred of Salford
, Lancashire
.
The first chapel of ease at Chapeltown
was built in 1111 and dedicated to St Bartholomew
but was rededicated in the early 18th century to St Anne. This building, which was known as the Chapel of Turton, was rebuilt in 1630 by Humphrey Chetham and again in 1779. The present parish church was built between 1840 and 1841, the architect was probably John Palmer
. The ecclesiastical parish was formed in 1837.
The second chapel of ease was at Walmsley, which was the old village name for Egerton
. It is not known when Walmsley Chapel was built, but the Diocesan Church Calendar stated that it existed in the year 1500 and the first documentary evidence appears to be in the "Inventories of Church Goods 1552". The chapel was rebuilt in 1771 and demolished in 1839. The present Christ Church, Walmsley
, Egerton, was consecrated in 1840.
A mission church at Toppings opened in 1897, and services were held in the school at Eagley Bridge. The Wesleyan Methodists had chapels at Turton, Egerton, and Toppings and there were Congregational chapels
at Turton and Egerton where the old Nonconformist chapel of 1713 became Unitarian. The Roman Catholic church of St. Aldhelm at Turton was opened in 1903.
is one of the oldest clubs, if not the oldest, in Britain. The club was founded in December 1871 by men from Chapeltown
in Turton. The club plays at Thomasson Fold in Edgworth. Its old ground at Chapeltown, which is still used by the Old Boltonians team, is believed to be the oldest football pitch in the world in use today.
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England. Its former area is now divided between two local authorities. North Turton
North Turton
North Turton is a civil parish of the Unitary authority of Blackburn with Darwen in Lancashire, England. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 the civil parish has a population of 3,736.-Landscape:...
is part of the Borough of Blackburn with Darwen
Blackburn with Darwen
Blackburn with Darwen is a unitary authority area in Lancashire, North West England. It consists of Blackburn, the small town of Darwen to the south of it, and the surrounding countryside.-Formation:...
, and South Turton
South Turton
South Turton is an unparished area of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the southern slopes of the West Pennine Moors, and has a population of 25,067....
is part of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton
Metropolitan Borough of Bolton
The Metropolitan Borough of Bolton is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Bolton, but covers a far larger area which includes Blackrod, Farnworth, Horwich, Kearsley and Westhoughton, and a suburban and rural element from the West Pennine...
. Although no longer used as an administrative area, Turton is still used as an historical area.
Etymology
Turton means "ThorThor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
/Þor's village", from the Old Norse personal name Thor/Þor and Old English
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
tun "farm, village". It was recorded as Thirtun in 1185 and variously recorded as Turton in 1212, Thurton in 1277 and Terton alias Torton in 1282.
The Scandinavian etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
would seem to fit, considering that there are other place-names in the area of this origin.
Early History
Between ChapeltownChapeltown, Lancashire
Chapeltown is a village of the civil parish of North Turton, in the Blackburn with Darwen unitary authority, in the north west of England. It is situated on the B6391 and lies on southern slopes of the West Pennine Moors. The village was once the historic centre of the old Turton Urban District.The...
and Egerton
Egerton, Greater Manchester
Egerton, pronounced edgerton, is a village in the unparished area of South Turton, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Lancashire, it is situated three miles north of Bolton and 12 miles north west of Manchester City Centre within the West...
are the remains of prehistoric
Prehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
stone circle
Stone circle
A stone circle is a monument of standing stones arranged in a circle. Such monuments have been constructed across the world throughout history for many different reasons....
s on moorland
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
at Cheetham Close
Cheetham Close
Cheetham Close is a megalith and scheduled ancient monument located in Lancashire, very close to the boundary with Greater Manchester, England. The megalith was in good condition until a farmer from Turton sledgehammered the circle in the 1870s...
which date back to the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
. These stone circles are the earliest evidence for settler
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
s in the Turton area. One of the circles was 15 metres (51 ft) in diameter and some of the stones were several feet in height. In the 19th century there were many uninvited visitors to the site which caused the local farmer, a tenant of Turton Tower, to break it up in 1871 using his team of carthorses and sledge hammers. Before this happened, antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
, Gilbert French, had made sketches, maps and plans and written a detailed description which is now in Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
Reference Library.
To the south are the remains of another circle, slightly larger in circumference, which is thought to have been a livestock enclosure.
Turton Tower
Chapeltown, Lancashire
Chapeltown is a village of the civil parish of North Turton, in the Blackburn with Darwen unitary authority, in the north west of England. It is situated on the B6391 and lies on southern slopes of the West Pennine Moors. The village was once the historic centre of the old Turton Urban District.The...
was home to the Lords of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
of Turton and dates to the 12the century. The earliest reference to the Manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Turton is found around 1200 when it was part of the barony of Manchester by which time part of the manor was in the hands of the de Lathom family (sometimes called "de Torbac").
Turton Tower was inherited in 1420 by the Orrell family. The pele tower was rebuilt in 1420 and around 1596 the height was increased and the floors raised, creating the three spacious rooms. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the timbered farmhouse buildings on the east and north of the Tower and the Entrance Hall were added. In 1628 the Orrells sold Turton Tower to Humphrey Chetham
Humphrey Chetham
Sir Humphrey Chetham was an English merchant, responsible for the creation of Chetham's Hospital and Chetham's Library, the oldest public library in the English-speaking world.- Life :...
, the Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
responsible for the creation of Chetham's Library
Chetham's Library
Chetham's Library in Manchester, England is the oldest free public reference library in the United Kingdom. Chetham's Hospital, which contains both the library and Chetham's School of Music, was established in 1653 under the will of Humphrey Chetham , for the education of "the sons of honest,...
and Chetham's School of Music
Chetham's School of Music
Chetham's School of Music , familiarly known as "Chets", is a specialist independent co-educational music school, situated in Manchester city centre, in North West England. It was established in 1969, incorporating Chetham's Hospital School, founded as a charity school by Humphrey Chetham in 1653...
. The Tower passed to his descendants, the Bland, Green and Frere families who leased it to a succession of tenant farmer
Tenant farmer
A tenant farmer is one who resides on and farms land owned by a landlord. Tenant farming is an agricultural production system in which landowners contribute their land and often a measure of operating capital and management; while tenant farmers contribute their labor along with at times varying...
s.
The tower was sold in 1835 to James Kay (1774–1857), who had harnessed steam power and developed the first commercially successful wet-spinning process for flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
in 1825. Kay restored the tower and few rooms in the main part of the Tower escaped his attention, but his valuable work was marred by his inability to resist the temptation to 'restore' what has never been there in the first place. James Kay sold the tower to Elizabeth and Anne Appleton who leased the tower to William Rigg, a calico manufacturer, whose daughter, Ellen, wrote her memories of Turton now published as "Victorian Children at Turton Tower".
In October 1903 the tower was bought by Sir Lees Knowles, 1st Baronet
Sir Lees Knowles, 1st Baronet
Sir Lees Knowles, 1st Baronet, was a British barrister, military historian and Conservative politician.He was the son of John Knowles and Elizabeth Lees of Green Bank, Oldham, Lancashire whose family owned Andrew Knowles and Sons, collieries in the Irwell Valley. He was educated at Rugby School...
MP for Salford West
Salford West (UK Parliament constituency)
Salford West was a parliamentary constituency in the City of Salford in Greater Manchester from 1885 until 1983. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- History :...
for £3,875. He made his fortune from his family's collieries
Andrew Knowles and Sons
Andrew Knowles and Sons was a coal mining company that operated in and around Clifton, Greater Manchester, then in the historic county of Lancashire. England....
on the Manchester Coalfield
Manchester Coalfield
The Manchester Coalfield is part of the South East Lancashire Coalfield. Its coal seams were laid down in the Carboniferous period and some easily accessible seams were worked on a small scale from the Middle Ages and extensively from the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the early 19th...
. After his death in 1929, his widow, Lady Nina Knowles, presented Turton Tower to Turton Urban District Council in 1930, and it became the council chamber.
After local government re-organisation in 1974, Turton was split and the tower became part of the new Borough of Blackburn
Blackburn with Darwen
Blackburn with Darwen is a unitary authority area in Lancashire, North West England. It consists of Blackburn, the small town of Darwen to the south of it, and the surrounding countryside.-Formation:...
, and was administered by Lancashire County Museums Service. Following changes to the Lancashire County Museum Service, the tower was taken over by Blackburn with Darwen Council.
The Summerhouse east of Turton Tower, a grade II* listed building is on the heritage at risk register.
Industry
Cotton mills, printworks, bleachworks, an iron foundry, and a paper mill were important industries in Turton after the Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
.
Governance
Until the 19th century Turton was a townshipTownship (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
in the ancient ecclesiastical parish of Bolton le Moors in the Salford hundred of Lancashire.
In 1837 Turton joined with other townships or civil parishes in the area to form the Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
Poor Law Union
Poor Law Union
A Poor Law Union was a unit used for local government in the United Kingdom from the 19th century. The administration of the Poor Law was the responsibility of parishes, which varied wildly in their size, populations, financial resources, rateable values and requirements...
and took joint responsibility for the administration and funding of the Poor Law
Poor Law
The English Poor Laws were a system of poor relief which existed in England and Wales that developed out of late-medieval and Tudor-era laws before being codified in 1587–98...
in that area. There was a workhouse at Goose Cote Farm in Turton. In 1873 a Local Board of Health
Local board of health
Local Boards or Local Boards of Health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate slaughterhouses and ensure the proper supply of water to their...
was established for the Turton township area. In 1894 Turton became an Urban District
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
of the administrative county
Administrative counties of England
Administrative counties were a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government from 1889 to 1974. They were created by the Local Government Act 1888 as the areas for which county councils were elected. Some large counties were divided into several administrative...
of Lancashire. Then in 1898 the civil parishes of Belmont
Belmont, Lancashire
Belmont is a village in Lancashire, England. It is close to Winter Hill between the towns of Bolton and Darwen. It has around 500 inhabitants and lies within the civil parish of North Turton in the unitary authority area of Blackburn with Darwen.-History:...
, Bradshaw
Bradshaw, Greater Manchester
Bradshaw is suburb of the unparished area of South Turton, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Lancashire, it lies on the southern edge of the West Pennine Moors.-History:...
, Harwood
Harwood, Greater Manchester
Harwood is a suburb to the north-northeast of Bolton, Greater Manchester, bordering Bury in North West England.-History:The township was recorded as Harewode in 1212 and 1302. The manor which included Bradshaw, was part of the Manchester fee held by the Grelleys in the Middle Ages. In 1212 it was...
, Longworth
Longworth, Lancashire
Longworth was a township of the civil and ecclesiastical parish of Bolton le Moors in the Salford hundred of Lancashire, England.-History:The township was recorded as Longeworthe in 1254, Lunggewrthe in 1278 and Longeworth in 1290...
, Entwistle
Entwistle, Lancashire
Entwistle is a village in the Blackburn with Darwen unitary authority in Lancashire in the north west of England.Its name derives from the Old English ened and twisla which means a river fork frequented by ducks. The name was recorded as Hennetwisel in 1212, Ennetwysel in 1276 and Entwissell in 1311...
, Edgworth and Quarlton were added to the Urban District.
Under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, Turton Urban District was abolished on the 1 April 1974 and was divided in two. The larger rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
area, North Turton
North Turton
North Turton is a civil parish of the Unitary authority of Blackburn with Darwen in Lancashire, England. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 the civil parish has a population of 3,736.-Landscape:...
, became a civil parish of the Borough of Blackburn
Blackburn with Darwen
Blackburn with Darwen is a unitary authority area in Lancashire, North West England. It consists of Blackburn, the small town of Darwen to the south of it, and the surrounding countryside.-Formation:...
. The smaller urban area
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
, South Turton
South Turton
South Turton is an unparished area of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the southern slopes of the West Pennine Moors, and has a population of 25,067....
, became an unparished area
Unparished area
In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a civil parish. Most urbanised districts of England are either entirely or partly unparished. Many towns and some cities in otherwise rural districts are also unparished areas and therefore no longer have a town council or city...
of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton
Metropolitan Borough of Bolton
The Metropolitan Borough of Bolton is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Bolton, but covers a far larger area which includes Blackrod, Farnworth, Horwich, Kearsley and Westhoughton, and a suburban and rural element from the West Pennine...
.
Geography
The Turton township covered an area of 4614 acres (18.7 km²) and extended in a north and north-west direction for nearly 5 miles (8 km). The central part of the township is occupied by high moorlandMoorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
, Turton Heights at 1100 feet (335 m) and Turton Moor at 1280 feet (390 m). The Bradshaw Brook
Bradshaw Brook
Bradshaw Brook is a river draining parts of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in Northern England.Starting life as Cadshaw Brook draining a valley named Green Lowe Clough on Turton Moor, the brook feeds the Turton and Entwistle Reservoir and Wayoh Reservoir...
which formed the northern and eastern boundaries, was dammed to form two reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
s for the Bolton Waterworks.
The main road from Bolton divided at the southern end of the township to pass each side of the central hill, the eastern branch through Turton village to Edgworth
Edgworth
Edgworth is a small village within the Blackburn with Darwen borough of Lancashire, England. It is north east of North Turton between Broadhead Brook on the west and Quarlton Brook in the south east...
and Darwen
Darwen
Darwen is a market town and civil parish located within Lancashire, England. Along with its northerly neighbour, Blackburn, it forms the Borough of Blackburn with Darwen — a unitary authority area...
, and the western branch through Egerton
Egerton, Greater Manchester
Egerton, pronounced edgerton, is a village in the unparished area of South Turton, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Lancashire, it is situated three miles north of Bolton and 12 miles north west of Manchester City Centre within the West...
, over Charters Moss at 916 feet (279 m) to Blackburn.
Demography
| Census Census in the United Kingdom Coincident full censuses have taken place in the different jurisdictions of the United Kingdom every ten years since 1801, with the exceptions of 1941 and in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State in 1921; simultaneous censuses were taken in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, with... population figures for only the chapelry/civil parish of Turton |
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1801 | 1811 | 1821 | 1831 | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 |
| Population | ||||||||||
| Sources: (a) Local population statistics. (b) Turton Ch/CP: Total Population. (c) Four Bolton Directories. | ||||||||||
| Census population figures for the whole of the Urban District of Turton | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1939 | 1951 | 1961 | 1971 |
| Population | ||||||||
| Source: (a) Turton UD: Total Population. (b) National Registration Act of 1939. | ||||||||
| Census population figures for each of the Urban District's electoral wards Wards of the United Kingdom A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:... |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electoral ward | Year and Population | ||||||
| 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1951 | 1961 | 1971 | |
| Belmont | |||||||
| Bradshaw | |||||||
| Bradshaw North | |||||||
| Bradshaw South | |||||||
| Bromley Cross | |||||||
| Chapeltown | |||||||
| Eagley | |||||||
| Edgworth | |||||||
| Egerton | |||||||
| Source: Pauline Tatton: Local population statistics. | |||||||
Religion
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
in the ancient ecclesiastical parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Bolton le Moors
Bolton le Moors
Bolton le Moors was a civil parish and ecclesiastical parish of the hundred of Salford in the historic county of Lancashire, England...
, in the hundred of Salford
Salford (hundred)
The hundred of Salford was an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire, in Northern England. It was sometimes known as Salfordshire, the name alluding to its judicial centre being the township of Salford...
, Lancashire
History of Lancashire
The History of Lancashire begins with its establishment as a county of England in 1182, making it one of the youngest of the historic counties of England.-Early history:In the Domesday Book, some of its lands had been treated as part of Yorkshire...
.
The first chapel of ease at Chapeltown
Chapeltown, Lancashire
Chapeltown is a village of the civil parish of North Turton, in the Blackburn with Darwen unitary authority, in the north west of England. It is situated on the B6391 and lies on southern slopes of the West Pennine Moors. The village was once the historic centre of the old Turton Urban District.The...
was built in 1111 and dedicated to St Bartholomew
Bartholomew
Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and is usually identified as Nathaniel . He was introduced to Christ through St. Philip, another of the twelve apostles as per , where the name Nathaniel first appears. He is also mentioned as “Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee” in...
but was rededicated in the early 18th century to St Anne. This building, which was known as the Chapel of Turton, was rebuilt in 1630 by Humphrey Chetham and again in 1779. The present parish church was built between 1840 and 1841, the architect was probably John Palmer
John Palmer (architect)
John Palmer was an architect who practised in Manchester.-Some works:* Manchester Cathedral alterations * SS...
. The ecclesiastical parish was formed in 1837.
The second chapel of ease was at Walmsley, which was the old village name for Egerton
Egerton, Greater Manchester
Egerton, pronounced edgerton, is a village in the unparished area of South Turton, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Lancashire, it is situated three miles north of Bolton and 12 miles north west of Manchester City Centre within the West...
. It is not known when Walmsley Chapel was built, but the Diocesan Church Calendar stated that it existed in the year 1500 and the first documentary evidence appears to be in the "Inventories of Church Goods 1552". The chapel was rebuilt in 1771 and demolished in 1839. The present Christ Church, Walmsley
Christ Church, Walmsley
Christ Church, Walmsley is situated on Blackburn Road, Walmsley, Egerton, Greater Manchester, England. It is an active Church of England parish church in the deanery of Walmsley, the archdeaconry of Bolton, and the diocese of Manchester...
, Egerton, was consecrated in 1840.
A mission church at Toppings opened in 1897, and services were held in the school at Eagley Bridge. The Wesleyan Methodists had chapels at Turton, Egerton, and Toppings and there were Congregational chapels
at Turton and Egerton where the old Nonconformist chapel of 1713 became Unitarian. The Roman Catholic church of St. Aldhelm at Turton was opened in 1903.
Sport
Turton Football ClubTurton F.C.
Turton F.C. are an association football club based in Edgworth, in the North Turton district of Blackburn with Darwen, Lancashire, England.They are members of the Lancashire Football Association, and in the 2011–12 season their senior team is playing in the West Lancashire League Division One,...
is one of the oldest clubs, if not the oldest, in Britain. The club was founded in December 1871 by men from Chapeltown
Chapeltown, Lancashire
Chapeltown is a village of the civil parish of North Turton, in the Blackburn with Darwen unitary authority, in the north west of England. It is situated on the B6391 and lies on southern slopes of the West Pennine Moors. The village was once the historic centre of the old Turton Urban District.The...
in Turton. The club plays at Thomasson Fold in Edgworth. Its old ground at Chapeltown, which is still used by the Old Boltonians team, is believed to be the oldest football pitch in the world in use today.