Old Images of Ashton-under-Lyne, UK

Historic Book

Extract from “An historical account of the towns of Ashton-under-Lyne, Stalybridge, and Dukinfield ” by Edwin Butterworth

Published in 1842

Pages 52-54

“During the seventeenth century , owing to a scarcity
of small coin , tradesmen frequently coined pence , for the
purpose of provincial circulation . Mr. Barritt has pre
served a drawing of one of the trade tokens of Ashton ;
it is thus inscribed on the obverse : – ” George Bardslay in
Ashton – under – lyne , ” and on the reverse ” G. B. E. 1669. “

For nearly two centuries , the seventeenth and part of
the eighteenth , the town underwent but a trifling change ;
in extent , the place was merely a moderate – sized vil
lage ; the houses were chiefly in the immediate vicinity
of the hall and church , and were principally of a rude
construction , being low and thatched . The primitive
methods of spinning and weaving , combined with hus
bandry and gardening , formed the occupations of the
population , whose manners were free and jocose .

In the days of Queen Anne , many of the cottages let
at two shillings each per annum , in consequence of the
non – existence of large manufactories to impart a com
parative high value to property .

As late as the reign of
George II . , 1750 , the whole town was contained in four
narrow dark streets , formed by mean – looking dwellings .

A number of stragglers from the rebel army of 1745 ,
visited the district , and dispossessed a few farmers of
horses .

A serious shock of an earthquake occurred on
Sunday , the 14th of September , 1777 , -the congregation

in the church were much disturbed by the shaking of the
pews . The progress of the cotton manufacture , and the
results produced by its establishment , form the subject
of a separate article .

In the latter part of the last
century the cotton trade was in its infancy , and though
the town was then much increased by means of com
mercial enterprise , the ultimate consequences arising
from the extraordinary spread of trade were not fully
developed until the second or third decennial periods of
the present century .

In the view of the town , published
in Aikin’s Manchester , in 1795 , the appearance is partly
rural and partly town – like , and there seems to have been
scarcely a dwelling south of Old – street , and only two
houses adjacent to Dukinfield – bridge . The buildings
and streets increased rapidly from 1810 to 1824 ; yet in
the latter year , the houses to the west of Mill – lane were
few ; the banks of the canal and the Tame were almost
destitute of dwellings and mills ; the space from Old
street to Charlestown consisted principally of gardens ,
intersected by a foot – path ; west of Oldham – road there
was not one street ; and north of the Old Cross stretched
an expanse of fields to Hurst .

During the last fifteen years the place has rapidly
augmented , so that Mill – lane is nearly become the centre
of the town ; the banks of the canal and the Tame are
now lined by numerous streets ; the area betwixt Old
street and Charlestown is nearly all built upon , and a
portion of it forms a spacious Market – place , on the north
side of which is erected an elegant and large Town Hall ;
the fields formerly bordering on the north of the Old

Cross have been transformed into street avenues ; the
east side of the Rectory has received a large accession of
habitations ; the west side of Oldham – road is become a
portion of the town ; and the vicinities of Henry – square
and St. Peter’s Church abound with new edifices .

When the era of building set in with spirit , a praise
worthy care was invariably manifested to secure regularity
in the plans of the erections ; and hence , by continued
uniformity being preserved in the construction of the
streets , Ashton – under – Lyne has been rendered the most
elegant ordinary town in the county .

The beneficial
system of education pursued in Sunday Schools was first
introduced here in 1790 .

In the course of the afternoon of a dismal day in
January , 1791 , the place was visited by an awful thunder
storm ; a vast accumulation of electric matter seemed to
collect over the town , and between five and six in the
evening , the clouds burst with a tremendous explosion ,
which occasioned an involuntary exclamation of horror
through the place . Lightning struck the church steeple ,
and melted a part of the vane : a number of stones were
thrown from the belfry , where an iron rod was fused by
the fluid , and many pews in the west end of the church
and in the Earl of Stamford’s chapel were shivered to
atoms .

Pages 56

In 1832 the legislature effected an extensive change
in the representation of the people , by granting members
to the principal unrepresented towns : by this measure
Ashton – under – Lyne was constituted a parliamentary
borough . ( See article Representation . ) –

A most afflict
ing event occurred on Sunday evening , the 6th January ,
1833 : six boys were thoughtlessly at play together upon
the ice of a pit at the top of Cricket’s – lane , which , being
but slightly frozen , gave way , and all the juvenile com
pany were immersed in a watery grave ; a middle – aged
man was also drowned in attempting to rescue the boys .

As in all thoroughly manufacturing districts , where
immense numbers of the diligent operatives are employed
by a few enterprising capitalists , lamentable disputes have
prevailed here on the subject of the rate of wages : thus
in 1829 thousands of hands were unemployed for a con
siderable period , owing to the want of an amicable feeling
betwixt the employers and the employed ; whilst some
of the masters , it is probable , have been largely influenced
by the desire of gain , the operatives have been generally
indifferent to their own individual welfare .

A large
number of the factory operatives are intelligent , energetic ,
and active ; but the great mass are of coarse and low
habits .