Whalley, Great Harwood and Neighbourhoods

Whalley is a village and township, in an extensive and exceedingly populous parish of the same name, in the hundred and deanery of Blackburn, and in the archdeaconry of Chester; the village being situated about four miles south of Clitheroe, and is chiefly celebrated for its Cistercian abbey, the ruins of which are amongst the most interesting remains of the country. The parish church, a very ancient foundation, dedicated to All Saints, is a vicarage, in the presentation of the archbishop of Canterbury, and incumbency of the Rev. Richard Noble. Here is one Methodist chapel, a free grammar school, founded by Queen Elizabeth, and a national school, built by subscription in 1819. The manufactures carried on in the village are not extensive, and the trade attached to it is chiefly of a local nature. The parish of Whalley contains one borough and forty-eight townships, including thirteen chapelries, four of which are market towns. In 1801 it contained a population of 49,175 persons, and in 1821, 84,934, of the number only 1,058 were inhabitants of the township.

Great Harwood, a chapelry, in the parish of Blackburn, four miles and a half north-east of that town, is a very ancient manor, given in the 12th century to Richard de Felton, and afterwards devolved in marriage to the Heskeths, the Leighs, and the Nowells. The chapel of ease here was founded in the 14th century; the present minister is the Rev. Robert Dobson. The manufacture of cotton has made its appearance here, at present, however, it is but circumscribed in its operation. The population of the chapelry, in 1821, consisted of 2104 persons.

[The Introduction is complete for clarity, however only Great Harwood entries are included from the directory. All spellings are as given in the original. Felton, should, of course, read ‘Fitton’.]

Nobility, Gentry and Clergy
Dobson, Rev, Robt. A M

Inns, Taverns and Public Houses
Britannia, Edwd. Noble
Dog and Otter, Richard Loynd
Game Cock, Jno. Hitchen
Lomax Arms, William Calvert
Queen’s Head, Roger Pilkington

Shopkeepers and Traders
Brown, Rd. shoemaker
Brunton, Jas, shopkeeper
Catrall, Lawrence, shopkeeper
Fielden, Jas. cotton mfctr.
Howarth, Hen. blacksmith
Marshall, Thos. tanner
Mercer, Ewd. clogger
Noble, Mark, stone mason
Royston, Ann shopkeeper
Sale, Edw., shopkeeper
Smalley, James cooper and joiner
Smalley, Jno. joiner
Smith, Henry, cotton manufacturer
Taylor, Jas. joiner