Haslingden, Lancashire Poor Law Union

History
The constituent parishes of the Union included: Accrington St John, Lancashire, Accrington St James, Lancashire, Bacup, Lancashire ,Haslingden, Lancashire including Higher and Lower Booths ,Henheads, Lancashire , Lumb, Lancashire , Musbury, Lancashire , Newchurch, Lancashire, Rawtenstall, Lancashire, Bury St Mary, Lancashire including Coupe Lench New Hall Hey and Hall-Carr, Tottington Higher End, Lancashire  Tottington, Lancashire

In common with other nearby Unions opposition to the Poor Law Reform Act was marked in the absence of quorate meetings of the Board of Guardians. Initially the Union rented premises From 1851, Haslingden workhouse was used only for male inmates while females were sent to Newchurch. Due to rising numbers of residents and criticism of poor standards by the The Poor Law Board inspections, in 1868-9 a new union workhouse was built at Higher Pikelaw, midway between Haslingden and Rawtenstall. It was designed by Henry F Lockwood and William Mawson who were the architects of a number of northern workhouses including those at Barnsley, Bradford, Carlisle, Dewsbury, North Bierley, and Penistone.

The workhouse included an 88 bed Infirmary, by 1912 a new infirmary to the north-east of the workhouse was added.

The workhouse later became Moorland House Public Assistance Institution, and then Rossendale General Hospital which finally closed in 2010.

Records
• Lancashire Record Office, Bow Lane, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 2RE. Holdings comprise: Guardians' Minute Book (1838-1910); Guardians' Minute Book (Printed, 1907-30); Workhouse Committee Minute Books (1865-70); Letter Books (Poor Law Board - 1838-1902); Letter Books (Local Government Board - 1880-92); Lists of Guardians and Officers (1839-1921); Valuations (1880-82); Miscellaneous Deeds (1703-1829); Sub-Committees' Minute Books (1906-1914); Infirmary Committee Minute Books (1898-1905); Visiting Committee Report Books (1914-19); Boarding-Out Committee Minute Books (1911-20); Year Books (1904-1929); Overseers' Meeting Minutes (1895-1927); Overseers' Financial Records (1856-1927); Miscellaneous (1924-29).

Websites
For more information on the history of the workhouse, see Peter Higginbotham's web site: Listing of Workhouses and Poor Law Unionsand http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html?Haslingden/Haslingden.shtml