Haslingden, Lancashire Poor Law Union

History
Haslingden had a town workhouse situated on Spring Lane dating from 1749. It could accommodate up to 150 inmates and the site was later home to the Haslingden brewery. There was also a workhouse for up to 200 inmates at "Newchurch" — actually at Mitchell Field Nook, Waggoner Tunstead. Theis site is now occupied by housing. The inmates in these early workhouses were employed in handloom weaving. Haslingden Poor Law Union formally came into being on 17th January 1837. The constituent parishes of the Union included: Accrington [St James], Lancashire Bacup, Lancashire Haslingden, Lancashire Henheads, Lancashire Lumb, Lancashire Musbury, Lancashire Newchurch, Lancashire Rawtenstall, Lancashire

New Accrington, Old Accrington, Higher Booths , Lower Booths, Coupe Lench, New Hall Hey and Hall-Carr, Tottington Higher End.

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).

Web Sites
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html?Haslingden/Haslingden.shtml