The Parish of Farnworth with Kearsley in the County of -- Lancashire --

Farnworth

It is thought that Farnworth derives from “ffern” which grew over large areas round about and “worth” a small hamlet.

Farnworth Hall is believed to have been first built by a branch of the Hulton family of Hulton. The Farnworth Hultons died out in the early part of the 1600s. It had, by the middle of the 19th century, been converted into cottages, and demolished sometime towards the end of that century.

In the year 1282, Farnworth was named “Ffornword”, and a survey that year valued a plot of land at 5 shillings per year. By tradition, “Halshaw Moor” was derived from a shoemaker called Alexander Shaw, who had over a period of time bought most of the land on the moor. The locals shortened his name to Hal, or Al Shaw hence Halshaw’s Moor.

The township of Farnworth in the ancient parish of Deane was, in early medieval times, a hamlet within the vill of Barton-on-Irwell, which is in the Hundred of Salford. An item of note, Salford is a Royal Borough and the Baron of Salford is the ruling monarch.

A Local Board of Health was formed in 1863 and an Urban District Council in 1894. Farnworth became a Municipal Borough in 1939 when a Charter of Incorporation was granted. In 1974, it became part of Bolton Metropolitan Borough.

Kearsley

A Local Board of Health for the township of Kearsley was set up 1865 and an Urban District Council in 1894. The Urban District Council was extended in 1913 to include:-

St Mary’s Deane and Churches in Farnworth and Kearsley

Previous to the Norman Conquest in 1066, the Ecclesiastical History of the country, lying between the Mersey and the Ribble, is very meagre and obscure.

The whole district, which was only sparsely inhabited, formed part of the Diocese of Lichfield, which See was founded in 656. The Diocese of Chester was formed from Lichfield in 1542 and the Diocese of Manchester was formed from that of Chester.

To the year 1111, by tradition, Eccles Parish Church, in the township of Barton upon Irwell was founded. The Advowson being in the possession of Gilbert de Barton.

Farnworth and Kearsley, along with Westhoughton, Rumworth,Little,Over and Middle Hulton, and all the townships that became the Parish of St Mary’s Deane.

In the year 1235 John de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, bought the right of patronage from Gilbert de Barton and gave it, with its chapels to the Abbey of Stanlaw. The Church was formally appropriate to that Abbey by Alexander, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, 29 Dec 1235.

The monastery of Stanlaw was in Cheshire, having been founded in 1172fot the Cistercian monks.

The monks did not care for Stanlaw, as the situation was in low and unpleasant land, and was liable to flooding. They moved to Whalley, were the foundation stone was laid by the Earl of Lincoln, Henry de Lacy on 12 June 1296.On the 28 April 1306 Whalley Abbey was consecrated.www.english-heritage.org.uk has lots of pictures and information on Whalley Abbey.

The Vicarage of Eccles was formally constituted in 1277, and the Vicar appointed by the Abbott of Whalley. The Vicar of Eccles was given a pension of 16 marks, out of which he had to give the curate at Deane £4.www.ecclesparishchurch.co.uk has a good web site for this church.

The records of Whalley Abbey show the receipts for Eccles was £63/17/4 and in 1521 was £119/10/4.

At the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII, the Crown took the patronage of Eccles as it is to this day.

The earliest reference, to a church at Deane, belonging to the Church of Eccles, appears on a deed of gift of all his lands adjoining the Chapel St Maryden, made by Thomas de Perpoint, and refers to a chapel and burial grounds. The gift was to the Abbey of Stanlaw.

The Curate of Deane was appointed by Eccles until on the 21 November 1541 in the 33 rd year of Henry VIII, it pleased the King to grant the said chapel, Deyne, should be a church henceforth.

The Parish of Deane comprised of the townships of Farnworth, Kearsley, Heaton, Rumworth, Lostock, Horwich, Halliwell, Westhoughton, Little Hulton, Middle Hulton, and over Hulton, along with Horwich, Westhoughton and Little Hulton, which were ancient chapelries.

St John’s Farnworth was, was assigned to the townships of Farnworth and Kearsley by Order in Council, 23 Jul 1828. grid ref SD743058

Bolton Union Workhouse

On 26 September 1861 the Bolton Poor Law Union opened a new workhouse at Fishpool Farm just north of Plodder Lane on the west side of Farnworth. In 1896 Townley's Hospital was erected just north of the workhouse. In 1930 when the Bolton Union was abolished the workhouse became known as Fishpool Institution, and in 1948 under the National Health Service, became part of the Townley's Hospital complex, now the Royal Bolton Hospital. Details and maps of the Bolton Union Workhouse can be found at The Workhouse.

The church of St James was opened in 1864 at New Bury about 1 mile SE of Fishpool. Many baptisms of children born in the workhouse, and funerals/burials of inmates who died there were performed at St James.

Details of the local Workhouses and general information on Workhouses can be found here.

Farnworth Grammar School

What was to become Farnworth Grammar School originated as an endowed school in 1715, when James Roscoe and his son John gave a piece of land and a new building bordering Dixon Green, for the education of the children of Farnworth. One of the trustees appointed by the Deed of James and John Roscoe was Nathaniel Dorning of Birch House, Farnworth whose will of 1728 gave a financial foundation for the provision of a schoolmaster, the instruction of children in Latin and English. In 1744 more land was donated by Peter Rasbotham for the building of a schoolmaster’s house, but by 1856 both school and schoolmaster’s house had become unfit for use. New premises were constructed on nearby Albert Road at the time known as Worsley Road, opening 15 Jan 1862, Picture of still existing school, now a private home.

In 1919 Lancashire County Council built a new school in Bolton Road Farnworth.

This school was closed in 1982.

Farnworth and Kearsley Gas Company

Formed in 1854, the Farnworth and Kearsley Gas Co built a gas works on Bolton Road and the former supply from Bolton ceased in 1855. It took a number of years for the Gas co supply to reach Kearsley and by 1868 a further Act was obtained to increase capital to extend the area to include, Outwood, parts of Little Hulton, Little Lever and Stoneclough. In 1878 the works were enlarged and in 1903 unsuccessful approaches by Farnworth and Kearsley UDC to take over the company.

It was taken over in 1926 by UKGC.

Farnworth Park

An Act for confirming the gift of a Park by Thomas Barnes Esquire to the Local Board of Health of Farnworth, for the benefit of the Inhabitants thereof; and for authorizing the said Local Board to maintain and regulate the said Park, and to erect a Town Hall and Market Houses, and to make new streets, and for defining the boundaries of and making further Provisions for the Improvement of the District and for other Purposes.

The park was opened by William Gladstone, and the road that runs parallel, north of the park is called Gladstone Road.