The District of Shaw and Crompton, Oldham in the County of -- Lancashire --

Shaw and Crompton are situated on the Lancashire Yorkshire border, Currently the locals refer to the area as Shaw in contrast to former times when it was generally known as Crompton . At one time going to Shaw was synonymous with going to church as there was not much else there.

Early History

Iron Age artefacts have been discovered on Crompton Moor, A Roman Road is supposed to cross Buckstones Rd on its way to the fort at Castleshaw, Saddleworth.

About 620AD the Saxon King of Northumbria sent an army to conquer Mercia. As they marched they founded a string of villages (“tons”)-Royton,Ashton etc-Crompton was one of these.”Crom,crumb” is Anglo –Saxon for crooked and describes the local topography. Shaw derives from “sceaga”, Anglo-Saxon for a wood.

After the Norman conquest, the area was given to Roger de Picaventis, maternal nephew of William the Conqueror. By the 13th Century, the De la Legh family (more Normans) had acquired the land. This family changed its name to de Crompton.

Until the Industrial Revolution the area was sparsely populated and consisted of woods, moors and bogs. The local economy depended on sheep for woollen manufacture with small coal pits for fuel and stone quarries for building materials. To encourage wool production a law existed between 1675 and 1816 requiring all bodies to be buried in woollen garments.

Shaw and Crompton grew in 19th Century to be a major centre of cotton spinning and textile manufacture. In its heyday there were more than 48 mills .By 1871 the population was 7032, growing to 14750 by 1921.