County Borough of Rochdale
Encyclopedia
Rochdale was, from 1856 to 1974, a local government district coterminate with the town of Rochdale
in the northwest of England
.
, Lancashire
, petition
ed the Privy Council
for the grant of a charter of incorporation
under the Municipal Corporations Act
constituting the town as a municipal borough
. The petition was successful and the charter was granted in September 1856. In 1858 the borough corporation took over the powers of the Rochdale Improvement Commissioners
, which had been established by private act of parliament
in 1825 to watch, light and cleanse the town. The borough was extended in 1872.
constituted all municipal boroughs with a population of more than 50,000 as "county borough
"s. Accordingly, the County Borough of Rochdale came into existence in 1889, with the powers of both a borough and a county council. Rochdale remained within Lancashire for certain purposes such as lieutenancy
and administration of justice.
In 1900 the county borough absorbed the bulk of the neighbouring Castleton Urban District
by mutual agreement.
The borough boundaries were extended again in 1933 by a county review order
.
The county borough was abolished in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972
. Its area formed part of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale
in the new county of Greater Manchester
.
, ten aldermen
and thirty councillors. The borough was divided into three wards: Castleton and Wardleworth represented by twelve councillors and four aldermen each, and Spotland with six councillors and two aldermen. One third of the councillors in each ward were elected annually by the burgesses or local government electors. The aldermen were elected to a six-year term by the council itself, with half the aldermanic bench retiring every three years. The mayor was elected annually by the council from among their membership.
When the borough was extended in 1872, the council seats were redistributed and the borough was divided into ten wards, each with three councillors and one alderman, with the size of the council remaining at forty. When Castleton Urban District was absorbed in 1900, an eleventh ward of Castleton Moor was added, and the council increased to thirty-three councillors and eleven alderman. In 1933 the bulk of Norden
Urban District was added to the borough as a twelfth ward, and the council consisted of thirty-six councillors and twelve aldermen until its abolition in 1974.
, who maintained a large majority. Conservatives formed an opposition grouping, and Socialist and Independent Labour Party
councillors appeared from the end of the nineteenth century. From the nineteen thirties the Liberal hegemony began to be challenged, with an increase in the number of Labour and Conservative members, and there was no one grouping in control. By the nineteen sixties control alternated between Liberals/Conservative and Labour administrations.
The Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of Rochdale were granted armorial bearings
by letters patent
dated 20 February 1857 sealed by Sir Charles George Young
, Garter Principal King of Arms
; James Pulman, Clarenceux King of Arms
; and Robert Laurie, Norroy King of Arms.
The blazon
was as follows:
Argent a wool-pack encircled by two branches of the cotton-tree flowered and conjoined proper, a bordure sable, charged with eight martlets of the field. And for the Crest: Upon a wreath of the colours, a mill-rind sable, and above a fleece argent banded or.
The emblems in the centre of the shield represented the industries of the borough: a fleece for the woollen industry; the cotton branches for the cotton industry; and the millrind for the iron industry. The black border bore six martlet
s or heraldic swallows. The martlets and black and silver colouring were derived from the arms of the Rashdale and Dearden families. James Dearden purchased the manor
of Rochdale from Lord Byron
in 1823.
The crest, placed on a helm above the shield, represented the wool and iron industries with a fleece and millrind.
The Latin
motto
adopted was Crede Signo or "Trust in this sign". It was based on that of Baron Byron of Rochdale
: Crede Byron.
and Milnrow
gas companies were acquired. By 1948 the undertaking supplied the County Borough of Rochdale and the urban districts of Milnrow
, Wardle and Whitworth. The corporation lost control of the undertaking to the North-Western Gas Board when gas supply was nationalised by the Gas Act 1948
.
Waterworks Company. As the town grew it was clear that a larger supply would be needed, and in 1923 Rochdale and Oldham County Boroughs
jointly acquired the reservoirs of the Rochdale Canal Company
. Watergrove Reservoir
, near Wardle was constructed in 1938.
In 1967 the Rochdale Corporation water undertaking was merged with those of Ashton-under-Lyne
, Dukinfield
, Heywood
, Middleton
, Oldham
, Saddleworth
and Stalybridge
to form the West Pennine Water Board. The water board was in turn merged into the North West Water Authority
by the Water Act 1973
.
By 1930 domestic demand for electricity was well established, and the electricity department opened an appliance showroom: "Electric House", in Smith Street.
On 1 April 1948 the Electricity Act 1947 came into effect, and the undertaking was nationalised, becoming part of the North Western Electricity Board
.
made an order under the Tramways Act 1870
, giving Rochdale Corporation powers to construct a street tramway. The line was opened on 7 May 1883 and was operated by the steam trams of the Manchester, Bury, Rochdale and Oldham Steam Tramways Company Limited. The company went into liquidation in 1887, but in the following year the service was restored under the auspices of the Bury, Rochdale and Oldham Steam Tramways Company Limited.
In 1900 the Corporation obtained powers to operate the trams itself, and the borough council purchased and electrified the tram network, with the first Rochdale Corporation tram running on 22 May 1902. The last steam tram route was replaced in 1905. In 1911 Rochdale made agreements with two neighbouring municipalities, the borough of Bacup
and Milnrow Urban District
, to operate the tram networks they had constructed. In addition the corporation tracks reached as far as Littleborough and Whitworth
, and ran joint operations with other municipal operators. In 1925 the county borough purchased the Middleton Electric Tramways Company jointly with the Municipal Borough of Middleton
and Chadderton
Urban District Council. The purchase allowed through running of Rochdale trams into Manchester city centre.
The corporation began operating motorbus services in 1926, initially in addition to the tram network. 1930 saw the first replacement of trams with buses, and the last tram service ran on 12 November 1932. The borough's bus services expanded as new estates were built on the edge of the town.
On 1 November 1969 the corporation ceased to operate buses, with its transport department merged with those of a number of other municipalities to form the new SELNEC Passenger Transport Executive
. Rochdale contributed 130 vehicles to the new undertaking's fleet of 2,526.
Rochdale
Rochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
in the northwest of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Municipal borough
In January 1856 the inhabitant householders of the Parliamentary Borough of RochdaleRochdale (UK Parliament constituency)
Rochdale is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, petition
Petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
ed the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
for the grant of a charter of incorporation
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
under the Municipal Corporations Act
Municipal Corporations Act 1835
The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 – sometimes known as the Municipal Reform Act, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in the incorporated boroughs of England and Wales...
constituting the town as a municipal borough
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
. The petition was successful and the charter was granted in September 1856. In 1858 the borough corporation took over the powers of the Rochdale Improvement Commissioners
Improvement commissioners
Boards of improvement commissioners were ad-hoc boards created during the 18th and 19th centuries in the United Kingdom. They were an early form of local government.The first Improvement Commission was the Manchester Police Commission, established in 1765...
, which had been established by private act of parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
in 1825 to watch, light and cleanse the town. The borough was extended in 1872.
County borough
The Local Government Act 1888Local Government Act 1888
The Local Government Act 1888 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which established county councils and county borough councils in England and Wales...
constituted all municipal boroughs with a population of more than 50,000 as "county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
"s. Accordingly, the County Borough of Rochdale came into existence in 1889, with the powers of both a borough and a county council. Rochdale remained within Lancashire for certain purposes such as lieutenancy
Lord Lieutenant
The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. Usually a retired local notable, senior military officer, peer or business person is given the post...
and administration of justice.
In 1900 the county borough absorbed the bulk of the neighbouring Castleton Urban District
Castleton, Greater Manchester
Castleton is an area of Rochdale and an electoral ward of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It is south-southwest of Rochdale town centre and north-northwest of the city of Manchester....
by mutual agreement.
The borough boundaries were extended again in 1933 by a county review order
Local Government Act 1929
The Local Government Act 1929 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that made changes to the Poor Law and local government in England and Wales....
.
The county borough was abolished in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
. Its area formed part of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale
Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale
The Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England. It is named after its largest town, Rochdale, but spans a far larger area which includes the towns of Middleton, Heywood, Littleborough and Milnrow, and the village of Wardle.The borough was...
in the new county of Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
.
Borough council
Under the charter of 1856 the borough was governed by a town council consisting of a mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, ten aldermen
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
and thirty councillors. The borough was divided into three wards: Castleton and Wardleworth represented by twelve councillors and four aldermen each, and Spotland with six councillors and two aldermen. One third of the councillors in each ward were elected annually by the burgesses or local government electors. The aldermen were elected to a six-year term by the council itself, with half the aldermanic bench retiring every three years. The mayor was elected annually by the council from among their membership.
When the borough was extended in 1872, the council seats were redistributed and the borough was divided into ten wards, each with three councillors and one alderman, with the size of the council remaining at forty. When Castleton Urban District was absorbed in 1900, an eleventh ward of Castleton Moor was added, and the council increased to thirty-three councillors and eleven alderman. In 1933 the bulk of Norden
Norden, Greater Manchester
Norden is a suburban village within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It is situated on the western edge of Rochdale....
Urban District was added to the borough as a twelfth ward, and the council consisted of thirty-six councillors and twelve aldermen until its abolition in 1974.
Politics
For the first seven decades of the borough's existence it was dominated by the Liberal PartyLiberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, who maintained a large majority. Conservatives formed an opposition grouping, and Socialist and Independent Labour Party
Independent Labour Party
The Independent Labour Party was a socialist political party in Britain established in 1893. The ILP was affiliated to the Labour Party from 1906 to 1932, when it voted to leave...
councillors appeared from the end of the nineteenth century. From the nineteen thirties the Liberal hegemony began to be challenged, with an increase in the number of Labour and Conservative members, and there was no one grouping in control. By the nineteen sixties control alternated between Liberals/Conservative and Labour administrations.
Election results 1933–1972
The following list shows the numbers of councillors and aldermen of each party following the annual borough elections. There were no elections from 1939 to 1944 due the Second World War. Elections due in November 1948 were postponed until May 1949, with municipal elections held in that month from then on. The final elections to the county borough council were held in 1972, with members holding office until abolition two years later.| Election | Liberal Party | Conservative Party | Labour Party | Independents | Control |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | 24 (-1) | 16 (-1) | 6 (+2) | 1 | Liberal hold |
| 1934 | 23 | 17 (-1) | 7 (+1) | 1 | No overall control |
| 1935 | 24 | 17 | 7 | 0 | Liberal hold |
| 1936 | 25 (+2) | 15 (-1) | 7 (-1) | 1 | Liberal gain form no overall control |
| 1937 | 24 (-1) | 17 (+2) | 6 (-1) | 1 | Liberal hold |
| 1938 | 23 (-1) | 18 | 6 | 1 (+1) | Liberal lose to no overall control |
| 1945 | 23 (-1) | 16 (-2) | 10 (+3) | 1 | No overall control |
| 1946 | 21 (-1) | 17 | 9 (+1) | 1 | No overall control |
| 1947 | 25 (+4) | 14 (-3) | 8 (-1) | 1 | Liberal gain from no overall control |
| 1949 | 27 (+1) | 14 (+1) | 6 (-2) | 1 | Liberal hold |
| 1950 | 23 (-2) | 17 (+2) | 7 | 1 | Liberal lose to no overall control |
| 1951 | 22 (-1) | 16 (-1) | 9 (+2) | 1 | No overall control |
| 1952 | 18 (-3) | 12 (-4) | 17 (+7) | 1 | No overall control |
| 1953 | 16 (-1) | 12 (-1) | 19 (+2) | 1 | No overall control |
| 1954 | 14 (-2) | 12 (-1) | 22 (+3) | 0 (-1) | No overall control |
| 1955 | 16 (+2) | 13 (+3) | 17 (-5) | 0 | No overall control |
| 1956 | 16 | 13 (-1) | 19 (+1) | 0 | No overall control |
| 1957 | 16 | 12 | 20 | 0 | No overall control |
| 1958 | 15 (-1) | 11 (-1) | 22 (+2) | 0 | No overall control |
| 1959 | 16 (+2) | 12 (+1) | 20 (-3) | 0 | No overall control |
| 1960 | 17 | 11 (-1) | 20 (+1) | 0 | No overall control |
| 1961 | 17 (+1) | 11 | 19 (-1) | 1 | No overall control |
| 1962 | 15 (-2) | 8 (-3) | 23 (+4) | 2 (+1) | Liberal with Conservative support |
| 1963 | 14 (-1) | 7 (-1) | 26 (+3) | 1 (-1) | Labour gain from Liberal - Conservative |
| 1964 | 12 (-1) | 5 (-2) | 30 (+3) | 1 | Labour hold |
| 1965 | 13 (+1) | 10 (+5) | 25 (-5) | 0 (-1) | Labour hold |
| 1966 | 13 | 11 | 24 | 0 | Labour lose to no overall control |
| 1967 | 14 (+1) | 14 (+3) | 15 (-4) | 5 | No overall control |
| 1968 | 19 (+1) | 18 (+3) | 11 (-3) | 0 (-1) | No overall control |
| 1969 | 20 (+1) | 21 (+3) | 7 (-4) | 0 | No overall control |
| 1970 | 15 (-2) | 19 (-4) | 12 (+6) | 1 | No overall control (1 vacancy) |
| 1971 | 11 (-2) | 14 (-5) | 22 (+7) | 1 | No overall control |
| 1972 | 9 (-4) | 11 (-1) | 28 (+6) | 0 (-1) | Labour gain from no overall control |
Coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
by letters patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
dated 20 February 1857 sealed by Sir Charles George Young
Charles Young (officer of arms)
Sir Charles George Young was an English officer of arms. He served in the heraldic office of Garter King of Arms, the senior member of the College of Arms in England, from 1842 until his death in 1869.-Life:...
, Garter Principal King of Arms
Garter Principal King of Arms
The Garter Principal King of Arms is the senior King of Arms, and the senior Officer of Arms of the College of Arms. He is therefore the most powerful herald within the jurisdiction of the College – primarily England, Wales and Northern Ireland – and so arguably the most powerful in the world...
; James Pulman, Clarenceux King of Arms
Clarenceux King of Arms
Clarenceux King of Arms is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. Clarenceux is the senior of the two provincial kings of arms and his jurisdiction is that part of England south of the River Trent. The office almost certainly existed in 1420, and there is a fair degree of...
; and Robert Laurie, Norroy King of Arms.
The blazon
Blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
was as follows:
Argent a wool-pack encircled by two branches of the cotton-tree flowered and conjoined proper, a bordure sable, charged with eight martlets of the field. And for the Crest: Upon a wreath of the colours, a mill-rind sable, and above a fleece argent banded or.
The emblems in the centre of the shield represented the industries of the borough: a fleece for the woollen industry; the cotton branches for the cotton industry; and the millrind for the iron industry. The black border bore six martlet
Martlet
A martlet is a heraldic charge depicting a stylized bird with short tufts of feathers in the place of legs...
s or heraldic swallows. The martlets and black and silver colouring were derived from the arms of the Rashdale and Dearden families. James Dearden purchased the manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Rochdale from Lord Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, later George Gordon Noel, 6th Baron Byron, FRS , commonly known simply as Lord Byron, was a British poet and a leading figure in the Romantic movement...
in 1823.
The crest, placed on a helm above the shield, represented the wool and iron industries with a fleece and millrind.
The Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
adopted was Crede Signo or "Trust in this sign". It was based on that of Baron Byron of Rochdale
Baron Byron
Baron Byron, of Rochdale in the County Palatine of Lancaster, is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1643, by letters patent, for Sir John Byron, a Cavalier general and former Member of Parliament...
: Crede Byron.
Utilities
Rochdale, in common with many British municipalities, took over the ownership and provision of a number of utility services.Gas supply
In 1824 the Rochdale Gas Light and Coke Company opened a gasworks at what would later be Dane Street. Following a dispute with the Rochdale Police Commissioners over the price of providing public street lighting, the Commissioners promoted a private act of parliament and acquired the undertaking in 1844, and in 1858 they passed to the borough. In 1871 the corporation began rebuilding and enlarging the gasworks. In the 1930s the Whitworth ValeWhitworth
Whitworth may refer to:*Whitworth rifle, a British made rifle used by the Confederacy in the American Civil War*Whitworth, County Durham, a former civil parish in England*Whitworth, Lancashire, a town in England...
and Milnrow
Milnrow
Milnrow is a suburban town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Beal at the foothills of the South Pennines, and forms a continuous urban area with Rochdale...
gas companies were acquired. By 1948 the undertaking supplied the County Borough of Rochdale and the urban districts of Milnrow
Milnrow Urban District
Milnrow Urban District was, from 1894 to 1974, a local government district of the administrative county of Lancashire, in northwest England. It covered an area to the east and southeast of the County Borough of Rochdale, and included the town of Milnrow, the village of New Hey, and the Piethorne...
, Wardle and Whitworth. The corporation lost control of the undertaking to the North-Western Gas Board when gas supply was nationalised by the Gas Act 1948
British Gas plc
British Gas plc was formerly the monopoly gas supplier and is a private sector in the United Kingdom.- History :In the early 1900s the gas market in the United Kingdom was mainly run by county councils and small private firms...
.
Water supply
A supply of drinking water was introduced to the town by a private company in 1809. In 1866 the borough corporation took control. The original reservoir at Leyland Brow proved insufficient for the town, and in 1898 Ramsden Reservoir was acquired along with the TodmordenTodmorden
Todmorden is a market town and civil parish, located 17 miles from Manchester, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the Upper Calder Valley and has a total population of 14,941....
Waterworks Company. As the town grew it was clear that a larger supply would be needed, and in 1923 Rochdale and Oldham County Boroughs
County Borough of Oldham
Oldham was, from 1849 to 1974, a local government district in the northwest of England coterminate with the town of Oldham.-Improvement Commissioners:...
jointly acquired the reservoirs of the Rochdale Canal Company
Rochdale Canal
The Rochdale Canal is a navigable "broad" canal in northern England, part of the connected system of the canals of Great Britain. The "Rochdale" in its name refers to the town of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, through which the canal passes....
. Watergrove Reservoir
Watergrove Reservoir
Watergrove Reservoir is a reservoir close to Wardle in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, within Greater Manchester, England.Rochdale Corporation chose Watergrove as a suitable site to build a large reservoir largely to a prolonged drought in the 1930s, resulting in water regularly being bought...
, near Wardle was constructed in 1938.
In 1967 the Rochdale Corporation water undertaking was merged with those of Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
, Dukinfield
Dukinfield
Dukinfield is a small town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies in central Tameside on the south bank of the River Tame, opposite Ashton-under-Lyne, and is east of the city of Manchester...
, Heywood
Heywood, Greater Manchester
Heywood is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the south bank of the River Roch and is east of Bury, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north of the city of Manchester. The town of Middleton lies to the south, whilst to the north is the...
, Middleton
Middleton, Greater Manchester
Middleton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Irk, south-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester...
, Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
, Saddleworth
Saddleworth
Saddleworth is a civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham in Greater Manchester, England. It comprises several villages and hamlets amongst the west side of the Pennine hills: Uppermill, Greenfield, Dobcross, Delph, Diggle and others...
and Stalybridge
Stalybridge
Stalybridge is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of 22,568. Historically a part of Cheshire, it is east of Manchester city centre and northwest of Glossop. With the construction of a cotton mill in 1776, Stalybridge became one of...
to form the West Pennine Water Board. The water board was in turn merged into the North West Water Authority
North West Water
North West Water was a water supply company serving north west England. It was originally the North West Water Authority, one of ten regional authorities created by the Water Act 1973. In 1989 it became North West Water plc, and was privatised...
by the Water Act 1973
Water Act 1973
The Water Act 1973 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reorganised the water, sewage and river management industry in England and Wales...
.
Electricity
In 1896 the borough council resolved to establish a municipal electricity supply to the town, and in particular to power the tramway system. A generating station was constructed near the gasworks, and power began to flow in October 1900. As electricity began to be adopted for industrial purposes it was necessary to construct larger generating facilities in 1919. An interconnection agreement was also established with the Lancashire Electric Power Company. By the 1930s the corporation electricity department also supplied the neighbouring urban districts of Littleborough, Milnrow, Norden, Wardle and Whitworth.By 1930 domestic demand for electricity was well established, and the electricity department opened an appliance showroom: "Electric House", in Smith Street.
On 1 April 1948 the Electricity Act 1947 came into effect, and the undertaking was nationalised, becoming part of the North Western Electricity Board
NORWEB
Norweb PLC, originally the North West Electricity Board, was a British electricity supply and distribution company. It supplied electricity to about 4.7 million industrial, commercial and domestic customers in the North West of England. The Board was originally formed in 1948 as part of the...
.
Rochdale Corporation Transport
In 1881 the Board of TradeBoard of Trade
The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...
made an order under the Tramways Act 1870
Tramways Act 1870
The Tramways Act 1870 was an important step in the development of urban transport in Britain. Street tramways had originated in the United States, and were introduced to Britain by George Francis Train in the 1860s, the first recorded installation being a short line from Woodside Ferry to...
, giving Rochdale Corporation powers to construct a street tramway. The line was opened on 7 May 1883 and was operated by the steam trams of the Manchester, Bury, Rochdale and Oldham Steam Tramways Company Limited. The company went into liquidation in 1887, but in the following year the service was restored under the auspices of the Bury, Rochdale and Oldham Steam Tramways Company Limited.
In 1900 the Corporation obtained powers to operate the trams itself, and the borough council purchased and electrified the tram network, with the first Rochdale Corporation tram running on 22 May 1902. The last steam tram route was replaced in 1905. In 1911 Rochdale made agreements with two neighbouring municipalities, the borough of Bacup
Bacup
Bacup is a town within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, England. It is located amongst the South Pennines, along Lancashire's eastern boundary with West Yorkshire. The town sits within a rural setting in the Forest of Rossendale, amongst the steep-sided upper-Irwell Valley, through which the...
and Milnrow Urban District
Milnrow Urban District
Milnrow Urban District was, from 1894 to 1974, a local government district of the administrative county of Lancashire, in northwest England. It covered an area to the east and southeast of the County Borough of Rochdale, and included the town of Milnrow, the village of New Hey, and the Piethorne...
, to operate the tram networks they had constructed. In addition the corporation tracks reached as far as Littleborough and Whitworth
Whitworth, Lancashire
Whitworth is a town and civil parish within the Borough of Rossendale in Lancashire, England. It is set amongst the foothills of the Pennines, between the towns of Bacup, to the north, and Rochdale, to the south. It has a population of 7,263....
, and ran joint operations with other municipal operators. In 1925 the county borough purchased the Middleton Electric Tramways Company jointly with the Municipal Borough of Middleton
Municipal Borough of Middleton
The Municipal Borough of Middleton was, from 1886 to 1974, a municipal borough in the administrative county of Lancashire, England, coterminate with the town of Middleton.-Civic history:...
and Chadderton
Chadderton
Chadderton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England, historically a part of Lancashire...
Urban District Council. The purchase allowed through running of Rochdale trams into Manchester city centre.
The corporation began operating motorbus services in 1926, initially in addition to the tram network. 1930 saw the first replacement of trams with buses, and the last tram service ran on 12 November 1932. The borough's bus services expanded as new estates were built on the edge of the town.
On 1 November 1969 the corporation ceased to operate buses, with its transport department merged with those of a number of other municipalities to form the new SELNEC Passenger Transport Executive
Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive
Transport for Greater Manchester is the public body responsible for co-ordinating public transport services throughout Greater Manchester, in North West England. The organisation traces its origins to the Transport Act 1968, when the SELNEC Passenger Transport Executive was established to...
. Rochdale contributed 130 vehicles to the new undertaking's fleet of 2,526.
External links
- A vision of Rochdale CB/MB, visionofbritain.org.uk.