Sharples, Greater Manchester
Encyclopedia
Sharples, a suburb of Bolton
, was a township
of the civil and ecclesiastical parish of Bolton le Moors
in the Salford hundred
of Lancashire
, England.
It lay 2½ miles north of Bolton
.
It contained the smaller settlements of Banktop, Sweet-Loves, High-Houses, Gale, Folds, Belmont
, Piccadilly, Water-Meetings, Old Houses, and part of Astley-Bridge.
. Sharples was the name of a local family who lived at Sharples Hall, the last was Dr John Sharples Lawson who died in 1816.
Sharples contained forty-three hearths liable to the hearth tax in 1666. During the Industrial Revolution
coal
was mined on a small scale and cotton mills, calico print-works, extensive bleach-works were built in Belmont and Astley Bridge.
, a judicial division of southwest Lancashire
. It was one of the townships that made up the ancient ecclesiastical parish of Bolton le Moors. Under provisions of the Poor Relief Act 1662
, townships
replaced civil parish
es as the main units of local administration in Lancashire. Sharples became one of the eighteen autonomous townships of the civil parish of Bolton le Moors. In 1837, Sharples became part of the Bolton Poor Law Union
, which took over the responsibility for the administration and funding of the Poor Law
in that area.
In 1864 Lower Sharples and part of Little Bolton became Astley Bridge Local Board of Health and in 1894 Astley Bridge Urban District
before being merged in Bolton Borough in 1898. Upper Sharples became Belmont civil parish in the Bolton Rural District from 1894 to 1898 when it became part of Turton Urban District and in 1974 became part of Blackburn District in Lancashire.
. Lower Sharples was separated from the upper portion by a detached portion of Little Bolton
. Astley Bridge is in Lower Sharples. The old road over the West Pennine Moors
from Bolton
to Preston via Astley Bridge and Withnell
, now the A675 passed through the township for five miles. Much of the land is high moorland
.
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
, was a township
Township (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
of the civil and ecclesiastical parish of Bolton le Moors
Bolton le Moors
Bolton le Moors was a civil parish and ecclesiastical parish of the hundred of Salford in the historic county of Lancashire, England...
in the Salford hundred
Salford (hundred)
The hundred of Salford was an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire, in Northern England. It was sometimes known as Salfordshire, the name alluding to its judicial centre being the township of Salford...
of 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...
, England.
It lay 2½ miles north of Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
.
It contained the smaller settlements of Banktop, Sweet-Loves, High-Houses, Gale, Folds, Belmont
Belmont, Lancashire
Belmont is a village in Lancashire, England. It is close to Winter Hill between the towns of Bolton and Darwen. It has around 500 inhabitants and lies within the civil parish of North Turton in the unitary authority area of Blackburn with Darwen.-History:...
, Piccadilly, Water-Meetings, Old Houses, and part of Astley-Bridge.
History
Sharples was recorded in documents as Charples in 1212, Sharples and Scharples in 1292 and the manor was part of the Barony or Lordship of Manchester in the Middle agesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. Sharples was the name of a local family who lived at Sharples Hall, the last was Dr John Sharples Lawson who died in 1816.
Sharples contained forty-three hearths liable to the hearth tax in 1666. During the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
was mined on a small scale and cotton mills, calico print-works, extensive bleach-works were built in Belmont and Astley Bridge.
Governance
Historically, Sharples formed part of the Hundred of SalfordSalford (hundred)
The hundred of Salford was an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire, in Northern England. It was sometimes known as Salfordshire, the name alluding to its judicial centre being the township of Salford...
, a judicial division of southwest 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...
. It was one of the townships that made up the ancient ecclesiastical parish of Bolton le Moors. Under provisions of the Poor Relief Act 1662
Poor Relief Act 1662
The Poor Relief Act 1662 was an Act of the Cavalier Parliament of England. It was an Act for the Better Relief of the Poor of this Kingdom and is also known as the Settlement Act or, more honestly, the Settlement and Removal Act. The purpose of the Act was to establish the parish to which a person...
, townships
Township (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
replaced civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
es as the main units of local administration in Lancashire. Sharples became one of the eighteen autonomous townships of the civil parish of Bolton le Moors. In 1837, Sharples became part of the Bolton Poor Law Union
Poor Law Union
A Poor Law Union was a unit used for local government in the United Kingdom from the 19th century. The administration of the Poor Law was the responsibility of parishes, which varied wildly in their size, populations, financial resources, rateable values and requirements...
, which took over the responsibility for the administration and funding of the Poor Law
Poor Law
The English Poor Laws were a system of poor relief which existed in England and Wales that developed out of late-medieval and Tudor-era laws before being codified in 1587–98...
in that area.
In 1864 Lower Sharples and part of Little Bolton became Astley Bridge Local Board of Health and in 1894 Astley Bridge Urban District
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
before being merged in Bolton Borough in 1898. Upper Sharples became Belmont civil parish in the Bolton Rural District from 1894 to 1898 when it became part of Turton Urban District and in 1974 became part of Blackburn District in Lancashire.
Geography
The township, on ground rising to the north of Bolton, had an area of 3920 acres divided into two portions. Upper Sharples on the slopes of Winter Hill and Whimberry Hill contained the districts of Hordern, Belmont, and the hamlet of Bromiley and a reservoir built by Bolton Waterworks formed the boundary between Sharples and LongworthLongworth
Longworth is a village and civil parish about west of Abingdon and a similar distance east of Faringdon and south of Witney. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire...
. Lower Sharples was separated from the upper portion by a detached portion of Little Bolton
Little Bolton
Little Bolton was a township of the civil and ecclesiastical parish of Bolton le Moors in the Salford hundred of Lancashire, England. Besides the main part of Little Bolton, it had three detached parts which were separated by areas of Lower Sharples and Higher Sharples...
. Astley Bridge is in Lower Sharples. The old road over the West Pennine Moors
West Pennine Moors
The West Pennine Moors cover an area of approximately of moorland and reservoirs in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.The West Pennine Moors are separated from the main Pennine range by the Irwell Valley. The moorland includes Withnell, Anglezarke and Rivington Moors in the extreme west,...
from Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
to Preston via Astley Bridge and Withnell
Withnell
Withnell is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Chorley, Lancashire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 3,631. Withnell is about five miles north-east of Chorley itself and about away from Blackburn. It constituted an urban district from 1894 to 1974...
, now the A675 passed through the township for five miles. Much of the land is high moorland
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
.