ship of Spotland, parish of Rochdale, hundred of Salford, 2 miles N. W. from Rochdale.

BANK LANE, a hamlet in the township of Walmersley, parish of Bury, hundred of Salford, 4 miles N. from Bury

BANKSIDE. See Bacup.

BANK TOP, a hamlet in the township of Newton, parish of Manchester, hundred of Salford, 2 miles N. E. from Manchester.

BARBER GREEN, a hamlet in the township of Staveley, parish of Cartmel, bundred of Lonsdale, north of the sands, 4 miles N. from Cartmel.

BARCROFT, a hamlet in the township of Cliviger, parish of Whalley, hundred of Blackburn, 2 miles S. E. from Burnley. Here was the residence of a family of the same name from the earliest period of record till the middle of the last century. The hall is a large mansion, now let to tenants; the date over the door is 1614, but a part of the house must be more ancient. The situation is warm and low, and the view, over the grounds and woods of Towneley, extremely pleasing.

BARDSEA, a township in the parish of Urswick, hundred of Lonsdale, north of the sands, 3 miles S. from Ulverstone. Inhabitants, in the population return for 1811, 203. In the return for 1821 the population is included in Urswick. Bardsea Hall, the seat of William Gale, esq., is seated on a rock, snug, and weli sheltered; the gardens were formed at a great expense on shelving terraces, that rise one above another. Vines planted in crevices, and skilfully trained along the rock, thrive remarkably well. The whole villa has much the appearance of a mansion in the centre of Bern in Switzerland.

BARE, a township in the parish of Lancaster, hundred of Lousdale, south of the sands, 3 miles N. W. from Lancaster. Inhabitants 91.

BARKER LANE, a hamlet in the township of Ramsgrave, parish of Black

burn, hundred of Blackburn, 2 miles N. W. from Blackburn.

BARLEY BOOTH, a township with Wheatley Booth, in the parish of Whalley, hundred of Blackburn, 5 miles W. from Colne. Inhabitants 765.

BARLOW FOLD, a hamlet in the town. ship and parish of Bury, hundred of Salford, 2 miles S. from Bury.

BARLOW, a hamlet in the township of Chorlton with Hardy, parish of Manchester, hundred of Salford, 5 miles S. from Manchester. Barlow Hall, the seat of Shakspeare Philips, esq., was the residence and property of a family of the name of Barlow as far back as the reign of Henry VI., the last of whom died about the year 1765.

BARNACRE, a township with Bonds in the parish of Garstang, hundred of Amounderness, 2 miles N. E. from Garstang. Inhabitants 548.

BARNSKIN, a hamlet in the township of Heskin, parish of Eccleston, hundred of Leyland, 4 miles W. S.W. from Chorley. BARNSIDE. See Colne.

BARRACK FOLD, a hamlet in the township of Ainsworth, parish of Middleton, hundred of Salford, 4 miles E. N. E. from Bolton.

BARRISON GREEN, a hamlet in the township of Scarisbrick, parish of Ormskirk, hundred of West Derby, 2 miles N. from Ormskirk.

BARROW, or BARROW HEAD, a hamlet in the township of Hawcoat, parish of Dalton, hundred of Lonsdale, north of the sands, 4 miles S. S. W. from Dal

BARTON, a township in the parish of Preston, hundred of Amounderness, 5 miles N. N. W. from Preston. Inhabitants 414. Newsham Hall in this township is the seat of John Pritchard, esq. Barton Lodge is the seat of James Shuttleworth, esq.

BARTON, a hamlet in the township of Down Holland, parish of Halsall, hundred of West Derby, 4 miles W. from Ormskirk. At this place is a small lake called Barton Mere.

BARTON-UPON-IRWELL, a township in the parish of Eccles, hundred of Salford, 5 miles W. from Manchester. Inhabitants 7977. Near Barton is the celebrated aqueduct which conveys the duke of Bridgewater's Canal across the river Irwell. It consists of three arches of great strength and thickness, the centre one sixty-three feet wide, and thirty-eight feet above the surface of the water. The novelty of the design which exhibited the spectacle, never seen before in England, of one vessel sailing over the top of another, excited universal admiration. But this aqueduct has been since far surpassed by that of the Lancaster Canal over the river Lune, and the fabric has certainly been over-praised. It is much inferior in picturesque beauty to the old bridge over the Irwell, which runs parallel with it at a small distance below. In this township is Trafford Park, the seat of T. J. Trafford, esq., whose family have been seated here for many ages; the house is situated on the bank of the Irwell, and is a modern brick structure cased with stucco. Trafford Moss also in this township was a large tract containing 500 acres of barren peat bog, the greater part of which is now under cultivation, owing to the spirited exertions of Mr. Roscoe and of Mr. Wakefield, who, in 1793, undertook to drain and improve it. By their judicious arrangements this heretofore useless soil is now converted into

BEAN CROSS, a hamlet in the township of Broughton, parish of Kirkby Ireleth, hundred of Lonsdale, north of the sands, 1 mile E. from Broughton.

BEARDWOOD, a hamlet in the township and parish of Blackburn, hundred of Blackburn, 1 mile N. N. W. from Blackburn.

BEARDSALL FOLD, a hamlet in the township of Blakeley, parish of Manchester, hundred of Salford, 31⁄2 miles N. from Manchester.

BEAUMONT HALL. See Skerton.
BECCONSALL. See Hesketh.

BECKSIDE, a hamlet in the township of Upper Holker, parish of Cartmel, hundred of Lonsdale, north of the sands, 1 mile N. W. from Cartmel.

BECKSIDE, a hamlet in the township of Low Quarter, parish of Kirkby Ireleth, hundred of Lonsdale, north of the sands, 4 miles W. N. W. from Ulverstone.

dale.

Here was formerly the ancient house of Belfield, which formed a part of the possessions of the knights of St. John of Jerusalem.

BELLE GRANGE. See Claife.

BELMONT, a hamlet in the township of Sharples, parish of Bolton, hundred of Salford, 5 miles N. N. W. from Bolton. This place affords to the town of Bolton a copious supply of excellent water.

BELL HILL, a hamlet in the township of Caton, parish of Lancaster, hundred of Lonsdale, south of the sands, 7 miles E. from Lancaster.

BERWICK CASTLE. See Hawkshead. BESS'S O' THE BARN, a hamlet in the township of Pilkington, parish of Prestwich cum Oldham, hundred of Salford, 5 miles N. N. W. from Manchester.

BESWICK, a township extraparochial in the hundred of Salford. Inhabitants 35. This small township adjoins Manchester to the east.

BEURSALL, a hamlet in the township of Castleton, parish of Rochdale, hundred of Salford, 1 mile S. S. E. from Rochdale.

BEURSALL HEAD, a hamlet in the township of Thornham, parish of Middleton, hundred of Salford, 2 miles S. S. E. from Rochdale.

BEWSEY HALL. See Great Sankey. BICKERSTAFFE, a township in the parish of Ormskirk, hundred of West Derby, 3 miles S. E. from Ormskirk. Inhabitants 1212. In this township is a small moss.

BIGGAR, a hamlet in the isle of Walney, in the township of Hawcoat, parish of Dalton, hundred of Lonsdale, north of the sands, 5 miles S. S. W. from Dalton. BIGLAND HALL. See Upper Holker. BILLANGO. See Lango.

BILLING, a hamlet in the township of Witton, parish of Blackburn, hundred of Blackburn, 2 miles W. from Blackburn. Near this place is Billing Scar, the last of that sombrous chain of mountains which extends from Yorkshire into this part of Lancashire.

BILLINGE, a chapelry in the parish of Wigan, hundred of West Derby, 5 miles W. S. W. from Wigan. Inhabitants 1212. The township of Billinge is divided into two parts, called Chapel End and Higher End. Billinge is distinguished by a lofty eminence, crowned by an old beacon, which commands a very extensive prospect over the flat part of Lancashire. Bispham Hall, in this village, is the seat of John Holt, esq.; and here is an ancient mansion called Birchley Hall.

BILLINGTON, a township in the parish of Blackburn, hundred of Blackburn, 5 miles N. N. E. from Blackburn. Inhabitants 922.

BILSBOROUGH, a township in the parish of Garstang, hundred of Amounderness, 4 miles S. S. E. from Garstang. Inhabitants 209.

BIRCH, or BIRCH CHAPEL, a hamlet in the township of Rushulme, parish of Manchester, hundred of Salford, 21 miles S. E. from Manchester, patron J. Dickinson, esq. Birch Hall, an ancient mansion, was long the residence of a family of the same name. Birch Villa

is the seat of Miss Dickinson.

BIRCH, a hamlet in the township of Hopwood, parish of Middleton, hundred of Salford, 2 miles W. N. W. from Middleton. A new chapel under the recent acts has been lately erected in this village.

BIRCH GREEN, a hamlet in the township of Up Holland, parish of Wigan, hundred of West Derby, 5 miles W. from Wigan.

BIRCHIN BOWER, a hamlet in the township of Chadderton, parish of Oldham cum Prestwich, hundred of Salford, 5 miles N. E. from Manchester.

BIRCHLEY HALL. See Billinge.

BIRKDALE, a township in the parish of North Meols, hundred of West Derby, 7 miles N. W. from Ormskirk. Inhabitants 414.

BIRKETT HOUSE. See Cartmel Fell.
BIRTLE, a township with Bamford, in

the parish of Middleton, hundred of Salford, 4 miles W. S. W. from Rochdals. Inhabitants 1207.

BISPHAM, a parish and township with Norbreck, in the hundred of Amounderness, 2 miles W. from Poulton in the Fylde. Inhabitants 323. A perpetual curacy in the archdeaconry of Chester. Patron P. Hesketh, esq. A mile to the north is the small hamlet of Little Bispham. This place was formerly called Biscopham, as pertaining to the archbishop of York, before the conquest. The church, recently rebuilt, contains an ancient Norman door-way. In the parish are two townships.

Inhabitants.

749 323

1072

Entire population BISPHAM, a township in the parish of Croston, hundred of Leyland, 6 miles E. N. E. from Ormskirk. Inhabitants 154. In this village is a Free Grammar School.

BISPHAM HALL. See Billinge. BLACKBROOK, a hamlet in the township of Parr, parish of Prescot, hundred of West Derby, 2 miles N. E. from St. Helens.

BLACKBROOK, a hamlet in the township of Heaton Norris, parish of Manchester, hundred of Salford, 4 miles S. E. from Manchester.

BLACKBURN, a hundred bounded on the north and east by the county of York, on the south by the hundred of Salford, and on the west by the hundreds of Leyland and Amounderness. It contains one borough, four market towns, three entire parishes and a part of three others, comprising eighty townships, 25,003 houses, and 146,608 inhabitants. The surface of the hundred of Blackburn is not inviting, unless where it borders on the Ribble; but an inexhaustible supply of coal, in its southern part, compensates the defect of picturesque beauty. Towards the north are the lofty elevations of Longridge Fell

BLACKBURN, a market town, parish, and township, in the hundred of Blackburn, 11 miles E. from Preston, and 210 from London. Inhabitants 21,940. A vicarage in the archdeaconry of Chester, value £8. 1s. 8d. Patron the archbishop of Canterbury. Market, Wednesday. Fairs, Easter Monday, May 11th and 12th, for horned cattle, horses, and toys; October 17th, ditto. Blackburn is an irregularly built town, which has risen into opulence from the overflow of manufactures in Manchester, artificers loving to remove to cheaper and less populous places. The town is situated on a barren, naked, and sandy flat, on the bank of an inconsiderable rivulet, called anciently the Blakeburn, or Yellow Stream, which has transferred its name to the place. The parish church was of the age of Edward III.; but, becoming insecure, it has lately been taken down and rebuilt at a small distance from the original site, though the ancient steeple still remains. Three modern churches have also been erected to accommodate the rapidly increasing population of this place; and Blackburn contains two Roman Catholic Chapels, and about eight meeting houses for various sects of Dissenters. The Grammar School was founded by queen Elizabeth; its revenues are directed by fifty trustees, freeholders; and it was ordained to be free to all the world. The school house has been recently rebuilt. Various other schools and charitable institutions reflect honor on the bencvo

constructed an improved spinning-jenny, which would spin twenty or thirty threads of cotton yarn at once. The original jenny, invented by Thomas Highs, gave motion to six spindles only. This improved machine occasioning great alarm among the spinners, they rose in a mob and drove out the inventor; who retired into Nottinghamshire, where he died in indigence. The following is the enumeration of the chapelries and townships in Blackburn:

lent spirit of the inhabitants; here are a theatre and a cloth hall. A commodious market place is much wanted. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal, passing near the town, greatly facilitates its commercial intercourse. Blackburn was long famous for its cotton goods, formerly known by the name of Blackburn checks, which consisted of a linen warp, shot with a cotton woof, one or both of which being dyed in the thread, gave to the piece when woven a striped or checked appearance. This article was superseded by the Blackburn greys, so called from their colour, neither the warp nor the woof having been dyed before they were put into the loom. These goods were generally sent to London to be printed A greater change took place when the greys were succeeded by calicoes, in which the whole fabric is cotton, and which owe their name to their resemblance to the cotton cloth of India, brought from the province of Calicut. The printing of calicoes now forms a considerable part of the business of Blackburn. The parish is very extensive, being one of the two which constitute by far the larger part of the hundred. It is divided into two great portions by a long though interrupted ridge of high ground, stretching from Whalley to Hoghton Tower. The soil is in general barren, and much of it sandy coal is found plentifully in the southern part of the parish, and in several parts much stone slate is got. In one of the hills is a mine of alum stone, formerly worked, but now neglected. The western portion of the parish, descending from the ridge of hills to the margin of the Ribble, has variety of landscape, fertility of soil, and the vestiges of many noble woods. Here resided formerly several families of distinction, now decayed and gone. This very beautiful portion of Ribblesdale is but little known, the town of Blackburn having attracted the turnpike road eastward. Blackburn gave birth to Mr. James Hargrave, an ingenious mechanic, who, in the year 1767,

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