Hoddlesden and its satellite villages tells the history of four intertwined rural townships that were typical of old east Lancashire, tracing their development from their beginnings as tiny settlements in one of the county's beautiful wildernesses, right up to the modern day. This is a story of adapation and resilience, as over the centuries the inhabitants of Hoddlesden, Blacksnape, Eccleshill, Yate and Pickup Bank have had to respond to factors which have largely been outside of their control. Dr Parker has managed to combine excellent research, based on good primary and secondary sources, with a highly readable style. Studying information contained within census returns he is able to reveal the ever-changing patterns of population, showing, for example, that although many people left the villages to pursue work, significant numbers of these migrants returned to their place of birth. His careful reading of agricultural parish returns and other original sources has allowed him to portray all aspects of life in the communities, including the existence and nature of farm buildings, the size of holdings, family contributions to farm work and sources of farm household income.
He explains the huge impact on the settlements of the new cotton mills, which sucked labour from the countryside, altering patterns of rural life totally. He looks at what this meant in terms of housing, family life and village life, comparing these communities with other 'factory villages' and 'cotton towns'. Accounts such as this are invaluable, providing a wealth of new insight into the history of little-known localities and leaving a unique record for future generations. Hoddlesden and its satellite villages will appeal to anyone connected to the villages but also more widely to local and family historians and all those who have an interest in the broader history of Lancashire and the British Isles.
- ISBN10 190424484X
- ISBN13 9781904244844
- Publish Date 5 October 2012
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 11 October 2021
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Carnegie Publishing Ltd
- Imprint Scotforth Books
- Edition New ed.
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 240
- Language English