Year Event
1801 Population was 3,059
1810 William Hulton Esq. of Hulton Park - High Sheriff of the County
1811 Population 3,810
1811 Rev. Wm Alexander at Leigh Congregational Church began holding meetings in
the barn at “Old Sirs” in Lower Leigh Road
1812 Burning of Westhoughton Mill by the Luddites
1815 Cottage in Leigh Road was used to hold meetings for worshippers at the
Congregational Church
1817 Sunday School formed by the Congregationalists. This was in Leigh Road near
Washacre. Accommodation for 200 children.
1819 Peterloo
1821 Population risen to 4,211
1823 Friends Meeting House (Quakers) built in Wigan Road
1826 Silk weaving introduced into the Town
1826 Congregational Church was formed at 20-22 Park Road
1828 First public railway in Lancashire - the Bolton to Leigh Railway
1831 Population 4,500
1831 Miners from the Hulton Colleries came out on strike. They accused Mr Hulton of
dismissing a man because he was a union member.
1831 Bolton & Leigh Railway opened on 18 June. First station was built Hulton cum
Chequerbent.
1832 Cattle Fair founded
1835 Congregational Chapel was opened at 24-26 Park Road. People worshipped there
for 18 years.
1835 Hulton School on Wigan Lane (now Manchester Road) was built.
1837 Primitive Methodist Sunday School & Church formed
1838 Queen Victoria crowned
1840 Chadwick’s Silk Mill
1840 Sunday School was built at Daisy Hill and licensed for services on 3rd December.
Replaced in 1870 by new school.
1841 Population 4,527
1841 St James’ School opened
1848 Bolton to Wigan Railway opened
1850 The Tithe Map & Award shows Field Names, Owners, Occupiers and use.
1851 Population 4,547
1851 Wingates St John’s School (mixed and infants) built for 401 children
1853 The present Bethel Church opened on 30th March at a cost of £1,600 - the
members called it Bethel.
1854 Westhoughton Old Prize Band founded.
1855 Stott’s Pit sunk
1857 Green Vale Works was started by John Seddon and was leased to Henry Barnes &
McConnell (later Thos. Welch).
1858 Westhoughton Friendly Co-operative Society Ltd was registered in April. First
grocery shop opened on Good Friday same year.
1858 Westhoughton Cemetery formed.
1859 St John the Evangelist consecrated 30th June 1859.
1860 Westhoughton Parochial School opened as Day and Sunday School 31st May at a
cost of £1,478 (replacing school opposite).
1860 The ecclesiastical parish was formed 25th January from the civil parish of Deane,
though it seems to have been worked independently by a resident curate from
early in the 16th century.
1861 Population 5,156
1866 Snydale Colliery opened which was named after a dog “Brigadier” (winner of the
Waterloo Cup in 1866).
1869 Gas Company formed.
1870 The 1731 Chapel was replaced by St Bartholomew’s Parish Church of
Westhoughton.
1870 Westhoughton Co-operative Cotton Company’s Mill destroyed by fire - damage
from £25,000 to £30,000
1870 A new school replaced the old Sunday School (built 1840) at Daisy Hill. This was
used for services from 25 August 1870.
1870 The School Buildings were added to the Bethel and had 8 teachers and 266
children on the roll.
1871 Population was 6,609.
1871 Wingates Independent Methodist Church - Foundation stone laid.
1871 Daisy Hill School built.
1872 Westhoughton Local Board formed.
1873 Westhoughton Coal & Cannel Co. Formed Stott’s Pit.
1873 Brinsop Hall Colliery opened.
1873 First High Mass held at Wingates & Mission was served by Rev. Fr. McDermott-
Roe on 14th September.
1873 Wingates Band was formed by members of the Bible Class of Wingates
Independent Methodist Chapel
1876 Elementary Education Act - Westhoughton & Lostock were created as a district of
the School Board.
1876 Fourgates school (mixed & infants) built for 281 children.
1877 Primitive methodist Chapel at Turner Hill (Hindley Road, Daisy Hill) built - the old
building was used as a Sunday School.
1877 St Andrew’s Church/School opened.
1878 Hargreaves Memorial School at Hart Common built for 374 children (mixed &
infants).
1878 Rejoicing at Deane on the removal of Deane Church Tollbar - which had existed
for 78 years.
1879 Westhoughton Local Board reached an agreement with Bolton Corporation to
supply water to Westhoughton - this was metered at Pocket Nook.
1881 Population 9,197
1881 Daisy Hill Church erected and dedicated to St James the Great
1881 Daisy Hill Church registers date from 1881.
1882 Daisy Hill becomes an Ecclesiastical Parish (10th February) out of the Parish of St
Bartholomews.
1882 First Baptism at St James Church Daisy Hill 2nd July.
1882 Snydale Hall Colliery generally known as “The Brigadier” closed, then later re-
opened.
1884 Westhoughton United Co-operative Society began trading
1884 Westhoughton Cemetery enlarged
1885 Hulton cum Chequerbent station closed completely on 2nd February. The Railway
Company was L&NW Railway.
1885 Chequerbent new Railway Station was built for L.& N.W. Railway and opened on
2nd February.
1887 Daisy Hill station built
1887 St Andrews C of E Mission Church at Hulton Lane Ends opened 8th January
1888 Chequerbent Church/School built for 120 (mixed) children.
1889 Bethel Primary School was added to the Church Buildings.
1890 Newspapers - Westhoughton Echo and District Advertiser 1890-1984
1890 Westhoughton Public Band formed.
1891 Population 11,007
1892 Brinsop Hall Colliery Co. went bankrupt.
1892 Obituary : 29 January Mr John Chadwick J.P. aged 79, founder of Westhoughton
Silk Weaving Industry
1893 White Horse Infant School built for 136 infants.
1894 The area of the Local Board became an Urban District
1894 Foundation stone laid 7th July of Sacred Heart School by Right Rev. John
Bilsborrow, Bishop of Salford.
1894 Roman Catholic School (mixed and infants) built for 164 children
1894 Newspapers - Westhoughton & Hindley Times 1894 - 1897.
1895 Sacred Heart Church - Foundation stone laid by Bishop Bilsborrow 22nd June and
church opened 22nd December.
1896 Consecration (6th March) by Bishop of Manchester of the Westhoughton
Cemetery enlargement.
1896 Westhoughton Cemetery under control of W.U.D.C
1897 Newspapers - Westhoughton Recorder 1897 - c1912.
1898 Over Hulton included in Westhoughton (Extension Act).
1898 Hulton Bank Pit 1 & 2 (Klondike) sunk - closed 1927.
