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Hulme Barracks

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121-657: Hulme Barracks was a military installation in Hulme , Manchester, England. The barracks were built in the Georgian-style and completed in 1804. They became home to the 15th The King's Hussars , who charged protesters in Manchester in what became known as the Peterloo Massacre in 1819. The barracks were used to house infantry battalions from 1895 until their sale to Manchester Corporation in 1914. The building that remains today

242-429: A central business district in the town centre , which is the local centre of commerce. In 1849, Angus Reach of Inverness said: The visitor to Oldham will find it essentially a mean-looking straggling town, built upon both sides and crowning the ridge of one of the outlying spurs which branch from Manchester, the neighbouring 'backbone of England'. The whole place has a shabby underdone look. The general appearance of

363-615: A nickname for people from Oldham. It was not until the last quarter of the 18th century that Oldham changed from being a cottage industry township producing woollen garments via domestic manual labour , to a sprawling industrial metropolis of textile factories. The climate, geology, and topography of Oldham were unrelenting constraints upon the social and economic activities of the human inhabitants. At 700 feet (200 m) above sea level and with no major river or visible natural resources, Oldham had poor geographic attributes compared with other settlements for investors and their engineers. As

484-513: A parliamentary borough in 1832 , Oldham's first parliamentary representatives were the radicals William Cobbett and John Fielden . Winston Churchill began his political career in Oldham. Although unsuccessful at his first attempt in 1899, Churchill was elected as the member of Parliament for the Oldham parliamentary borough constituency in the 1900 general election . He held the constituency for

605-467: A Grade I rating. There is a mixture of high-density urban areas , suburbs , semi-rural and rural locations in Oldham. There is some permanent grassland but overwhelmingly the land use in the town is urban. The territory of Oldham is contiguous with other towns on all sides except for a small section along its eastern and southern boundaries, and for purposes of the Office for National Statistics , forms

726-460: A community square. Work was due to start in 2011 but failed to do so. In March 2012 enabling works for this project (now estimated to cost £130 million) began. On completion the academic building is going to be open 24 hours each day and have facilities for the public as well as provision for the university. It is expected to have a marked effect on the local economy by providing more jobs. A legacy of Hulme's post war council housing has been through

847-633: A county borough on 1 April 1889. The borough, while independent of Lancashire County Council for local government, remained part of the county for purposes such as the administration of justice and lieutenancy . In 1951 parts of the Limehurst Rural District were added to the County Borough of Oldham, and in 1954 further parts of the same district added to it on its abolition. Since 1961, Oldham has been twinned with Kranj in Slovenia . Under

968-554: A decade, they were declared 'unfit for purpose', and several plans were drawn up that suggested various differing types of renovation and renewal for the blocks, including splitting the buildings into smaller, more manageable structures by removing sections. By 1984 the City Council, then landlord abandoned the Crescents entirely after which they became notorious. In the 1980s and 1990s many of these vacant deck-access flats were squatted and

1089-481: A depression, although it was not until 1964 that Oldham ceased to be the largest centre of cotton spinning. In spite of efforts to increase the efficiency and competitiveness of its production, the last cotton spun in the town was in 1998. Facilitated by its flourishing textile industry, Oldham developed extensive structural and mechanical engineering sectors during the 18th and 19th centuries. The manufacture of spinning and weaving machinery in Oldham belongs to

1210-517: A house, farm or hamlet . Oldham is however known to be a derivative of Aldehulme , undoubtedly an Old Norse name. It is believed to be derived from the Old English ald combined with the Old Norse holmi or holmr , meaning "promontory or outcrop", possibly describing the town's hilltop position. It has alternatively been suggested that it may mean "holm or hulme of a farmer named Alda". The name

1331-509: A mix of council and privately owned housing. One part of Hulme, the Birley Fields (site of the former Birley High School, Chichester Road) has been partly developed for a series of office blocks and partly left as green urban waste land. The blocks house companies such as Michelin and Laing O'Rourke as well as the University of Manchester /IFL/Server Hotel data centre. The development site

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1452-474: A population change from under 2,000 in 1714 to 12,000 in 1801 to 137,000 in 1901 In 1851 its population of 52,820 made Oldham the 12th most populous town in England. The following is a table outlining the population change of the town since 1801, which demonstrates a trend of rapid population growth in the 19th century and, after peaking at 147,483 people in 1911, a trend of general decline in population size during

1573-533: A population of 96,555 and an area of 1,687 hectares (6.51 sq mi), giving a population density of 57.2 inhabitants per hectare (14,800/sq mi), while the Borough of Oldham had a population of 224,897, an area of 14,236 hectares (54.97 sq mi), and a population density of 15.8 inhabitants per hectare (4,100/sq mi). The toponymy of Oldham seems to imply "old village or place" from Eald ( Saxon ) signifying oldness or antiquity, and Ham (Saxon)

1694-511: A rapid slum clearance policy, in Hulme there was resistance to building tower blocks and this led to the building of the mid-rise deck access flats of a "modular" living design. Hulme in the 1960s was an era of "socialist, post-war spirit - reflected across health, education and worker rights". The modernist and brutalist architectural style of the period, as well as practicalities of speed and cost of construction led to building what became known as

1815-479: A result, Oldham played no part in the initial period of the Industrial Revolution, although it did later become seen as obvious territory to industrialise because of its convenient position between the labour forces of Manchester and southwest Yorkshire . Cotton spinning and milling were introduced to Oldham when its first mill, Lees Hall, was built by William Clegg in about 1778, the beginning of

1936-508: A scattering of small and insignificant settlements spread across the moorland and dirt tracks that linked Manchester to York . Although not mentioned in the Domesday Book , Oldham does appear in legal documents from the Middle Ages , invariably recorded as territory under the control of minor ruling families and barons . In the 13th century, Oldham was documented as a manor held from

2057-562: A significant industrial heritage . Historically in Lancashire , the name Hulme is derived from the Old Norse word for a small island, or land surrounded by water or marsh, indicating that it may have been first settled by Norse invaders in the period of the Danelaw . Hulme was formerly a township in the parish of Manchester , in 1866 Hulme became a separate civil parish , on 26 March 1896

2178-521: A spiralling process of urbanisation and socioeconomic transformation. Within a year, 11 other mills had been constructed, and by 1818 there were 19 – not a large number in comparison with other local settlements. Oldham's small local population was greatly increased by the mass migration of workers from outlying villages, resulting in a population increase from just over 12,000 in 1801 to 137,000 in 1901. The speed of this urban growth meant that Oldham, with little pre-industrial history to speak of,

2299-424: A thriving economy during the 19th century, the local merchants were broadly reluctant to spend on civic institutions, and so the town lacks the grandeur seen in comparable nearby towns like Bolton or Huddersfield ; public expenditure was seen as an overhead that undermined the competitiveness of the town. Subsequently, Oldham's architecture has been described as "mediocre". The town has no listed buildings with

2420-531: A variety of NGOs. Hulme's nearness to the city centre has meant that it has become a popular place to live for a new generation of city dwellers. The area is popular with young professionals who are attracted by apartment prices that are lower than in the city centre and yet within a 15-minute walk of the centre and the university campuses. Local amenities include the Zion Arts Centre, Hulme Community Garden Centre and Hulme Park. Shopping needs are catered for by

2541-537: A ward of the city of Manchester. The district is part of the Manchester Central parliamentary constituency, which is currently represented at Westminster by Lucy Powell MP. Hulme is currently represented on the City Council by councillors Ekua Bayunu (Green), Lee-Ann Igbon (Labour) and Annette Wright (Labour). The ward has elected exclusively Labour councillors since May 2008. In 2017, councillor Amina Lone

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2662-404: Is Oldham." Oldham's soils were too thin and poor to sustain crop growing, and so for decades prior to industrialisation the area was used for grazing sheep , which provided the raw material for a local woollen weaving trade. By 1756, Oldham had emerged as centre of the hatting industry in England. The rough felt used in the production process is the origin of the term "Owdham Roughyed"

2783-507: Is another former Anglican church. It has a tall steeple and a lofty interior. This too has been converted into apartments. The Church of the Ascension in Royce Road was built in 1970 as part of the redevelopment of Hulme. Other Anglican churches which no longer exist (in order of foundation) include: Holy Trinity, Stretford Road (1841); St Mark's, City Road; St Paul's, Stretford Road; St John

2904-538: Is confirmed by an ancient Roman road and Bronze Age archaeological relics found at various sites within the town. Placenames of Celtic origin are still to be found in Oldham: Werneth derives from a Celtic personal name identical to the Gaulish vernetum , " alder swamp", and Glodwick may be related to the modern Welsh clawdd , meaning "dyke" or "ditch". Nearby Chadderton is also pre-Anglo-Saxon in origin, from

3025-555: Is known as Cornbrook from the Corn Brook, a tributary of the River Irwell. The area adjacent to Castlefield is known as St Georges. This area is named after the Church of St George , Chester Road. The Bridgewater Canal passes through Hulme. From the 2001 UK Census results, Office for National Statistics , Neighbourhood Statistics. In 1801 the population of Hulme was only 1677 but it

3146-401: Is known from records of 1246, 1273, 1277, 1285, 1332 and 1339 and del Hulme from 1284. There are other early Hulm(e)s/Holm(e)s from which they might have received their surnames (by Warrington and Lancaster, for example). In 1310 there is a mention of "the manor of Hulm with the appurtenances, near Mamcestre". In 1322 in the records of rents of the lands of the recently executed enemy of

3267-539: Is regular but generally light precipitation throughout the year. On 23 November 1981, an F1/T2 tornado formed over Hollinwood and later passed over Oldham town centre, causing some damage. Oldham's topography is characterised by its rugged, elevated Pennine terrain. It has an area of 6.91 square miles (17.90 km ). The geology of Oldham is represented by the Millstone Grit and Coal Measures series of rocks. The River Beal , flowing northwards, forms

3388-573: Is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham , which had a population of 237,110 in 2019. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire , and with little early history to speak of, Oldham rose to prominence in the 19th century as an international centre of textile manufacture . It was a boomtown of the Industrial Revolution , and among the first ever industrialised towns, rapidly becoming "one of

3509-498: Is the former officers' mess, officers' quarters and quartermaster's house, the other structures on the site having been demolished. Now converted into flats, Hulme Barracks was designated a Grade II listed building on 16 November 1978. Hulme Hulme ( / h j uː m / ) is an inner city area and electoral ward of Manchester , in Greater Manchester , England, immediately south of Manchester city centre . It has

3630-435: Is understood to date from 865, during the period of the Danelaw . Cumbric alt , meaning "steep height, cliff", has also been suggested for the first element. The earliest known evidence of a human presence in what is now Oldham is attested by the discovery of Neolithic flint arrow-heads and workings found at Werneth and Besom Hill, implying habitation 7–10,000 years ago. Evidence of later Roman and Celtic activity

3751-662: The 1970s oil crisis meant that heating the poorly insulated homes became too expensive for their low income residents, and the crescents soon became notorious for being cold, damp and riddled with cockroaches and other vermin . Crime and drug abuse became significant problems in Hulme, as police did not patrol the long, often dark decks, due to the fact that they were not officially considered streets. The decks made muggings and burglary relatively easy, as any crime could be carried out in almost total privacy, with no hope for quick assistance from police below. The crescents became troublesome very shortly after their construction—within

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3872-467: The Cambridge Platonist philosopher Ralph Cudworth ). The Cudworths remained lords of the manor until their sale of the estate (1683) to Sir Ralph Assheton of Middleton . Much of Oldham's history is concerned with textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution ; it has been said that "if ever the Industrial Revolution placed a town firmly and squarely on the map of the world, that town

3993-919: The Conservative Party until the 1906 general election , when he won the election for Manchester North West as a Liberal MP. After he became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1940, Churchill was made an Honorary Freeman of the Borough of Oldham , on 2 April 1941. In the 2016 European Union membership referendum , Oldham voted in favour of Brexit . The vote to leave was 60.9%. At 53°32′39″N 2°7′0.8″W  /  53.54417°N 2.116889°W  / 53.54417; -2.116889 (53.5444°, −2.1169°), and 164 miles (264 km) north-northwest of London, Oldham stands 700 feet (213 m) above sea level , 6.9 miles (11.1 km) northeast of Manchester city centre , on elevated ground between

4114-477: The Hulme Asbestos Action Group. He died in 2011 of mesothelioma , a type of cancer associated with Asbestos . Manchester City Council admitted limited liability for his death in their role as his landlord. During a Parliamentary Asbestos Seminar, it was estimated that nationally the deaths between 1968 and 2008 had exceeded 110,000. The reputation for anti-social activity that Hulme acquired in

4235-639: The Local Government Act 1972 , the town's autonomous county borough status was abolished, and Oldham has, since 1 April 1974, formed part of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham , within the Metropolitan county of Greater Manchester . The boundaries of two parliamentary constituencies divide Oldham: Oldham East and Saddleworth , and Oldham West and Royton (which includes the town centre), represented by Labour Members of Parliament (MPs) Debbie Abrahams and Jim McMahon respectively. Created as

4356-517: The Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway , as well as the Manchester Carriage and Tramways Company . Thousands of people came to work in the rapidly expanding mills in the city. The number of people living in Hulme multiplied 50-fold during the first half of the 19th century. Housing had to be built rapidly, and space was limited, which resulted in low-quality housing interspersed with

4477-511: The Metropolitan Borough of Oldham . It has been extensively redeveloped during the last few decades, and its two shopping centres, Town Square and the Spindles, now provide one of the largest covered retail areas in Greater Manchester . The Spindles (named with reference to textile spindles ) is a modern shopping centre with over 40 retailers, banks, building societies and catering outlets. It houses several of Europe's largest stained glass works,

4598-533: The Old Welsh cadeir , itself deriving from the Latin cathedra meaning "chair". Although Anglo-Saxons occupied territory around the area centuries earlier, Oldham as a permanent, named place of dwelling is believed to date from 865, when Danish invaders established a settlement called Aldehulme. From its founding in the 9th century until the Industrial Revolution , Oldham is believed to have been little more than

4719-516: The Royal Charter . In 1854 John Platt was made the (fourth) Mayor of Oldham, an office he was to hold twice more in 1855–56 and 1861–62. John Platt was elected in 1865 to become a Member of Parliament (MP) for Oldham , and was re-elected in 1868; he remained in office until his death in 1872. A bronze statue of Platt existed in the town centre for years, though was moved to Alexandra Park . There have been recommendations for it to be returned to

4840-409: The deindustrialisation of Oldham in the mid-20th century, these industries have been replaced by home shopping , publishing , healthcare and food processing sectors, though factory-generated employment retains a significant presence. Many of the modern sectors are low-skill and low-wage. Oldham's town centre contains the highest concentration of retailing, cultural facilities and employment in

4961-598: The historic county of Lancashire . Under the terms of the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 Hulme was in Chorlton Poor Law Union which was established on 3 February 1837 until 1915 and in Manchester Poor Law Union from 1915 until 1930. From 1824 to 1845 commissioners had powers for the improvement of the area of the township, and it became part of the Borough of Manchester in 1838. Hulme is

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5082-446: The thegnage estate of Kaskenmoor, which was held on behalf of King John by Roger de Montbegon and William de Nevill. The other parts of this estate were Crompton , Glodwick , Sholver , and Werneth . Oldham later formed a township within the ancient ecclesiastical parish of Prestwich-cum-Oldham , in the hundred of Salford . In 1826 commissioners for the social and economic improvement of Oldham were established. The town

5203-406: The working classes . There has been a significant presence of " friendly societies ". It has been put that the people of Oldham became radical in politics in the early part of the 19th century, and movements suspected of sedition found patronage in the town. Oldham was frequently disturbed by bread and labour riots, facilitated by periods of scarcity and the disturbance of employment following

5324-482: The "cities in the sky". In Hulme, a new and (at the time) innovative design for deck access and tower living was attempted with four blocks, designed for families. This consisted of curved rows of low-rise flats with deck access far above the streets, known as the Hulme Crescents , designed to house 13,000. In this arrangement, vehicles remained on ground level with pedestrians on concrete walkways overhead, above

5445-573: The 17th century who lost part of their possessions due to the English Civil War . Waterhead , an upland area in the east of Oldham, traces its roots to a water cornmill over the border in Lees . Recorded originally as Watergate and Waterhead Milne , it was for a long time a hamlet in the parish of Oldham that formed a significant part of the Oldham Above Town registration sub-district. Derker

5566-590: The 1890s, twice the number of their nearest rivals Dobson & Barlow in Bolton and Asa Lees on Greenacres Moor . They were keen investors in the local area and at one time, were supporting 42% of the population. The centre of the company lay at the New Hartford Works in Werneth , a massive complex of buildings and internal railways on a site overlooking Manchester. The railway station which served this site later formed

5687-423: The 1970s and 1980s has declined. The counterculture that the area fostered toward the 1990s survived the redevelopment and is evident in, for example, Hulme Community Garden Centre , a not-for-profit organisation underpinned by organic principles promoting, among other things, sustainability and urban gardening and food production, and Work for Change, a large complex of cooperatives containing artists, theatre, and

5808-462: The 2001 census, over one in four of its residents identified themselves as from a South Asian or British Asian ethnic group. Cultural divisions along ethnic backgrounds are strong within the town, with poor cross-community integration and cohesion along Asian and white backgrounds. With only a small local population during medieval times, as a result of the introduction of industry, mass migration of village workers into Oldham occurred, resulting in

5929-402: The 20th century. In 2011, 77.5% of the Oldham metropolitan borough population were White British, 18.1% Asian and 1.2% Black. While in the town of Oldham, which had a 2011 population of 96,555, 55.4% of the population were White British, 37.6% Asian and 2% Black. For years Oldham's economy was heavily dependent on manufacturing industry, especially textiles and mechanical engineering. Since

6050-454: The 4 terms." In 1324 there is a record of "... ; farm of the land of Geoffrey de Hulme in Hulme which Jordan the dean formerly held in Overhulm and Netherhulm 5 s  ; ..." In 1440 there is a mention of the manor of Hulme and land exchanged for 200 pounds of silver: "Between William de Byrom, Henry de Par and John Hepe, late of Hulme, plaintiffs, and Ralph de Prestwich, deforciant of

6171-645: The 5th most populous settlement of the Greater Manchester Urban Area . This figure in conjunction with its area provides Oldham with a population density of 3,998 people per square mile (1,544 people/km ). The local population has been described as broadly " working class "; the middle classes tending to live in outlying settlements. Oldham, considered as a combination of the 2001 electoral wards of Alexandra, Coldhurst , Hollinwood , St. James, St. Marys, St. Pauls, Waterhead and Werneth , has an average age of 33.5, and compared against

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6292-455: The BBC written files archives has shown Hulme Hippodrome was hired as a venue in 1950-1955 on Sunday afternoons to record around 20 radio show titles, including Morecambe & Wise's first series, You're Only Young Once . Hulme had been heavily bombed during World War II and the majority of its housing was privately owned Victorian terraces, most of which were declared unfit and demolished during

6413-563: The Baptist, Emden Street; St Philip's, Chester Street; St Michael's, Lavender Street; St Stephen's, City Road; and St Gabriel's, Erskine Street (1869). The Bishop of Hulme was one of three suffragan bishops in the Diocese of Manchester from 1924 to 2009; the last Bishop of Hulme was Stephen Lowe . In 1986 Viraj Mendis , a Sri Lankan , claimed the right of sanctuary at the Church of the Ascension. He

6534-503: The Crown by a family surnamed Oldham , whose seat was at Werneth Hall . Richard de Oldham was recorded as lord of the manor of Werneth/Oldham (1354). His daughter and heiress, Margery (d.1384), married John de Cudworth (d.1384), from whom descended the Cudworths of Werneth Hall who were successive lords of the manor. A Member of this family was James I 's Chaplain, Ralph Cudworth (father of

6655-557: The Ermen & Engels factory in Weaste , Salford, three miles from Hulme though he worked in the firm's offices in Manchester. He made Little Ireland infamous throughout the world as a disastrous slum despite it being relatively short-lived (a little over 30 years) and other areas of Manchester having worse housing, poverty and disease. Little Ireland was a small slum between Oxford Road, the Medlock and

6776-599: The Hulme Shopping Centre, which includes an Asda supermarket and an indoor market. In 2008, following a tenants' vote, the area's remaining council housing stock was transferred to the City South Housing Association along with that of several neighbouring areas. Hulme emerged in the Middle Ages as a township and chapelry, in the ecclesiastical parish of Manchester in the Salford Hundred in

6897-580: The Irwell where they joined. Trafford was placed on the south bank of the Irwell to the south-west, Wordsall across the Irwell to the north-west and Manchester across the Medlock to the north. Hulme Hall was close to the River Irwell on a site near where St George's Church was later built, and the Hulme Barracks were built in 1799. Until the 18th century the area remained agricultural, and pictures from

7018-520: The King and rebel Thomas, Earl of Lancaster , the following are mentioned as in the Wapentake of Salfordshire : "Geoffrey de Hulme holds half a ploughland in Hulme and renders yearly 5 s [hillings]." or, in an alternate version: "Geoffrey de Hulme holds one ploughland in Hulme by the service of 5 s . yearly at the 4 terms for all." and "John le Ware holds one ploughland in Hulme by the service of 5 s . yearly at

7139-570: The UK's largest textile factory Oldham reached its manufacturing zenith. At its peak, there were more than 360 mills, operating night and day; Oldham's townscape was dominated by distinctive rectangular brick-built mills. Oldham was hit hard by the Lancashire Cotton Famine of 1861–1865, when supplies of raw cotton from the United States were cut off. Wholly reliant upon the textile industry,

7260-496: The amount of coal in the town was somewhat overestimated however, and production began to decline even before that of the local spinning industry. Today, the only visible remnants of the mines are disused shafts and boreholes. Oldham's social history , like that of other former unenfranchised towns, is marked by politicised civil disturbances , as well as events related to the Luddite , Suffragette and other Labour movements from

7381-737: The area acquired a ' bohemian ' reputation for its many punks, artists and musicians. During the late 1980s Viraj Mendis , an asylum seeker from Sri Lanka , sought the right of sanctuary in the Church of the Ascension in Hulme and remained there until arrested in January 1989. (For further information, see below, Religion; Church of England) The decision was made in the early 1990s to demolish Hulme's crescent blocks and replace them with low-rise flats and houses. The total amount of public and private money spent on improving Hulme and neighbouring Moss Side between 1990 and 2002 has exceeded £400 million. The area by then had become popular and desirable, containing

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7502-445: The atmosphere is poisoned by the effluvia from these, and laden and darkened by the smoke of a dozen tall factory chimneys. A horde of ragged women and children swarm about here, as filthy as the swine that thrive upon the garbage heaps and in the puddles." Reinforcement of the Medlock to protect the factories raised the level of the river above the surrounding residential hovels leading to frequent flooding with filthy river water. Hulme

7623-475: The average demographics of the United Kingdom , has a high level of people of South Asian heritage, particularly those with roots in Pakistan and Bangladesh . Due to the town's prevalence as an industrial centre and thus a hub for employment, Oldham attracted migrant workers throughout its history, including those from wider-England, Scotland, Ireland and Poland. During the 1950s and 1960s, in an attempt to fill

7744-436: The basis of Oldham Werneth railway station . The main building exists to this day. Platts gained prestigious awards from around the world, and were heavily involved with local politics and civic pride in Oldham. John and James Platt were the largest subscribers for promoting Oldham from a township to a Borough , pledging £100 (more than double the next largest sum) in advance towards any expenses which may have been incurred by

7865-471: The boundary between Oldham on one side and Royton and Shaw and Crompton on the other. To the east of this river the surface rises to a height of 1,225 ft (373 m) at Woodward Hill, on the border with the parish of Saddleworth . The rest of the surface is hilly, the average height decreasing towards the southwest to Failsworth and the city of Manchester . The ridge called Oldham Edge, 800 ft (240 m) high, comes southward from Royton into

7986-490: The centre of the town. Oldham's built environment is characterised by its 19th-century red-brick terraced houses , the infrastructure that was built to support these and the town's former cotton mills  – which mark the town's skyline. The urban structure of Oldham is irregular when compared to most towns in England , its form restricted in places by its hilly upland terrain. There are irregularly constructed residential dwellings and streets clustered loosely around

8107-537: The church and arrested Mendis, which led to questions in the House of Commons . He was deported to Sri Lanka and his fears did not materialize. Oldham Oldham / ˈ oʊ l d ə m / is a town in Greater Manchester , England. It lies amongst the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock , 5 miles (8.0 km) southeast of Rochdale , and 7 miles (11.3 km) northeast of Manchester . It

8228-596: The corner of Ellesmere Street, dates from c1870. The foundation stone of the first school erected by the Manchester School Board was laid in Vine Street, Hulme, on 11 June 1874 by Herbert Birley, chairman of the board, and the school was opened on 9 August 1875. Other board schools in Hulme were at Hamer Street (1872), Zion Chapel (1875), Lloyd Street (1878), Mulberry Street (1881), Upper Jackson Street (1883), Bangor Street (1886) and Duke Street (1890). In 1913 it

8349-430: The cotton famine created chronic unemployment in the town. By 1863 a committee had been formed, and with aid from central government, land was purchased with the intention of employing local cotton workers to construct Alexandra Park , which opened on 28 August 1865. Said to have over-relied upon the textile sector, as the importation of cheaper foreign yarns grew during the 20th century, Oldham's economy declined into

8470-468: The deadly effects of Asbestos dust. John Shiers , a campaigner and later a leading figure in Save The Children had moved to council housing in Hulme in the late 1970s, where he discovered he and thousands of his neighbours council properties were riddled with Asbestos. He had been one of the first to speak out about the asbestos in the properties, he campaigned for change and was a founding member of

8591-473: The designs of Francis Goodwin in 1826–27 and has a tall tower and a fine galleried interior. It was once the garrison church for the nearby barracks as well as being the parish church of Hulme and the graveyard has many interesting gravestones. The church was consecrated on 9 December 1828 by the Bishop of Chester, Dr John Bird Sumner, who later became Archbishop of Canterbury. The total cost of building St Georges

8712-486: The earliest example in the city and in the county of Lancashire. Records of association games in the 1860s and 1870s exist with the club surviving into the early 1870s. In the 1860s, as Hulme became more established, new facilities sprang up. Municipal buildings were developed on Stretford Road, including the Town Hall, baths and public library, and Chorlton Union Workhouse on Leaf Street. The former Turville Public House, on

8833-411: The early 20th century transport in Hulme was improved when the existing horse bus services were replaced by electric trams. These services connected Hulme with the suburbs further south, Moss Side , Whalley Range and Chorlton-cum-Hardy . Boston Street and Preston Street carried complementary single lines of track southwards from Jackson Street. From 1949 the tram services were withdrawn and replaced by

8954-490: The following days and weeks. The 2001 riots prompted governmental and independent inquiries, which collectively agreed on community relations improvements and considerable regeneration schemes for the town. There were further fears of riots after the death of Gavin Hopley in 2002. Lying within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire since the early 12th century , Oldham was recorded in 1212 as being one of five parts of

9075-793: The fourth largest settlement of the Greater Manchester Urban Area , the United Kingdom's third largest conurbation . The M60 motorway passes through the southwest of Oldham, through Hollinwood , and a heavy rail line enters Oldham from the same direction, travelling northeast to the town centre before heading northwards through Derker towards Shaw and Crompton. Many of Oldham's present divisions and suburbs have origins as pre-industrial hamlets, manorial commons and ancient chapelries. Some, such as Moorside , exist as recently constructed residential suburbia , whilst places like Hollinwood exist as electoral wards and thoroughly industrialised districts. Throughout most of its recorded history , Oldham

9196-459: The gathering and organising of civil registration information, and output of census data. The Local Government Act 1888 created elected county councils to administer services throughout England and Wales. Where a municipal borough had a population of more than 50,000 at the 1881 Census it was created a county borough , with the powers and duties of both a borough and county council. As Oldham had an 1881 population of 111,343 it duly became

9317-509: The introduction of cotton-spinning machinery . On 20 April 1812, a "large crowd of riotous individuals" compelled local retailers to sell foods at a loss, whilst on the same day Luddites numbering in their thousands, many of whom were from Oldham, attacked a cotton mill in nearby Middleton . On 16 August 1819, Oldham sent a contingent estimated at well above 10,000 to hear speakers in St Peter's Fields at Manchester discuss political reform; it

9438-416: The last decade of the 19th century, when it became a leading centre in the field of engineering . The Platt Brothers , originated in nearby Dobcross village, but moved to Oldham. They were pioneers of cotton-spinning machinery, developing innovative products that enabled the mass-production of cotton yarn. Platt Brothers became the largest textile machine makers in the world, employing over 15,000 people in

9559-466: The local cotton industry and the town's inhabitants, though there is evidence of small scale coal mining in the area as early as the 16th century. The Oldham Coalfield stretched from Royton in the north to Bardsley in the south and in addition to Oldham, included the towns of Middleton and Chadderton to the west. The Oldham Coalfield was the site of over 150 collieries during its recorded history . Although some contemporary sources suggest there

9680-422: The local economy. The town centre is the focus of a project that aims to transform Oldham into a centre for further education and the performing arts . It is, however, still distinguished architecturally by the surviving cotton mills and other buildings associated with that industry. In the 2011 United Kingdom census Oldham Built-up area subdivision , as defined by the Office for National Statistics , had

9801-517: The manor of Hulme with the appurtenances, and of 9 messuages, 300 acres of land, 100 acres of meadow, 500 acres of pasture, and 100 acres of wood in Mamcestre, Crompton and Oldom . Hulme was evidenced as a separate community south of the River Medlock from Manchester in 15th century map prints. Christopher Saxton included Holme in his map of Lancashire of 1577 on the south banks of the Medlock and

9922-400: The most important centres of cotton and textile industries in England." At its zenith, it was the most productive cotton spinning mill town in the world, producing more cotton than France and Germany combined. Oldham's textile industry fell into decline in the mid-20th century; the town's last mill closed in 1998. The demise of textile processing in Oldham depressed and heavily affected

10043-411: The most productive cotton-spinning town in the world. In 1871, Oldham had more spindles than any country in the world except the United States, and in 1909, was spinning more cotton than France and Germany combined. By 1911 there were 16.4 million spindles in Oldham, compared with a total of 58 million in the United Kingdom and 143.5 million in the world; in 1928, with the construction of

10164-519: The motorbuses of Manchester Corporation Transport. Two existing conjoined theatres were built in Hulme, the Hulme Hippodrome and The Playhouse, opening in 1901 and 1902 respectively. The Playhouse was later used as a BBC studio for 30 years (1955-1986) and for a short time opened as the Nia Centre (1991-1997) but closed due to financial problems. It currently is run by Niamos CIC . Hulme Hippodrome

10285-678: The myriad smoking chimneys of the mills and the railway. Reports of the time suggest that at times the air quality became so poor that poisonous fumes and smoke literally "blocked out the sun" for long periods. In the Irish Poor Report of 1836 the Deputy Constable of the Township of Manchester, Joseph Sadler Thomas, found that the Irish were so fiercely neighbourly in Little Ireland (located on

10406-410: The operatives' houses is filthy and smouldering. In the 1870s, John Marius Wilson described Oldham as consisting of: ... numerous streets, and contains numerous fine buildings, both public and private; but, in a general view, is irregularly constructed, presents the dingy aspect of a crowded seat of manufacture, and is more notable for factories than for any other feature. Although Oldham had

10527-406: The original Hollinwood site was operated by Siemens Metering and Semiconductor divisions. The remainder of the site is occupied by Mirror Colour Print Ltd; the printing division of Reach , which prints and distributes thirty-six major newspapers, and employs five hundred staff. On the back of the Industrial Revolution, Oldham developed an extensive coal mining sector, correlated to supporting

10648-495: The other side of the River Medlock, just north of Hulme Ward) and the larger Irish area of Angel Meadow (north-east of Victoria Station , on the other side of central Manchester from Hulme) that: "if a legal execution of any kind is to be made, either for rent or debt, or for taxes, the officer who serves the process almost always applies to me for assistance to protect him; and, in affording that protection, my officers are often maltreated by brickbats and other missiles". Hulme Hall

10769-470: The parish was abolished to form South Manchester . In 1891 the parish had a population of 71,96. Hulme derives its name from the Old Norse holmr, holmi , through Old Danish hulm or hulme meaning small islands or land surrounded by streams, fen or marsh. The area may have fitted this description at the time of the Scandinavian invasion and settlement as it is surrounded by water on three sides by

10890-416: The railway serving Oxford Road Station , mainly inhabited by Irish immigrant workers. Described at length by Engels, he estimated that there was one inaccessible privy for every 120 residents. "The cottages are old, dirty and of the smallest sort, the streets uneven, fallen into ruts and in part without drains or pavement; masses of refuse, offal and sickening filth lie among standing pools in all directions;

11011-554: The rivers Irk and Medlock . Saddleworth and the South Pennines are close to the east, whilst on all other sides, Oldham is bound by other neighbouring towns, including Ashton-under-Lyne , Chadderton , Failsworth , Royton and Shaw and Crompton , with little or no green space between them. Oldham experiences a temperate maritime climate , like much of the British Isles, with relatively cool summers and mild winters. There

11132-484: The rivers Irwell , Medlock and Corn Brook. Ekwall suggested that the considerable number of Danish names to the south and south-west of Manchester, unparalleled in the rest of Lancashire, pointed to a Danish colony on the north bank of the Mersey . Ouerholm and Noranholm were recorded in 1226 and Norholm in 1227. These are thought to be variations of Overhulm and Netherhulm, although recorded earlier. The surname de Hulm

11253-401: The semi-rural east of the town, in the most sought after area in areas such as the village Moorside , although terraces are found in almost all parts of Oldham. One of the oldest recorded named places of Oldham is Hathershaw , occurring in a deed for 1280 with the spelling Halselinechaw Clugh . Existing as a manor in the 15th century, Hathershaw Hall was the home of a Royalist family in

11374-509: The shortfall of workers and revitalise local industries, citizens of the wider Commonwealth of Nations were encouraged to migrate to Oldham and other British towns . Many came from the Caribbean and Indian subcontinent and settled throughout the Oldham borough. Today, Oldham has large communities with heritage from Pakistan , India , Bangladesh and parts of the Caribbean. At the time of

11495-585: The site of considerable industry and commerce, including coal mining , cotton spinning and hat manufacture. It is said to have been the scene of an action in the English Civil War in which the Parliamentarians were defeated. According to data from the United Kingdom Census 2001 , Oldham had a total resident population of 103,544, making it the 55th most populous settlement in England, and

11616-440: The smoke and fumes of the street. People living in the new post war council homes were, within a decade treated as second class citizens. High-density housing was balanced with large green spaces and trees below, and the pedestrian had priority on the ground over cars. The 1960s redevelopment of Hulme split the area's new council housing into a number of sections. Hulme 2 was the area between Jackson Crescent and Royce Road. Hulme 3

11737-531: The time show an idyllic scene of crops, sunshine and country life. The area remained entirely rural until the Bridgewater Canal was cut and the Industrial Revolution swept economic change through the neighbouring district of Castlefield where the Duke of Bridgewater's canal terminated, and containerised transportation of coal and goods rose as an industry to support the growing textile industries of Manchester. It

11858-534: The time, the " Crescents " won several design awards. They were also popular because they were some of the first council homes in Manchester to have central heating. The development even had some notable first occupants, such as Nico and Alain Delon . However, what eventually turned out to be recognised as poor design, workmanship and maintenance meant that the crescents introduced their own problems. Design flaws and unreliable 'system build' construction methods, as well as

11979-540: The town around Hollinwood and Werneth and provided enough coal to accelerate Oldham's rapid development at the centre of the cotton boom. At its height in the mid-19th century, when it was dominated by the Lees and Jones families, Oldham coal was mainly sourced from many small collieries whose lives varied from a few years to many decades, although two of the four largest collieries survived to nationalisation . In 1851, collieries employed more than 2,000 men in Oldham, although

12100-425: The town centre. Abraham Henthorn Stott, the son of a stonemason , was born in nearby Shaw & Crompton in 1822. He served a seven-year apprenticeship with Sir Charles Barry , before starting a structural engineering practice in Oldham in 1847 that went on to become the pre-eminent mill architect firm in Lancashire . Philip Sydney Stott, third son of Abraham and later titled as Sir Philip Stott, 1st Baronet ,

12221-623: The town, whilst many Oldhamers protested in support of the emancipation of slaves . The Riot Act was read in 1852 on election day following a mass public brawl over the Reform Act , and irregularities with parliamentary candidate nominations. For three days in late May 2001, Oldham became the centre of national and international media attention. Following high-profile race-related conflicts, and long-term underlying racial tensions between local White British against British Pakistani and British Bangladeshi communities, major riots broke out in

12342-567: The town. Occurring with particular intensity in the Glodwick and Coldhurst areas of the town, the 2001 Oldham riots were the worst racially motivated riots in the United Kingdom for fifteen years prior, briefly eclipsing the sectarian violence in Northern Ireland in the media. At least 20 people were injured in the riots, including 15 police officers, and 37 people were arrested. Similar riots took place in other towns in northern England over

12463-592: Was a notable member of the Suffragette movement credited with sparking off suffragette militancy when she heckled Winston Churchill , and later (with Emmeline Pankhurst ) the first Suffragist to be imprisoned. Oldham Women's Suffrage Society was established in 1910 with Margery Lees as president and quickly joined the Manchester and District Federation of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies . The Chartist and Co-operative movements had strong support in

12584-503: Was a variety theatre until 1960, then as a bingo hall followed by being a social club and snooker hall until 1988. After being dark for 15 years it was purchased by the controversial religious charity, Gilbert Deya Ministries in 2003. It was sold to a property developer in November 2020 and is currently shuttered and in poor repair. A campaign group exists, Save Hulme Hippodrome . Both theatres are Grade 2 listed buildings. Recent research in

12705-502: Was also described by Engels: "the more thickly built-up regions chiefly bad and approaching ruin, the less populous of more modern structure, but generally sunk in filth." Large numbers of Irish immigrants settled in Hulme, and in various other districts of Manchester. The Tithe award for Hulme was made in 1854. In 1863 members of the Hulme Athenaeum club for working men established an association football club, believed to be

12826-409: Was an active supporter of Sri Lanka Tamils and claimed danger of death if he was sent back to Sri Lanka. After a march to protest against deportation on 20 December 1986, he ran into the church and claimed the right of sanctuary . He stayed there for two years with the help of the rector John Methuen . The church became the focus of the "Viraj Mendis Defence Campaign". On 18 January 1989 police raided

12947-586: Was between Princess Road and Boundary Road based along the pedestrianised Epping Walk, Hulme 4 was between Princess Road and Royce Road and Hulme 5 - the " Crescents " themselves were between Royce Road and Rolls Crescent. The names of the " Crescents " harked back to the Georgian era , being named after architects of that time: Robert Adam Crescent, Charles Barry Crescent, William Kent Crescent and John Nash Crescent, together with Hawksmoor Close (a small straight block of similar design attached to Charles Barry Crescent). At

13068-473: Was blocked from standing in the seat again by her party, while Nigel Murphy was de-selected by the Hulme constituency party before the postponed 2020 elections.   indicates seat up for re-election.   indicates seat won in by-election.   indicates councillor changed party. Hulme is south of Manchester city centre, beyond the River Medlock . The part of Hulme nearest to Old Trafford

13189-406: Was coal mining in Oldham at a commercial scale by 1738, older sources attribute the commercial expansion of coal mining with the arrival in the town of two Welsh labourers, John Evans and William Jones, around 1770. Foreseeing the growth in demand for coal as a source of steam power, they acquired colliery rights for Oldham, which by 1771 had 14 colliers. The mines were largely to the southwest of

13310-502: Was demolished in 1840 with the construction of the Bridgewater Canal. By 1844, the situation had grown so serious that Manchester Borough Council had to pass a law banning further building. However, the thousands of "slum" homes that were already built continued to be lived in, and many were still in use into the first half of the 20th century. Friedrich Engels was the heir of a German cotton manufacturer who had come to work for

13431-433: Was effectively born as a factory town . Oldham became the world's manufacturing centre for cotton spinning in the second half of the 19th century. In 1851, over 30% of Oldham's population was employed within the textile sector, compared to 5% across Great Britain. It overtook the major urban centres of Manchester and Bolton as the result of a mill building boom in the 1860s and 1870s, a period during which Oldham became

13552-625: Was made part of a parliamentary borough , in 1832, though it was in 1849 when Oldham was incorporated as a municipal borough , giving it borough status in the United Kingdom , and in 1850 the Borough Council obtained the powers of the improvement commissioners. In 1880, parts of the Hollinwood and Crossbank areas of Chadderton and Ashton-under-Lyne townships were added to the Borough of Oldham. Oldham Above Town and Oldham Below Town were, from 1851 until c. 1881, statistical units used for

13673-476: Was recorded as a place of residence in 1604 with the name Dirtcar . Bound by Higginshaw to the north, Derker is the location of Derker railway station and, said to have terraced residencies "unsuited to modern needs", is currently being redeveloped as part of the Housing Market Renewal Initiative . Coldhurst , an area along Oldham's northern boundary with Royton , was once a chapelry and

13794-431: Was said "It is probable that in no northern city is the divergence between classes so marked as it is becoming in Manchester. Among the 80,000 inhabitants, for example, of Hulme, the poorest and most neglected district of the city, is to be found only a tiny minority of persons of much education and refinement, these being with rare exceptions doctors, or ministers of the various religious denominations, and their wives" In

13915-406: Was surrounded by large swathes of moorland , which is reflected in the placenames of Moorside, Greenacres moor , Littlemoor, Northmoor among others. A large portion of Oldham's residences are "low value" Victorian era Accrington red-brick terraced houses in a row formation, built for the most part from 1870 to 1920, to house the town's cotton mill workers. There is more modern housing in

14036-543: Was the largest contingent sent to Manchester. John Lees, a cotton operative and ex-soldier who had fought at Waterloo , was one of the fifteen victims of the Peterloo Massacre which followed. The 'Oldham inquest' which proceeded the massacre was anxiously watched; the Court of King's Bench , however, decided that the proceedings were irregular, and the jury were discharged without giving a verdict. Annie Kenney , born in nearby Springhead , and who worked in Oldham's cotton mills,

14157-404: Was the largest of the townships surrounding Manchester. By 1831 it had increased to 9624 and then there was a greater increase to 26,982 by 1841 and roughly doubling again by 1851. The peak number was reached in 1871 when it was 74,731 and the next 30 years saw some decline to 66,916 in 1901. The Church of St George, Chester Road, Hulme , a Commissioners' Church , was an Anglican church built to

14278-683: Was the most prominent and famous of the Stott mill architects. He established his own practice in 1883 and designed over a hundred mills in several countries. His factories, which improved upon his father's fireproof mills, accounted for a 40% increase in Oldham's spindles between 1887 and 1914. Although textile-related engineering declined with the processing industry, leading to the demise of both Stotts and Platts, other engineering firms existed, notably electrical and later electronic engineers Ferranti in 1896. Ferranti went into receivership in 1993, but some of its former works continue in other hands. Part of

14399-564: Was the subject of a campaign by a group of Hulme residents which delayed the clearance of the site and the felling of a large tree. The "Birley Tree" was a 110-year-old Black Poplar . In 2009, Manchester Metropolitan University announced plans for the redevelopment of Birley Fields as the site of a new £120 million campus. The proposed scheme, relocating the Faculties of Education and Health, would include new academic buildings, student accommodation for approximately 1,200 students, car parking and

14520-534: Was this supply of cheap coal from the Duke's mines at Worsley that allowed the textile industry of Manchester to grow. The Industrial Revolution brought development to the area, and jobs to the poor, carrying coal from the 'starvationers' (very narrow canal boats), to be carted off along Deansgate . Many cotton mills and railway links to Hulme soon followed, with the town served by the Mid-Cheshire line railway and

14641-530: Was £20,000 of which sum Parliament, through the Church Commissioners paid nearly £15000 the rest was found by private donors and charitable bodies. The height of the tower to the top of its spires was 135 ft making it the highest in Manchester at the time. The first incumbent was Revd. Joshua Lingard M.A. After being derelict for many years it has been converted to residential use. St Mary's Church , Chichester Road (architect J. S. Crowther , 1856–58)

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