Blackburn 1844
ISBN 978-1-105718-16-0
Size 560mm x 650mm
Uncoloured size 560mm x 650mm

Blackburn in 1844 was at a most pivotal point in all its long history. The industrial revolution was bringing changes which were to convert it from sleepy market town into a thriving modern commercial and manufacturing centre. The start of this development is seen in the many small coal pits to the south of the town but there is no evidence of any large scale mining yet. The building of the Leeds Liverpool Canal past the town has had a major effect with the siting of several large cotton mills on its banks. Cotton will be the prime industry in the years to come bringing wealth and vast developments to the town. One of the main influences on these developments, however, has yet to appear. The railway, which can be seen advancing on the town from the southeast, is remarkably late in arriving. This will bring Blackburn into the modern age but, in 1844, despite working in large scale industry, nobody in the town lives further than a few hundred yards from the countryside.