A History of Oldham

The earliest known human presence in the Oldham area dates back to the discovery of Neolithic flint arrow heads and workings found at Werneth and Besom Hill dating back some 7-10,000 years.

Also both Roman and Celtic activity has been established with the presence of a Roman road and Bronze age relics found in various places within the town.
Oldham seems to imply “old village or place” from the Saxon “Eald” meaning oldness and “Ham” meaning farm or Hamlet.

Oldham ,however, is known to have derived from the Old Norse name “Aldehulme”.
This word is made up from the old English “Ald” combined with the Norse “holmi” meaning “outcrop”.

This may have described the towns hilltop position.
Equally suggestions have been made that the name comes from “holm or hulme of a farmer called Alda”.

The name dates from 865AD when this part of England was in Danelaw.
In the 13th Century the lands around current Oldham were documented as a manor held from the crown by a family called Oldham whose seat was at Werneth Hall.
1212 Oldham recorded as being one of five parts of the thegnage estate of Kaskenmoor. Held by Roger de Montbegon and William de Nevill for King John.
Oldham later formed a township within the ancient parish of “Prestwich-cum-Oldham”
Up until the 18th-19th Centuries Oldham was little more than a scattering of small settlements across the link between Manchester and York.
Used as a place to graze sheep this led to the growth of the woollen trade
Small scale coal mining as early as 16th century.

1756 Oldham became the centre for the Hatting industry in England.
1771 Oldham had 14 colliers.
The Oldham coal fields stretched from Royton in the North to Bardsley in the South.
During the next 150 years or so there are 150 recorded collieries within this area.

1812 riots in Oldham compelled retailers to sell at a loss.
1819 Oldham sent over 10,000 individuals to Manchester to listen to social reform. The Peterloo Massacre followed.
1830 Parish church of St Mary & St Peter started.
1832 Oldham made part of a Parliamentary Borough.
1839 Lyceum built.
1841 Town hall built.
1849 Incorporated as a municipal borough.
1851 over 30% of the population were employed n the textile sector compared to 5% across Britain.
1851 2,000 men employed in collieries.
1852 The Riot Act was read following a mass brawl over the Reform Act.
1858-1860 It is argued that this was the time that the fish and chip shop was first developed in Oldham by a retailer known as John Lees.
1860-1870 Oldham became the most productive cotton spinning town in the world.
1861-1865 Lancashire cotton Famine when supplies were cut off from America. (American civil war).
1863 Committee formed with aid from government to buy land and employ individuals to construct Alexandra Park.
1865 Alexandra Park opens.
1871 Oldham had more spindles than any country in the world except USA.
1880 Hollinwood and Crossbank and parts of Chadderton and Ashton-under-Lne added to borough.
1888 Oldham became a County Borough
1890’s Platt brother’s became the largest textile machine makers in the world employing 15,000.

1900 First Tram .
1900 Winston Churchill elected as member of Parliament.
1900 Oldham carnival first started.
1909 Oldham was spinning more cotton than France and Germany combined.
1910 Oldham women’s Suffrage Society established.
1911 their were 16.4 million spindles in Oldham and only 58million in Britain in total.
1923 War memorial unveiled by General Sir Ian Hamilton.
1928 construction of the Elk Mill.
1946 Trams come to an end.

1951 Parts of Alt, Bardsley and Woodhouses were added to the County Borough .
1954 Other parts of the same civil parishes were added.
1961 twinned with Kranj.
1961 tubular bandage invented in Oldham
1974 Metropolitan borough of Oldham. Part of Metropolitan County of Greater Manchester.
1977 Civic Tower built.
At Oldham’s peak 360 mills operated night and day in and around the area.
1998 last cotton spun in the town at the Elk mill.
2001 Riots in Oldham.
2001 census population 103,000 approx.
2002 Oldham Gallery

With the best of intention all of the above information is true, correct and given in good faith, however, we cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions contained within the above.

Equally we recommend that should you need or want to find out more you should conduct more detailed independant research.