Saturday 17th December 2005

I recently came across some papers that relate to Bacup and its inhabitants in the years 1849 to 1902. I have added a new page to the site called Bacup People.

The information on the various people/families was gathered from these papers and I will continue to add people/families as I come across them. I personally think it is a great addition to the site and hope it may help some of you with information on your Bacupian ancestors.

This will be the last update of the site for 2005.

I wish all of you a Very Merry Christmas and  Prosperous New Year.

Saturday 19th November 2005

I recently had a letter from a lady enquiring about Irwell Springs Band after several telephone conversations she told me that she used to go to school with the two missing dean boys and had a photograph of the two Boys which she very kindly sent me. The picture had been taken out of the newspaper so is not a very good copy but at least it puts faces to the sad story of the two lost boys.

When I came across a Prospectus for  night school study's in various Bacup schools for 1913-1914 I was quite surprised by the subjects available. Whilst some of them especially the Laundry course was I thought quite amusing , it was interesting to see at least one of my ancestors John Cook receiving a Greenwood Scholarship in 1892 and 1893. So how clever were your ancestors did they pass their exams or win a scholarship?. Check out the lists on the Other Schools page. I have not included everyone because of the vast numbers involved if you can't see your ancestors name but would like to know if they are mentioned in the 1913-1914 exam results drop me a email and I will look their name up for you.

If you enjoy looking at the photographs on the site there will be a Victorian Photograph Exhibition at the Bacup Natural History Society on Sunday 4th December to coincide with the Bacup Victorian Christmas weekend. 

Saturday 22nd October 2005

The lady pictured above with me is my Granddad Bob's sister Great Aunt Olive she is a remarkable lady with a superb memory and you can read  a few of her memories of what life was like living in Stacksteads in particularly the area known as Blackwood as a child then as a young woman.

I have added a new page to the site called Rossendale, this is because not only do I have ancestors that lived in Crawshawbooth but I  have had several enquiries asking me if I would perhaps feature some photographs of areas such as Crawshawbooth, Waterfoot and Rawtenstall. Hence the new page, unfortunately I have little knowledge of these areas, if anyone has any information on the photographs/areas shown then please drop me a email. Lastly I would just like to thank everyone who has signed my guestbook, it really makes all the work worthwhile to know that people enjoy the site.

Saturday 29th September 2005

History really does repeat it seems.

In May of this year I was asked to join the committee at the Bacup Natural History Museum and help with the running of the Photograph Library, due to Harry's illness. As mentioned below Harry was a great help and supported me with this whenever he was able to.

Besides looking after the Photograph Library at the NAT, Harry used to do the " Owd Bacup and  Owd Stacksteads "slide shows which I have now been asked to carry on. Obviously I was thrilled about this and hope I can do Harry proud.

Anyway, at the beginning of this little passage History really does repeat itself, well that is because last year whilst researching my Nana Lord's family history I discovered that her Uncle Mr John Cook had also been a Committee Member of the NAT and was also one of the founding  members of the Bacup Camera Club. John had been the man who had taken the original Lantern Slides of  " Owd Bacup" and made them into the slides that we still use today. John died in 1927 but his work still lives on. Only last week whilst looking for something else I came across the original case of  "Owd Bacup" Lantern Slides. I wonder what he would have to say if he knew that his Sisters Great Grand daughter was doing what he did almost eighty years ago.

Bacup Times 1925

Regular visitors to the site will perhaps notice several changes that I have made to the site. Namely the Schools, World War1. MIA, KIA, Police and several others. I think the changes make the pages easier to look at and to read and hope you will do to.

I have also changed the Rogues Gallery, originally this page started out as just somewhere for me to put photographs that I had no information on, or was a group pictures and  I thought someone may recognise someone on it etc. I  will still be adding these kind of pictures but will also be adding photographs sent to me by people researching Bacupian and Stacksteads ancestors. The idea being that someone somewhere might just take a look at the page and recognise a photograph or person, and then be able to link the photograph with other information supplied.

If you would like a photograph added, just email me the photograph and some information on the people in it, i.e. name if known, approx year, area of Bacup or Stacksteads that they lived in and I will do the rest.

Another new addition to the Rogues Gallery is a section  that will include Newspaper Clippings of Family Announcements that I have snapped whilst taking photographs of other newspaper articles. These will include Marriages, Births and Deaths and sometimes Memorials.

Saturday 17th September 2005

Even though I am still working on the Rolls of Honour pages, I have included the Roll of Honour page in the What's New section  because the new updated Rolls I have done and added up to now, carry more information on individual soldiers. Whilst the rolls give details of a soldiers Burial place  please bear in mind that this does not necessarily mean the soldier was buried, quite often  if there was no body to be recovered the soldier was commemorated on the various memorials.

I will hopefully be adding the new list for the Bacup Natural History Society Saturday evening lectures on the next update. I can tell you that on the 29th October Mr Harold Philbin will be giving a talk on the Bacup Railway. So if you have a interest in the old Bacup Railway make a note in your diary now.  You can of course always go to the Railways 2 page on here and read some of Harold's Memories before then.

Saturday 3rd September 2005

The above picture is that of Harry O'Neill who died on August 29th 2005.

When I first started going to the NAT last August researching my family history Harry couldn't have been more helpful. Over the months that followed he spent many a Thursday night hunting out pictures for me and explaining the history of certain areas to me. When I began this website he was once again there helping and encouraging me.

Gradually as Harry's cancer took more of a hold on him, he found it hard to speak and so last Easter Saturday when he was due to do his "Owd Bacup" lecture, I was asked to narrate for him. I did and had a marvellous time because even though Harry was then quite poorly his sense of humour was still as keen as ever. I think I can speak for all the NAT members when I say Harry was one of a kind and will be sadly missed.

For those interested in the Local Heroes of World War 1 and 2 I have now added a link to each soldiers name which when clicked will take you to the individuals  entry on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website. I am also in the process of redoing the  Rolls of Honour so they are easier to read and contain more information on individual soldiers.

If there is anything you would like featured on the site please drop me a email and let me know.

Saturday 13 August 2005

Sadly the maps I intended to use are not suitable to be scanned etc, if you are researching a Bacup ancestor and see a street you are unfamiliar with or have any questions  drop me a email and I will try to help. Next update will be in two weeks.

Saturday 30th July 2005

If you are a regular visitor to Bacuptimes you will notice I have changed the House and Home page. The page will now feature Houses and Streets that have been demolished. Over the next few weeks I will  be adding detailed lists and maps of the streets that are now long gone. The maps show  the type of houses that once stood there i.e. Back to Back, Through Houses, Cellar Houses. I hope this feature will be a useful addition to anyone researching their Bacupian ancestors. The Other Bacup Areas page is now House and Home2 and  will feature photographs of Streets, Houses, Buildings that can still be seen today.

Saturday 23rd July 2005

Sorry there have been no updates for a few weeks I have been in hospital so have been recuperating. Hope you enjoy the new additions. Back to weekly updates soon I hope.

If your working on your Family History check out the Surnames Page on the Family History pages you never know there might just be  a connection there for you.

People quite often email me asking who or what the pictures are on the Index page.

The pictures on the Index page are as follows:

Yesterdays Bacup Side. Tram passing the Swan Hotel. Mr Pilling who owned Ironmongers shop on Market Street. Eastwoods Bakers of Union Square. Bacup Fire Engine.

Family History Side. Little boy at the top is my Granddad Lord. I have yet to identify the Great War soldier but believe he was one of my ancestors as his photograph was included in the Victorian Family Album that started me off researching my family history. Lady in bottom picture is my Great Great Grandmother Candace Cook.

Saturday 4th June 2005

I had a email recently asking me if I could  put more up to date pictures on the site, at the moment I have no plans to do this because the whole essence of the site is about Bacup and Stacksteads in times past. It is my way hopefully of keeping a little of our Heritage alive. Whilst I don't wish to become embroiled in local politics through this site. I do think that events of late have shown that there are those who care not a jot for our Local Heritage and History. We have already lost OUR carnival to Rossendale and if we are not careful we will loose a lot more. I personally believe that whilst it is important to move with the times it is also important not to forget where we come from, that our children know of the Heritage that surrounds them. Anyways I have digressed away from what I was going to say which is if you would like to see more up-to-date pictures of Bacup or chat to other people who live in Bacup and Stacksteads, share your views etc there are three excellent sites available these are:

http://www.simonmidgley.co.uk/bacup/bacup.htm

http://www.purdy.org.uk/

http://www.bacupbanter.co.uk

Coming Next Update.

World War 2 - Bacup's Warship Has Survived Guns and U Boats... 1945.

World War2 - Two Bacup Brothers Have Unexpected Reunion.

News Articles - Childs Body Found In Stream.

New Superstitions and  Characters Page -  Was she a Witch? Who was Mad Ab.

Saturday 28 May 2005

Recently I have so many emails asking me for information on the various mills in Bacup and Stacksteads that I have now added maps to show individual locations of each mill featured on the site. Obviously I haven't included all the mills and still have a couple to updated and add but hopefully for anyone wondering about their ancestors workplace should they have been a  mill worker in Bacup or Stacksteads this will make things a little clearer. If you require more information on the mills or Quarries please visit the library and look at Bacupian Mills/Bacupian Quarries by W.G.Taylor. they are fabulous books packed full of information right down to what steam engine powered what mill etc. I would have been totally lost without these books to use for reference and information.

The majority of the photographs found on here can be purchased from the Bacup Natural History Society for a small fee, so if you do happen to see a picture of one of your ancestors then please come to the Nat and buy it rather than downloading it. After all you will get a much better picture by buying it because I do have to reduce the pictures quite a lot for the sake of web space and peoples connection speeds etc.

Coming Next Update.

Schools - Fearns.

Police - New Photographs and Did you know Bacup had a brothel in 1916? Article in next update.

World War 1 Heroes - Pte Wm Turner Missing now presumed killed.

Pte James Tattersall Bacup Lads Sacrifice.

 Pte Robert Walsh Buried in a Dug-Out.

Pte Harry Clemments Wounded in the war.

Pte Bert Barnes Killed in Action.

World War 2 -   Four Britannia Brothers In Forces - 1943.

  Five Bacup Brothers in the Forces - 1943.

Pte Allan Nunn Died in Captivity - June 1945

Interesting News - Exciting Street Accident 1916.

Memories - Of Stacksteads.

Saturday 21st May 2005

If you have ancestors that died during the Great War you can see if they were buried overseas or in Bacup Cemetery using the Commonwealth War Graves  website. Using the link below will give you the search page for Bacup Cemetery.

http://www.cwgc.org/cwgcinternet/cemetery_reports.aspx?cemetery=40901&mode=1

Saturday 14th May 2005

Whilst I usually try to update on a Wednesday, this week all my plans went to pot thanks to a little chap called Sam our new Jack Russell puppy. It is rather like having a baby back in the house having to plan things around him.

I have plans to do Mysteries and Ghosts pages having been told a couple of local ghost stories recently which quite intrigued me so if you have a ghost story relating to a local house, shop, pub etc send it to me and I will add it when I do the page.