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From it's very early days Bacup's town centre was a hub for shopping for the whole of the area. Of course during that time there was no local Asda or Tesco's for families to do their weekly shop at. From Drapers to Jewellers, Pork butchers to Watchmakers, Hairdressers to Musical instrument makers and beyond....Bacup's selection of shops provided an excellent selection of local stores that satisfied the needs of everybody. Prior to the building of the Railway all goods coming into Bacup had to be transported by carrier. Some of the carriers in those days were, James Pickup, Thomas Barrowclough, Abraham and George White, and James Cropper otherwise known as "Old Cropper" a farmer of Lower Rockliffe.
In 1868 the prices of Meat were as follows. Beef 5d to 6d per lb. Mutton 6d to 8d per lb. Pork 6d to 8d per lb.
If you wanted a new set of teeth in 1869 they would set you back between £4.00 and £7.00 for a full pair of vulcanised teeth. Vulcanised and Gold ones would cost anything from £7.00.
A trip to New York on the Cunard Line would cost you £6.6.0 Steam Packet. Star Line £3.15.0 Sailing Packet.
Renting a house about 5/ per week or to buy one of the new Coop houses would cost you £180.00. A quart of milk in 1875 would have cost you 2 d to 3d. Whilst half a pound of butter in 1880 would have cost you 1/.
A weavers wage in 1879 was 15/ per week and in 1885 it had risen to 18/. Coffee in 1889 was 1/4 -1/6-1/8. Tea 1/10. Bacon smoked or plain 8/ per lb. A trip to the Isle of Man by train and boat from Bacup to Barrow I.OM. Special cheap return fares 1st class &saloon 27/6 3rd class &saloon 17/6 3rd class Fore cabin 13/6
Bacup Times of
August 1867 the opening day of the Market Hall.
In the
rear of the building there are suitable conveniences , and an ample
water supply for all purposes. A conventional boardroom, waiting
room, and office for the surveyor, occupy the southerly end of the
building and have an independent access. The internal dimensions of
the building are 137 feet, long by 71 wide. The total cost of the
building will be about 6,000. The contractors for the various works
are as follows. Mason’s work, brickwork, and flagging, by Messrs
Shepherd and Nuttall, of Bacup. The joiners work Messrs J J Pilling,
of Newchurch, the iron roof, Mr Underwood, Liverpool, slating Mr
John Rushton, plumbing and glazing, by Mr Robert Clegg, and the
painting by Mr Holmes of Bacup. Mr Joseph Brierley of Blackburn is
the architect and the superintendants of the building has been most
ably carrie
The market hall was the venue of toy stalls,
ironmongery, butchers, toffees, delicatessen and cafes. Well-known
stallholders were Simeon Simcock and his wife, who sold all kinds of
crockery. He was slim and she was hefty and sat about quite a lot and
was usually to be seen in the midst of a pile of jerries, pint pots,
plates and dinner and tea sets. Bridges had two toy stalls Pillings,
Ironmongers, in the corner; it was a family concern run by fathers,
brothers and nephews.
They also used to make the old-fashioned fireplaces which used to have
to be blackleaded. Mrs Booth and sister ran the Wainwrigh
In the month of January 1868 the following prices of Goods ruled in the Bacup Markets.
Geese per lb 0 - 7d Beef per lb 5d - 7d Mutton per lb 5d - 7d Pork - 6d - 8d Cheese per lb 5d - 9d Bacon per lb 6d 9d Salt Butter per lb 10d - 11d Cod Fish per lb 3d - 4d Soles per lb 0 - 10d Crabs each 2d - 10d Haddock per lb 3d - 4d Conger eel per lb 4d - 6d Rabbits each 13d - 16 d Potatoes per stone 12d -14d Cabbages each 1d - 2d Onions per lb 1d - 2d Apples per lb 1d - 2d Celery per stick 1d - 3d Fowl 3s 6d per couple Oranges 6d per dog upwards.
Singers sewing machines had a stall; also Joe Barrett, ironmongery, who supplied, amongst a host of other things, clog irons for DIY. people. When you got Jed up wandering round, you could always go to the cafe in the corner for a ld of peas or beans with mint sauce. Easter Ann See had a stall on the rag market. She was related to Happy Jack Whitehead. Owdham Joe Dyson and his helpers, Billy Jones, were two regulars on the fruit market, first stall on the right up the steps from Market Brow. It was noisy with all the stallholders shouting the odds and most giving samples by way of a slice of Orange or apple. Tunnecliffes, Athertons, Blackburn's, all sold fruit as well as a dozen others, Joe Barnes had a cut-price toffee stall which Jack White used to look after. Adams stores run by a well-known character in trilby hat and black apron, sold matches, candles, tapers, buttons you name it, he sold it. Nolans the floor covering people, were always an entertainment when offering lino; always the same rigmarole, roll a length out in front of the prospective customer, extol its virtues, and then slap it with his hand and say: "Who'll give me £2 for this? and when there were no offers, he would keep slapping it with his hand, reducing the price each time, till someone eventually bought it for half the price.
Nearly all the dealers brought their goods by horse and cart, some from Nelson, Blackburn and Oldham. One did travel in style via a van with three wheels and he sat inside and steered it with motor cycle handlebars via a wheel which stuck out in front. He was a butcher Mrs Larter sold celery from a stall just as you went on the market from Bankside Lane and next to the floor covering stand. The lino people had no stall; they had a two-wheeled flat cart from which they unhitched the horse, tipped the shafts up, and there was the line displayed; just reverse the process and gallop back up Burnley Road at night with what they had left.
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Most children were given a Saturday Penny, this would have not always been the case prior to 1900 when living was hard enough and frivolities rare. But prior to the Great War in 1914 there were plenty of bargains to be had on the Markets and shops in Bacup. Ask any of the old age pensioners in Bacup or Stacksteads about the Market and they will all exclaim what a wonderful place it was and how they miss it. Everyone's memories of the Market and Market Hall are slightly different and many on these pages cover different time periods. For instance the carriers mentioned opposite plied their trade pre 1900. The part in front of the Police Station was devoted mainly to fruit and vegetables and fish, - with a regular stallholder top of Bankside Lane who sold floor coverings. The cloth market was held by the side of the Police Station was the rag market, open to the skies in those days and, as the name implies, mainly consisted of curtaining, drapery and other household goods
Closing time wasn't until 10pm in those days, and they were nearly as busy at that time as at any part of the day. Money being scarce, many bargains were to be obtained as the stallholders preferred to sell up rather than have to pack bits back onto their cars. When darkness fell an overall smell of burning paraffin filled the air. The method of illumination was a container for about three pints of paraffin from the bottom of which came a narrow tube about 18" long which curved up like a hook, fixed to which was a jet or burner. This had to be heated via a rag soaked in fuel and set alight and the burner placed in the flame and then, when the fuel vaporised, it came out of the jet and set on fire with a hissing noise. Most stalls had three or four of these hanging from the wood bar along the top of the stall, spluttering away, and on a windy night had a job keeping them alight. The butcher had a new type with a mantle in a glass cover which gave much better light. This type became fashion later on. Youngsters used to help the stallholders after school and all day Saturday for a few coppers and a free meal. Old people could be seen collecting wood and empty apple and orange boxes from the stallholders for which they paid 2d, to be used as fuel for the fire or chopped into sticks to be made into bundles of firewood which they hawked around the houses, 1d a bundle.
Oldham Joes was a fruit seller who would offer samples
of apples, pears and oranges cut up into quarters with large
penknife. Another good entertainment on the open market was the seller
of corn cures, his stall was very small but was piled high with corns.
Which he declared had been removed from the feet of the famous and
infamous after only one application of his wonderful ointment. A man
described as a negro sold a wonderful concoction guaranteed to
strengthen the stomache mus
The Bacup Co-operative was born from fourteen persons who had met
together for a time to improve their writing, reading, and mathematic
skills. Using a room above the old Co-op for a sum of fifteen pence
a week rent. Each of the fourteen put six shillings into the kitty and
with this they purchased coffee from a merchant in Todmorden.
Having purchased it at a cheaper rate and divided it equ
As the movement grew so did the number of stores being opened and in 1865 the No1 store at Weir was opened.
The No 2 store at Britannia Village was opened in 1866.
The No 3 store at Lee Mill was opened 1867.
Two years later in 1868 the No 4 branch store was opened at Change.
Followed nine years later by the Market street store No 6.
Vale street store No 7 The Underbank store known as No 5 branch opened in 1878.
In 1881 the Boot. Shoe & Clogging departments were added to the Union street store in 1881. In 1865 the prices of clogs were: Mens Clogs 2/10 per pair, Womans 2/3 per pair Boys 1/10 per pair. Clogging Costs Mens 1/- Boys 10d Women's 11d. A pair of Mens shoes 4/6 per pair Ladies 3/6 per pair. In 1899 Ladies Button shoes 2/11 per pair Ladies Kid Button and Lace 3/11 to 6/11 per pair. Ladies High leg lace boots 5/11 per pair. Mens lace boots, light & strong from 4/11 to 9/11.
Other advertisements appearing in local papers - From Bacup & Rossendale News 1879 Coops & Cockerill Tailors & Clothiers Rossendale House 11 St James Street Bacup In Consequence of the hard times we have made Large purchases of Tweed Suiting's Which can be ready Made, or Made to measure at the extraordinary Low price of 30s per suit.
A large stock of Boys and Youths clothing A new range of Mens Tweed Trousers From 6s.6d to 10s White and Drab Mole Trousers at 7s -6d Hats and Caps in all the latest fashion.
In 1899 Mens, Blue Worsted 45/each also in Brown , Grey, Blue/Grey and Fawn. Mens Scotch trousers 7/6 all sizes. Ladies Costume 9/11 to 21/- up to 5 guineas. Coloured Capes 5/11 to 3 guineas each.
Bedding Blankets 5/11 to 12/11 per pair. Sheets 2/3 to 4/11 per pair. Quilts 1/11 to 4/11 each. Large Shawls 1/11 to 4/11.
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ts toffee stall
and good it was too; all sorts in trays and had to be broken ::into
pieces by little iron hammers; 2d qrt., pick where you like.
The two sisters looked. after Redman's bacon and provision stall where
you could buy coconut or candied peel sometimes instead of toffees. 
