In the year 1195 Richard 1 commissioned certain knights to preserve the peace in unruly areas. They were responsible to the King for ensuring that the law was upheld. They preserved the "King's Peace", and were known as Keepers of the Peace.  The title Justices of the Peace derives from 1361, in the reign of Edward III when a act passed in 1327 referred to “Good and Lawful men”  to be appointed in every county in the land to “Guard the peace”. Many of the local J.P. s / Magistrates were of  course Gentlemen, men of standing in the community. Quite often  landowners  many of them often served on other boards and committees. The first magistrate to preside in Bacup was Mr James Whittaker of Broadclough Hall who qualified as magistrate on April 29th 1824.

 

Listed below with the residence and qualifying dates are other Magistrates, who have presided in Bacup from 1824 to 1892.

 

John Holt - Stubylee Bacup - April 19th 1838.

John Earnshaw - Mount Pleasant - April 19tth 1838.

John Ormerod - Bankside - July4th 1838.

George Ormerod - Fern Hill - May 23rd 1844.

Robert Munn - Heath Hill - October 20th 1847.

John Lord - Irwell Terrace - October 20th 1847.

John Whittaker - Broadclough - July 4th 1855.

John Dawson - Mount Pleasant - April 5th 1857.

James Maden Holt. M. A. - Stubylee - April 5th 1858.

John Aitken Capt - Lane End - May 22nd 1862

James Munn - Fernhill - April 8th 1867.

Edward Hoyle - Spring Mount - April 8th 1867.

James Smith Sutcliffe - Beech House - January 4th 1869.

Henry Maden - Rockliffe House - May 24th 1869.

Thomas Aitken - Holmes - Oct 20th 1869.

James Rushton - Forest House - June 29th 1874.

Joseph Hardman Worrell - Rochdale Rd - August 1st 1878.

Robert Whittaker Munn - Heath Hill - August 1st 1878.

John Hargreaves - Greensnook - October 21st 1885.

George Shepherd - Holmes Villas - December 6th 1889.

William Mitchell - Fernhill - December 6th 1889.

James Haworth - Spring Mount - December 6th 1889.

Joshua Hoyle Jnr - Bankside - December 6th 1889.

Edward Martin Wright - Spring Mount - February 22nd 1892.

John Henry Maden - Rockliffe House - April 11th 1892.

Joshua Craven Hoyle - Oak House - April 11th 1892.

 

Other Magistrates were.

James Shepherd Esq.

John Henry Hoyle Esq

Thomas Sime Shaw Esq.

A E Sutcliffe Esq.

 

 

 

On the 29th July 1857 the Bacup Court House was opened the first petty session there being held on that day. Prior to this date the Bacup Petty sessions were held at the George and Dragon Inn.

 

 In 1916 the county court of Lancashire was held at Bacup and Rawtenstall with Judge Hugh Sturgess K. C.  Whilst Petty session courts were held at the Bankside court house every Wednesday at 11am. With the Mayor presiding. 

 

 

 

 

The first dungeon to be in use for holding prisoners was situated in the vicinity of Lane Head lane near the old Buck Inn. Entered through a arched doorway the dungeon was sealed by use of a heavy flag.

A later dungeon was shown to be in the vicinity of Hammerton Green near the old health centre and is shown on the map as " The Lockup". For many years the Stocks stood where the Mechanics Institute stands today  and then moved to the site of the Lockup on Todmorden Road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A wooden sign was displayed in the area of the stocks which read:

Any Person Or Persons Found Wandering Or Begging In This Village Or Any Other Part Of The Forest Of Rossendale Will Be Apprehended As A Vagrant Or Vagrants And Prosecuted With The Utmost Vigour Of The Law.

During the rebellion of 1745 a person by the name of Heap kept Watch and Ward at Higher Broadclough, Bacup an entry for 1770 shows : To repairing Bacop stocks. £0.8.4.

The stocks were used as a punishment for brawling, profane swearing, drunkenness and other minor offenses. In some towns the drunkard was made to walk the streets carrying a cask, in which there were holes for the head and arms to pass though and was called the Drunkards Cloak.

 

 

 

 

 

Prisoners charged with serious crimes such as murder would have been transported to Lancaster Castle to stand trial. Later a dungeon and magistrates court was situated in the old George and Dragon Inn in the centre of  town. Dating back to the 16th century the George and Dragon was demolished in 1927 at which time the demolition revealed the entrance to the  court a wooden trapdoor led down to the dungeon.