The Bacup Times newspaper for which this website takes it's name began by launching it's first edition in April 1865, under the care of it's first editor Mr Thomas Brown. The  newspaper chronicled every major event that ever took place in Bacup and Rossendale.  A staunch Liberal he thought nothing of using the paper to attack the ruling Conservative party.  Mr Brown was a native of Wigan,  and had at one time emigrated to Australia but had returned to Bacup  still a young man to become a stationer and printer.

Thomas Leach became the next editor, carrying on the hard hitting editorials against the Conservatives. When Thomas moved to Birkenhead the paper was run and edited by his son Issac who did the job for 32 years until 1901.

 

Over the years of its publication the Times moved to various premises, from Market Street it moved in 1878 to the Atlas Steam Printing Works in Forest Street. Where it remained until 1885 when it moved to Lee Street and King Street.

 

By March 1901 the Times had been taken over and was now a Ltd Company some of  its shareholders were John Henry Maden of Rockliffe House, John Henry Hoyle, Blackthorn House, Samuel Whittaker, Bank Terrace, Lord John Priestley, St James Street, Caleb Ashworth Greenhalgh, Rose Hill House, Albert Priestley, St James Street, Lawrence Lord, Rockliffe Bank.

 

In February 1894 the Times launched it's sister paper the Rossendale Express which was published every Wednesday until 1917 at a cost of

one penny.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lord John Priestley  pictured right was editor for 31 years covering the events of the great war and overseeing the move to new premises on King Street in 1913.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                      

Mr J W Stott pictured above left was editor until 1938 with Mr Temperley  right being editor until 1965.

 

 

 

 

In 1901 the Times published it's first photograph showing Rossendale soldiers of the Active Service Company 2nd V. B. East Lancashire Regiment at Klip River, South Africa during the Boer War.

 

During its first 100 hundred years the Times boasted  its record of never having missed a issue being produced through the general strike of 1936 and the printers strike of 1959.

 

The last independent  issue was published in King Street, on 27th November 1965.