Discover the Local Studies Collection for Rochdale, Heywood, Middleton and Pennines. Please contact Local Studies at Touchstones Rochdale.
The strength of the Local Studies collection of the Rochdale's Arts and Heritage Service is due to the kind generosity of the people of the borough kindly donating their photographs and archives. We hope that these pages will help celebrate Rochdale Borough's unique history. Do you have photographs, maps, documents etc that you would like to donate so that future generations can marvel at the fasc
inating history of the Rochdale area? You can discover more by visiting the Link4Life website. New for 2017: Call in for FREE access to FindmyPast, as well as AncestryLibrary.
Operating as usual
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Happy New Year from us at Rochdale Local Studies! All the best for 2023!
Photograph is the Fairy fountain at the cattle market on The Holme for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897.
Pub Quiz Friday! Last one of the year!
If you happen to be outside (or inside!) a pub this New Year's Eve, can you take a picture of it and send it to me?! We are sort of running out of pubs...! :-) Jenny
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Merry Christmas from us all here at Rochdale Local Studies! We hope you have a cracking day!
(Photo is Dunlop children's Christmas party in 1943!)
Merry Christmas..! :-)
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Timeline photos
Next week we'll have a brand new exhibit in our museum - a collection of beautiful 1930s Art Deco dolls house furniture, handmade by World War I veteran Edgar Yarwood for his niece Daphne.
These fascinating pieces will be on display from Wednesday 14 December, and you can read more about the poignant story behind the collection on Museum Crush: https://bit.ly/3P4cq8c
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments.
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments.
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Continuing our research for Black History Month we have been looking at Pablo Fanque, Britain’s first black Circus owner. We are lucky enough to have one of the original posters for his shows in the collection.
Pablo Fanque, born William Darby in 1796 in Norwich, was a famous circus performer in his youth but became the proprietor of his own circus company.
Details of Pablo Fanque’s early life are scant. Church records suggest that his parents were John Darby and Mary, née Stamp, that they lived in St. Stephen’s parish and that he was one of a family of four or five children. On his first marriage certificate, in 1848, he declared his late father’s occupation as “butler”. It is possible that his father was African born and had been brought to the port of Norwich and trained as a house servant. Pablo’s earliest known appearance in the sawdust ring was in Norwich on 26th December 1821, as ‘Young Darby’, with William Batty’s company. His circus acts included horsemanship, rope walking, leaping and rope vaulting.
In 1841 Pablo, aged forty-five and living in Oxford, left William Batty to begin business on his own account, with two horses. The towns of Lancashire, Yorkshire and adjacent counties became Pablo’s favourite venues. Pablo’s visit to Rochdale in 1843 produced the poster which inspired John Lennon’s lyric ‘For the Benefit of Mr Kite’.
‘Fanque’s Amphitheatre’ opened in the Victoria Gardens, Norwich for the winter season of 1848-49, Arthur Barns achieved 50 consecutive somersaults there and the clown, Tom Matthews, was presented with a silver snuff-box by his admirers.
By the 1860’s Pablo’s circus was in decline. He died on 4th May 1871 at the Britannia Inn, 22 Churchgate, Stockport, at the ripe age of seventy-five. He had been there with his second wife, Elizabeth, and two sons, George and Ted, since at least the beginning of the previous month. Pablo’s funeral took place in Leeds and was a spectacular occasion. The hearse was preceded by a band playing the ‘Dead March’, followed by Pablo’s favourite horse, Wallett, and four mourning coaches. The deceased and his horse were brought from Stockport by train, and were met by throngs of well-dressed spectators.
If you would like to read more there is an excellent essay here: https://mikedashhistory.com/2011/09/08/pablo-fanques-fair/?fbclid=IwAR29bmj_jHyC0Nl7HAMgZGE4AkWfc3J01Nm2XfK_ZftDPAOAL02G8x0sFdQ
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
This October we celebrate Black History Month, Local Studies Assistant Shakra has been looking into Frederick Douglass and his links with John Bright:
Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey) was born in 1818 in Talbot County Maryland U.S.A. He was separated from his mother Harriet Bailey as a young child and raised by his grandmother (Betsy Bailey) as an enslaved child.
Frederick’s mother died when he was just 7 years old. He only had the opportunity to see her a few times in his lifetime. He learnt that his mother was the only black person in Talbot who was able to read, an unusually rare triumph for a female field worker.
When Douglass was five years old, he was taken to a plantation owned by Colonel Lloyd. He lived there with other enslaved children and found himself contending for food and other comforts.
In 1826, Douglass found himself once more, this time to Baltimore. He was to live with Hugh and Sophia Auld at Fells Point. His duty was to take care of their son Thomas. Sophia was a caring soul and would teach Douglass to read along with her son Thomas. When her husband learnt of this, he put an immediate stop to this. He told Sophia that ‘literacy would spoil a slave’.
Douglass made it his mission to learn to read and write. Secretly, He would exchange bread for lessons from the poor white boys he played with. He also had access to Thomas’s old schoolbooks which he used to trace letters of the alphabet.
Fredrick Douglass was sent on to St. Michaels, Eastern Shore in 1832 where he experienced punitive living conditions under the care of Captain Thomas Auld. He quickly leased Douglass in 1833 to a local farmer Edward Covey who was well known for his abuse towards slaves. Within 6 months of his time there, Covey attacked Douglass who retaliated and won the fight. This made Douglass confident and stronger to protect himself in the future and fight for his freedom.
The following year, Douglas was found working on William Freeland’s farm. Life here was much better. Douglass started a Sabbath school where he took the opportunity to teach other Black people how to read and write.
Douglass planned to make an escape to the North but his plans were soon discovered and he was arrested along with four other slaves. Douglass was then sent back to Baltimore to live with Hugh and Sophia Auld and to learn a trade.
Douglass worked at many different shipyards as a ship caulker. He made a deal with Auld who allowed him to hire out his own time as long as he paid Auld a set amount each week.
Douglass became more involved with the Black community at Baltimore where he met his future wife to be, Anna Murray – A freeborn Black woman.
In 1838 Douglass escaped from his servitude. Dressed as a sailor he travelled from Baltimore to Wilmington, Delaware by train. From there, he made his journey to New York City. Douglass changed his name from Bailey to Johnson to protect his identity.
Destiny brought Douglass to meet with the Black abolitionist David Ruggles who assisted Douglass to safety. Soon after his arrival to New York, Anna joined him and they were both married.
Taking Ruggle’s advice, Douglass and Anna left New York City and headed for New Bedford, Massachusetts. Douglass and Anna stayed with a local Black couple and worked as a common labourer, earning money as a free man for the first time in his life.
Despite the trials and tribulations Douglass experienced, his love for reading remained strong along with his dream to abolish slavery. He attended an Anti-Slavery society Convention in Nantucket in 1841. He made an impression on abolitionist William C. Coffin, who invited Douglass to address the general body and was hired to join the assembly.
Douglass found himself travelling the country and supporting the anti-slavery cause often describing his own experiences. Working as an agent provided Douglass with a wage, enough to support his family. Douglass and Anna had five children.
Douglass pursued on to publish his very first book in 1845, autobiography – ‘Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave’. His authenticity as an ex-slave was questioned on numerous occasions. Douglass eventually provided names of people and locations in his life to prove he was speaking the truth.
He went on to have a further two books published, My Bo***ge and My Freedom in 1855 and Life and Times of Frederick Douglass in 1881.
Douglass found his books were well received and he was becoming popular amongst those who opposed slavery. Douglass soon learnt that his owner Hugh Auld was adamant to bring him back to enslavement. This threat saw Douglass leave the US and travel abroad during the period August 1845 – 1847. He headed for the UK and found much love and support from his English supporters.
Douglass used his time wisely whilst in the UK and educated his many audiences about the evils slavery brings and how it destroys lives.
Douglass spent much quality time in the company of Quakers and as a result met John Bright through this network. Bright was enthusiastic and supported Douglass in his cause. In 1846, Bright invited Douglass to talk about his experiences at different locations around Rochdale. Douglass and Bright became good acquaintances and Douglass visited Bright regularly at his family home whilst he stayed in the UK.
In 1847, Douglass retuned a freeman to the US thanks to the kindness of John Bright who contributed a third of the money needed to purchase Douglass from Hugh Auld, slaveholder. Ellen and Anna Richardson who were British supporters in Douglass’s cause completed the remaining two thirds by raising funds and granting his freedom.
Frederick Douglass remarked On March 30, 1847, at a farewell banquet at the London Tavern in London:
“I do not go back to America to sit still, remain quiet, and enjoy ease and comfort. . . I glory in the conflict that I may hereafter exult in the victory. I know that victory is certain. I go, turning my back upon the ease, comfort, and respectability which I might maintain even here. . . Still, I will go back, for the sake of my brethren. I go to suffer with them; to toil with them; to endure insult with them; to undergo outrage with them; to lift up my voice in their behalf; to speak and write in their vindication; and struggle in their ranks for the emancipation which shall yet be achieved.”
In his conclusion, Douglass confirms, “I came here a slave, but I go back free.”
(Information extracted from D. J. Thompson – ‘When Frederick Douglass came to Rochdale a slave and left a free man’ & britannica.com)
Looking through our fabulous donation from the Friends of the National Libraries - part of the Blavatnik Honresfield Library that was started by William Law of Honresfeld in Littleborough!
These are first and second editions of Roby's 'Traditions of Lancashire' and Whitaker's 'History of Whalley'. We are honoured to have them as part of our collection.
For more information on the FNL and the Blavatnik Honresfeld Library, visit:
https://www.fnl.org.uk/pages/honresfield
Littleborough Historical & Archaeological Society have a great section on their website about William Law and Honresfeld:
https://www.littleboroughshistory.org/honresfeld.html
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess, and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Pub Quiz Friday!
Bit of a tricky ye olde one for you today! :-)
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Timeline photos
We are deeply saddened at the death of Her Majesty The Queen.
Our thoughts and condolences are with the Royal Family at this sad time.
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Pub Quiz Friday!
Apologies for last week's lack of post, was off work a bit poorly!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Pub Quiz Friday!
Someone said last weeks was a bit easy, so here's a ye olde tough one for you! (Saying that, bet one of you gets it right away...!) :-)
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Pub Quiz Friday!
Bit of a ye olde one today!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments.
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments.
Photos from Rochdale Local History's post
Pub Quiz Friday!
Usual rules: Guess the pub below and where it is! For obvious reasons I've blanked the sign out (don't want to make it too easy!)
When everyone's had a guess and someone gets it I’ll post the proper photograph in the comments.
Bank Holidays!
Hi everyone, the Local Studies Centre will be closed next Thursday and Friday (2nd & 3rd June 2022) for the Jubilee Bank Holidays.
Hope you all have a cracking couple of days! - The Local Studies Team
(Photo is Fairy fountains on The Holme to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897)
Touchstones Rochdale, The Esplanade
Rochdale
OL161AQ
| Wednesday | 10am - 12:30pm |
| 1pm - 4:30pm | |
| Thursday | 10am - 12:30pm |
| 1pm - 4:30pm | |
| Friday | 10am - 12:30pm |
| 1pm - 4:30pm | |
| Saturday | 10am - 2pm |
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Saddleworth Museum and Gallery
High Street, OldhamSalford Museum and Art Gallery
The Crescent, SalfordMusée des Sciences et de l'Industrie
Manchester BL66
Ellenroad Engine House, Steam Museum
Elizabethan Way