The Wigan Directory of 1869, Blackrod
BLACKROD is a township and village in the Union and County Court district of Wigan, from which it is distant about five miles by road, and seven by the new railway route via Hindley and Dicconson mill. It is over seven miles from Bolton, of which it forms part of the parish, though it has a church of which the living is in the gift of the vicar of Bolton. It is in the rural deanery of Bolton, the diocese of Manchester, and the Hundred of Salford. It lies near the line of the Lanc. and Yorkshire Railway from Bolton to Preston. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal passes at a little distance to the north. There is a grammar school whose income of £266 includes an exhibition to Pembroke College, Cambridge. There are large charities, a school supported by the Earl of Crawford, and a national school. The church is dedicated to St. Catherine, and there is a Wesleyan chapel. There is a fair held on the 12th of July. The line of a Roman road is traceable in the township, and there is every probability that here was a Roman station named Coccium in the Iter of Antonimus, on the military road from Mancunium (Manchester) to the north. The population in 1861 was 3,214, and the area is nearly four square miles. There are extensive coal mines in the township. The land owners are the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, Roger Leigh, Esq., and the Marquis de Rothwell.
Abbott Ellen, Ridgeway Arms Inn
Ainsworth John, shoemaker
Anderson Mrs. Nancy
Ardern Samuel, beer retailer
Baker Thomas, grocer, draper, &c., Stafford place
Bentham Thomas, grocer & draper
Barker William, brewer, brickmaker and grocer, Little Scotland
Berry Richd. and Robt., shoemakers
Black John, farmer
Blackrod Friendly Co-operative Society Limited, grocers & drapers
Collier James, beer retailer
Cook Thomas, shopkeeper
Cunliffe William, beer retailer
Darbyshire Samuel, beer retailer
Davies & Eckersley, bleachers, Huyton Bleach works
Davies Benjamin, bleacher (Davies and Eckersley) Huyton house
Dewhurst, Hoyle & Smethurst, coal proprietors
Ditchfield William, clogger
Dryburgh James, farmer
Eaude Thomas H., book keeper
Eckersley James, bleacher, (Davies and Eckersley) Burnt house
Edge Henry, farmer, Green Barn
Edge William, farmer
Entwistle Joseph, shopkeeper
Fazackerley William, farmer
Foster William, shoemaker & beer retailer
Gidlow James, Esq., Arley hall
Gidlow John, blacksmith
Grimshaw William, carrier
Hampson James, joiner
Hampson James, beer retailer
Hampson John, beer retailer
Hampson Peter, joiner
Harrison Henry, butcher
Harrison Joseph, saddler and beer retailer
Harrison Robert, butcher
Heywood James, shoemaker
Higson William, beer retailer
Hodkinson Margaret, milliner
Holden Moses, farmer
Holt Henry, farmer
Holt James, farmer
Houghton Peter, grocer
Houghton William, Black Horse
Jones Thomas, shopkeeper
Langton James, farmer
Latham John, brickmaker and beer retailer
Lawson Anthony, tailor
Lawson Anthony, jun., clogger
Leather Samuel, coal proprietor, Dootson and Vauze collieries; residence, Highfield house
Leigh Ellen, milliner, &c.
Leigh James, farmer and carrier
Leigh Maria, grocer
Liptrot Esther, grocer
Liptrot Henry, farmer
Marsh John, shoemaker
Mason James, farmer, Red Lion Inn
Mather Nathaniel, clogger
Mather Richard, Three Crowns Inn, and farmer
Mayall John, coal agent
Mayor James, clogger
Metcalfe James, shopkeeper
Miller Simon, shopkeeper
Milner James, confectioner
Moor James, clogger
Morris Thomas, beer retailer
Moscrop Robert, joiner
Moss Robert, beer retailer
Ollerton Mr. Joseph
Ollerton Walter, farmer
Owen John, farmer
Parkinson Peggy, butcher
Pilkington James, beer retailer
Procter John, farmer
Read Francis, Swan Inn
Rigby John, Leigh Arms Inn
Rutter George, beer retailer
Saunders James, national schoolmaster
Schofield James, farmer
Sibbering James, shopkeeper
Smethurst John, coal proprietor, (Dewhurst, Hoyle and Smethurst) Scot lane
Smith Henry, surgeon
Smith Thomas, grocer
Smithson Richard, master of Grammar school
Strickland Laurence, tailor
Swallow Rev. Francis Richard
Taylor Edward M., grocer
Thompson John, colliery manager
Unsworth Mrs. Sarah
Wall Francis, Scott Lane Inn
Wall Peter, farmer
Warburton John, farmer
Wilkinson Thomas, grocer and beer retailer
Winstanley William, clogger
Woods Henry, coal proprietor, Scot lane colliery; John Smethurst, manager