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A Burnley Timeline

A Brief History

750 – 800 AD
Burnley dates back to Anglo-Saxon times when a settlement was established on the banks of the River Brun in the area around where St. Peter’s Parish Church is now located. It was from the Brun that Burnley got its name, derived from Brun Lea, “the field near the Brun”.

937 AD
In 937 AD the Battle of Brunanburh (thought by some to be near Burnley) took place, when the forces of King Athelstan beat a combined army of Vikings and Scots. After this time Burnley and the surrounding land came under the ownership of the King of England.

Medieval Burnley
Burnley’s growth over the following centuries reflected that of much of England. In 1122 St. Peter’s Church is given a Charter that confirmed the gift of the Church of Burnley to Pontefract Priory. The village of just a few hundred inhabitants was administered from the Manor House at Ightenhill and was part of the Honor of Clitheroe.

In 1294 a market Charter was granted, and a corn mill and fulling mill were built around that time. By 1400 there were about 600 people living in Burnley and by 1550 the population had doubled to 1200.

The Civil War
During the Civil War the two most prominent families in Burnley were on opposing sides; the Towneley family were Royalists and supported King Charles I, but Richard Shuttleworth of Gawthorpe was a Colonel in the Parliamentary army in command of the local militia. Burnley supported the Parliamentary forces and several local battles and skirmishes took place in the area at this time between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians including the Battle of Read Bridge on 20th April 1643; this was significant because it helped to turn the tide of the Civil War in Lancashire in favour of the Parliamentary forces. In 1644 Charles Towneley was killed at the battle of Marston Moor and there is a story that Oliver Cromwell helped Mrs Towneley to search for the body of her husband on the battlefield.

Industrial Revolution
It was not until the turn of the 19th century and the coming of the Industrial Revolution that the population of Burnley soared, the Leeds and Liverpool Canal opened through Burnley in 1801 and people moved into the area for the jobs in the mills, coal mines & foundries. Because of its climate and location, Burnley found itself ideally placed to become the cotton weaving capital of the world. By 1886 Burnley was producing more cotton cloth per year than any other town in the world and making more looms than any other place in the country.

Today
In the 21st century the cotton industry is no longer the dominant force it once was, but Burnley has evolved into a thriving town with a population of nearly 90,000 enjoying its splendid location, pleasant shopping centre, wealth of local attractions and lively nightlife.

Significant Dates

In the novel "The Ipcress File" the character of Harry Palmer, played by Michael Caine in the movie, came from Burnley ? not a lot of people know that.