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In 1850 Burnley had three markets - the Victoria
Market on the site of Woolworth's, the General
Market at the bottom of Manchester Road, and the Covered
and
Open Air Markets in the present Market Square. The Victoria
Market for fruit and vegetables was a private venture and
disappeared in 1873 when the Corporation acquired the site
for improvement purposes. The General Market was the relic
of the ancient Market, which had stood opposite St. Peter's
Church until about 1800; the actual date of the transference
of the Market is uncertain but the alterations to the churchyard
in 1807-9 possibly had much to do with its relocation to
St. James's
Street. At Fair-time the stalls extended as far as the Hall
Inn and booths were erected on any available open space.
The
Covered and Open Air Markets in Market Place were the property
of the Burnley Market Company which had been formed in
1829;
here were the principal meat, fish and corn markets.
 In
1863 the Corporation, which had no control over the Markets,
took steps to acquire the property of the Burnley Market Company
but abandoned the project because the Company, which had a
capital of only £2,400, fixed the selling price at £10,000
with a further £400 as compensation to the tenant of
the Market Tavern. The Corporation then considered the establishment
of a Corporation Market and discussed various sites including
Salem Chapel and the land behind, it for £6,000, 10,000
square yards in Parker Lane for £4,000, and land behind
Bethel Chapel. The Parker Lane land with Pillingfield Mill
and certain property in Grimshaw Street was bought in 1865.
Meanwhile the Company, which had been reconstructed, reduced
its selling price to £8,000 but the Council refused
to purchase even at the smaller figure. The Company then proposed
to obtain Parliamentary powers to buy and demolish slum property
in the Market Place in order to extend their Market in the
hope that the Corporation would take over a large number of
the shares that would be issued. The Council would not agree
to the scheme but agreed to the suggestion that the purchase
price should be settled by arbitration. The result was that
the Council paid £16,000 to the Company, £970
for the services of the arbitrator, and incurred further expenses
in Parliamentary legislation that brought the total initial
costs to approximately £20,000.
Soon afterwards, the old Market Hall was demolished
and Poke Street, Fountain Street, Fountain Court and Rodeny
Street were demolished to make a site for the new Market Hall.
The foundation stone was laid with Masonic ceremony by the
Mayor, Mr Alderman Robinson, and the Hall was eventually opened
on January 1st 1870 by the Mayor, Mr. Alderman John Barnes.
The architect was Mr. Green of Portsmouth near Todmorden.
When the Council's enterprise was completed, the cost of the
Market Hall, Market Square, and Cattle Market amounted to
nearly £68,000.
The Burnley Market Act of 1865 gave the Corporation full
control over all markets and hawkers. The Parker Lane market,
soon
to be known as the Cattle Market, was reserved for the sale
of cattle, horses, pigs, hides, corn, hay and straw, and
for
amusement booths: the Market Hall (when erected). and the
Market Square were reserved for the sale of meat, fish,
poultry,
butter, eggs and general produce; no hawkers were allowed
except they held a six months' license. To control the Markets,
an Inspector, Mr. W. Waddington, was appointed and he was
instrumental in bringing about the erection of fourteen
covered
pens in the Cattle Market where as many as 500 pigs were
exhibited for sale each week. In 1879 when the Municipal
Abattoirs were
erected in Royle Road, the pig market was transferred to
Ashfield Road. At Fair-time, other arrangements had to be
made. The
horse fair was at first held in Trafalgar Street and part
of Manchester Road but in 1881 it was taken to the bottom
of Brunshaw; the Cattle Market was reserved for the sale
of other animals and those stalls and amusement booths which
could not find room among the cattle pens overflowed into
Red Lion Street, St. Peter Street. Boot Street, Firth Street
and Parker Lane. The horse and cattle fairs were of some
importance and in 1888 nearly 800 horses and 700 cattle
were on sale.
 As
the capital outlay on the Markets was so heavy, interest charges
and other necessary expenses were much higher than the revenue
from tolls so that in the first two years 1870-71 there was
a total loss of over £2,700. The Markets were then leased
to Mr. John Greenwood of Manchester but still losses were
sustained and eventually in 1882 the Corporation once more
took over control. Up to that time the total deficit amounted
to approximately £20,000 but since 1884 good profits
have been made, reaching in some years as much as £3,000
and in two years, 1927 and 1928, over £6,000.
The fixing of Market day and Fair time gave
rise to much discussion. The Charter of 1294 fixed Tuesday
as the Market-day but in the 19th century the Market in St.
James's Street was held on Mondays and that controlled by
the Market Company on Saturdays. The Corporation fixed Thursday
and Saturday as Market-days but there was so much opposition
to the change that Mondays and Saturdays were once more recognized.
Fair-time was originally fixed to fall on June
28th
but since the alteration of the calendar in 1751 the date
for Burnley Fair was changed to July 10th, irrespective
of
the day of the week! When July 10th happened to fall on
a Sunday, confusion often arose as to whether the preceding
Saturday or the following Monday should be observed as a
holiday but the difficulty was overcome when the Corporation
finally
decided that the Fair should begin on the second Thursday
in July.
In this section dealing with the Markets
may be included certain powers which have been given to
the
Borough Council. In 1861 bakeries were made subject to inspection
and in 1865 cattle diseases were made notifiable. In 1878
all slaughterhouses had to be registered and licensed.
Municipal Abattoirs were erected in Royle Road, the pig
opened in 1879 and all slaughtering had to be carried out
there during the first year, 12,000 sheep, 4,000 lambs,
3,250
beasts, 800 calves and 3.250 pigs were killed for Burnley's
consumption. The corresponding figures for 1947 were 22,000
sheep and lambs, 6,500 beasts, 2,000 calves and 56 pigs.
In March 1901 the Corporation opened the Cold Air and
Ice Plant
for the benefit of food distributors
For further information
about Burnley Market click here.
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