text stringlengths 4 7.07k | text_hash stringlengths 32 32 | __index_level_0__ int64 1 1.81M |
|---|---|---|
= = Background and early life = =
| 13e9824f3163a840341cebba280e3eea | 13,596 |
Following King Henry I 's death in 1135 , the succession was disputed between the king 's nephews — Stephen and his elder brother , Theobald II , Count of Champagne — and Henry 's surviving legitimate child Matilda , usually known as the Empress Matilda because of her first marriage to the Holy Roman Emperor , Henry V. King Henry 's only legitimate son , William , had died in 1120 . After Matilda was widowed in 1125 , she returned to her father , who married her to Geoffrey , Count of Anjou . All the magnates of England and Normandy were required to declare fealty to Matilda as Henry 's heir , but after the king 's death in 1135 Stephen rushed to England and had himself crowned before either Theobald or Matilda could react . The Norman barons accepted Stephen as Duke of Normandy , and Theobald contented himself with his possessions in France . But Matilda was less sanguine , and secured the support of her maternal uncle , the Scottish king David I , and in 1138 also that of her half @-@ brother Robert , Earl of Gloucester , an illegitimate son of Henry I. Nobles in the Welsh Marches revolted against Stephen in 1136 , but the revolt was not settled until 1138 . In 1139 , Matilda invaded southern England with her half @-@ brother 's support and the period of civil war began .
| ff3a59da0704d8f68f64427f69541287 | 13,598 |
Josce was the youngest son of Geoffrey de Dinan and Radegonde Orieldis , and had two older brothers , Oliver of Dinan and Alan of Becherel . Josce 's family was from Brittany , and he was described by the historian Marjorie Chibnall as an " obscure Breton adventurer " . Josce moved from Devon in southern England to the Welsh Marches , the border between England and Wales , because the lords of Monmouth were also of Breton extraction . While in the Marches he joined King Stephen 's household .
| e5d15a6f4dd072eb5f1e4b380d843fff | 13,599 |
= = Ludlow Castle = =
| 5dc046c2876b997608f8d64e34a7f85e | 13,601 |
Josce was married to Sybil , the widow of Pain fitzJohn , who died in 1137 . Sybil had held Ludlow Castle against Stephen in 1139 , but surrendered after a siege . Ludlow was an important strategic stronghold for control of the Welsh Borders , and Stephen decided to marry Pain 's widow to someone he felt was trustworthy . Upon his marriage Josce also acquired control of the castle , built in the late 11th century . Josce probably also received many of the de Lacy family 's holdings in southern Shropshire , but he rebelled against Stephen and fortified Ludlow against the king . Josce 's position was so strong that when Stephen granted much of the surrounding lands to Robert de Beaumont , Earl of Leicester , Ludlow was specifically exempted . Stephen told Robert that he would have a royal grant of the castle if he could secure Josce 's submission as a vassal .
| f8f32d457bfdd3c75329cf3e86235d88 | 13,603 |
Custody of Ludlow was contested not only by Stephen but also by Gilbert de Lacy , whose efforts to wrest the castle from Josce are the background to the medieval romance Fouke le Fitz Waryn ; the extant prose version dates from the 14th century , but it was originally a 13th @-@ century poem , now lost . Gilbert claimed the castle through his familial link with Sybil , fitzJohn 's widow , who was a member of the de Lacy family . Others trying to take Ludlow were Hugh de Mortimer and Gilbert de Lacy . According to the Chronicle of Wigmore Abbey , some time after September 1148 Mortimer and Josce became embroiled in a private war , during which Josce seized Mortimer while the latter was travelling . Josce imprisoned his captive in Ludlow and demanded a ransom of 3 @,@ 000 silver marks , as well as , according to the Chronicle , Mortimer 's " plate , his horses , and his birds " . Presumably , Mortimer met the ransom , as he is later known to have been a free man .
| 221286ab729665f8509022fa0eced3b8 | 13,604 |
While Josce was absent from Ludlow , Gilbert de Lacy was able to take the castle . Josce laid siege to the castle but was unsuccessful in his attempt to retake it , and retreated to Lambourn with his military forces . Although the exact date of this event is unknown , it appears to have been some time about 1150 or shortly before . Matilda gave Josce some lands around Lambourn after Ludlow 's fall as compensation . Later he was given land in Berkshire by King Henry II ( became king in 1154 ) , Matilda 's son , as further recompense for the loss of Ludlow . In 1156 Josce held lands in Berkshire , Wiltshire , Hampshire , Devonshire and Somerset . These holdings included the manor of Lambourn , worth £ 76 in income per year , as well as the manor of Stanton ( now known as Stanton Fitzwarren in Wiltshire ) in addition to the lands scattered in other counties .
| bd7c7ffc33750cc6459dfbcfa7a720ad | 13,605 |
Josce 's grandson Fulk fitzWarin , who died in 1258 , is ostensibly the hero of a lost romantic poem called Fouke le Fitz Waryn . The work survives as French prose in a loose corpus of medieval literature known as the Matter of England . However , it appears to confuse events of Fulk fitzWarin 's lifetime with those of his grandfather 's . Other errors in the work include transposing some of the Welsh Marcher barons of King Henry I of England 's reign into nobles of William the Conqueror 's time , and omitting an entire generation of fitzWarins . Although scholars believe Fouke le Fitz Waryn draws on genuine tradition , the difficulty in separating the fitzWarin biographies makes it a problematic source .
| 867aaf6c152b3c26ada96ff0ea7d732a | 13,606 |
= = Family = =
| 9988c76cd72eea07b493ff9139118038 | 13,608 |
Josce died in 1166 . He was survived by two daughters : Sibil , who married Hugh de Pulgenet and died in 1212 , and Hawise who married Fulk FitzWarin , who died in 1197 . In 1199 his two daughters petitioned the king regarding the ownership of the town and castle of Ludlow but were turned down .
| 1fc861ad26a03059d9fa78befab2e264 | 13,610 |
= World War I Memorial ( East Providence , Rhode Island ) =
| 27666f99159ddc67c2366d80fcaa0d57 | 13,613 |
The World War I Memorial is a bronze sculpture by Pietro Montana and is located at the intersection of Taunton Avenue , Whelden Avenue , and John Street in East Providence , Rhode Island , United States . The sculpture is modeled on Charles Atlas and depicts a dynamically posed soldier standing on a granite base . Montana 's original design was modified by the East Providence Memorial Committee for being " too brutal " . Dedicated on July 30 , 1927 , Major General Charles Pelot Summerall gave an address which highlighted the handicap placed upon the soldiers by a lack of preparedness and " invoked the fighting ideal embodied by Montana 's doughboy . " The World War I Memorial was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001 .
| 8f665183962381c50246a174a1d2ecb1 | 13,615 |
= = Design = =
| 27a68d88afcf8b73909bed8e24598173 | 13,617 |
The World War I Memorial was designed by Pietro Montana , an Italian @-@ born painter and sculptor . Montana studied at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in Manhattan , New York City , New York . Montana 's monuments were well @-@ known , particularly in New York , and included an earlier " Doughboy " sculpture erected in 1920 to honor the war dead of the Bushwick , Brooklyn and Ridgewood , Queens . The success of this the earlier " Fighting Doughboy " memorial resulted in the production of three copies by 1921 . By 1932 , he had produced over 40 statues and won a gold medal from the National Academy of Design for " Orphans " in 1931 .
| 65980a09fa7e884c48f0e5aa414fe3a5 | 13,619 |
For the design of the sculpture , Montana modeled Charles Atlas and " strove to communicate the U.S. doughboy 's upstanding character and valor by way of a muscle @-@ bound physique " . In 1926 , the East Providence Memorial Committee expressed concerns that Montana 's design was " too brutal " and modified the original design provided by Montana . The statue was erected in 1927 , and formally dedicated on July 30 , 1927 . At the dedication , Major General Charles Pelot Summerall gave an address which highlighted the handicap placed upon the soldiers by a lack of preparedness and " invoked the fighting ideal embodied by Montana 's doughboy . "
| 46641731abdebbf31093724a872c270b | 13,620 |
The sculpture of a soldier stands 7 @.@ 75 feet ( 2 @.@ 36 m ) tall , 2 @.@ 583 feet ( 0 @.@ 787 m ) wide and 2 @.@ 66 feet ( 0 @.@ 81 m ) deep . Ronald J. Onorato , author of the National Register nomination , writes that " the soldier stands with legs apart , his left hand at his belt , the right at his side . The face is impassive and expressionless . He wears a disheveled infantry uniform , rough shoes , the shirt collar open and askew , the sleeves rolled back , the knee torn open , his helmet on the ground behind his left foot . ... A holster hangs from the belt on the soldier 's right hip . " Montana signed the sculpture with " Pietro Montana / SC / 1927 . "
| 0401367b3fd356d26cf765de66ea962b | 13,621 |
The sculpture rests atop a grey granite base that is 6 @.@ 33 feet ( 1 @.@ 93 m ) tall , 3 @.@ 166 feet ( 0 @.@ 965 m ) wide and 3 @.@ 5 feet ( 1 @.@ 1 m ) deep . The corners of the base have small leaf designed and has 2 feet ( 0 @.@ 61 m ) by 2 @.@ 66 feet ( 0 @.@ 81 m ) bronze reliefs with arched tops on each side . The front relief states that it was erected in the memory of the citizens of East Providence who served in World War I from 1917 to 1918 , and lists the names of twenty three soldiers . The left relief depicts a marching infantry column of one man on horseback and four on foot , the right relief depicts four or five men loading a cannon and the rear relief depicts a nurse assisting two wounded soldiers .
| b8e55e50cbc403cc64af2daf476a706f | 13,622 |
At the time of its nomination , the sculpture was described as in " moderately good condition " , with the surface being both stained and pitted , but free or breaks or missing pieces . The statue still stands in its original location in front of a school that has since been re @-@ purposed for residential housing .
| 3b16965c5b9b5dc0c4f4f1f951e27868 | 13,623 |
= = Importance = =
| 80a9aac727a178a92d448e00e50971f1 | 13,625 |
The World War I Memorial designed by Montana is " historically significant as the city 's principal effort to honor those who served in the first World War and because it is an unusually successful depiction of the soldier in battle . " The larger @-@ than @-@ life masculine figure depicted in the sculpture stands apart from the stock figures of other war monuments by its dynamic pose , as if the soldier was " [ arising from ] the heat of battle " . It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 19 , 2001 .
| 93ef7dfa9ebbbe66297f2904c8b0df59 | 13,627 |
= Oldham =
| 27fc0facd16768273a4a1dd3fa3bc5ff | 13,630 |
Oldham / ˈɒldəm / is a large town in Greater Manchester , England , amid the Pennines between the rivers Irk and Medlock , 5 @.@ 3 miles ( 8 @.@ 5 km ) south @-@ southeast of Rochdale and 6 @.@ 9 miles ( 11 @.@ 1 km ) northeast of Manchester . Together with several smaller surrounding towns , it is part of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham of which it is the administrative centre .
| 8e201a48ecaa21f79b38c4093300fc33 | 13,632 |
Historically in Lancashire , and with little early history to speak of , Oldham rose to prominence in the 19th century as an international centre of textile manufacture . It was a boomtown of the Industrial Revolution , and among the first ever industrialised towns , rapidly becoming " one of the most important centres of cotton and textile industries in England " . At its zenith , it was the most productive cotton spinning mill town in the world , producing more cotton than France and Germany combined . Oldham 's textile industry fell into decline in the mid @-@ 20th century ; the town 's last mill closed in 1998 .
| 61e8ada2a97db6a8be4a2fc70d0dc827 | 13,633 |
The demise of textile processing in Oldham depressed the local economy . Today Oldham is a predominantly residential town , and a centre for further education and the performing arts . It is , however , still distinguished architecturally by the surviving cotton mills and other buildings associated with that industry . The town has a population of 103 @,@ 544 and an area of around 26 square miles ( 67 km2 ) .
| 2e79c7106edbc8fe6298300bf9644237 | 13,634 |
= = History = =
| fd3fc667e330e6e3944a4f085f9ef39d | 13,636 |
= = = Toponymy = = =
| 1987df4c02dcfa1e668a6407756f0f24 | 13,639 |
The toponymy of Oldham seems to imply " old village or place " from Eald ( Saxon ) signifying oldness or antiquity , and Ham ( Saxon ) a house , farm or hamlet . Oldham is however known to be a derivative of Aldehulme , undoubtedly an Old Norse name . It is believed to be derived from the Old English ald combined with the Old Norse holmi or holmr , meaning " promontory or outcrop " , possibly describing the town 's hilltop position . It has alternatively been suggested that it may mean " holm or hulme of a farmer named Alda " . The name is understood to date from 865 , during the period of the Danelaw .
| 24d73e22bcdf9d43b62b3b1476b70462 | 13,641 |
= = = Early history = = =
| 18049dbb330e6663007377a8e2077851 | 13,643 |
The earliest known evidence of a human presence in what is now Oldham is attested by the discovery of Neolithic flint arrow @-@ heads and workings found at Werneth and Besom Hill , implying habitation 7 – 10 @,@ 000 years ago . Evidence of later Roman and Celtic activity is confirmed by an ancient Roman road and Bronze Age archaeological relics found at various sites within the town . Placenames of Celtic origin are still to be found in Oldham : Werneth derives from a Celtic personal name identical to the Gaulish vernetum , " alder swamp " , and Glodwick may be related to the modern Welsh clawdd , meaning " dyke " or " ditch " . Nearby Chadderton is also pre @-@ Anglo @-@ Saxon in origin , from the Old Welsh cadeir , itself deriving from the Latin cathedra meaning " chair " . Although Anglo @-@ Saxons occupied territory around the area centuries earlier , Oldham as a permanent , named place of dwelling is believed to date from 865 , when Danish invaders established a settlement called Aldehulme .
| 3ca26e71aa0230aac0314589f4256bba | 13,645 |
From its founding in the 9th century until the Industrial Revolution , Oldham is believed to have been little more than a scattering of small and insignificant settlements spread across the moorland and dirt tracks that linked Manchester to York . Although not mentioned in the Domesday Book , Oldham does appear in legal documents from the Middle Ages , invariably recorded as territory under the control of minor ruling families and barons . In the 13th century , Oldham was documented as a manor held from the Crown by a family surnamed Oldham , whose seat was at Werneth Hall .
| 401f7ec7729fae052d8d6c175ac40fc5 | 13,646 |
= = = Industrial Revolution and cotton = = =
| 934971833e244ed97beda7aa6dfec6cf | 13,648 |
Much of Oldham 's history is concerned with textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution ; it has been said that " if ever the Industrial Revolution placed a town firmly and squarely on the map of the world , that town is Oldham . " Oldham 's soils were too thin and poor to sustain crop growing , and so for decades prior to industrialisation the area was used for grazing sheep , which provided the raw material for a local woollen weaving trade .
| 9b97114f6a26f27e1a9e20cdf4a337b8 | 13,650 |
By 1756 , Oldham had emerged as centre of the hatting industry in England . The rough felt used in the production process is the origin of the term " Owdham Roughyed " a nickname for people from Oldham . It was not until the last quarter of the 18th century that Oldham changed from being a cottage industry township producing woollen garments via domestic manual labour , to a sprawling industrial metropolis of textile factories . The climate , geology , and topography of Oldham were unrelenting constraints upon the social and economic activities of the human inhabitants . At 700 feet ( 213 m ) above sea level and with no major river or visible natural resources , Oldham had poor geographic attributes compared with other settlements for investors and their engineers . As a result , Oldham played no part in the initial period of the Industrial Revolution , although it did later become seen as obvious territory to industrialise because of its convenient position between the labour forces of Manchester and southwest Yorkshire .
| 288d6ffcdc5f1ecce6ad78a4d20f93f6 | 13,651 |
Cotton spinning and milling were introduced to Oldham when its first mill , Lees Hall , was built by William Clegg in about 1778 , the beginning of a spiralling process of urbanisation and socioeconomic transformation . Within a year , 11 other mills had been constructed , and by 1818 there were 19 – not a large number in comparison with other local settlements . Oldham 's small local population was greatly increased by the mass migration of workers from outlying villages , resulting in a population increase from just over 12 @,@ 000 in 1801 to 137 @,@ 000 in 1901 . The speed of this urban growth meant that Oldham , with little pre @-@ industrial history to speak of , was effectively born as a factory town .
| ad76d03937ee0dfbf7a9841cac1353c5 | 13,652 |
Oldham became the world 's manufacturing centre for cotton spinning in the second half of the 19th century . In 1851 , over 30 % of Oldham 's population was employed within the textile sector , compared to 5 % across Great Britain . It overtook the major urban centres of Manchester and Bolton as the result of a mill building boom in the 1860s and 1870s , a period during which Oldham became the most productive cotton @-@ spinning town in the world . In 1871 , Oldham had more spindles than any country in the world except the United States , and in 1909 , was spinning more cotton than France and Germany combined . By 1911 there were 16 @.@ 4 million spindles in Oldham , compared with a total of 58 million in the United Kingdom and 143 @.@ 5 million in the world ; in 1928 , with the construction of the UK 's largest textile factory Oldham reached its manufacturing zenith . At its peak , there were more than 360 mills , operating night and day ;
| 1e320c46d7c6a905024c1361028ad1b0 | 13,653 |
Oldham 's townscape was dominated by distinctive rectangular brick @-@ built mills . Oldham was hit hard by the Lancashire Cotton Famine of 1861 – 1865 , when supplies of raw cotton from the United States were cut off . Wholly reliant upon the textile industry , the cotton famine created chronic unemployment in the town . By 1863 a committee had been formed , and with aid from central government , land was purchased with the intention of employing local cotton workers to construct Alexandra Park , which opened on 28 August 1865 . Said to have over @-@ relied upon the textile sector , as the importation of cheaper foreign yarns grew during the 20th century , Oldham 's economy declined into a depression , although it was not until 1964 that Oldham ceased to be the largest centre of cotton spinning . In spite of efforts to increase the efficiency and competitiveness of its production , the last cotton spun in the town was in 1998 .
| 9063c81507bd237ff54903c83b79e13a | 13,654 |
= = = = Engineering = = = =
| b2296015ea662eb7cbe0e6c50a7f1094 | 13,656 |
Facilitated by its flourishing textile industry , Oldham developed extensive structural and mechanical engineering sectors during the 18th and 19th centuries . The manufacture of spinning and weaving machinery in Oldham belongs to the last decade of the 19th century , when it became a leading centre in the field of engineering . The Platt Brothers , originated in nearby Dobcross village , but moved to Oldham . They were pioneers of cotton @-@ spinning machinery , developing innovative products that enabled the mass @-@ production of cotton yarn . Platt Brothers became the largest textile machine makers in the world , employing over 15 @,@ 000 people in the 1890s , twice the number of their nearest rivals Dobson & Barlow in Bolton and Asa Lees on Greenacres Moor . They were keen investors in the local area and at one time , were supporting 42 % of the population . The centre of the company lay at the New Hartford Works in Werneth , a massive complex of buildings and internal railways on a site overlooking Manchester . The railway station which served this site later formed the basis of Oldham Werneth railway station . The main building exists to this day . Platts gained prestigious awards from around the world , and were heavily involved with local politics and civic pride in Oldham . John and James Platt were the largest subscribers for promoting Oldham from a township to a Borough , pledging £ 100 ( more than double the next largest sum ) in advance towards any expenses which may have been incurred by the Royal Charter . In 1854 John Platt was made the ( fourth ) Mayor of Oldham , an office he was to hold twice more in 1855 – 56 and 1861 – 62 . John Platt was elected in 1865 to become Member of Parliament for Oldham , and was re @-@ elected in 1868 ; he remained in office until his death in 1872 . A bronze statue of Platt existed in the town centre for years , though was moved to Alexandra Park . There have been recommendations for it to be returned to the town centre .
| 7e3464bdb463e36de054b8b3dc7dc867 | 13,658 |
Abraham Henthorn Stott , the son of a stonemason , was born in nearby Shaw and Crompton in 1822 . He served a seven @-@ year apprenticeship with Sir Charles Barry , before starting a structural engineering practice in Oldham in 1847 that went on to become the pre @-@ eminent mill architect firm in Lancashire . Philip Sydney Stott , third son of Abraham and later titled as Sir Philip Stott , 1st Baronet , was the most prominent and famous of the Stott mill architects . He established his own practice in 1883 and designed over a hundred mills in several countries . His factories , which improved upon his father 's fireproof mills , accounted for a 40 % increase in Oldham 's spindles between 1887 and 1914 .
| 30bcf2051cb98c230f4bbe064e71b58d | 13,659 |
Although textile @-@ related engineering declined with the processing industry , leading to the demise of both Stotts and Platts , other engineering firms existed , notably electrical and later electronic engineers Ferranti in 1896 . Ferranti went into receivership in 1993 , but some of its former works continue in other hands . Part of the original Hollinwood site was operated by Siemens Metering and Semiconductor divisions . The remainder of the site is occupied by Mirror Colour Print Ltd ; the printing division of the Trinity Mirror group , which prints and distributes thirty @-@ six major newspapers , and employs five hundred staff .
| 5e1e4fd06d94350911d7ad2a28d8b5fb | 13,660 |
= = = = Coal mining = = = =
| 701cfd0c701a24e37437cb883d7be4d5 | 13,662 |
On the back of the Industrial Revolution , Oldham developed an extensive coal mining sector , correlated to supporting the local cotton industry and the town 's inhabitants , though there is evidence of small scale coal mining in the area as early as the 16th century . The Oldham Coalfield stretched from Royton in the north to Bardsley in the south and in addition to Oldham , included the towns of Middleton and Chadderton to the west . The Oldham Coalfield was the site of over 150 collieries during its recorded history . Although some contemporary sources suggest there was coal mining in Oldham at a commercial scale by 1738 , older sources attribute the commercial expansion of coal mining with the arrival in the town of two Welsh labourers , John Evans and William Jones , around 1770 . Foreseeing the growth in demand for coal as a source of motive and steam power , they acquired colliery rights for Oldham , which by 1771 had 14 colliers . The mines were largely to the southwest of the town around Hollinwood and Werneth and provided enough coal to accelerate Oldham 's rapid development at the centre of the cotton boom . At its height in the mid @-@ 19th century , when it was dominated by the Lees and Jones families , Oldham coal was mainly sourced from many small collieries whose lives varied from a few years to many decades , although two of the four largest collieries survived to nationalisation . In 1851 , collieries employed more than 2 @,@ 000 men in Oldham , although the amount of coal in the town was somewhat overestimated however , and production began to decline even before that of the local spinning industry . Today , the only visible remnants of the mines are disused shafts and boreholes .
| 5fcd22be2d3f7a6f42ac50e87b05c54e | 13,664 |
= = = Social history = = =
| 13124cdfe7c208116781bd677145c529 | 13,666 |
Oldham 's social history , like that of other former unenfranchised towns , is marked by politicised civil disturbances , as well as events related to the Luddite , Suffragette and other Labour movements from the working classes . There has been a significant presence of " friendly societies " . It has been put that the people of Oldham became radical in politics in the early part of the 19th century , and movements suspected of sedition found patronage in the town . Oldham was frequently disturbed by bread and labour riots , facilitated by periods of scarcity and the disturbance of employment following the introduction of cotton @-@ spinning machinery .
| d2919f28c65cf15418e7db10dcc9c153 | 13,668 |
On 20 April 1812 , a " large crowd of riotous individuals " compelled local retailers to sell foods at a loss , whilst on the same day Luddites numbering in their thousands , many of whom were from Oldham , attacked a cotton mill in nearby Middleton . On 16 August 1819 , Oldham sent a contingent estimated at well above 10 @,@ 000 to hear speakers in St Peter 's Fields at Manchester discuss political reform ; it was the largest contingent sent to Manchester . John Lees , a cotton operative and ex @-@ soldier who had fought at Waterloo , was one of the fifteen victims of the Peterloo Massacre which followed . The ' Oldham inquest ' which proceeded the massacre was anxiously watched ; the Court of King 's Bench , however , decided that the proceedings were irregular , and the jury were discharged without giving a verdict .
| 4973344be896b1c507349efb71013227 | 13,669 |
Annie Kenney , born in nearby Springhead , and who worked in Oldham 's cotton mills , was a notable member of the Suffragette movement credited with sparking off suffragette militancy when she heckled Winston Churchill , and later ( with Emmeline Pankhurst ) the first Suffragist to be imprisoned . Oldham Women 's Suffrage Society was established in 1910 with Margery Lees as president and quickly joined the Manchester and District Federation of the National Union of Women 's Suffrage Societies . The Chartist and Co @-@ operative movements had strong support in the town , whilst many Oldhamers protested against the emancipation of slaves . The Riot Act was read in 1852 on election day following a mass public brawl over the Reform Act , and irregularities with parliamentary candidate nominations .
| 3e66ec14b666f17ccfc07a5105a6aad4 | 13,670 |
For three days in late May 2001 , Oldham became the centre of national and international media attention . Following high profile race @-@ related conflicts , and long @-@ term underlying racial tensions between local White British and Asian communities , major riots broke out in the town . Occurring with particular intensity in the Glodwick area of the town , the Oldham riots were the worst racially motivated riots in the United Kingdom for fifteen years prior , briefly eclipsing the sectarian violence in Northern Ireland in the media . At least 20 people were injured in the riots , including 15 police officers , and 37 people were arrested . Similar riots took place in other towns in northern England over the following days and weeks . The 2001 riots prompted governmental and independent inquiries , which collectively agreed on community relations improvements and considerable regeneration schemes for the town . There were further fears of riots after the death of Gavin Hopley in 2002 .
| 6161e9cc5aefdfd7923a9bf1c3728fb0 | 13,671 |
= = Governance = =
| 253aa8a2a41783b3f69689f32a2a2c8b | 13,673 |
= = = Civic history = = =
| 23c9e9122c926c2aeb9dffdbe756dfe9 | 13,676 |
Lying within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire since the early 12th century , Oldham was recorded in 1212 as being one of five parts of the thegnage estate of Kaskenmoor , which was held on behalf of King John by Roger de Montbegon and William de Nevill . The other parts of this estate were Crompton , Glodwick , Sholver , and Werneth . Oldham later formed a township within the ancient ecclesiastical parish of Prestwich @-@ cum @-@ Oldham , in the hundred of Salford .
| 4b6fc9ad5b961c8f48146952a13b9897 | 13,678 |
In 1826 commissioners for the social and economic improvement of Oldham were established . The town was made part of a parliamentary borough , in 1832 , though it was in 1849 when Oldham was incorporated as a municipal borough , giving it borough status in the United Kingdom , and in 1850 the Borough Council obtained the powers of the improvement commissioners . In 1880 , parts of the Hollinwood and Crossbank areas of Chadderton and Ashton @-@ under @-@ Lyne townships were added to the Borough of Oldham . Oldham Above Town and Oldham Below Town were , from 1851 until c . 1881 , statistical units used for the gathering and organising of civil registration information , and output of census data .
| 31a7a835aad95fa0e0059881818e23a4 | 13,679 |
The Local Government Act 1888 created elected county councils to administer services throughout England and Wales . Where a municipal borough had a population of more than 50 @,@ 000 at the 1881 Census it was created a county borough , with the powers and duties of both a borough and county council . As Oldham had an 1881 population of 111 @,@ 343 it duly became a county borough on 1 April 1889 . The borough , while independent of Lancashire County Council for local government , remained part of the county for purposes such as the administration of justice and lieutenancy .
| aee524bd3595024aee995bf4191f4f55 | 13,680 |
In 1951 parts of the Limehurst Rural District were added to the County Borough of Oldham , and in 1954 further parts of the same district added to it on its abolition . Since 1961 , Oldham has been twinned with Kranj in Slovenia . Under the Local Government Act 1972 , the town 's autonomous county borough status was abolished , and Oldham has , since 1 April 1974 , formed part of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham , within the Metropolitan county of Greater Manchester .
| 404ed85a7987ce3f7d4bf475a9b75b04 | 13,681 |
= = = Parliamentary representation = = =
| 228054c6a17faddefae9433bcaa39e61 | 13,683 |
The boundaries of two parliamentary constituencies divide Oldham : Oldham East and Saddleworth , and Oldham West and Royton ( which includes the town centre ) , represented by Labour Members of Parliament Debbie Abrahams and Michael Meacher respectively .
| 0e755a2f1f154fc97e1bf3474f2e9b5f | 13,685 |
Created as a parliamentary borough in 1832 , Oldham 's first parliamentary representatives were the radicals William Cobbett and John Fielden . Winston Churchill began his political career in Oldham . Although unsuccessful at his first attempt in 1899 , Churchill was elected as the member of Parliament for the Oldham parliamentary borough constituency in the 1900 general election . He held the constituency for the Conservative Party until the 1906 general election , when he won the election for Manchester North West as a Liberal MP . After he became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1940 , Churchill was made a Honorary Freeman of the Borough of Oldham , on 2 April 1941 .
| 49abe3ea324d286a9fc1c691e6c84311 | 13,686 |
= = Geography = =
| 6d0e383f9b97b9a3074b3db80f26a479 | 13,688 |
At 53 ° 32 ′ 39 ″ N 2 ° 7 ′ 0 @.@ 8 ″ W ( 53 @.@ 5444 ° , − 2 @.@ 1169 ° ) , and 164 miles ( 264 km ) north @-@ northwest of London , Oldham stands 700 feet ( 213 m ) above sea level , 6 @.@ 9 miles ( 11 @.@ 1 km ) northeast of Manchester city centre , on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock . Saddleworth and the South Pennines are close to the east , whilst on all other sides , Oldham is bound by smaller towns , including Ashton @-@ under @-@ Lyne , Chadderton , Failsworth , Royton and Shaw and Crompton , with little or no green space between them . Oldham experiences a temperate maritime climate , like much of the British Isles , with relatively cool summers and mild winters . There is regular but generally light precipitation throughout the year .
| 23a5141139abc358639d27279966dc15 | 13,690 |
Oldham 's topography is characterised by its rugged , elevated Pennine terrain . It has an area of 6 @.@ 91 square miles ( 17 @.@ 90 km2 ) . The geology of Oldham is represented by the Millstone Grit and Coal Measures series of rocks . The River Beal , flowing northwards , forms the boundary between Oldham on one side and Royton and Shaw and Crompton on the other .
| d2cba22875418f66c2d9c79a131fcacf | 13,691 |
To the east of this river the surface rises to a height of 1 @,@ 225 feet ( 373 m ) at Woodward Hill , on the border with the parish of Saddleworth . The rest of the surface is hilly , the average height decreasing towards the southwest to Failsworth and the city of Manchester . The ridge called Oldham Edge , 800 feet ( 244 m ) high , comes southward from Royton into the centre of the town .
| 01714c3a5d5856a494075325a3c3a6ca | 13,692 |
Oldham 's built environment is characterised by its 19th @-@ century red @-@ brick terraced houses , the infrastructure that was built to support these and the town 's former cotton mills – which mark the town 's skyline . The urban structure of Oldham is irregular when compared to most towns in England , its form restricted in places by its hilly upland terrain . There are irregularly constructed residential dwellings and streets clustered loosely around a central business district in the town centre , which is the local centre of commerce . In 1849 , Angus Reach of Inverness said :
| 7ae1116064198c2e747adb3973153fea | 13,693 |
The visitor to Oldham will find it essentially a mean @-@ looking straggling town , built upon both sides and crowning the ridge of one of the outlying spurs which branch from Manchester , the neighbouring ' backbone of England ' . The whole place has a shabby underdone look . The general appearance of the operatives ' houses is filthy and smouldering .
| a932044d89d87dd0b9dff51e92be3ce5 | 13,694 |
In the 1870s , John Marius Wilson described Oldham as consisting of :
| e5454fc1c0948805b44662b3ea9132ff | 13,695 |
... numerous streets , and contains numerous fine buildings , both public and private ; but , in a general view , is irregularly constructed , presents the dingy aspect of a crowded seat of manufacture , and is more notable for factories than for any other feature .
| 63f7cbad34373352b013e1139d852ce5 | 13,696 |
Although Oldham had a thriving economy during the 19th century , the local merchants were broadly reluctant to spend on civic institutions , and so the town lacks the grandeur seen in comparable nearby towns like Bolton or Huddersfield ; public expenditure was seen as an overhead that undermined the competitiveness of the town . Subsequently , Oldham 's architecture has been described as " mediocre " . The town has no listed buildings with a Grade I rating .
| 7120988a1a07b16cf7147210184e975b | 13,697 |
There is a mixture of high @-@ density urban areas , suburbs , semi @-@ rural and rural locations in Oldham . There is some permanent grassland but overwhelmingly the land use in the town is urban . The territory of Oldham is contiguous with other towns on all sides except for a small section along its eastern and southern boundaries , and for purposes of the Office for National Statistics , forms the fourth largest settlement of the Greater Manchester Urban Area , the United Kingdom 's third largest conurbation . The M60 motorway passes through the southwest of Oldham , through Hollinwood , and a heavy rail line enters Oldham from the same direction , travelling northeast to the town centre before heading northwards through Derker towards Shaw and Crompton .
| b03537a17a19fda99132f3f3c92e0b60 | 13,698 |
= = = Divisions and suburbs = = =
| a4323e374957ca33526224138d666544 | 13,700 |
Many of Oldham 's present divisions and suburbs have origins as pre @-@ industrial hamlets , manorial commons and ancient chapelries . Some , such as Moorside , exist as recently constructed residential suburbia , whilst places like Hollinwood exist as electoral wards and thoroughly industrialised districts . Throughout most of its recorded history , Oldham was surrounded by large swathes of moorland , which is reflected in the placenames of Moorside , Greenacres moor , Littlemoor , Northmoor among others .
| b04663ac8a5388d782e73ccfa89e3c80 | 13,702 |
A large portion of Oldham 's residences are " low value " Victorian era Accrington red @-@ brick terraced houses in a row formation , built for the most part from 1870 to 1920 , to house the town 's cotton mill workers . There is more modern housing in the semi @-@ rural east of the town , in the most sought after area in areas such as the village Moorside , although terraces are found in almost all parts of Oldham .
| 5c1f48c6db7f612500eabf2af6537a7a | 13,703 |
One of the oldest recorded named places of Oldham is Hathershaw , occurring in a deed for 1280 with the spelling Halselinechaw Clugh . Existing as a manor in the 15th century , Hathershaw Hall was the home of a Royalist family in the 17th century who lost part of their possessions due to the English Civil War . Waterhead , an upland area in the east of Oldham , traces its roots to a water cornmill over the border in Lees .
| 9f0f5dd4a38f34e174fda7cc88bea974 | 13,704 |
Recorded originally as Watergate and Waterhead Milne , it was for a long time a hamlet in the parish of Oldham that formed a significant part of the Oldham Above Town registration sub @-@ district . Derker was recorded as a place of residence in 1604 with the name Dirtcar . Bound by Higginshaw to the north , Derker is the location of Derker railway station and , said to have terraced residencies " unsuited to modern needs " , is currently being redeveloped as part of the Housing Market Renewal Initiative .
| 11867dce04837b7a1878caa9532377f3 | 13,705 |
Coldhurst , an area along Oldham 's northern boundary with Royton , was once a chapelry and the site of considerable industry and commerce , including coal mining , cotton spinning and hat manufacture . It is said to have been the scene of an action in the English Civil War in which the Parliamentarians were defeated .
| 6147e8ac085009b574479a3158b1f001 | 13,706 |
= = Demography = =
| 46791457b1bcbcce9074d5413fc9a15c | 13,708 |
According to data from the United Kingdom Census 2001 , Oldham had a total resident population of 103 @,@ 544 , making it the 55th most populous settlement in England , and the 5th most populous settlement of the Greater Manchester Urban Area . This figure in conjunction with its area provides Oldham with a population density of 3 @,@ 998 people per square mile ( 1 @,@ 544 per km ² ) . The local population has been described as broadly " working class " ; the middle classes tending to live in outlying settlements .
| c7ae98bc00434f9b3b6411149dcd8bff | 13,710 |
Oldham , considered as a combination of the 2001 electoral wards of Alexandra , Coldhurst , Hollinwood , St. James , St. Marys , St. Pauls , Waterhead and Werneth , has an average age of 33 @.@ 5 , and compared against the average demography of the United Kingdom , has a high level of people of South Asian heritage , particularly those with roots in Pakistan and Bangladesh . Due to the town 's prevalence as an industrial centre and thus a hub for employment , Oldham attracted migrant workers throughout its history , including those from wider @-@ England , Scotland , Ireland and Poland .
| cd98d3f82c02615272d812cabf424850 | 13,711 |
During the 1950s and 1960s , in an attempt to fill the shortfall of workers and revitalise local industries , citizens of the wider Commonwealth of Nations were encouraged to migrate to Oldham and other British towns . Many came from the Caribbean and Indian subcontinent and settled throughout the Oldham borough .
| 8d5d7046e0a18840eef43a5bca60eb5c | 13,712 |
Today , Oldham has large communities with heritage from Bangladesh , India , Pakistan and parts of the Caribbean . At the time of the 2001 census , over one in four of its residents identified themselves as from a South Asian or British Asian ethnic group . Cultural divisions along ethnic backgrounds are strong within the town , with poor cross @-@ community integration and cohesion along Asian and white backgrounds .
| 02d836e487d68646dad429000c9f732d | 13,713 |
With only a small local population during medieval times , as a result of the introduction of industry , mass migration of village workers into Oldham occurred , resulting in a population change from under 2 @,@ 000 in 1714 to 12 @,@ 000 in 1801 to 137 @,@ 000 in 1901 In 1851 its population of 52 @,@ 820 made Oldham the 12th most populous town in England . The following is a table outlining the population change of the town since 1801 , which demonstrates a trend of rapid population growth in the 19th century and , after peaking at 147 @,@ 483 people in 1911 , a trend of general decline in population size during the 20th century .
| c68a0ea0422e705c1a68542ff6732f3b | 13,714 |
In 2011 , 77 @.@ 5 % of the Oldham metropolitan borough population were White British , 18 @.@ 1 % Asian and 1 @.@ 2 % Black . While in the town of Oldham , which had a 2011 population of 96 @,@ 555 , 55 @.@ 4 % of the population were White British .
| 9b1f571c6e452d202261e8537fc359f4 | 13,715 |
= = Economy = =
| d8dae007da3eeaa157f8d1f297a9701a | 13,717 |
For years Oldham 's economy was heavily dependent on manufacturing industry , especially textiles and mechanical engineering . Since the deindustrialisation of Oldham in the mid @-@ 20th century , these industries have been replaced by home shopping , publishing , healthcare and food processing sectors , though factory @-@ generated employment retains a significant presence . Many of the modern sectors are low @-@ skill and low @-@ wage .
| 7c2589fc8269cbd3ba0591fdaacfb941 | 13,719 |
Park Cake Bakeries , sold in 2007 by Northern Foods Group to Vision Capital , have a large food processing centre in Hathershaw , which employs in excess of 1 @,@ 600 people . Over 90 % of the cakes produced go to Marks & Spencer . Long existing as an industrial district , Hollinwood is home to the Northern Counties Housing Association ,
| 2a60403b39626dc9e038641403ae254a | 13,720 |
Oldham 's town centre contains the highest concentration of retailing , cultural facilities and employment in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham . It has been extensively redeveloped during the last few decades , and its two shopping centres , Town Square and the Spindles , now provide one of the largest covered retail areas in Greater Manchester . The Spindles ( named with reference to textile spindles ) is a modern shopping centre with over 40 retailers , banks , building societies and catering outlets . It houses one of Europe 's largest stained glass roofs , created by local artist Brian Clarke in celebration of the music of one of Oldham 's famous sons , composer and conductor Sir William Walton .
| ed63fa228afc8550c2afbed1843063ca | 13,721 |
Ferranti Technologies is an electronic , electromechanical and electrical engineering company based in Waterhead .
| 6f6d72360440a9a0c66d359f8c172c77 | 13,722 |
A number of culinary and medical advances have been developed in Oldham . There are claims that Oldham was the birthplace of the first chip shop . The sometimes disputed claim of trade in deep @-@ fried chipped potatoes is said to have been started around 1858 – 60 from an outlet owned by a John Lees , on what is the present site of Oldham 's Tommyfield Market . In 1900 Oldham had the highest concentration of chip shops in the country , one for every 400 people . Rag Pudding is a savoury dish said to be native to Oldham . Yates Wine Lodge was founded in Oldham by Peter and Simon Yates in 1884 .
| 061409b27f1b5c50230bbde2fe7ad239 | 13,723 |
The tubular bandage was invented and developed in Oldham in 1961 . That " vital contribution to advancing medical science " resulted from a collaboration between local firm Seton and a cotton manufacturer in the town .
| fc4b24ef8b0ae74aee13fd6fd7fcbda6 | 13,724 |
= = Landmarks = =
| f9cfa4006687732b488664d123069891 | 13,726 |
= = = Town Hall = = =
| 20bde67a2bbc0ea7bc07112c9e2f82d7 | 13,729 |
Oldham 's Old Town Hall is a Grade II listed Georgian neo @-@ classical town hall built in 1841 , eight years before Oldham received its borough status . One of the last purpose @-@ built town halls in northwest England , it has a tetrastyle Ionic portico , copied from the temple of Ceres , on the River Ilissos , near Athens . Winston Churchill made his inaugural acceptance speech from the steps of the town hall when he was first elected as a Conservative MP in 1900 . A Blue Plaque on the exterior of the building commemorates the event . Long existing as the political centre of the town , complete with courtrooms , the structure has stood empty since the mid @-@ 1980s and has regularly been earmarked for redevelopment as part of regeneration project proposals , but none have been actioned .
| cc1588483bbf49710247e580ab5f7cea | 13,731 |
In September 2008 , it was reported that " Oldham Town Hall is only months away from a major roof collapse " . A tour taken by local councillors and media concluded with an account that " chunks of masonry are falling from the ceilings on a daily basis ... the floors are littered with dead pigeons and ... revealed that the building is literally rotting away " . In October 2009 the Victorian Society , a charity responsible for the study and protection of Britain 's Victorian and Edwardian architecture , declared Oldham Town Hall as the most endangered Victorian structure in England and Wales . Plans to convert the hall into a leisure complex , incorporating a cinema and restaurants , were revealed in May 2012 with the hall itself being used for public consultation . This £ 36 @.@ 72 million project is expected to be completed by early in 2016 .
| 8ea4f041956213e540d0ad554971e6b7 | 13,732 |
In the heart of Oldham ’ s retail district , the Old Town Hall is being developed into a modern multiplex ODEON cinema .
| 96f7991e9b4c509f9f95ed677ff9820b | 13,733 |
= = = War memorial = = =
| 89e25563672f4b69334c95735d5b3c1b | 13,735 |
Erected as a permanent memorial to the men of Oldham who were killed in the First World War , Oldham 's war memorial consists of a granite base surmounted by a bronze sculpture depicting five soldiers making their way along the trenches in order to go into battle . The main standing figure , having climbed out of the trenches , is shown calling on his comrades to advance , and is the same figure used at the Royal Fusiliers War Memorial in London and the 41st Division memorial at Flers in France . The base serves to house books containing the roll of honour of the 1st , 10th and 24th Battalions , Manchester Regiment . The pedestal has two bronze doors at either side .
| 7df90f3082a688717832eb2fee18b3a4 | 13,737 |
Commissioned in 1919 by the Oldham War Memorial Committee , the memorial was designed and built by Albert Toft . It was unveiled by General Sir Ian Hamilton on 28 April 1923 , before a crowd estimated at over 10 @,@ 000 . The monument was intended to symbolise the spirit of 1914 – 1918 .
| 7bcd29b61d5008be11ecfb9dbacef1ca | 13,738 |
The inscriptions on the memorial read :
| e75f3c382096250c1c5853af3353976c | 13,739 |
Over doors to the north : " DEATH IS THE GATE OF LIFE / 1914 – 1918 "
| 87e8b0941ca9ec02d726a62469f51e35 | 13,740 |
Over window to the south : " TO GOD BE THE PRAISE "
| 412a1ac03e601cee16976d39c4c80c03 | 13,741 |
= = = Civic Centre = = =
| d5786fa64f63241a35bf32d5081c9086 | 13,743 |
The Civic Centre tower is the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham 's centre of local governance . The 15 @-@ storey white @-@ brick building has housed the vast majority of the local government 's offices since its completion in 1977 . Standing at the summit of the town , the tower stands over 200 feet ( 61 m ) high . It was designed by Cecil Howitt & Partners , and the topping out ceremony was held on 18 June 1976 . The Civic Centre can be seen as far away as Salford , Trafford , Wythenshawe and Winter Hill in Lancashire , and offers panoramic views across the city of Manchester and the Cheshire Plain .
| 5f37d54646f9fdb34ef881d0dd560978 | 13,745 |
= = = Parish Church = = =
| b1e54982a80ac5c4328feed7c9b22c2d | 13,747 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.