~ Local Government ~

Throughout the 18th century when Dalton was just a small town with a large parish, local affairs (i.e. education¹, poor relief, the workhouse¹, maintenance of highways, etc.) were firmly controlled by the Four and Twenty¹. This was the nearest thing to local government at that time. By the middle of the 19th century, however, even though the population⁸ of the town of Dalton was increasing rapidly, Barrow's¹¹ expansion was even more spectacular, and on 13 June 1867 the district of Barrow-in-Furness was incorporated as a Municipal Borough with a clearly defined boundary by royal charter. This was the first step in the dissection of the parish of Dalton, and was soon to lead to the final demise of the Four and Twenty. Further stages in the dismemberment of the parish followed quickly.

On 1 May 1871, under a Provisional Order made by the Poor Board, it was ordered that so much of the parish of Dalton as was comprised in the municipal borough of Barrow¹², together with Walney¹ Island, Sheep Island, Piel¹ Island Foulney Island and the surrounding waters and scars, sands, marshes etc., should, as from 29 December 1871 be separated from the parish of Dalton and should constitute a distinct place under the name of the Borough of Barrow. On 31 October 1875, the municipal borough of Barrow was extended to include a further portion of the township or Division of Yarlside. Three years later, on 12 August 1878, by order of the Local Government Board, certain other parts of the parish of Dalton, known as the Chapelry of Rampside, were amalgamated with the parish of Barrow.

The establishment of a Local Government Board for Dalton was proposed in 1873 and was eventually brought about, due largely to the efforts and influence of the directors of the Askam³ Ironworks². It occupied an office building situated on the east side of the castle¹³, which had originally been built in 1851 by a solicitor, Mr. William Butler. The parish was divided into three wards - East, North and South, and each ward elected six members. The board appointed its own medical officer, surveyor, treasurer, collector, market and nuisance inspector, and clerk, and held its meetings on the last Monday of each month at 2 p.m. In 1885 it moved to the new town hall in Station Road, where it survived until December, 1894, after which time the town council system of local government was introduced.

A more complete description of the workings of the Local Board⁸ is to be found in Tyson's Dalton Local Board Accounts 1882 - 1896, a copy of which is in the Local Collection at Barrow¹³ Library. The last Local Board meeting was held in December, 1894, and in January, 1895, the same members were all re-elected, together with two additional members, to form the first town council. The first chairman of the Dalton Town Council was Mr. J. W. Lawn, and its members were William Brocklebank, gentleman; James Butcher, engine driver; John Dixon, blacksmith; Lewis Olliver, grocer; W. Geo. Ashburner, brewer; Joseph Fisher, farmer; Arthur Waiting, manager; Oliver Bartlett, insurance agent; William Lewney, miner; Joseph Scannel, inland revenue officer; Charles Kirkbride, grocer; Sam. Challoner, surgeon; James Hamer, mines manager; James Towers, miner; Thomas Cowen, mining agent; John Johnson, ironmonger; John Wardley, bootmaker (retired); John Lawn, mines manager; John Myres, secretary; and John Wharton, aerated water manufacturer.

One beneficial consequence of the post-1850 population⁹ increase was that the market⁵ was revitalised. By 1881 however, it seemed that it was flagging again, and it was apparent to many people that if the market was to survive it had to compete with Barrow¹⁴ and Ulverston⁹, both of which by this time had indoor covered markets. The idea that Dalton also needed a market hall gained almost universal acceptance, and with this objective, a petition signed by many leading townspeople was presented to the Local Board⁹.

Leaflet Issued during 1881 Market Campaign (1)

 

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Leaflet (1) issued during the 1881 campaign for a covered market.

Once the Local Board¹⁰ had agreed that a market⁶ hall should be built, the next question was, where? This soon became an issue of major local importance, and a great deal of controversy raged in the town. The two principal sites considered were Tudor Square⁵, which would have cost about £1,350 to acquire, and Station Road, on land which the Local Board had previously acquired for about 5s. 0d. a yard. For the same area this represents about one-third of the asking price of the Tudor Square site.

Leaflet Issued during 1881 Market Campaign (2)

 

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Leaflet (2) issued during the 1881 campaign for a covered market.

It may have been the case that the man in the street did not mind all that much where the market⁷ hall should be situated, but the flames of dissension were fanned by several property owners, and other interested parties who had a vested financial interest in the matter. It is not in the least surprising therefore, that in certain quarters, feelings ran high, reputations were tarnished and the integrity of the various protagonists was questioned.

The Proposed Market Hall, 1882

 

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The proposed market hall for Dalton. From the supplement to the Dalton News, 4 November 1882.

The issue was finally resolved when in January 1882 the Local Board¹¹ resolved to erect a market⁸ house and offices in Station Road. Designs were chosen, and sanction for a loan obtained from the Local Government Board in March 1883, but, the following month, the original idea of erecting a market house was scrapped, and the Board eventually erected offices, a fire station and stables on the site. It may be that the Board's decision not to erect a market hall was a major contributory factor in the decline and eventual demise of Dalton's ancient market. However, in 1981, exactly one century after the market house campaign, the Dalton and District Civic Society¹ successfully applied to re-establish the Dalton market. It was eventually reopened on 7 December 1982.

Next Part: (The Emergence of the Modern Town):- 'Social Problems'

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