[Rob1912]

Mr Adam Dugdale, who was born at Great Harwood, was a partner at Broad Oak Print Works from 1812 up to the time of his death in 1838. He bequeathed the Cross Street Charity at the lower end of Oak Street and abutting on Cross Street. The property was purchased in 1840 by the Rev. John Hopwood and the church wardens of St James' Church along with the overseers of Old and New Accrington, for the benefit of the poor of Old and New Accrington. The property was purchased for £250 of which £100 was the Adam Dugdale's request, and the balance was contributed by various inhabitants of Accrington. The value of this property was shown in 1896 when Nicholas Bentley, brewer, purchased the Borough Arms and the cottage adjoining for £2,930 under authority of the Charity Commissioners.

This property was at one period the Police Station of Accrington. It lost this distinction when the police took up their quarters at the Old Courthouse, Manchester Road, the prison cells being in the basement. The courthouse was in more recent times the Catholic Apostolic Church, a sect which has died out in Accrington although adherents still reside in the town.

In the list of beer house and tenants in old and new Accrington in 1869 prepared by Mr Richard Broughton for the Justices in 1916 we gleaned the following references to those that existed in Abbey Street (some previously referred to in this series are omitted): William Pilkington of the Lark Inn (objected to in 1869 but the licence was renewed, as well as that of the Spinners Arms, later Borough Arms in Oak Street).

From Crossley and Ainsworth Articles