Lancashire

	a very significant county
	In early times, it guarded England from the invading Scots. Lancaster Castle, from which the County derives its name, was built at the lowest crossing point of the River Lune, and was a key English fortification.
	Lancashire's history is littered with conflict, York and Lancaster, Cromwell and Charles I, and parts of the Jacobite Rebellion were all played out in the County.
	It was the scene of the famous Pendle Witches, and their trial in the 1600s.
	More recently, coal, and the industrial revolution transformed the economy of both the County and the UK, rising to a golden age of industrial technology, only to crash in the Lancashire cotton famine, which left families across the county destitute and forced into an existence of poverty .
	Many people do not realise the huge influx of population that took place as people abandoned agriculture for a new life in the mushrooming towns of back-to-back and "Coronation Street" style terraced houses often provided for them by mill owners who wanted a workforce close to hand and not so easily mobile. The social consequences of this change were enormous. There was a great fear that so many people, concentrated so closely together for the first time in history, would give rise to anarchy and mob rule. The great public works of the day such as art galleries and parks often referred to as Victorian philanthropy frequently hid a more practical reason to civilize the mass of population and help maintain order. Healthcare as we understand it was non-existent. Open sewers were commonplace. These conditions gave rise to much of the legislation we have to-day on public order, sanitation and building regulations.
	a county of contrasts.
	Today, Lancashire ranges from seaside holiday resorts like genteel and refined Lytham and St Annes, to brash and breezy offerings with nightclubs and funfairs like Blackpool. Lancaster is steeped in history, yet there are brand new towns whose history goes back less than 20 years. The legacy of the cotton famine and the closure of the mills and coal mines means the County probably has more than its share of urban dereliction and industrial wasteland that is now being regenerated. However, it also has some of the most picturesque countryside in England.
	a confusing county.
	This is chiefly because Government has made a series of changes to the administrative boundaries of the County - especially since 1974. The pictures on the right illustrate the changes.
	For the family historian, this can make it difficult to track down who keeps the records you want to see. For example, Manchester was first in Lancashire, then it became its own administrative County, then this was dissolved to become a series of Unitary Counties with smaller areas and different names. This means that when you are searching records, you need to have in mind what the administrative boundaries of the County were at the time, and who is most likely to hold the records you need.
	One of the most helpful aspects of our Society is that our members have a wealth of expertise on Lancashire, its history, demography, geography and administrative boundaries, at all times through history.
	We hope to provide more detail about the boundaries of various administrative Lancashire areas on the website in the near future.