Editing Accrington (section)

===Early history===
There appears to be no mention of Accrington from the Roman period. The area typically appears to be heavily forested, with very few established settlements. According to folklore, a tall Danish tribal leader named Wada invaded the area between 760 and 798;<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wade |first=Stuart Charles |url=https://www.forgottenbooks.com/en/download/TheWadeGenealogy_10298686.pdf |title=The Wade Genealogy |date=27 September 2015 |isbn=978-1-332-21040-4 }}</ref> who seems to have founded Waddington, Paddington (Padiham) and Akeringastun (Accrington). Descendants of the Wada held much of the lands until the sixteenth century. In 1442, the [[Waddington (surname)|Waddingtons']] hold leases on Berefeld (Bellfield), and in 1517 it is recorded that Thomas Waddington transferred the lands Scaytcliff (Scaitcliffe) and Peneworth (Pennyworth) to Nicholas Rishton and to his Son Geoffrey.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Early Grimshaw Family History, Anonymous – Grimshaw Origins and History |url=http://grimshaworigin.org/miscellaneous-grimshaw-individuals/early-grimshaw-family-history/ |access-date=2022-10-26 |website=grimshaworigin.org}}</ref>
 
Accrington covers two [[Township (England)|townships]] which were established in 1507 following disafforestation; those of Old Accrington and New Accrington; which were merged in 1878 with the incorporation of the borough council.<ref name=BHO>{{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=53146|title='Townships: Old and New Accrington'; A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 6|publisher=William Farrer & J. Brownbill|access-date=5 July 2011}}</ref> The William Yates map of The county Palatine of Lancaster printed in 1786 shows Old Accrington included the area of Oaklea and also the intersection of the Winburn River (now the River Hyndburn) and Warmden Brook. New Accrington included the area of Green Haworth and Broadfield.<ref>{{Cite web |title=View map: Centre south east sheet - The county Palatine of Lancaster - Counties of Scotland, 1580-1928 |url=https://maps.nls.uk/view/220113073#zoom=6&lat=4909&lon=4341&layers=BT |access-date=2022-10-26 |website=maps.nls.uk}}</ref> There have been settlements there since the medieval period, likely in the Grange Lane and Black Abbey area,<ref name=BHO /><ref name="Assessment">{{cite web|url=http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/documents/historictowns/AccringtonComplete_LowRes.pdf |title=Accrington Historic Town Assessment report |publisher=Lancashire County Council and Egerton Lea Consultancy with the support of English Heritage and Hyndburn Borough Council |access-date=18 June 2011 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001073738/http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/documents/historictowns/AccringtonComplete_LowRes.pdf |archive-date=1 October 2012 }}</ref> and the King's Highway which passes above the town was at one time used by the kings and queens of England when they used the area for hunting when the [[Royal forest|Forest of Accrington]] was one of the four forests of the [[Hundred (administrative division)|hundred]] of [[Blackburnshire]].

[[Robert de Lacy]] gave the [[Manorialism|manor]] of Accrington to the monks of [[Kirkstall Abbey|Kirkstall]] in the 12th century. The monks built a [[Monastic grange|grange]] there; removing the inhabitants to make room for it. The locals got their revenge by setting fire to the new building, destroying its contents and in the process killing the three lay brothers who occupied it.<ref name=BHO /> An area of the town is named 'Black Abbey', a possible reference to the murders. Regardless of whatever happened, Accrington did not remain under monastic control for long before reverting to the [[de Lacy]]s.

It is thought the monks of Kirkstall may have built a small chapel there during their tenure for the convenience of those in charge residing there and their tenants, but the records are uncertain.<ref name=BHO /> What is known is that there was a chapel in Accrington prior to 1553<ref name=BHO /> where the vicar of Whalley was responsible for the maintenance of divine worship. However it did not have its own minister and it was served, when at all, by the curate of one of the adjacent chapels. In 1717 Accrington was served by the curate of Church, who preached there only once a month.<ref name=BHO /> St. James's Church was built in 1763, replacing the old chapel<ref name=BHO /> however it did not achieve parochial status until as late as 1870.<ref name=Assessment />