The History Of Blackpool
At the beginning of the Eighteenth century, Blackpool was a mere hamlet of a place. Yet about the year 1714, visitors resorted to it during the summer season. By 1735, the place had begun to prosper so far as to make it worthwhile for a sanguine speculator to build a cottage specially for visitors. But even in 1769 the town only consisted of twenty-eight cottages, generally of the poorest description.
Twenty years later, the number of houses had increased to thirty five, mostly running in an irregular line along the cliffs and sand hills. At that period it was computed that the people frequenting the place numbered about 400 each season. Bathing vans were scarce, the bathers generally using boxes. At a certain hour of the day a bell rang, and the gentlemen went to the beach to bathe, afterwards another rang and the ladies made their ablutions in the flowing tide.
The prices at the inns and boarding houses had risen, as the accommodation improved. In hotels of first class were 3s. 4d. a day - exclusive of liquors - was the charge for boarding and lodging, dinner and supper being charged 1s each to the casual visitors, and tea and breakfast 8d. In those of 2nd class, some of the lodging houses were 2s 6d per day.
A promenade six yards wide, carpeted with grass and separated from the road by white wooden railings, ran along the verge of the sea-bank for a distance of 200 yards. This parade was extended some years later, by means of a bridge thrown from its south extremity over the road leading down to the shore, and on to the cliffs on the opposite side.
By the year 1801 the number of residents in Blackpool was 473. Seven years later, we find that the town boasted seven good hotels. In1811, the population had risen to 580, and by 1821 to 749. The summer of 1827 seem to have been the most prosperous one at Blackpool till then, for more people came to the town than could possibly find lodgings, and hundreds had to sleep in barns and bathing boxes. The census of 1831 showed that the population had risen to 843 persons.
