Also check out the Barretts Directories of Rishton for tracing family trees or see our Genealogy section

In 1870-72, John Goring's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Rishton like this:

"RISHTON, a village and a township in Blackburn parish, Lancashire. The village stands near the East Lancashire railway and the Leeds and Liverpool canal, 3½ miles N E by E of Blackburn; a, a village and a township in Blackburn parish, Lancashire. The village stands near the East Lancashire railway and the Leeds and Liverpool canal, 3½ miles N E by E of Blackburn; and has a station on the railway, and a post-office‡ under Blackburn. The township contains also the hamlet of Tottleworth, and comprises 2,760 acres. Real property, £6,044; of which £1,128 are in mines and £231 in quarries. The Population in 1851, 800; in 1861, 1, 198. Houses, 215. The manor belongs to H. Petre, Esq. There are a large cotton factory, a large reservoir, collieries, and fire-brick works. "

1841 Census records for Rishton (Population 917)

1851 Census records for Rishton (Population 800)

1861 Census records for Rishton (Population 1,198)

1871 Census records for Rishton (Population 2,577)

1881 Census records for Rishton (Population 4,056)

1881 Census Records for the Workhouses

1891 Census records for Rishton (Population 6,010)

1901 Census records for Rishton

1911 Census records for Rishton (Population 7,441)