I HAVE traced the origins of Audley House Club, Blackburn, from original documents found in the cellar when it closed after 137 years.

They were discovered by long time member Mr Norman Jackson, who still lives in Audley Lane.

An Audley House can be traced back more than 250 years – a 1759 map shows it on the edge of Audley Glebe Estate at Copy Nook. But it had long gone when brewer Henry Shaw constructed the building which still stands today, around 1849.

Next door stood the four storey malt kilns where Henry carried out his brewing business.

Two other substantial properties in the area were occupied by Richard Shackleton and W. Ashburn, of Thomas Thwaites and Ashburn, another original brewing company.

By 1865 Henry Shaw and Company had moved premises to Salford and the malt kilns were taken over, probably by Thwaites.

As Henry Shaw became more affluent he moved out of Audley House to Buxton and his partner John Rutherford took over both it and the business in 1878.

He was mayor of Blackburn 10 years later – and also represented Darwen as its MP for 27 years.

Audley House Club was inaugurated in 1865 at a meeting in the Audley Arms pub and it was named The Working Men’s Reform Club.

The following year, club rooms were established at cottages 9 and 11, Audley Lane, owned by Henry Shaw.

James Simpson was appointed house keeper and lived on the premises rent free.

The rooms were available to members till 10pm on weekdays and 11pm on Saturdays, where a number of papers and periodicals were available included The Daily Telegraph, The Working Man, The Engineer, Morning Star, London Daily News, Blackburn Times, Punch, Financial Reformer and Chambers Journals.

The committee also bought a dozen second hand books for the reading room and began to build up a library from the donations made by discussion groups, who used the rooms.

The club also organised a first anniversary social and tea party on the Saturday before Christmas Day in Furthergate Day School which raised £12 2s 6d.

The club, now with many additional members, continued in the two cottages,with its cultural and liberal associations until, at a meeting in 1880, it was proposed that it move to Audley House, which was then available to rent, to improve and enlarge the facilities.

John Rutherford stipulated the club was only used as a Liberal club with a billiards room, news room and that all beers used on the premises were purchased from his Salford Brewery.

The club committee then decided to changed the club’s name to ‘Audley House Reform Club’.

By 1893 a bowling green had been established and internal heating pipes were also added.

Audley House Club rules include what must have been the first equal opportunities statements of any organisation in Blackburn in that the club ‘shall be absolutely non-political/non-sectarian so that harmony and concord will prevail’.

When John Rutherford sold the Salford Brewery to Thwaites, Audley House was included in the sale and the freehold of the club premises passed to the business, who held it until the 21st century.

The original club was, for many years, a ‘Gentlemen’s Club’ - the names on the first lease included cotton manufacturers and mill managers - and it is known that newspapers used to be ironed by the steward after being read.

In the modern era the club premises were substantially improved and extended in 1978 to provide a large function room, a concert room and a separate snooker room with improved bar facilities.

But as membership dwindled it was forced to close its doors in 2002.