Congregational Chapel and School Smallbridge Rochdale
Smallbridge Village had a reputation for being one of the rowdiest areas in 19th century Rochdale; this possibly had something to do with the number of ale houses in the area. The main employment in Smallbridge was sandknocking the crushing of sandstone to sell the sand The main alternative to sandknocking was coal mining.
In his 'Lancashire Sketches', Edwin Waugh described Smallbridge people as follows: There is a race of hereditary sand-sellers or sandknockers in Smallbridge - a rough mountain breed who live by crushing sandstone or rock for sale. The people who knock this sand and sell it have been known over the countryside for many years as "Th' Kitters".
Reference Manchester Guardian, Tuesday 23 February 1864, Page 2 (Contracts)
Reference Manchester Guardian, Saturday 27 February 1864, Page 10 (Contracts)