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Ashworth was in partnership with George Hargreaves of Thistlemount, Waterfoot. They traded under various names and became the major coal firm in Rossendale.

He also held shares in the Haslingden to Todmorden Turnpike Trust, which included Newchurch Road, off which his home was built. The main turnpike was built in 1789. This is said to be one of the last roads built by the famous road builder Blind Jack of Knaresboro', at a cost of £3,000.

The extensions to Burnley and Bacup in 1815 were under a different trust. This trust placed a tollbar to catch the traffic from one of the pits (Old Meadow) to Bacup, leading the colliery company to build a new access road to avoid the toll.

(Lancashire turnpike map courtesy Lancashire County Council with permission. The link 'turnpike plans 1814' is redrawn from plans in Lancashire Record Office ref DDX/118/9)
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Approximate location of collieries thought to be associated with John Ashworth or descendants. Click for a larger version with key.

A dispute arose between the one partner, with responsibility for the Baxenden collieries (John Hall) and the remaining partners in the 1860s. This clouded the bidding for renewal of the licence to mine in 1867 and eventually led to Chancery proceedings.
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Gambleside Colliery
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engine house Sept 2012

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