blacksmith in Haslingden before travelling to St. Petersburg, Sweden, and finally to Verviers, near Liège in Belgium. Here he set up spinning and carding machines with his sons Willam, Charles James, and John. John had also been born in Haslingden but moved to Vervier at the age of 12. He was eventually offered a Chateau in Seraing which then became the heart of Belgium's iron, steel and machine-building industries. He is considered to be the founder of Belgian manufacturing and was known as a humanitarian employer. Immigration and community In the 19th century when the cotton industry was thriving, the town became a magnet for immigrants to Britain. In particular the port of Liverpool was a gateway for waves of immigrants, and many of these were attracted by work in the mills. From the late 1840s a large influx of Irish immigrants forced out of Ireland by the Great Famine of 1846–1852, came to Lancashire and some ended up in Haslingden. At almost the same time, as a result of the political instability in Italy, Italians came to Liverpool and Manchester and a few families moved on to Haslingden. Similarly, in the 1930s various eastern European refugees fleeing Nazi persecution settled in the area. Immediately after World War II young women from Germany were brought over to work in the mills, and a few came to Haslingden and stayed. From 1950 onwards migrants were encouraged to travel from Commonwealth countries to work in the post-war textile industry. Initially this tended to mean young men who travelled from Pakistan, and later Bangladesh, fully expecting to return home after building up their savings. But by the 1970s, many were joined by wives and families and settled permanently in Haslingden. As a result, the town is now home to a substantial and vibrant community of people with a South Asian heritage, mainly Bangladeshi and Pakistani. Many of the families come from just a few villages: from the Attock and Mirpur areas of north-west Pakistan, and from Patli Union in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh. The town now houses two mosques and a considerable number of Asian grocers and other shops. There is also Apna (Rossendale) that provides classes, workshops and a meeting place mainly for South Asian women. It is based at the Dave Pearson Studio, and has a focus on Islamic arts, well-being, health and general education. Governance A civil parish was