Toponymy

The first part of the township, Tonge, as its name implies, is located on the tongue of land between the River Tonge and Bradshaw Brook,^[2] which was derived from the Old English tang or twang meaning a fork in a river.^[3] The second part of the township, Haulgh, is derived from the Old English halh meaning a plot of flat alluvial land by a river.^[4]

Governance

Historically, Tonge with Haulgh formed part of the Hundred of Salford, a judicial division of southwest Lancashire. It was one of the townships that made up the ancient ecclesiastical parish of Bolton le Moors.^[5]

Under provisions of the Poor Relief Act 1662, townships replaced civil parishes as the main units of local administration in Lancashire.^[6] Tonge with Haulgh became one of the eighteen autonomous townships of the civil parish of Bolton le Moors.

In 1837, Tonge with Haulgh became one of the townships of the Bolton Poor Law Union, which took over the responsibility for the administration and funding of the Poor Law in that area.^[7] The following year, the Haulgh area of the township was incorporated into the municipal borough of Bolton.^[8] The remainder not merged with the municipal borough continued with the name "Tonge with Haulgh".^[8] In 1866, it changed its status from a township to a civil parish. From 1872, it was part of the Bolton Rural Sanitary district. In 1894, it finally dropped the name "Haulgh" and simply became the civil parish of Tonge. In the same year, Tonge became part of the Bolton Rural District. However, the rural district was abolished in 1898, and Tonge became an electoral ward of the County Borough of Bolton.^[8]