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[edit] History
Blackburn means "the black stream", from the Old English blæc "black" and burna "stream". The name was recorded as Blachebrine in 1152. As a small industrial centre, Blackburn originally developed as a cotton-manufacturing town. In the mid-19th century, it became a centre for coal mining. Its small population expanded rapidly from 4,302 in 1961 to around 9,000 by 1965 as a result of employment opportunities in Bathgate to the north and through in-migration following the inception of the Glasgow Overspill Plan. The closure of the British Leyland plant in 1986 brought decline to the area, along with the destruction of many homes built during the 1960s. The railway station at Bathgate attracts commuters to live in Blackburn and provides easy access to both Glasgow and Edinburgh. [edit] Research TipsRefer to the Parish of Livingston
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