BURNLEY, municipal, county and parliamentary borough of Lancashire, England, at the junction of the rivers Brun and Calder, 29m. N. of Manchester, on the L.M.S. railway and the Leeds and Liverpool canal. Pop. (1891) 87,016; (1931) 98,259. The church of St. Peter has a Perpendicular tower, but is largely modernized. During the cotton famine consequent upon the American Civil War of 1861-65 Burnley suffered severely, and the operatives were employed on relief works embracing an extensive system of improvements. In 1902 Towneley Hall and Park were acquired by the corporation, the mansion being adapted to use as a museum and art gallery. There are a school of science, munici pal technical school, and public parks and recreation grounds. The principal industries are cotton-weaving, worsted-making, iron f ounding, coal-mining, brick-burning and the making of sanitary wares. The parliamentary borough (1867) returns one member. The town was incorporated in 1861 and the county borough was created in 1888. The corporation consists of a mayor, 12 aldermen and 36 councillors. By act of parliament in 1890 Burnley was created a suffragan bishopric of the diocese of Manchester. Area of county borough, 4,686 acres.