Clitheroe has been represented in the House of Commons since 1558. For almost 300 years its two MPs were elected by a handful of voters, but over time legislation widened the franchise, extended the constituency, and halved its parliamentary entitlement. Nevertheless an electoral unit designated `Clitheroe' existed until 1983 and its history has been frequently chronicled. Despite its moving boundaries, the centre of the constituency was always the town of Clitheroe. When the Clitheroe constituency was abolished in 1983 its various parts were subsumed by adjacent or new divisions - Burnley, Pendle, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley. Thus vanished an institution which for over 400 years had affected the lives of the inhabitants of this corner of the north west, traditionally considered conservative, but in fact full of dissidents. Some like Selena Cooper and David Shackleton became nationally important and their place in history is assured. Others have been forgotten, yet their achievements were immense. Ethel Carnie and T. D. Benson made political contributions well beyond the Clitheroe constituency, and Louisa Higson and William Seedall, amongst many others, committed themselves to improving the lives of the working class within it. This book examines an aspect of history which has been overlooked - the role played in it by dissent, by those who resisted the political establishment in some way.