The club was originally named Blackburn St. James' (affiliated to St. James' Church on Shear Brow) and was formed in 1913. After first, playing successfully in the North East Lancashire League, the Ribblesdale Junior League was joined in 1922. A team from the club ho played in the Chorley and District League in the period between the two World Wars. In the early days the ground was at Longshaw, better known perhaps as Blackburn Railway Clerks' Ground and now the site of Longshaw Primary School.

The move to the present site at Pleckgate was initiated in 1923. Joseph Bassnett bought a field and in the late summer of 1923 a Summer Fayre was held to commemorate the official opening in the presence of local dignitaries. Afterwards the area in the centre was dug up and drained ready for playing on in 1924. Tennis was added in 1926, one shale court and a tennis pavilion which is still, in a dilapidated state, just standing and by far the oldest building on the site. Joseph Bassnett, an ardent cricket supporter, became the first of only three presidents the club has had in the last 69 years. He was succeeded by his widow Margaret. The present incumbent is Bill Eatough who has held the office for 22 years, his record of service to the club stretching back an incredible 70 years. Facilities have gradually been improved over the years: first a new clubhouse of modest proportions which was subsequently updated and extended, new and improved tennis and squash courts and cricket and tennis changing rooms. The result is a sports complex much to be admired and very much to the credit of the present Chairman, Arthur Shaw, who after a successful playing career starting in 1949 has been Chairman for the past 29 years and since 1984 has been Ribblesdale League President. The club, like many others, has always relied on a band of faithful workers. From the precarious beginnings when money was always short and closure constantly threatened, the club has been built up by these willing workers to the point where it can stand on its own feet not simply reliant on voluntary labour alone.

Performances on the cricket field have not always been of the consistently high standard of the teas provided by the tea ladies but the Junior League championship was won in 1930, 1932 and 1940. When the Second World War created vacancies in the Senior League, Blackburn St. James' were invited to join it on the strength of their success in the Junior League and were allowed to continue in 1945 when normality resumed, but with the new name of Blackburn Northern. The connection with St. James' Church had long since disappeared and to avoid the Sunday school label, the name was changed, opening the way to Sunday cricket and the introduction of bar facilities.

The early years in the Senior League were difficult and it was 20 years before the championship was achieved. Terry Ibbotson's talented side won the trophy in 1965 and the Ramsbottom Cup the following year, followed by the double in 1968 and the championship again in 1970. The double was clinched in dramatic style with two wins in a weekend over main rivals Earby. This was by far the most successful period in the club's history. Only one more trophy has been won since by the 1st XI ‑ the league championship in 1981. The 2nd X1 won the Division 2 championship in 1984 and the Lawrenson Cup in 1981.

Two teams were fielded every week for 50 years but in the 1960's an U 18 XI was set up and ten years later the 3rd XI was raised to play first of all in the North East Lancashire League and then in the newly formed Third Division of the Ribblesdale League. Expansion then accelerated and now there is a 4th XI in the North East Lancashire League and teams at U 15, U 13, U 11 and most recently U 16 level. Even a ladies team appeared for a brief spell. To cope with this heavy programme a non‑turf pitch is planned for 1992. Who would have envisaged this in 1923 when the pitch was first laid?