The Preston History Map Website

Preston Abstinence Memorial Located in Preston Cemetery, this memorial, erected in 1859, commemorates the success of the Teetotal Movement. Preston was an early centre of the Temperance movement - the campaign against alcohol, which was the major mass-movement social campaign of the nineteenth century.  At a meeting of the Preston Temperance Society in September 1832, the principle of 'Total Abstinence' was adopted.  The memorial is surrounded by monuments to Temperance activists, including Joseph Livesey , the 'Father of Teetotalism'.  There is also a monument to Edward Grubb, the last survivor of the 'Seven Men of Preston',  who signed the first 'Total Abstinence' pledge in 1832.  Grubb is actually buried in Harrogate, but there is a stone in Preston Cemetery that reproduces the inscription from his gravestone. Preston Abstinence Memorial. Preston was a centre of the Temperance movement Uncovering England’s Secret and Unknown Memorials During 2018 His...

Cattle Market Gate Pillar The Gate Pillar from The Cattle Market  The Gate Pillar is the last remaining evidence of Preston’s long gone cattle market.  As well as being a cattle market, it was also well know for trading shire horses.  The Cattle Market was built next to Brook Street in 1867, on Thursday 24th October specifically, with an Auction Mart later being erected in 1898.  E. G. Hothersall and Sons Ltd. leased the site from the Council.  The Cattle Market was sold to Kendal Auction Mart Ltd. in October 1983. It is near to The Brook public house, which was formerly known as the Cattle Market Hotel or the’ big house’ to locals.  The site of the former cattle market land now accommodates housing. Former Cattle Market on Brook Street seen on early 20th century OS Map Former Cattle Market on Garstang Road seen on mid 19th century OS Map. According to Anthony Hewitson's 'History of Preston', it was paved and pens were erected to contain the hundreds of cat...

Sculptor Thomas Duckett's Gravestone By Peter Smith of Preston History In 1878 The Preston Guardian reported the death of the sculptor Thomas Duckett, whose most famous work is now probably the Peel statue in Winckley Square. Thomas was born in 1803, the son of Richard Duckett, a Preston auctioneer. He was apprenticed as a plasterer in Preston, before moving on to work as a wood carver and sculptor with firms around the North West, including Gillows, the famous firm of furniture manufacturers in Lancaster. He returned to Preston in the 1840s with his second wife, Winifred, and set up a studio at 45, Avenham Road. It was there that he worked on his most important commission, the statue of Sir Robert Peel. He also produced numerous marble busts of prominent Prestonians, many of which were later displayed in the Harris Museum. Other work included architectural commissions, including the Royal Coat of Arms that adorns the entrance to Fulwood Barracks. In the photograph by Robert Pates...

Preston Bus Station Preston Bus Station was built between 1968 and 1969 in the Brutalist architectural style and opened in 1969.  It was designed by Keith Ingham and Charles Wilson of Building Design Partnership (BDP) in collaboration with the engineers Ove Arup & Partners.  It is known for its distinctive Brutalist architecture, featuring a long curved façade with ribbed concrete panels and an expansive interior designed to handle high passenger volumes. At the time of its completion, it was one of the largest bus stations in Europe, with 80 bus bays and an integrated multi-story car park. Threat of Demolition and Listing By the early 2000s, Preston Bus Station faced uncertainty due to its deteriorating condition and discussions about redevelopment in the city. In 2012, Preston City Council planned to demolish the station, arguing that it was too costly to maintain. However, the decision sparked a significant public outcry, with conservationists and architectura...

Patent Self Locking Coal Grid With regard to the Patent Self Locking Coal Grid , there doesn't appear to be much information specifically about the design of it, but it was made by John Booth Foundries Ltd, Derby Street, Preston. It has the following text  ◇ THE PATENT SELF LOCKING COAL GRID ◇ ◇ J BOOTH PRESTON ◇ Patent Self Locking Coal Grid made by John Booth Foundries Ltd The one that is probably most often spotted is in front of 15 Ribblesdale Place, when leaving Winckley Square and heading to Avenham Park.  There is another one on Camden Place, and they have been reported still in existence in other places around the country.  There is a photograph online of one that somebody had seen in Coniston, South Lakeland, Cumbria on 13th February 2008.  There are three left in Preston. Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (1912) - the National Library of Scotland ~  Our Local Industries (number 22 in a series of 33).  Mr. John Booth's Iron Foundry and Marble W...

Remains of Red Scar Observatory William Cross was a prominent Preston lawyer.  In 1803 he purchased a cottage and surrounding land at Red Scar.  He subsequently expanded the cottage into a Jacobean-style mansion known as Red Scar House , incorporating the original structure into the new design. The Cross family resided there until the mid twentieth century.  A photograph of Red Scar House circa 1920 from the Preston Digital Archive The remains of the observatory can be accessed just off the Guild Wheel.  It once belonged to  Colonel William Assheton Cross  of Red Scar House, which was demolished in 1939, partly to make way for Courtauld's works.  The house was located in what is now the garden of remembrance of Preston Crematorium, south of Longridge Road. A large part of the former wooded grounds became the Red Scar Industrial Estate.  As was relatively common amongst wealthy landowners at the time, he had an interest in astronomy and h...

Preston and Garstang Turnpike Trust Milestones The Preston and Garstang Turnpike Trust Milestones are from the mid to later 18th century, and were erected by Preston and Garstang Turnpike Trust.  They consist of a convex triangular stone circa 1 metre high, with rounded top and a recessed panel on each of the two sides to the road.  They are lettered in cursive script. The Preston and Garstang Turnpike Trust was established 1751.  There are now nine such milestones in unbroken sequence on the route from Fulwood to Garstang. The one in Broughton, is now probably considered to be in Fulwood.  The cursive script indicates the following: "To Garstang 7¾ Miles" & "To Preston 3 Miles" with "BROUGHTON" on the base beneath the panels. Preston and Garstang Turnpike Trust Milestone at Broughton The nearest milestone to Preston town centre would have been... Now the milestone at Fulwood that is positioned outside the Harris ....  is now the closest one to town an...

William Gilbertson Blue Plaque William Gilbertson’s day job was as a chemist or as the plaque says, "druggist". This profession would have also been known as an apothecary at the time, and it is recorded as this on parish records related to his family.  The plaque, on the corner of Manchester Road and Church Street, is set near where he had his chemist’s shop.  This was probably in a building that stood on the opposite corner, and he would have lived over the shop. Gilbertson was a member of several learned societies, including the Geological Society of France, and in his spare time he would be out collecting fossils in Bowland, amassing a collection that is now held at the Natural History Museum in London.  A Yorkshire geologist, John Phillips, used specimens from Gilbertson’s collection to illustrate his book. William Gilbertson, member of the Geological Society of France This material proved crucial to Phillips’ research, but one collection, ‘unrivalled’ and ‘magn...

Victorian Post Box on Market Street This Victorian Post Box on positioned on Market Street, opposite the old Grade II listed former Post Office building. The plaque is inscribed; THIS VICTORIAN LETTER BOX WAS PRESENTED TO THE 1992 GUILD MAYOR ELECT COUNCILLOR MR HAROLD PARKER BY MR ALUN ROBERTS, DISTRICT HEAD POSTMASTER ON TUESDAY 31ST DECEMBER 1991 TO CELEBRATE PRESTON GUILD YEAR 1992 The post box has a distinctive Royal Cypher on it, which identifies it to have be manufactured during the reign of Queen Victoria. A Victorian Post Box on Market Street with VR Royal Cypher However, as per the wording of the plaque, it wasn't installed until a later date.  The Letter Box was presented to the 1992 Guild Mayor Elect Councillor Mr Harold Parker by Mr Alun Roberts, District Head Postmaster A Victorian Post Box on Market Street with VR Royal Cypher    What is a Royal Cypher? The Royal Cypher is a way of combining a monarchs’ initials and title, this can either be standalone lett...