Preston

PRESTON, municipal, county, and parliamentary borough and port, Lancashire, England, on the river Ribble, 209 m. N.W. from London by the L.M.S. railway. Pop. (1931), 118,839. The site consists of a ridge rising sharply from the north bank of the river, while the surrounding country, especially to the west about the estuary, is flat. Among the numerous parish churches that of St. John, built in Decorated style in 1855, occupies a site which has carried a church from early times. Among several Roman Catholic churches, that of St. Walpurgis (1854) is a handsome building of Early Decorated character. Of public buildings the most note worthy is the large town hall, with lofty tower and spire, in Early English style, built in 1867 from designs by Sir Gilbert Scott. The free public library and museum were established by the trustees of E. R. Harris in 1879, and a new building opened in 1893. This contains Dr. Shepherd's library and the Newsham collection of pictures. In addition, the same trustees endowed the Harris insti tute, a science and art school, in 1849, with £40,000. The grammar school, founded in 1550, was housed in a building of Tudor style in 1841, but was purchased by the corporation in 1860. A blue coat school was founded in 1701. The Victoria Jubilee technical school was established in 1897 by the Harris trustees. There is also a deaf and dumb school. Preston is well supplied with public parks, there being Avenham park, Miller park, Moor park, the Marsh and the Deepdale grounds with an observatory. In early days Preston, owing to its geographical position, became an im portant trade centre with an agricultural market. Its importance has progressively increased since the advent of the cotton in dustry, and in addition there are iron and brass foundries, en gineering, cotton machinery, chemical and soap works, boiler works and shipbuilding and ship repairing works. Preston became an independent port in 1843, and since then has been progressive in increasing the depth of the seaward channel and building and improving the docks and quays. The main wet dock is 3,24o ft. long and 600 ft. wide. There is a total quayage of 8,500 ft. and the depth of the channel is 19 ft. at ordinary spring tide. A chamber of commerce was formed in 1916. A canal connects Preston with Lancaster and Kendal. The parliamentary borough returns two members.

History.

Preston, otherwise Prestune, was near the Roman station at Walton-le-Dale, and the great Roman road running from Warrington passed through it. It is mentioned in Domesday Book as one of Earl Tostig's possessions which had fallen to Roger of Poictou, and on his defection it was forfeited to the Crown. Henry II. (about 1179) granted the burgesses a charter—the first of 14 royal charters which have been granted to Preston. Elizabeth (1566) granted the town its great charter which ratified and ex tended all previous grants. Charles II. (1662 and 1685) granted

charters, by which an additional weekly market on Wednesday was conceded and a three days' fair, beginning on March 16. The most important industry used to be woollen weaving. Other early in dustries were glove-making and linen weaving. The first cotton spinning mill was built in 1777 in Moor Lane, and in 1791 John Horrocks built the Yellow factory. In 1835 there were 4o fac tories, chiefly spinning, yielding 70,000 lb. of cotton yarn weekly.

A gild existed perhaps in Saxon times, but the grant of a gild merchant dates from Henry II.'s charter, about 1179. The first gild of which there was any record was celebrated in 1328, at which it was decided to hold a gild every 20 years. Up to 1542, however, they do not appear to have been regularly celebrated, but since that year they have been and still are held at intervals of 20 years. A special gild mayor is appointed on each occasion. The first men tion of a procession at the gild is in 1500. One of the most im portant items of business was the enrolling of freemen, and the gild rolls are records of the population. The statement that Preston was burnt in 1322 by the Scots is probably false. The town suf fered severely from the Black Death (1349-50), and again from pestilence in the year Nov. 1630 to Nov. 1631. During the Civil War Preston became the Lancashire Royalist headquarters. In February 1643 a Parliamentary force marched from Manchester and successfully assaulted it, but in March the earl of Derby re captured the town. The Royalists did not garrison it, but after demolishing the greater part of the works left it unfortified. After the battle of Marston Moor Prince Rupert marched through Preston in September 1644 and carried the mayor and bailiffs prisoners to Skipton castle. On Aug. 17, 1648 the Royalist forces under the duke of Hamilton and Gen. Langdale were defeated at Preston by Cromwell. During the Rebellion of 1715 the rebel forces entered Preston Nov. 9, and after proclaiming the chevalier de St. George king, remained here for some days, during which the government forces advanced. The town was assaulted, and on Nov. 14, Gen. Forster surrendered his army to the king's forces. In '745 Prince Charles Edward marched through on the way south and north.

The borough returned two members from 1295 to 1331, then ceased to exercise the privilege till 1529, but since that date (ex cept in 1653) it has always sent two representatives to parliament. In the 18th century Preston had a high reputation as a centre of fashionable society, and earned the epithet still familiarly asso ciated with it, "proud." See H. Fishwick, History of the Parish of Preston (i9oo) W. F. Fitzgerald, "The Ribble Basin," Journ., Manchester Geog. Soc. (1927).