South Ribble in the Great War - Memorials & Places
Map showing the South Ribble Memorials and places of interest
You can use the map to navigate to a particular place or memorial or you can use the geographical index below.  Memorials are indicated on the map by a gold star.  Other places of note are indicated by a blue square.
Directory of South Ribble Memorials and places of interest
The directory is split between the various townships and villages that comprise the modern day borough of South Ribble. I have illustrated the directory with excerpts from the Barrett's Directory of 1913. These directories were the forerunners of the modern Yellow Pages. As well as classified lists of residents and traders, they provided a description and potted history of the various places they covered. This particular edition was on the eve of the Great War.
Walton-le-Dale
WALTON-LE-DALE. This ancient parochial chapelry is a separated from the borough of Preston by the Ribble, and has a large village of its own name near the confluence of the river with the Darwen. The former is here crossed by a substantial stone bridge, erected in 1782. The township is in the hundred of Blackburn, parliamentary division of Darwen, and in the Preston Union. It contains also the villages of BAMBER BRIDGE, BROWNEDGE, LOSTOCK HALL, GREGSON LANE, HIGHER WALTON, SCHOOL LANE, and PENWORTHAM MILL, with a number of dispersed dwellings. It is the head of a County Council division embracing the townships of Walton-le-Dale, Cuerdale, Farington, Little Hoole, Much Hoole, Howick, Hutton, Longton, Penwortham, and Samlesbury. The township contains 4,683 acres, and its rateable value is £59,012 10s. The principal landowners are Sir James de Hoghton, Bart., R.A. Tatton, and R. Whittaker, Esquires. The former is lord of the manor and coroner; but the practical duties of this office are performed by his deputy, R.W. Ascroft Esq. The Petty Sessional Division includes the townships of Walton-le-Dale, Samlesbury, and Cuerdale; and a Court is held in the Court House, Bamber Bridge, a neat building erected in 1882, and which has superseded the old Court House, in the village of Walton-le-Dale. The East Lancashire section of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway has stations at Bamber Bridge, Preston Junction, an Lostock Hall; and the township participates largely in the staple trade of the county. Its population in 1801 was 3,832; 1821, 5,740; 1841, 6,659; 1851, 6,887; 1861, 7,382; 1871, 8,187; 1881, 9,286; 1891, 10,556; 1901, 11,271; and 1911, 12,352. The township is lighted with gas by the Preston Gas Co., and a supply of water is obtained from a well in the millstone grit, at Brindle and from the Manchester Corporation Works, Thirlmere. A Sewage Scheme for the township has recently been completed at a cost of about £30,000, and the engineer to the scheme was Mr. F. E. Dixon. A Fire Station, erected in 1908, adjoining the Council Offices, is replete with all modern appliances. A Pumping Station for supplying water in the district , was built in 1911, at a cost of over a £1,000. It contains Suction Gas Engines and Pumps which cost £2,337. It will be of interest to know that the water is pumped out of the ground and softened by chemical arrangements through 3 filters, pumped back again and forced into mains for consumers. Mr. Gibbs was engineer, and Mr. Dowbakin contractor. Under the Local Government Act of 1894 the parish is divided into four wards, viz.: Bamber Bridge East, Bamber Bridge West, Walton St. Leonard's, and All Saints', and the DISTRICT COUNCIL comprises 12 members. Its meetings are held in a good building in Bamber Bridge, erected in 1881.
ST. LEONARD'S CHURCH stands on an eminence a short distance above the village of Walton. and its tower is a conspicuous object for miles around. It was originally called Lowe Church, from the Saxon word Lawe, an elevation. The chancel and tower are of the perpendicular style, and were erected at the beginning of the 16th century, but the church existed in 1190, was rebuilt 1798, and restored in 1864, J. P. Seddon, architect. The nave and trancepts were rebuilt in 1906 at a cost of about £10,000. The walls externally are of local stone, and internally of beautifully marked Runcorn stone. The roof, seating, pulpit, &c., are of oak. Three stained glass windows have in recent years been put in to the memory of Mr. W. Calvert, Mr. and Mrs. Parkinson, and Mr. T. Snape. A good organ was purchased in 1872, at a cost of £570. The church contains 500 sittings. The benefice is a vicarage, value £300, in the gift of the Vicar of Blackburn, and held by the Rev. E. J. M. Davies. Population of the parish in 1911, 1,835. The NATIONAL SCHOOL was built in 1835, and classrooms were added in 1869, and again in 1900. In 1870 a SCHOOL was built in School Lane, in lieu of an old one, which stood since 1672. On the 23rd August, 1979, was laid the foundation stone of a CATHOLIC CHURCH, on the road to Higher Walton. It is a handsome Gothic edifice, from designs by Messrs. Pugin & Pugin, of Westminster, and the cost of its erection was about £6,000. It is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and St. Patrick, and will accommodate about 500 persons. In the sanctuary and over the Lady altar are handsome stained-glass windows. The altar, partly built at this time, was completed in 1907, the original Pugin design being followed. Most of the work is in Caen stone, the canopy being supported by six Greek panels, one depicting the Assumption, and the other the Annunciation. The Church at the same time being decorated, the whole has a most handsome appearance. Mr. B. Sandham, of Preston, was the sculptor. In 1908 an altar, dedicated to the Sacred Heart, was erected at a cost of £210, the donor being Miss S. Jackson, of Preston. Rev. G. Raphael White, O.S.B., rector. New Schools adjoining the Church were erected in 1911, at a cost of £2,700, exclusive of site, this being generously given by Sir Jas. de Hoghton. There is accommodation for 200 children. The WESLEYANS have a CHAPEL in Walton village, erected in 1882, which has superseded an older building. The WORKING MEN'S INSTITUTION, situate in Church Brow, was erected in 1881, by R. Calvert, Esq., J.P.., at a cost of £1,400, and a gift of 1,000 volumes was made by the same gentleman to the institution in 1891. In 1908 the building was extended and the principal rooms were considerably enlarged, and later were richly decorated, Mr. Henry Calvert defrayed the cost of the extensions. In 1897, in order to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, a Drinking Fountain was erected, by the inhabitants, on the Chorley Road. The CONSERVATIVE CLUB, Chorley Road, was built in 1911, at a cost of £750. The foundation stone was laid by Col. Rutherford, M.P., The club was opened in December the same year, by Lord Derby.
Bamber Bridge, Brownedge & Cuerden
BAMBER BRIDGE is a populous village on the East Lancashire Railway, 3 1/2 miles S.S.E. from Preston. ST. SAVIOUR'S CHURCH was built in 1837, on land given by the late R. T. Parker, Esq. It was enlarged in 1886-7 , by the addition of chancel and transept and lengthening of the nave. The alterations were carried out from designs by Messrs. Myres, Veevers & Myres, of Preston, the cost being £3,300. The late G. B. Dewhurst, Esq., presented the church with a good organ, and to his memory three stained-glass windows have been placed in the chancel. - one erected by Harry Dewhurst, Esq., and the other two by the workpeople of Cuerden Mill. The church now contains 800 sittings, the number heretofore 650. The beneficiary is a vicarage, value £314, in the patronage of the Vicar of Blackburn, and held by te Rev. Wm. R. Cook, M.A. Near the church is a good school, built in 1884. ST. AIDAN'S CHURCH, built in 1885, is from a design by Mr. R. Knill Freeman, of Manchester. At present only the east end has been completed, leaving the west end for a further extension. The church, when completed, will consist of nave, side chapel, chancel, and transepts. The cost of the present portion was about £5,200. The style adopted is late Decorated Gothic, and when completed, there will be sitting accommodation for 800 persons. There are at present about 500 sittings. The benfice is a vicarage, of the value of £194, in the patronage of the Bishop of Manchester, and held by the Rev. Thomas Mullineaux, M.A. A WESLEYAN CHAPEL, in the Early English style of architecture, was erected here 27 years ago, at a cost of £2,000. The CONSERVATIVE CLUB was built in 1888, at a cost of £1,250, inclusive of site and furnishing. There are billiard, reading, smoke, and committee rooms, and an assembly room, capable of accommodating 350 persons. Attached is a bowling green. The LIBERAL CLUB was also built in 1888, at a cost of £1,000, including furnishing. St. SAVIOUR'S CLUB, built in 1903 by Harry Dewhurst, Esq., is a handsome building of faced brick with stone dressings, and comprises billiard, reading, and reception rooms. It replaces the old room, which was originally a chapel, built in 1821. The DRILL HALL (11th Lanc. Battery 2nd West Lanc. Brig. R.F.A.), was built in 1887, at a cost of nearly £800, including land. 
BROWNEDGE is three miles S.S.E. from Preston, and here is a beautiful Catholic Church, dedicated to ST. MARY. The mission was first established about the year 1780, by the Rev. Oswald Eaves, and the chapel then erected was superseded by another, which was built in 1826. In 1891-2 this structure was almost entirely rebuilt, the exception being the tower and spire. The wall at the east end was taken down, and the church carried 100 feet back, the total length, including porch and chancel , being now 192 feet. The mean breadth is 71 feet, and across the transepts about 100 feet. The noble sanctuary is supported by a colannade of ten granite pillars, and a new high altar designed by Pugin, has recently been erected. A handsome open Gothic roof replaces the old one, and the outer walls are supported by transept, confessionals, and baptistry. In August 1900, a new altar in the Lady chapel was erected at a cost of £800. It is composed of white marble and alabaster, and was designed by Mr. Bernard Smith of London, and built by Messrs. Boulton, of Cheltenham. The walls of the nave have been raised, and six rose windows, with ornamental gables, inserted. Longridge and Whittle stone has been used for the exterior walls. The church has been refloored, and fitted with new heating apparatus. The church will accommodate 1,200 persons. The alterations were carried out from designs by Messrs. Pugin & Pugin, of Westminster, and the contractor was Mr. Chas. Walker, of Brownedge and Preston. The spire is 120 feet high, and contains a peel of six fine-toned bells, the principal one being given by the Rev. F. Cooper, a native of Brownedge. The church is under the pastoral care of the Rev. John A. Turner, O.S.B. The schools were enlarged in 1882 by the addition of a Boys' School. The Girls' School is taught by the Sisters of Charity of St. Paul.
Lostock Hall & Tardy Gate
LOSTOCK HALL is a village three miles from Preston on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company's line.
At TARDY GATE a Catholic School Chapel, dedicated to ST> PAULINUS, was erected in 1891, at a cost of £2,500, and it will seat 400 persons. Formerly served from St. Mary's, Brownedge, it has, since January, 1903, been a separate mission, under the pastoral care of the Rev. Cuthbert Mercer, O.S.B., D.D. The Catholic population is about 410. Th School is attended by about 120 children.
Higher Walton, Coupe Green, Gregson Lane  & Cuerdale
HIGHER WALTON, is a populous village about three miles S.E. from Preston. Here are extensive cotton mills, belonging to Messrs. G. & R. Dewhurst, Ltd., and the Bannister Hall dye works of Messrs. F. & A. Gatty & Co., Ltd. ALL SAINTS' CHURCH, erected in 1862 and consecrated in 1864, consists of nave, chancel, south aisle, and north-eastern transept, and will seat 604, with 349 free sittings. The spire was finished in 1871, at a cost of about £600; and a peal of six bells was presented by the late E. Rodgett, Esq., in 1872. One of the stained-glass windows is of very artistic design and execution. It was put in, in 1877, by the late Mr. Rodgett, who completed the decoration of the entire chancel in a most beautiful manner. In 1891, two stained glass windows were erected to the memory of the late George B. Dewhurst, Esq., subscribed for by the workpeople of Higher Walton Mills. The pulpit, of alabaster, is in memory of the late Edward Rodgett, Esq., and was presented by his widow, who also presented an eagle lectern of brass. The benefice is a vicarage, value £300, in the patronage of the Bishop and the Vicar of Blackburn alternately, and the Rev. Henry Edgar Burgess, M.A. (Camb.), is vicar. The vicarage house was erected near the church, from designs by Messrs. Paley & Austin, of Lancaster. The SCHOOL was erected in 1864. The WESLEYANS have a chapel here built at a cost of £800; and the UNITED METHODISTS have one at Cuerden Green. The HIGHER WALTON INSTITUTE was erected in 1883, By Messrs. G. & R. Dewhurst, at a cost of about £1,000.
CUERDALE is a small fertile township on the southern bank of the Ribble, three miles S, from Preston, containing 684 acres, and a population in 1801 of 106; 1821, 166; 1831, 159; 1841, 170; 1851, 80; 1861, 56; 1871, 60; 1881, 58; 1891, 60; 1901, 51; and 1911, 58. Rateable value, £1,092 5s. It forms a portion of the parish of Samlesbury, and is in the parliamentary division of Darwen. Cuerdale Hall was erected in 1700 by William Assheton, Esq., whose descendant, Ralph Assheton, Esq., is the present proprietor; but the house has not been occupied by the family for many years, In 1840, as workmen were engaged in digging the earth to replace the soil which had been washed away from behind a wall erected to protect the mansion from the inundations of the Ribble, a leaden chest was discovered, containing 10,000 pieces of silver ingots of various sizes, silver armlets, &c., amounting to more than 1,000 ozs., exclusive of 8,000 coins, chiefly Anglo-Saxon pieces, of the value of 2d. each. The treasure was supposed to have been deposited about the year 910, and the ornaments such as were worn in the time of Alfred the Great. They were adjudged as treasure trove to the Queen.
Samlesbury & Roach Bridge
SAMLESBURY PARISH also includes the small township of Cuerdale, and the parish council comprises six members. It is in the parliamentary division of Darwen, and in the Preston Union. It extends from 2 1/4 to 6 miles E.N.E. from Preston, and contains 4,379 statute acres, mostly belonging to O. Petre, H. Harrison, G. Walmsley, Mrs. Aitkin, R. A. Yerburgh M.P., the Blackburn Corporation, Messrs. Crook & Thompson, Exors. of H. M. Gaskell, and Mrs. A. W. Crook, and Mr E. Woods. Population in 1801, 1,664; 1811, 1,589; 1821, 1,979; 1831, 1,948; 1841, 1,728; 1851, 1,635; 1861, 1,215; 1871, 810; 1881, 752; 1891, 816; and 1911, 870. Rateable value, £12,750. There are two paper mills in the township - one at Roach Bridge, and another at Samlesbury Bottoms. The old manorial mansion, called Samlesbury Hall, was re-built by Sir Thomas Southworth, in 1532. It came into the possession of Joseph Harrison, Esq., of Blackburn, in 1860, by whose son, W. Harrison, Esq., it was beautifully restored and enlarged. In the south side of the edifice is a room which was a domestic chapel in Catholic times. The hall is now occupied by Frederick Baynes, Esq. ST. LEONARD'S CHURCH occupies a pleasant situation on the southern bank of the Ribble. The original fabric existed in 1196, and was re-built about the year 1559. The church has recently been restored and otherwise much improved. A new clock tower, containing a peal of eight bells, has been added, the cost being defrayed by Mr. and Mrs. T. M. Crook, of Stanley Grange. The same donors also gave a beautifully carved screen and canopy for Anglo-Saxon font. The church contains 430 sittings. The benefice is a vicarage, value £290, in the guift of the Vicar of Blackburn, and incumbancy of the Rev. Wm, Scholes. The school was built in 1936.  THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH occupies a pleasant situation at South Bank. It is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, and is under the pastoral care of the Right Rev. Monsignor William Hill. The Catholic School, Sowerbutts Green, was erected in 1876.
Farington & Farington Moss
FARINGTON. This township extends from about 2 1/2 to 4 miles S. of Preston, and is intersected by the London and North-Western and the East Lancashire lines of railway. It is in the parliamentary division of Blackppol, County Council division of Walton-le-Dale, and Preston Union. Its population in 1851 was 1,932; 1861, 1,791; 1871, 1,797; 1881, 2,017; 1891, 2,154; 1901, 2,005; and 1911, 2,321. A commodious school was erected in 1842 by Messrs. Bashall & Co., and an infant school was added a few years ago, so that 400 children can now be accommodated. There is also another public elementary school in connection with the Hutton Grammar School, for which a handsome building was erected in 1879, by the Governors, at a cost of £3,500. It is situated near Farington Station, and will accommodate 301 children. The CHURCH, dedicated to St.Paul, and erected in 1839, is a very neat structure in the Romanesque order of architecture, and contains 600 sittings, all free. In 1910 a new chancel was added at a cost of £1,800. The benefice is a vicarage, value of £230, in the patronage of the Vicar of Penwortham, and held by the Rev. Thomas Huntington, B.A. A substantial parsonage was built in 1860. A PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHAPEL was built in 1844. Farington contains 1,860 acres, and its rateable value is £20,603. For parochial government the parish is divided into two wards, viz., Farington North and Farington South, each of which returns four members to the parish council.
Leyland
LEYLAND. This township has a large and respectable village near the Leyland Station, on the London and North-Western Railway, six miles south from Preston. It is in the parliamentary division and Union of Chorley, and is the head of a county council division. The townships included in the division are Leyland, Hoghton, Withnell, Wheelton, Brindle, Whittle-le-Woods, Clayton-le-Woods, Cuerden, Bretherton, and Ulnes Walton. Numerous houses have been erected here within recent years, so that the place represents rather the appearance of a town than a village. There are several works carried on, including cotton manufacturing and bleaching, rubber works, machine works, &c. The bleaching works belong to the firm of J. Stanning & Sons, Ltd., and rank among the finest bleach works in the country. The East Lancashire line of railway has a station at Midge Hall. WORDEN, the property of the ffarington family, was partly rebuilt in 1840 by James ffarington Esq. It stands in a well wooded park, and contains many natural curiosities and ancient paintings, and its gardens and pleasure grounds are very beautiful. Population in 1801, 2,088; 1821, 2,173; 1841, 3,569; 1851, 3,617; 1861, 3,775; 1871, 3,839; 1881, 4,961; 1891, 5,972; 1901, 6,865; and 1911, 8,090. The township contains 3,725 acres, and its rateable value is £43,393 10s. To commemorate the late Queen's Jubilee, a handsome fountain was erected in the centre of the village in 1887. ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH is a venerable fabric, and consists of naive, aisles, chancel, tower, and a family chapel of the ffaringtons of Worden. A church existed her in 1090. It was rebuilt in 1816, and is in the plain Gothic style. In 1876 the chancel and tower were restored, and the body of the church re-seated. The cost of the alterations amounted to £3,000. It will accommodate 1,200 persons. Several of the windows are of stained-glass, and a fine organ was presented to the church in 1876 by the late John Morrell, Esq. A handsome reredos screen was presented in 1888 by the late Vicar. The tower contains a peal of eight bells, two being added to commemorate the late Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The benefice is a vicarage, vale £900. It is in the patronage of Colonel Robert Baldwin, and held by the Rev. Leyland Baldwin, B.A. ST. JAMES' CHURCH was erected in 1855 by the late Mrs. ffarington, and stands about a mile and a half west of the village. It consists of nave, two side aisles, and a handsome spire, and has accommodation for 500 people, with 250 free sittings, and there is a peal of six bells. In the church is a very beautiful recumbent figure, in Carrara marble, of the late Mrs. ffarington, executed in a most artistic manner by Hutchinson, of Edinburgh. The benefice is a vicarage, value £258, in the gift of the trustees of the will of Miss S. M. ffarington, and held by the Rev. Charles E. Fynes-Clinton, M.A.
To supply the necessities of the growing population in the north-east portion of the parish, a church was erected in 1885. It is dedicated to ST. AMBROSE, and the style of architecture is an adaptation of early Gothic. It consists of nave, aisles, chancel, vestries, and baptistry. The designs were supplied by Messrs. Aldridge and Deacon, of Liverpool, and the foundation stone was laid on April 18th, 1882, by the late Major-Genral R. J. Feilden, C.M.G., M.P., the cost of erection being about £5,000. It has accommodation for 460 persons. Rev, Arthur Evington M.A., vicar. MOSS SIDE SCHOOL, founded in 1770 by Samuel Crook, was re-built in 1856 by the late Miss ffarington. A ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSION was established at Leyland in 1845. The present commodious chapel was erected in 1854, and is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. It will accommodate 300 persons, and is under the pastoral care of the Rev. Bernard J. Gibbon, O.S.B. The Catholic School, Towngate, has accommodation for 258 children. It was built in 1807 at a cost of about £1,100, and has superseded the old school, built in 1879. The WESLEYAN METHODISTS have built a chapel in Turpin Green Lane in lieu of their old one at Golden Hill, which was erected in 1814. It was opened September, 1876, and the cost of its erection. &c., was about £3,000. Near to it is a school previously erected. This body have another CHAPEL at Midge Hall, and the PRIMITIVE METHODISTS have a place of worship in Leyland Lane, built in 1896. A CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, in the Early English style, with a tower 80 feet high, was erected in Hough Lane in 1877, at a cost , including fittings, of about £4,600. It will seat 450 persons. There is also a commodious Sunday School. The present pastor is the Rev. Charles Singleton. The parish is under the Local Government Act, 1894, and has an Urban District Council of twelve members. The LEYLAND AND FARINGTON GAS COMPANY was incorporated by special act of Parliament in 1863, since which time the town has rapidly developed. At present there are two holders, with a capacity for holding 300,000 cubic feet of gas. The CHARITY SCHOOL at Golden Hill was founded in 1874 by Richard Balshaw, and was further endowed by his widow. The GRAMMAR SCHOOL, founded by Queen Elizabeth, was endowed in 1702 by a Mr. Bateson, with the interest of £300, which, with the interest of money in the three per cent. consuls, makes the present annual income about £22. There is at Leyland a well-attended NATIONAL SCHOOL; and at Earnshaw Bridge is ST. JOHN'S SCHOOL, built in 1807 at a cost of £1,200, with accommodation for 100 children. The PUBLIC HALL, built in 1809, at a cost of £4,000, is a very handsome building. The assembly room, with spring floor for dancing, is 70 feet by 36 feet, and, with ante-rooms, comprises the upper storey. The ground floor is used as bank premises and the offices of Urban District Council. FARINGTON'S ALMSHOUSES, founded 1607 by William Farington, for six poor persons, was removed some years ago by the Misses ffarington from their original site in the village to a more healthy situation in Fox Lane; and in 1870 six more almshouses were erected, out of Osbaldeston's Charity, in Fox Lane, instead of the old ones in Cow Lane; in 1884 two handsome houses were erected in Towngate. Petty Sessions are held at the Police Station and Court House, erected in 1882. WADE BROOK BRIDGE was rebuilt in 1880, of stone, at a cost of over £400.
Penwortham & Howick
PENWORTHAM is in the Hundred of Leyland, Parliamentary Division of Blackpool, County Council Division of Walton-le-Dale, and Union of Preston. The Parish is divided into two wards, viz., St. Mary's and Middleforth Green, each returning four members to the Parish Council. Within recent years the township has to a great extent lost its rural appearance, and it is now an important residential suburb of the town of Preston. PENWORTHAM PRIORY was rebuilt in 1832 by Lawrence Rawstorne, Esq., who died in 1850; and PENWORTHAM BRIDGE was rebuilt in 1759. ST. MARY'S CHURCH occupies a beautiful situation at the east end of a long avenue, adorned with stately trees, and its bulky tower terminates in pinnacles and castellated parapet. The tower contains a peal of six fine-toned bells over 200 years old, and the east window is filled with stained glass. The present edifice is probably of the 15th century, but was restored in 1856. A church, however, existed here prior to the year 1075. It contains 650 sittings, of which 350 are free. The benefice is a vicarage, value £250, in the patronage of Lawrence Rawstorne, Esq., and held by the Rev. Oliver Burton, M.A. Population of Parish, 3,250. A lych-gate was erected in 1897, at the entrance to Penwortham Churchyard, in memory of the late William Adam Hulton, Esq., and his wife. The structure is Gothic, and in point of design and workmanship is one of the most interesting examples of this kind of architecture in the north of England. ST. LEONARD'S CHURCH, Middleforth Green, is an iron structure, built in 1901 by the Venerable Archdeacon Rawstorne to the memory of his sister, Miss Mary Rawstorne. It contains 300 sittings, which are all free. At MIDDLEFORTH GREEN is a school, erected in 1861. A branch of the Hutton Endowed School is at Cop lane. It was founded in 1891, and a new school was erected in 1878. The WESLEYAN CHAPEL, built in 1910 at a cost of £3,500 from designs by Mr. Arthur Brocklehurst, of Manchester. The building is of Accrington brick with terra cotta dressings. It has accommodation for 325 sittings. ST. MARY MAGDELENE'S (Chapel of ease to ST. Wilfrid's, Preston), Leyland Road, is a neat edifice in the Romanesque style of architecture from designs by Mr. J. H. Mangan, of Preston, and was opened in September, 1912, by his Grace the Lord Archbishop of Liverpool. The building is of grey and blue brick with redstone dressings, and cost £2,500. The altar installed in the church was taken from the private chapel at Alston Hall, and is the gift of Miss Waterton. A Benedictine Priory, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, was founded at Penwortham, about the year 1030, and existed until 1537, when it was dissolved, and the property granted to the Fleetwoods. In 1801 the population of the township was 1,049; 1821, 1,501; 1841, 1,372; 1851, 1,487; 1861, 1,506; 1871, 1,578; 1881, 1,642; 1891, 1,613; 1901, 2,523; and 1911, 3,517. Rateable value, £22,605.
HOWICK. A small township in the Blackpool parliamentary division, Walton-le-Dale County Council division, and Preston Union. It contains 754 acres, mostly the property of L. Rawstorne, Esq., and is distant 2 1/2 miles S.W. from Preston. Its population in 1801 was 112; 1821, 136; 1841, 125; 1851, 116; 1861, 93; 1871, 80; 1881, 62; 1891, 101; and 1911, 110. The Parish Council consists of five members. Rateable value, £1,932. The SCHOOL, originally founded by Henry Fleetwood in 1827, was rebuilt in 1878 by the Trustees of the Hutton Grammar School.
Hutton
HUTTON. This is a township of dispersed dwellings from 2 1/2 to 3 miles S.W. from Preston, in the parliamentary division of Blackpool, the County Council division of Walton-le-Dale, and in the Union of Preston. It contains 2,745 statute acres, mostly the property of Lawrence Rawstorne, Esq. Rateable value of the township, £6,686. The Parish Council comprises five members. HUTTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL, which is situated in this township, was founded 6th Edward VI., by Christopher Walton, of Little Hoole; but in 2nd Elizabeth, John Walton, the testator's son, left property to the foundation of the yearly value of £2 12s. 0d., and so great has been the increased value of land, that when the Charity Commissioners issued their report in 1846, its annual value was £850, and it has since advanced upwards of £1,200 per annum, but this has been seriously diminished by expenditure out of capital upon building several elementary schools in the ancient Parish of Penwortham. In 1876 a new scheme for the administration of the school was made by the Charity Commissioners, but it was not carried into effect until 1878. By it, the character of the school has been entirely changed, as no boys are now free, and provison is made for boarders, who form the majority of pupils. With a view to this, the Governors spent a considerable sum of money in altering the buildings so as to adapt them for the purpose, a new wing being added, containing  a large dining hall, dormitories for 50 boys, bath-rooms, &c.; also, in 1885, a large room, 65 feet long and 20 feet wide, was erected to serve the double purpose of a gymnasium and drill hall. In 1895 a new wing was added at a cost of £600; and in 1901 a complete laboratory was equipped for physical and chemical instruction, at a cost of £500. In 1906, a gymnasium 60 feet long by 25 feet wide, and a workshop 35 feet by 20 feet, were added at a cost of £750, both thoroughly equipped for their different purposes. The present head master is the Rev. T. J. Cunningham, M.A. Population of Hutton in 1801, 462; 1821, 613; 1841, 563; 1851, 500; 1861, 461; 1871, 395; 1881, 389; 1891, 374; and 1911, 429.
Longton, New Longton & Walmer Bridge
LONGTON is a village 5 miles S.W. from Preston, and its township includes also a portion of the hamlet of Walmer Bridge, a mile further from Preston. It is in the parliamentary division of Blackpool, County Council division of Walton-le-Dale, and Preston Union. The Parish Council comprises seven members. There are large malting and brewing establishments and brick and tile works at Longton, and at Walmer Bridge is an extensive cotton mill. The township contains 3,561 acres, and its population in 1801 was 904; 1921, 1,790; 1841, 1,719; 1851, 1,637; 1861, 1,637; 1871, 1,455; 1881, 1,443; 1891, 1,333, and 1911, 1,800. Rateable value, £14,627. The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway from Preston to Southport has a station here. The manorial rights belong to the Moss, Strickland, and Wilkins families. The CHURCH existed in 1517, and was rebuilt in 1770. It was again rebuilt in 1887, and is now a very handsome edifice, in the Gothic style of architecture, from designs by Mr. J. E. K. Cutts, of London. The cost was defrayed by public subscription, the principal donations being received from the late Thomas McGuffog, Esq., L. Rawstorne, Esq., Messrs. William and Richard Strickland, and Mr. T. R. Wilkins. The benefice, a perpetual curacy, value £250, is in the gist of Lawrence Rawstorne, Esq., and in the incumbancy of the Rev. William Henry Norris, B.A. The SCHOOL was erected in 1818, and enlarged in 1870. The WESLEYANS and PRIMITIVE METHODISTS have each a chapel in the village. That of the former, opened in 1872, replaced one built in 1807. The CATHOLIC MISSION at Longton was founded by the Very Rev. Canon Lawrence Cosgrave, of St. Augustine's, Preston, with funds supplied by the late Very Rev. Dean Lennon, of Chorley. The chapel is dedicated to St. Oswald, and will seat 100 worshippers. The cost, including school and presbytery, was £2,000. The design was supplied by Mr. Edmund Kirby, of Liverpool, and the contractor was Mr. Thos. Cottam, of Preston. The foundation stone was laid by the late Bishop O'Reilly on June 11th, 1893, and the opening ceremony was celebrated on the 13th October, 1894, by the Bishop of Liverpool. The priest in charge of the mission is the Rev. Patrick Francis Keating.
Much Hoole & Little Hoole
MUCH HOOLE. CONTAINS a scattered village 8 miles S.W. from Preston. The surface is generally flat, and most of the land abounds with marl. Its rateable value is £4,116, and its population in 1801 was 417; 1821, 644; 1841, 785; 1861, 708; 1871, 644; 1881, 581; 1891, 567; and 1911, 642. It is in the parliamentary division of Blackpool, County Council division of Walton-le-Dale, and Preston Union. The Parish Council consists of six members, The CHURCH, dedicated to St.Michael, or, according to some, to the Holy Trinity, is a neat edifice, with a tower erected on four pillars. It was originally erected as a chapel-of-ease to Croston, in the fifteenth century, and re-edified in 1628. The tower was erected in 1720, and in 1859 the parishioners placed a new clock in it, as a memorial to Jeremiah Horrox. A chancel was added in 1858. On the north side of the tower is the old yet forcible moral reflection, "Ut Hora sic Vita" - "As the hours so is life"; and the church contains a few neat tablets and monumental memorials. The living is a rectory of the annual value of £280, in the patronage of Mrs. Dunne, and held by the Rev. E. N. Dunne, B.A. A tablet in memory of the late rector, the Rev. Robert Brickel, has been erected in the church. The WESLEYAN CHAPEL, erected in 1882, at a cost £800, in Much Hoole, contains 360 sittings. It replaced an older building dating from 1848. Near the church is a commodious school house, erected in 1850, for which £200 was received from the Committee of Council and £50 from the National Society. Several improvements have since been made at a cost of £160, to which the parishioners contributed. The celebrated astronomer, Jeremiah Horrox, made his observations in this township previous to entering Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
LITTLE HOOLE. A thinly-populated township, adjoining the township of Longton, in the parliamentary division of Blackpool, County Council division of Walton-le-Dale, and in the Preston Union. The Parish Council consists of five members. The township contains 1,223 acres, and its population in 1801 was 179; 1821, 216; 1841, 204; 1861, 424; 1871, 450; 1881, 440; 1891, 431; and 1911, 501. Its rateable value is £3,694. A BRITSIH SCHOOL was opened here in 1860, and is generously supported by Messrs. Crewdson and Grierson, cotton manufacturers, Walmer Bridge. A PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHAPEL was built her in 1894, at a cost of about £1,100. It is a plain brick edifice, and has superseded one dating from 1854.