A history of the Vulcan Foundry

Steven Dowd

In September, 1830, the Liverpool and Manchester Railway was opened, and to digress, here is a brief account of the ceremony. Being one of the first passenger lines in the country, its development must have had a profound influence on the policy and prosperity of the Vulcan Foundry, and the Locomotive industry as a whole during its early years, apart from its interest to all dwellers in South West Lancashire in its effect on the industrial life of the district. T. & S. Stone. The original stone inscribed T. &…

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St Peter’s Mission & All Saints Church, Crow Lane

Steven Dowd

To the Members of the Church of England dwelling at the Earlestown end of the Parish of St. Peter, Newton-in-Makerfield. DEAR FRIENDS, For your benefit we propose to hold. during the coming Winter and Spring, in the large room of the Mill Residence in Fairclough Street, to be entered from the Mill Yard by a new staircase 1. Divine Service every SUNDAY EVENING at 6-30; and also every THURSDAY EVENING at 8 o’clock, for which Prayer Books and Hymn Books will be supplied. 2. Sunday School every SUNDAY AFTERNOON from…

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St Oswald’s, Winwick Church

Steven Dowd

A FOREWORD It is with much pleasure that I commend this brief sketch of Winwick Church. To those who, like myself, have had the privilege of loving and living in Winwick, this beautiful Church stands on a little hill apart, not actually only, but ideally, for it possesses the atmosphere that comes from a long succession of devoted men and women whose worship and service have here been concentrated—the atmosphere that only comes where holy things have been loved and tended for many a day. In Mr. Pearce’s sympathetic outline…

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Newton in 1745

Steven Dowd

At this period the wages of an agricultural labourer were 10d per day without food, and 5d if his master provided him with meals. Carpenters and masons received ls 6d per day. The wants of the people, however, were few, and food was cheap, and a shilling had greater purchasing power than it has in the present day. In the early part of the 18th century the manufacture of woollens and of silk was encouraged, to the detriment of cottons and calicoes, and made rapid strides. Probably about this time…

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Earlestown Market 1938

Steven Dowd

Market successful despite removal Trading centre provided for new town. Prosperous council undertaking at Earlestown Having commenced the story in the middle and glanced at the finish to see the happy ending it would now be appropriate to look at the opening chapter of the story and see how it began. From very remote times Newton-in-Makerfield has held a very important position. It stands on the northern road between Warrington and Wigan and about the same distance from both. In the days when Saxon kings ruled over the island it…

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Newton-in-Makerfield : yr 1825-35

Steven Dowd

NEWTON IN MACKERFIELD. NEWTON IN MACKERFIELD is a small Borough Town and Chapelry in the Parish of Winwick, and in the Hundred of West Derby; 5 miles N. of Warrington, and 7 miles S. of Wigan. This Borough contains 275 houses, occupied by 289 families, consisting of 1643 persons. Of these families 56 are employed chiefly in agriculture, 221 in trade,” manufactures, or handicraft, and the remaining 13 are either engaged in professional pursuits or unemployed. The rental of the lands, messuages, and other buildings in the township, according to…

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The Story of Vicars

Steven Dowd

Around a year ago, I compiled from different sources a history on one of Earlestowns oldest firms, T & T Vicars, somehow, the article has been lost from the database, probably when the website changed Servers some months ago, for those interested, here again is the missing history article The year 1849 has been generally accepted as the foundation year of the firm of T & T Vicars, but it is possible that the partnership was formed even earlier than this. The story began when Thomas Vicars, son of an…

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Newton – The Market and Fairs

Steven Dowd

In 42nd Henry III. (1258), Robert Banastre, the fourth baron of that name, obtained the Kings charter for a fair and market at his manor of Newton . Forty-three years afterwards a market and two fairs were granted by Edward I. to John de Langton – the market to be held every Saturday, and the fairs on the eve,day, and morrow of St. John (6th May) and of St. Germain (31st July). In 1536 the former was described by Leland (King Henry VIII.s antiquary) as “a little poore market.” This…

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Sites of Interest East of Newton

Steven Dowd

Sites of Interest to The East on Newton-le-Willows   Site number 01   Site name Winwick to Golborne Line NGR SJ 5948 9484 to SJ 5977 9535 Site type Railway Period Post-medieval HER number MHER SJ 5994/16 Designation   Sources GMAC 1995; Wardell Armstrong 2001; Ordnance Survey 1893c Description The railway was bnilt in the late nineteenth century to connect the Liverpool and Manchester railway line (Site 02) with the Warrington to Preston route. It first appears on the 1893 Ordnance Survey maps and thereafter on all subsequent Ordnance Survey…

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McCORQUODALE & CO. LTD. 1846-1937

Steven Dowd

THE following appeared in a newspaper published in 1846: “The capacious building at Newton, on the north side of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, known until recently as the “Legh Arms Hotel” is being converted into a general printing office.” A printing office in a village like Newton, however humble in pretension, a year ago would have been considered one of the greatest wonders of the age. Wonders do, however, occasionally appear, and one of the greatest we Know of is the conversion in such a place, of a building…

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Newton, 1800 & 1834

Steven Dowd

NEWTON, LANCASHIRE. Newton, commonly called Newton in the Willows, is five miles from Warrington, seven from Wigan, IS from Preston, 45 from Lancaster, and 1SS from London, in the road from Warrington to Wigan. It is an ancient borough by prescription, governed by a steward, bailiff, and burgesses, and returns two members to Parliament. The right of election is supposed to be in the burgesses, though there is no resolution of the House of Commons respecting it. The steward of the lord of the manor and the bailiff are the…

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The Fable of the Inspector and the Bolts

Steven Dowd

VULCAN MAGAZINE , Autumn 1958 THE FABLE OF THE INSPECTOR AND THE BOLTS There dwelt in the City of Newt an Inspector of a Factory, and his Chief spake unto him saying:- “Lo, there is in the wilderness of Vul a maker of bolts, and he has made two score and five special bolts. These be Sooper-Dooper bolts and great is the tensile strength thereof, that they may fix, even the very top of a cylinder casing, even unto the very bottom. Get thee hence and inspect them. And take…

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Newton M.P. committed to the Tower of London

Steven Dowd

Its Political Importance During the 274 years from 1558 to 1832, Newton was represented by no fewer than 70 different members, and from 1678 (the year the name “Tories” was given to a political party) it was represented exclusively by 30 Tories. In this list of members are found the names of the lords of the manor?the Langtons, the Fleetwoods, and the Leghs?and many gentlemen of rank and importance in the country. It was represented for six years (1695 to 1701) by Thomas Brotherton, Esq., of Old Hey Farm, situated…

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History of the Vulcan Foundry

Steven Dowd

  History of the Vulcan Foundry, Newton le Willows 1781 George Stephenson was born at Wylam-on-Tyne, Northumberland. 1785 Charles Tayleur was born. 1803 Robert Stephenson was born at Willington Quay, Northumberland. 1816 Daniel Gooch was born in Bedlington, Northumberland, on 24th August, 1816. 1823 George Stephenson founded a locomotive works at Newcastle-on-Tyne. 1829 The Rocket was built by Robert Stephenson & Co. and won the prize of £500 at the Rainhill Trials that were held to determine the most suitable type of locomotive for the new Liverpool and Manchester Railway.…

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Sankey Viaduct Train Derailment

Steven Dowd

LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER RAILWAY?FURTHER PARTICULARS. Performance of the Engines. It has been stated in several of the newspapers, by way of apology for the delay which took place in the re-turn of the rear division of the pro-cession from Manchester on the day of the opening, that it arose from an apprehension that, as night had come on, accidents might have arisen from proceeding at a more rapid rate. The authors of this apology forget that at the same time the night came on the expectant crowds went off, and…

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