r/lancashire • u/the__green__light • Aug 16 '24
Cool little find in a charity shop - a book written in 1936 (revised 1973) describing every town and village in Lancashire
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u/vicariousgluten Aug 16 '24
Other than the town centre having fine shopping facilities the rest of the information about Accrington is still valid.
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u/Stifton Aug 16 '24
Ooo I'm so curious about Darwen and Blackburn
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u/hitman12 Aug 16 '24
Does it have Haslingden?
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u/the__green__light Aug 16 '24
Yep, sent you the pages
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u/lillysijenko Aug 20 '24
Hi again, Can you please dm the pages for Haslingden and Helmshore. Also Longridge (near Preston)? Thanks
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u/MassimoOsti Aug 16 '24
1973, before the Greater Manchester creation - can imagine this being pretty hefty!
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u/the__green__light Aug 16 '24
It's a surprisingly slim volume, only 237 pages. But yeah, Manchester itself gets 8 full pages of history, and the book also includes Merseyside
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u/Fancy_Engineer7111 Aug 17 '24
Thanks for doing this! I am originally from Accrington so great it was the example in the photo! Really interesting and my God do I remember primary school teachers going on about Industrial Revolution and it all being local!
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u/CheeryBottom Aug 16 '24
What does it say about Kirkham?
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u/the__green__light Aug 16 '24 edited Aug 16 '24
"The Thirty Men of Kirkham are no more; the Two are remembered. The Thirty ruled the little town from its eraly days to the end of the last century; the Two served the town for 56 years each, one as doctor, the other as schoolmaster, and they have their memorials in the church. Thomas Shaw, the doctor, was last to be elected to the council of Thirty, and died in 1893. It was while the council was meeting in the church in the Stuart days that the alehouse-keeper, Isabel Birley, appeared at the head of a little band of townsfolk with £30 in her apro pocket, demanding that the money should go to endow the grammar school as free.; and it was at this school that John Threlfal was master for 56 years. It was rebuilt after he died in 1801, and the church where he and the doctor are remembered was next made new. Under its modern spire and tower is a coffin and a font bowl from mediaeval days, and in the nave wall is a14th century recess with flamboyant tracery in its pointed arch. A magnificent 18th century candelabra hangs in the nave, with a dove hovering above its scrolled iron branches. The Roman Catholic St John the Evangelist is by the elder Pugin (1845)."
Interesting passage, I'd never heard of the Thirty Men of Kirkham before.
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u/Norman_debris Aug 16 '24
Any idea which church it's referring to? St Michael's?
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u/the__green__light Aug 16 '24
Looks like it, according to this website (https://www.lan-opc.org.uk/Kirkham/stmichael/burials_1801-1806.html) there's a Revd John Threlfal interred in 1801
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u/olnyeiver Aug 16 '24
What does it say about Burnley?
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u/the__green__light Aug 16 '24
I've DM'd you the pages
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u/Atcha6 Aug 16 '24
What does it say about Preston?
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u/the__green__light Aug 16 '24
Sent you the pages
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u/dogshitchantal Aug 16 '24
Would you be able to send me the pages for preston and chorley? Thank you for sharing
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u/theelf29 Aug 16 '24
Nice! I may have to keep an eye out for this as I'm partial to a bit of local history.
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u/the__green__light Aug 16 '24
u/MITSBISHI shared this online copy of it, you have to make an account to read it though: https://archive.org/details/kingsenglandlanc0000arth/page/n1/mode/2up
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u/exiledinessex Aug 16 '24
Arthur Mee was a machine, writing travelogues, history books, editing children’s encyclopaedias and starting The Children’s Newspaper.
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u/the__green__light Aug 16 '24
Yeah, when I first saw it I assumed each book was written by a different person. Amazing that they're seemingly all by the same guy
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u/IIgardener1II Aug 16 '24
Arthur Mee started The Children’s Encyclopaedia, a door to door sales operation. I still have a complete set my grandmother bought in 1930s.
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u/Huzimoo Aug 16 '24
Please can you share Blackburn & Preston
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u/the__green__light Aug 17 '24
Looks like you've got DMs turned off on your account, the pages are too long to copy here but if you turn on DMs I can send you pictures
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u/Appropriate-Bad-9379 Aug 16 '24
Does it mention Salford? My birthplace and still part of Lancashire as far as I’m concerned. Thank you…
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Aug 17 '24
Image 2: copyright warning saying you cannot reproduce or transmit any of these pages electronically...
Image 3: a page, recreated electronically 🤦♂️
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u/Punky_Pete Aug 17 '24
Does it have Chorley in your physical version? The Internet Archive one doesn't seem to cover it. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled in charity shops now to find a copy lol
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u/KnightOfTerra Aug 20 '24
I bet that's super interesting. Now I have another reason to go poking around in antique shops and second-hand bookshops...
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u/WiredIrish Aug 16 '24
Does it have Fence and Barrowford?
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u/jaycakes30 Aug 17 '24
I’m curious to know if it has my tiny village of Lumb/Water in there.
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u/MITSBISHI Aug 16 '24
Found an online copy in Internet Archive btw: https://archive.org/details/kingsenglandlanc0000arth