Local History – Page 6 – Newton-le-Willows

Tales of Old Newton Races

21 July 200822 December 2013 Steven Dowd

FOREWORD. This little book, written by Mr. William Rylance, will gain in value as the years roll on. The customs he records have changed, are changing, and will continue to change; and these descriptions of what has been, presented in graphic language by one who had first-hand knowledge of the things of which he spoke, will provide reliable material for the future historian of our social life. Moreover, the stories have a present interest and worth. They cannot but make a strong appeal to all who love to read of…

Sankey Navigation – The first canal

20 July 200822 December 2013 Steven Dowd

Sir Richard Western (1591-1652) built the Wey Navigation between the Thames at Weybridge and Guildford. In the 15 miles, there were 7 miles of artificial cut, 10 locks and 4 weirs. The fall to the Thames was 86 ft. This navigation was opened in 1653 (concurrently with the first turnpike Acts), and is a typical river improvement of the time. John Hadly opened the Aire and Calder navigation from Weeland to Leeds and Wakefield in 1703, which Smeaton extended to Halifax in 1764. A similar project was envisioned for the…

Sites of Interest: East of Newton-le-Willows

3 July 200822 December 2013 Steven Dowd

Sites of Interest to The East of 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 maps. Assessment The…

The M6 Motorway

11 April 200828 December 2013 Steven Dowd

The first section of the 63 miles long North-South Motorway through Lancashire to be completed was the Preston By-pass (8 miles)—Britain’s first motorway—opened by the Prime Minister, the Right Hon. Harold Macmillan, M.P., on the 5th December, 1958. The second section was the Lancaster By-pass (12 miles) opened by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Charles Hill, M.P., on the 11th April, 1960. The Minister of Transport authorised the construction of the third section of the Motorway between the southern end of the Preston By-pass…

Sankey Viaduct and Embankment

20 March 200822 December 2013 Steven Dowd

Although the Stockton & Darling-ton Railway was the first public railway on which locomotives were used, the Liverpool & Manchester Railway was the first in the accepted sense of the word today. The scheme for a railway between the great port of Liverpool and the thriving cotton-manufacturing town of Manchester, was first entertained as a practical proposition in 1821, when a preliminary survey of the proposed line was made. The company was formed in 1824, and George Stephenson was appointed Chief Engineer in 1826. The route had to be amended…

BOB CARLISLE – “The Walker”

19 March 200822 December 2013 Steven Dowd

My earliest recollection on my way home from St. Johns School at the corner of Legh St. and Market St., and one that stands out very clearly in my mind, is of seeing a man walking round and round Earlestown Market Square. I was later to learn that his name was Bob Carlisle, and he was repeating a feat of walking one thousand miles in one thousand hours, at not more than one mile an hour. This had been performed some time before for a wager between some very prominent…

Anti-German Riot In Earlestown

18 February 200819 April 2018 Steven Dowd

14th May 1915: EXTRA ORDINARY SCENES. Earlestown on Monday night was the centre of a scene absolutely unprecedented in its history. The primary cause was of course; the bitter feeling that has been gradually growing stronger against German aliens throughout the country a feeling which reached fever heat on the day following the sinking of the “Lusitania,” gathered in intensity on the Sunday, and then, when Mondays papers told the tale of how Liverpool, had set the example on Sunday evening, it rose to such a height here that there…

Newton Hall & Crow Lane Hall

26 January 200819 April 2018 Steven Dowd

The videos below were taken by myself at Newton Library, they show the talk given by Mark Adams from Liverpool Museum, who conducted the archaeological excavations at the sites of Newton Hall in early 2006 and Crow Lane Hall in late 2007.

1872 – Vulcan Foundry Rules

13 January 200822 December 2013 Steven Dowd

Ken Harding one of the website visitors sent me quite a few local photos that he had scanned, one of the items he scanned was this document, Its a copy of the Rules and Regulations from the Vulcan Foundry, dated Jan 1st, 1872. I added the photos Ken sent into the photo gallery, but the rules document would not have been readable displayed in the gallery, so I have transcribed it for you to read If you click the read more link below this text, you will be able to…

Newton-in-the-Willows

21 November 200722 December 2013 Steven Dowd

I was sent the whole page, but its a very large scan, so i have cut out just the main section of it for you here.

War Memorial Hospital

20 November 200722 December 2013 Steven Dowd

The idea of a Cottage Hospital for this district took shape almost immediately the South African War was over. Although some efforts had previously been made the idea did not appeal to the public until the end of the war, when they entered into the scheme with increased interest. Two War Memorials have been elected in the township, the fIrst of these was to the memory of our townsmen who fell or served in the Boer War. This is well-known to all residents as standing prominent in its position by…

History of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway

24 October 200722 December 2013 Steven Dowd

On Sunday 18 September 1955 several founder members of the R. & C.C.S. visited Rainhill, Parkside, Newton and other historic places on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. This is a short history of the railway, prepared earlier the same year by G.O. Holt for the Railway and Canal Historical Society, I transcribed this from the publication they produced. A SHORT HISTORY OF THE LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER RAILWAY Any history of this line must begin with a tribute to the enterprising spirit that brought about its great success. For several years…

Rokeden – Poem by J H Lane

13 September 200722 December 2013 Steven Dowd

There is not in dear Newton a picture so pretty As the green rocky dean at the north of the town; Oh, the sight of this valley inspires a sweet ditty, Of sprightliest measure, its beauties to crown. From the old Castle Hill to the Lady Hill stretching, What a sylvan display greets the visitors eye! A succession of scenes worth an artistic sketching In bright colours to equal the bow in the sky. First the bridge oer the lake claims the life-limning brushes, With its background of trees on…

The Newton in Makerfield Volunteers

2 August 200722 December 2013 Steven Dowd

In 1803, when there commenced a period of twelve years of imminent danger of invasion, and a force of volunteers, stated to amount to 463,134 men, was raised for local service. At this time a corps was formed in Newton with Thomas Claughton, Esq., of Haydock Lodge, as colonel, from the Orderly Book of which corps (now in the Warrington museum) we give a few extracts:- Newton, Octr. 2nd, 1803 R.O. Mercury, 10 die Augusti, 1803 Resolved, nemine contradicente Ordered… That a copy of the resolution of the House of…

Tommy Burns jump off the 9 Arches?

27 July 200719 April 2018 Steven Dowd

Tommy Burns was a young Widnes man who had been causing no end of a sensation up and down the country by his high diving feats. He laid no claims to being a great) swimmer but he had cer?tainly perfected the art of diving. Height never daunted him, he always gave a per?fect performance and did not demand very deep water for he had no sooner cut the water than he was swimming on the surface Burns was travelling about the country giving exhibitions of diving for what he could…