Newton-le-Willows

AirCrash – Supermarine Attacker – 05/02/1953

April 16, 2012April 7, 2018 Steven Dowd

Supermarine Attacker FB.1 WA535 – 05/02/1953 On Thursday 5 th February 1953 Mr Roy Edwin Collingwood (all commissioned Pilots were known as Mr) took off from Royal Naval Air Station Stretton ? ?HMS Blackcap? near Warrington in Supermarine Attacker FB.1, No WA535 on what was to be his 3 rd ?Famil? (Familiarisation) flight at 15:30 […]

Newton-le-Willows

April 12, 2012April 19, 2018 Steven Dowd

To my heart there is no dearer spot upon earth, Than Newton-le-Willows, the place of my birth! Oh! The world has allurements to tempt us to roam, But it cannot supply the endearments of home. Dear Newton! Ill sing of thy sylvan retreats, Of thy lanes, and thy tree-shaded dwellings and streets, Of thy bridge […]

Newton Glass Works

March 21, 2012December 22, 2013 Steven Dowd

This Shows the location of the Glass Works In relation to Crow Lane, The Glass works (red) stands on the site where we know have the Fire Station, Opposite is the Brick Works, Windy Bank House (blue) is still standing, but all of the Glass Works or its Railway line are both long gone. This […]

The Liverpool & Manchester Railway

October 4, 2011December 22, 2013 Steven Dowd

The Cotton Trade In the latter part of the eighteenth century, the area surrounding the port of Liverpool and the growing town of Manchester was rapidly expanding. The American colonies had played a large part in promoting Liverpool as the port of import, and Manchester as the finishing centre for their cotton. Liverpool also dealt […]

A history of the Vulcan Foundry

September 25, 2011April 7, 2018 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 […]

South Lancashire Conservative Association

September 25, 2011December 22, 2013 Steven Dowd

The South Lancashire Conservative Association has scarcely been founded three years, and yet during that short period it has enrolled as members all the talent, wealth, and influence of that portion of the palatinate from whence it takes its name. To perpetuate the society a building for the accommodation of its members has been erected […]

Newton Hall : Archaeological Excavation

September 12, 2011April 19, 2018 Steven Dowd

I tried as best I could to get video of Mark Adams giving details of what they had found in their excavation, and some video of Stan & John Boydell explaining the layout and uses of the various buildings; Please remember these clips are not edited at all, i have about 2 hrs of different […]

The Lake – Poem by J H Lane

August 28, 2011December 22, 2013 Steven Dowd

I. FULL sixty years ago, a pretty vale (Now hidden neath the waters of the lake) Extended, in a winding course, from where The railway arches span the road and brook, To Castle Hill, and thence, diverging, ran Eastwards to Golborne Dale, and westwards joined The little sylvan valley of the Dene. Adown each vale […]

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

August 8, 2011December 22, 2013 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 […]

St Oswald’s, Winwick Church

April 22, 2011December 28, 2013 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 […]

Newton in 1745

March 14, 2011December 22, 2013 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 […]

Earlestown Market 1938

January 11, 2011December 22, 2013 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 : yr 1825-35

January 1, 2011December 22, 2013 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 […]

The Story of Vicars

October 31, 2010December 22, 2013 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 […]

Newton – The Market and Fairs

October 29, 2010April 19, 2018 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 […]

Sites of Interest East of Newton

October 17, 2010December 22, 2013 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 […]

McCORQUODALE & CO. LTD. 1846-1937

September 8, 2010December 22, 2013 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 […]

Newton, 1800 & 1834

July 27, 2010December 22, 2013 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 […]

The Fable of the Inspector and the Bolts

July 27, 2010December 22, 2013 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 […]

Newton M.P. committed to the Tower of London

June 24, 2010December 28, 2014 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 […]

History of the Vulcan Foundry

March 28, 2010April 7, 2018 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 […]

Sankey Viaduct Train Derailment

February 22, 2010December 22, 2013 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 […]

William Huskisson (1770 – 1830)

February 10, 2010December 22, 2013 Steven Dowd

This is the Monument that was placed beside the track, at the location of the accident, this photo is from the 1930 Centenary Memorial service The Inscription on the Monument reads : A mark of personal respect and affection has been placed here to mark the spot where, on the 15th of September 1830 at […]

James Muspratt (1793 – 1896)

January 23, 2010April 19, 2018 Steven Dowd

James Muspratt was born in Dublin on the 12th August, 1793; his father was an Englishman, whose brother was a director of the East India Company; his mother, who was a remarkable woman of fine character and culture, was a Miss Mainwaring, one of the Cheshire family of that name. They resided in Dublin, and […]

The Viaduct Foundry

January 22, 2010April 19, 2018 Steven Dowd

As the Vulcan and Viaduct Foundries swung into production skilled workers were attracted from other parts of Lancashire as well as further afield. To house their workers Stephenson and Tayleur built a model village beside their factory, Vulcan Village. Originally only of three rows it was developed as the factorys business increased. Seeing the advantages […]

Newton-le-Willows Official Guide

January 3, 2010December 22, 2013 Steven Dowd

click the image to open up a new window with the copy of the 1960s map from the guide The East Lancashire Liverpool to Manchester road passes within a few hundred yards of the northern boundary of the Urban District (four main roads communicating between Newton-le-Willows and this, important arterial road) and the Warrington to […]

Sir Hardman Earle (1792 – 1877)

October 23, 2009December 22, 2013 Steven Dowd

Sir Hardman EarleHardman Earle was born 11 JUL 1792, and died 25 JAN 1877, for Earlestown one of the most important days of his life was the 1st March 1853, This was the day that the London and North Western Railway, under the direction of Sir Hardman Earle, leased from Messrs. Jones & Potts a […]

Locomotives or Stationary Engines

October 18, 2009December 22, 2013 Steven Dowd

In November 1828 a report on the question of whether it would be better to work the Liverpool and Manchester Railway by stationary engines or by locomotives, was sent to George Stephenson, by the directors of that railway, these letters which I have transcribed are the replies, sent by George Stephenson and his son Robert […]

Congregational Church on Crow Lane

September 22, 2009December 22, 2013 Steven Dowd

Whilst the old Congregational Church on Crow Lane is being rebuilt into apartments, I thought this would be the right time, to add into the website some of the information I have about it, from various sources. The Congregational Church (new), Crow Lane, c1915The first recorded preaching of the Gospel, in Newton, by a Congregational […]

Tumuli at Winwick, 1860

September 21, 2009December 22, 2013 Steven Dowd

The earlier survey gives the more correct representation of the place, as there have certainly been at least two barrows, one in the field on the east, the other in that on the west side of the lane. The latter, which we shall first describe, is on a farm called " the Highfields," the ground […]