Preston Lancashire – History

Discover the dramatic and inspiring history of Preston – from ice age hunters and Roman roads to Viking treasure, Civil War battles, an industrial triumph. Explore how this remarkable city rose through tragedy, resilience, and innovation. A journey through time that reveals untold stories behind Preston‘s enduring spirit Watch, learn, and be amazed by its rich legacy.
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[Music] The Romans built roads through it and the Vikings hid treasure under its soil. Bloody civil war set fire to its streets. This is a history of Preston Lancasher. The name Preston comes from the old English word Prius Ton which literally means priest town. It’s believed that some kind of religious community was established here way back in the 7th century. And you can still see the religious connection today in Preston’s Crest, which features the lamb symbol of St. Wilfried, a North Umbrean bishop who said to have founded a monastery near where people crossed the River Ribble. But human activity in this area goes back much, much further than that. Archeological finds show that people have been drawn to this spot for nearly 10,000 years. Ice Age hunters made their home in these marshy lowlands. And we know this because of some remarkable discoveries. In nearby Carlton, archaeologists found an almost complete elk skeleton with a barbed bone spearhead still embedded in it. Even more fascinating, Victorian workers building the docks along the River Ribble kept turning up human and animal remains, suggesting that the river wasn’t just a practical resource, but even possibly a sacred site, maybe even an ancient burial ground. And the Romans left their mark on the landscape through Wattling Street, a great military road that crossed the river Ribble nearby, connecting their northern frontier to the heart of their empire. Roman coins and pottery fragments found in the area suggest a settlement or way station existed here, taking advantage of the crucial river crossing that would define Preston’s destiny for millennia to come. After the Romans departure, Anglo-Saxon settlers established Preston, which by the time of the Doomsday book in 1086 had emerged as a chief settlement of the Amountinous region. And throughout this period, the river Ribble remained central, facilitating travel and trade through fies, fords, and connecting the burgeoning market town to the surrounding farms and the villages. Preston’s formal growth began in 1179 when King Henry II granted it a burough charter enabling it to hold a market and form a merchant guild. This charter led the groundwork to the unique Preston Guild, a prestigious civic festival that’s held only once every 20 years and dating back over 800 years. It remains one of English’s oldest and most infrequent civic celebrations. By the 13th and the 14th centuries, Preston had become one of the region’s wealthiest towns. Its economy fueled by wool production and cloth weaving. Flemish weavers drawn by economic promise appear in the local records of the time. And the river Ribble again played its part bringing goods like salt, iron, and sending out finished textiles to broader markets. But the growth came at a cost. The early 14th century proved particularly harsh for Preston. In 1315, the town was struck by a great famine, the panuropean disaster triggered by relentless rains and cooling temperatures. And during the onset of the little ice age, crop failures and food shortages would have devastated the local economy and population. Just a few years later, Preston suffered further tragedy when it was sacked and burned in 1322 by forces led by Robert the Bruce, King of the Scots. This raid, part of a broader Scottish incursion into northern England, left the town in ruins and its inhabitants traumatized. Then came the most devastating blow of all, the Black Death. Reaching Preston in the mid-4th century, this bubanic plague outbreak reportedly claimed up to 3,000 lives within the parish, wiping out a significant proportion of the local population and leaving an indelible mark on the town’s history. Preston’s religious charter deepened during the Reformation when the town became a stronghold of Catholic resistance. And while much of England embraced the Protestant reforms, many of the Preston families clung to the old faith, risking imprisonment and death. Hidden priests conducted secret masses in concealed chambers, and Catholic families like the Hortons and the Sheerburns faced persecution for their refusal to conform. The stubborn devotion to Rome would define Preston’s spiritual identity for centuries, earning it a reputation as one of the most Catholic towns in Protestant England. Preston’s medieval records reveal both everyday life and unusual customs. One of the more notorious forms of punishment used in the town was the scolds bridal. A striking example is found in 1666 in a courtle case where Ellen Howeth was fined for univil language. And if she refused to pay, she faced a humiliating punishment of being bridled and paraded through the town. A testament to the era’s harsh approach to social control, especially against women. Meanwhile, the River Ribble continued to guard ancient secrets. In May of 1840, a group of workmen repairing the southern bank of the River Ribble near Curedale struck on something unusual. A lead line chest packed with silver coins, ingots, and and ornaments. Over 8,600 Viking era objects in total. And thinking that they’d found their fortune, the men eagerly filled their pockets with handfuls of treasure. Their excitement though was short-lived. A baiff quickly arrived and confiscated the horde and ordered the men to return what they had taken, though each was permitted to keep one single silver coin. Later declared a treasure trove. The fine became the property of Queen Victoria in her role as Duke of Lancaster. And scholars believe that the Curedale Horde was buried around AD 90005 to 910 by Viking exiles preparing to return to Ireland. It was likely a war chest and it underscores the River Ribbles role as a strategic waterway linking Viking York and the Irish Sea. And today most of the horde resides within the British Museum with select pieces held at Ash Molan Museum. The 17th century brought both political upheaval and military conflict to Preston. During the second English Civil War, the town played a pivotal role in the fate of the English monarchy. On August 17th, 1648, the Battle of Preston unfolded as Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army confronted a larger royalist and Scottish force led by the Duke of Hamilton. Cromwell, believed to have planned the engagement from Preston’s Unicorn Inn, launched a rapid and decisive assault. Fighting began near Ribbleton Moore with cavalry charges and musket fire echoing through the town’s narrow lanes. The royalists were poorly organized and stretched thin and were pushed back by house-to-house fighting towards the river Ribble, where the intense close quarters combat raged across its bridges. The pursuit continued through Wigan and onto Warrington with Cromwell’s troops routing the Royalist in a series of brutal skirmishes. The parliamentarian victory shattered royalist hopes and hastened the execution of King Charles I in January of 1649. Preston’s streets, ins and fields had witnessed a turning point in British constitutional history. After the civil war between King Charles the first and parliament, Preston faced more fighting 65 years later during the Jacobite rising of 1715. In November, rebel forces who wanted to put James Stewart, who claimed to be King James III, on the throne, took control of the town. Their leader, Thomas Foster, wasn’t very experienced and government soldiers quickly surrounded them. After a few days of street fighting, the rebels the rebels gave up and surrendered on November the 14th. This defeat ended the uprising in England and kept the current royal family in power. With the dawn of the industrial revolution, Preston was transformed. Textile mills and factories sprung up, powered by the river Ribble and labor of thousands. In the year 1816, the town became the first outside London to be lit by coal gas using surplus musket barrels to carry the flow. Victorian pride reached its zenith with the construction of the Harris Museum and Library in 1893. A magnificent neocclassical temple to learning that dominated the town center and built with funds from Edmund Roberts Harris, a local lawyer, this cultural cathedral represented Preston’s ambition to rival great cities of the industrial age. But with industry came risk. The River Ribble, both a friend and foe, brought recurring floods that wre havoc upon the town. Notable great floods occurred in 1775 and again in 1840, damaging homes, bridges, and farmlands. And even in recent memory, Storm Eva in 2015 brought further significant flooding to the area. Industrial disaster struck in January 1871 when Bloomfield Mill was destroyed by fire. And though the building was evacuated at the time, the blaze threw more than 500 workers out of employment. And during the mill’s reconstruction, tragedy struck again when a gable wall collapsed, killing a man. Labor unrest was also a defining feature of the era. In 1832, the world’s first temperance society was formed in the city, reflecting the deep concern over workingclass living conditions. The great lockout of 1854, which left 26,000 textile workers unpaid for months, drew national attention. Charles Dickens visited Preston during the strike, using what he saw to inspire hard times. a scathing critique of industrial exploitation. Yet amidst the industrial struggle, Preston’s workers found solace and pride in football. Preston North End, formed in 1880, became a symbol of local identity and achievement. In 1888, they joined the inaugural football league as a founding member and the following year achieve sporting immortality by coming by becoming the first team ever to win both the league and the FA Cup the coveted double. without losing a single match. They were dubbed the Invincles, a testament to Preston’s spirit of excellence. Even in the times of hardship, Preston made significant contributions to World War I, both in manpower and on the home front. Thousands of local men enlisted, notably forming the Preston Pals, a loyal North Lancaster regiment who experienced heavy fighting particularly at the Sun and the city’s textile mills adapted to produce essential war materials like uniforms. Crucially, women volunteers ran 24-hour soldiers and sailors free buffy at Preston’s railway station, serving millions of passing servicemen with refreshments and comfort. A remarkable humanitarian effort that eased countless arduous journeys. The Second World War cast a long shadow over Britain, touching every corner of the nation, including the seemingly tranquil village of Freckleton, closely connected to Preston. It was here, amidst the ongoing global conflict, that one of the most heartbreaking civilian air disasters in British history unfolded on August the 23rd, 1944. On that fateful morning, a United Army Air Force Consolidated B-24H Liberator Bomber named Classy Chassis 2 departed from RAF Wharton, a nearby airfield, and the aircraft was on a test flight after undergoing maintenance intended to return it to active service. As the bomber made its approach back to the airfield, a severe summer thunderstorm suddenly descended upon the area and bringing with it torrential rain, high winds, and dramatically reduced visibility. At approximately 10:47 in the morning, caught in the treacherous weather conditions, the heavily fueled B-24 Liberator lost control. The pilot, First Lieutenant John Blowandal, reportedly attempted to abort the landing, but the aircraft was caught by a powerful downdraft. And the bomber, weighing 25 tons, cartwheel down Litham Road, its destructive path leading directly into the heart of Freckleton Village. The Liberator demolished three houses and obliterated the Sad Sack Snack Bar, a popular ery frequented by both locals and American and British servicemen. But the full horror was realized as a significant portion of the plane, including its nose section, crashed into the infant’s wing of Holy Trinity School. The ruptured fuel tanks ignited instantly, engulfing the school classrooms in a ferocious fire. And within minutes, the lives of 38 children, many aged just four to six years old, along with dedicated teachers, Miss Jenny Hall and Miss Louisa Hume, were tragically killed. and the Sadsac Snack Bar also suffered immense loss with 18 of the 20 occupants perishing. In total, 61 people lost their lives that day, making it the deadliest aviation accident on British soil during the war. So, I’ve come to Freckleton to the disaster memorial uh to lay some flowers and uh to remember the people who died in the very sad uh disaster. And it it really resonates with me as uh my mom and dad was about the same age as their children during World War II. Uh and dad was bombed out of his house and evacuated. Uh so yeah, it’s it’s quite poignant. Uh and I just wanted to uh pay my respects. In 1984, tragedy struck again near Preston at the Abbeiststead Water Transfer Station. During a public tour, a methane gas explosion erupted underground, instantly killing eight people and another eight people succumbed to their injuries, bringing the total fatalities to 16 people. All 44 attendees were injured and many of them severely. Though outside Preston’s immediate boundaries, the disaster deeply affected local communities, particularly St. Michael’s on Wire. The explosion caused by methane seeping from deep coal seams led to significant industrial safety reforms, serving as a grim reminder of the critical importance of hazard assessment and safety protocols in such installations. Despite the many challenges it has faced, plague, war, fire, and flood, and famine, Preston has endured. It achieved yet another milestone in 1958 with the opening of Britain’s first motorway, the Preston Bypass, an early stretch of what would later become the M6. And at the same time, ships were still docking at the Grand Albert Edward Dock, a symbol of Preston’s once vibrant link to the global trade before its closure in 1981. In the late 20th century, it brought transformation as Preston evolved from an industrial town to regional center. The establishment of the University of Central Lanasher in 1992 breathed new life into the city while ambitious regeneration projects reshaped the city center. Preston was granted city status in 2002 as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee, a recognition of its enduring importance and a significant civic milestone. Today, Preston stands as a layered city of history and of innovation. From the footprints of the Ice Age hunters to the Roman roads, Viking treasure, and the roar of Cromwell’s cavalry, its streets and riverbanks echo with the centuries of human endeavor.