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Thread: Prescot

  1. #1

    Default Prescot

    Just a little bit of Prescot history, Which some of you may find interesting.



    Prescot is one of the oldest towns in Merseyside and it is believed that an early Christian church was established here in the 7th century. In medieval times Prescot was a thriving market town and the ecclesiastical centre of a large parish covering much of south west Lancashire.

    The 18th century brought considerable changes to Prescot and the continued growth in a number of craft industries created one of the earliest centres of the Industrial Revolution. These craft industries were concentrated around watch making, tool making and the potteries, resulting in Prescot’s increased prosperity. The town also had close links with Liverpool’s expanding overseas trade and as a result became an important coaching centre on the Lancashire Turnpike System. As the old trades disappeared other industries replaced them and during the 20th century BICC was a big local employer, utilising the highly skilled watch making workforce. Prescot once had an unusual tradition known as the Perrying Ceremony. It involved the officers of the Court Leet throwing heated pennies from the windows of the Town Hall into the market place below. People would then scramble to pick them up.

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    Senior Member Waterways's Avatar
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    Prescott was a world leader in timepiece making and design - well before Switzerland knew what a cuckoo clock was.
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  3. #3

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    It certainly was. I lived in a watchmakers house at one time in Prescot. But he had long since gone.

  4. #4

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    I worked up there for a few years. Nice place.

    Good War memorial for Prescot online here http://www.prescot-rollofhonour.info/

    Its ran by Steve. Well worth a read.
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    Pablo42 pablo42's Avatar
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    Nice one Linda. Where's Prescot...

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    Smudger95 smudger95's Avatar
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    Prescot Museum. Been there today, with wife & two youngest grandchildren. There were very interested in the layout and history at this lovely museum, listing what the area had in days gone by. The receptionist was very helpful with knowledge. The unfortunate part of Prescot is that it has lost a lot of it's wonderful olde worlde character, by opening a big retail park.

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    Came fourth...now what? Oudeis's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by smudger95 View Post
    Prescot Museum. Been there today, with wife & two youngest grandchildren. There were very interested in the layout and history at this lovely museum, listing what the area had in days gone by. The receptionist was very helpful with knowledge. The unfortunate part of Prescot is that it has lost a lot of it's wonderful olde worlde character, by opening a big retail park.
    A retail park, you say?

    And there was me thinking Blackburn had all the holes in Lancashire.

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    Senior Member Oddsocks's Avatar
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    Also noted for File (metal rasp) manufacturing.

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    Pablo42 pablo42's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Oddsocks View Post
    Also noted for File (metal rasp) manufacturing.
    Is that recent Oddsocks? I've never heard of that.

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    Senior Member Oddsocks's Avatar
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    Yes Pablo, it was as recent as 1970 (mediaeval times to some). Here's a block of text from HERE

    Watchmaking in Prescot
    Prescot was well established as a centre of watchmaking by the 18th century, and
    during the following hundred years, would become world famous for the quality of its
    produce. Famous watchmakers such as John Wyke started their businesses at
    Prescot, and by the beginning of the Victorian age in 1837, watchmaking was thriving
    in Prescot. This happened for a number of reasons. The area was already well
    known for its tools, especially files, and metal working. Very high quality tools and
    metal were required by the watchmakers so it was natural that the industries should
    be set up along side each other.
    Another important factor was the close proximity of
    Prescot to Liverpool, which by 1837 was a major commercial port. This enabled the
    watchmakers to supply the demand for watches in other countries, especially
    America.

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    Pablo42 pablo42's Avatar
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    Well I never knew that. I'd heard aboout the watch and clock making, but I thought the only other thing Prescot made was cables. Hence the Cables Retail Park in town.

  12. #12

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    What really annoys me, as you have read. Prescot was known for clock and watchmaking. A few years ago , a new shopping mall called Inshops was developed, it was really good at the time for Prescot. In the centre of the ceiling was a lovely very large clock, which used to play a tune on the hour and these little figures used to come out from the 4 faces of the clock. It was quite unusual, and my kids used to love waiting to watch this happen. Then all of a sudden, either the clock broke or something, but it disappeared. So much for Prescot and its speciality of clock and watches. The council or whoever couldnt even maintain or keep that going.!

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    Came fourth...now what? Oudeis's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by lindac8941 View Post
    What really annoys me, as you have read. Prescot was known for clock and watchmaking. A few years ago , a new shopping mall called Inshops was developed, it was really good at the time for Prescot. In the centre of the ceiling was a lovely very large clock, which used to play a tune on the hour and these little figures used to come out from the 4 faces of the clock. It was quite unusual, and my kids used to love waiting to watch this happen. Then all of a sudden, either the clock broke or something, but it disappeared. So much for Prescot and its speciality of clock and watches. The council or whoever couldnt even maintain or keep that going.!
    Odd this. No news via Google on this either.

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    Pablo42 pablo42's Avatar
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    Never heard of that neither Linda.

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    Senior Member Oddsocks's Avatar
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    I'm not trying to hijack the thread. Just a piece of additional info.

    Here's a Needle File of the type that was made in Prescot. This particular one was manufactured by a small factory in Pottery Fields, amid streets of terraced houses.
    The size is ideal for working with small items.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Needle file resized.jpg 
Views:	225 
Size:	44.1 KB 
ID:	15828  

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