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the ground covered by the buildings which now reach from Dr. 

 Coultate's old house to the Union Club — not a building of any 

 kind there — to their hotel. 



The old "Old Red Lion" disappeared in 1868, and by its 

 removal the last indication of the original width of what is now 

 a good broad road, was taken away. " The Bull," I may here 

 mention, was strictly speaking, " The Black Bull." 



Next to the Eed Lion, coming up Manchester Eoad, was a 

 spacious yard, in which was a large warehouse used by James 

 Pate. Close to was the local gaol, popularly known as " T' Black 

 Hoyle" (it seems a pity to disturb the pronunciation of the 

 words) : in this square buUding offenders against His Majesty's 

 laws were incarcerated until such time as they could be brought 

 before one of the Justices of the Peace ; the rings used for the 

 detention of prisoners may still be seen in Mr. Henry Holdsworth's 

 shop ; it was then a two- storey building, the men occupied the 

 bottom floor, and the women found accommodation in the room 

 above, reached by a flight of steps on the southern side. In 

 proximity to this somewhat sombre building was BUI Pollard's 

 smithy, then came Henry Whitaker's wheelwright's shop ; a 

 portion of the land here was used as a pig market so late as the 

 time of my boyhood. 



Where Red Lion Street is now was a gate leading to Red Lion 

 Croft, a path through which led to Lane Bridge, or, as it was 

 then known. Hand Bridge. Coming higher up was the cabinet 

 maker's works of Mr. Wm. Birtwistle : in this workshop the 

 father of our esteemed Mayor (George Sutcliffe, Esq.) served 

 his time. A little higher still was Tom Whitaker's house and 

 cart shed, and near here was the beginning of a cart-road which 

 led through the fields to Drift Coal Pit — the entrance to the pit, 

 or the mouth as it was called, was near the Rose and Thistle 

 Hotel, and the Drift — for such it was in featm"e more than a 

 pit — went under the canal. Parker Lane was then a country 

 lane, just wide enough to admit of a cart — it had gardens on 

 each side — the street which has taken its place is still called 

 Parker Lane, and the name seems to have been derived from 

 a Robert Parker, who Hved at the White Lion. — The area above 

 the present Post Office as far as the river was a field in Pate's 

 tenancy. The opposite bank was known as Windy Bank (it is 

 now Saunder Bank) and at the corner of Lane Bridge was the 

 foundry which we all remember when in the occupation of Messrs. 

 Graham and Sons — 70 years ago the foundry was the property of 

 Mr. Thomas Smith, and he lived close to the workshop in a 

 house facing Foundry Street. The opposite side of Foundry 

 Street was cornered by the Canal Tavern, to reach which more 

 steps were required than are now or have been for many years. 

 Manchester Eoad, besides being wider than it formerly was, has 



