Chap. 1.] GENERAL HISTOKY. 41 



The announcements of public sales were made by the Clerk on 

 Sundays just after service at the church gates. In addition to their 

 church duties, the churchwardens used to visit the public-houses on 

 Sundays in order to detect illicit drinking. Any publicans caught were 

 fined by them for " chapel breaking," as it was called. At one time, 

 about 1825-30, so well off were the handloom weavers that they fre- 

 quently lit their pipes with 20s. notes. It was no uncommon thing for a 

 female weaver to weave three 20s. " cuts " in a fortnight. People in 

 those da3'S dressed in a homely and common-sense fashion, or to use 

 Mrs. Eccles's expressive phrase, " Their Sunday clothes were not so 

 fine as these people wear now-a-days on Saturdays." Alas ! for the 

 " good old times." 



The Village stocks used to be placed in the S.E. portion of the 

 church-yard. Drunkards were principally the people who were made 

 to patronize them. 



We may add that Mrs. Eccles, who is 72 years of age, is exceedingly 

 intelligent and has a wotiderful me;iiory. The changes she has 

 witnessed in her native place are such as are seldom vouchsafed to 

 any one person. A daughter of the late Mr. Wm. Banks, she lived 

 for many years at the Black Bull Inn,' Longridge, and now resides at 

 her own house in King Street, along with her daughter and son-in-law, 

 Mr. and Mrs. Thos. Duckworth. 



In appendix A wiU be found a copy of a brief issued in 1826 for a 

 collection towards the relief of William Strickland, Eichard Pinder, 

 John Bennett, and William Bennett, whose bobbin and wood-turning 

 works, at Dilworth Bottoms, were completely destroyed by fire on 

 January r2th, 1826. The loss sustained was estimated at £348 17s. 4d. 

 Collections were asked for on the owners' behalf in Berwick-upon- 

 Tweed, Co's. Flint, Denbigh, and Eadnor, and house to house 

 collections throughout the counties Palatiue of Lancaster and Chester. 

 I understand that this amount was not raised ; but I have been 

 imable to ascertain what sum was collected. 



^Now the Corporation yVrms. 



