PREFACE 



THE County Palatine of Lancaster presents to the eye of the 

 traveller and historian alike a wide diversity of characteristics, 

 physical, social, and industrial. The western or coastal 

 region is flat, or very slightly undulating, whilst the eastern 

 and northern regions consist of extensive areas of moorland and fell, 

 intersected by deep and once secluded valleys. Inhabited at the Con- 

 quest by a sparse population mainly dwelling in the open country, 

 the hills and pastoral region in course of time afforded settlements to the 

 gradually increasing population, under conditions somewhat removed 

 from the old-established village communities with their feudal influences. 

 Whilst the western and southern regions were in the main composed 

 of large estates held by knightly families and their dependent 

 franklyns or freeholders, the eastern and northern regions consisted of 

 small estates painfully improved from the woods and hilly wastes by the 

 predecessors of the small yeomen and copyhold tenants, a vigorous and 

 thrifty race of men, whose rapid disappearance during the last half- 

 century amounts almost to a grave national and social disaster. From the 

 race inhabiting these small pastoral estates sprang the great bulk of the 

 spinners and weavers, artisans and colliers, who have done so much to give 

 to this county that industrial supremacy which has long distinguished it 

 in common with the neighbouring county of York. The impetus which 

 led to the result was largely due to the limited application of labour 

 required upon small pastoral estates, whereby the leisure time of the 

 inhabitants was available for home industries, a condition which did not 

 obtain on the arable lands of western and south-western Lancashire. A 

 hardy life, an invigorating climate and surroundings, engendered industry, 

 thrift, and inventiveness. Wool, the raw material for manufacture, and 

 water power for the fulling mills necessary to finish the woven cloth, 

 were available in every valley, whilst an unlimited supply of materials for 

 building and of fuel for burning engendered amongst the people a love of 

 substantially built homesteads and homely comforts. 



Trading centres naturally sprang up in such places as Manchester, 

 Liverpool, Warrington, Wigan, Preston, and Lancaster, due to their 

 situation upon frequented roads giving communication between the west 

 of England and the lowlands of Scotland on the one hand, the eastern 



