366 PROPOSED EXTENSION OF THE PART V. 



districts of Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and the other 

 central counties of England situated at the confluence of 

 these various navigations. 1 Liverpool thus became the 

 great focus of import and export for the northern and 

 western districts. The raw materials of commerce were 

 poured into it from Ireland, America, and the Indies ; 

 and from thence they were distributed along the canals 

 amongst the various seats of manufacturing industry, 

 returning mostly by the same route to the same port 

 for shipment to all parts of the world. 



At the time of which we speak, however, it will be 

 observed that the communication between Liverpool and 

 Manchester was as yet very imperfect. It was not only 

 difficult to convey goods between the two places, but it 

 was also difficult to convey persons. In fine weather, 

 those who required to travel the thirty miles which 

 separated them, could ride or walk, resting at Warrington 

 for the night. But in winter the roads, like most of the 

 other country roads at the time, were simply impassable. 

 Although an Act had been passed as early as the year 

 1726 for repairing and enlarging the road from Liver- 

 pool to Prescott, coaches could not come nearer to the 

 town than Warrington in 1750, the road being imprac- 

 ticable for such vehicles even in summer. 2 



A stage-coach was not started between Liverpool and 

 Manchester until the year 1767, performing the journey 

 only three times a-week. It required six and sometimes 

 eight horses to draw the lumbering vehicle and its load 

 along the ruts and through the sloughs, the whole day 

 being occupied in making the journey. The coach was 

 accustomed to start early in the morning from Liverpool ; 



1 Progress of Liverpool. I were then very rare, and it is men- 

 Vessels ! tioned as a singular fact that at the 

 entered. ald - j ])orio d in question (1750) there was 

 1701 102 8,019 .. j but one gentleman's carriage in the 

 17GO 1,245 2,330 j town of Liverpool, and that carriage 

 1800 4,740 450,060 23,379 \ Wa8 kept by a j ady o f the name of 

 21,352 4,441,943 347,889 Clayton."-' History of Lancashire,' 

 2 Mr. Baines says : " Carriages vol. iv., p. 90. 



