Manchester, St Ann's Square c.1876

Photo ref: 8290

More about this scene

The Royal Exchange dominates Exchange Street, which starts where the square becomes narrower. The statue of John Cobden can been seen in the middle of the square: this bronze statue, by Marshall Wood, was paid for by public subscription and was presented to the town on 23 April 1867 by the President of the Anti-Corn Law League, George Wilson. It originally stood where the Boer War Memorial stands today. The buildings on the right were put up around 1835; the one with rounded window arches was for a long time the booksellers Sherratt & Hughes, and later Waterstone's - it then became WH Smiths while the Arndale Centre was being rebuilt. It was on a spot where the entrance to this shop is now that on 30 November 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie declared his father to be King James III. He then reviewed his new recruits, who later became known as the Manchester Rebels. The whole world was his, and he was going south to reclaim the throne of England, or so he thought.

An extract from Manchester Photographic Memories.