St Helens, The Town Hall c.1950

Photo ref: S415003

More about this scene

St Helens was only a small village until the advent of the Industrial Revolution. Coal mining had been a major industry regionally since the 16th century; the coal had traditionally been transported by packhorse into neighbouring Cheshire and to Liverpool. With the construction of the Sankey Canal Navigation in 1762, the town became ideally placed to transport coal nationwide. Many new industries emerged, not least of which was Pilkington Brothers. They became famous internationally for the manufacture of glass, an industry that is still closely associated with the modern town. By 1868 the town had become significant enough to be granted the status of Municipal Borough, and in 1884 it sent its first Member to Parliament. The wealth of the Victorian town can be gauged from the magnificence of its Town Hall in Victoria Square. Now subject to all the problems associated with the growth of car ownership, it is unlikely that a policeman still carries out point duty in the Square.