We learned of a curious British custom on our trip from Lancaster to Preston . It seems that there is so much traffic on the roads and railway lines in England that all the utility work must be done on weekends. Anything that impedes the flow of traffic is accomplished on Saturday or Sunday, which means that there is a rolling railroad stoppage in England on any given weekend. This happened to be the scheduled time for the line from Lancaster to Preston, so when we arrived at the Lancaster Railway Station, we boarded a bus for Preston!
Preston is large industrial city, dominated by the prominent spire of St. John's Cathedral "the Minster" on a hilltop overlooking the city. We arrived with anticipation of searching out over a dozen addresses Jean had compiled of her ancestors homes and work places from the 1841 and 1851 British Census and other sources. Many were near the Preston train station, so we set out optimistic of findings Jean's ancestral homes.
Unfortunately, Preston's status as an industrial city was detrimental to its historical continuity. During World War II, Preston was heavily bombed by the German Luftwaffe, destroying much of the city's industry, as well as nearby residential areas. Time after time, we located the street addresses in Jean's notes, only to find an empty car park, warehouses or a new terraced housing estate.
Preston is large industrial city, dominated by the prominent spire of St. John's Cathedral "the Minster" on a hilltop overlooking the city. We arrived with anticipation of searching out over a dozen addresses Jean had compiled of her ancestors homes and work places from the 1841 and 1851 British Census and other sources. Many were near the Preston train station, so we set out optimistic of findings Jean's ancestral homes.
Unfortunately, Preston's status as an industrial city was detrimental to its historical continuity. During World War II, Preston was heavily bombed by the German Luftwaffe, destroying much of the city's industry, as well as nearby residential areas. Time after time, we located the street addresses in Jean's notes, only to find an empty car park, warehouses or a new terraced housing estate.
Savoy Street, home of Jean's Great-great-great-Grandfather, William Brocklebank, "Savoy Street Shoemaker," is now a car park trimmed by the railroad yard. This terrace housing unit is on Pitt Street, leading to Savoy Street, a typical 19th Century housing develop reminiscent of the Savoy Street homes.
Disappointed and disheartened by the bustle of traffic on the narrow city streets, we made our way to a place we knew harkened back to the days of Jean's ancestors in Preston, St. John's Cathedral, the Preston Minster. The church with its magnificent tower has been rebuilt three times since it's first construction in 1581, most recently in 1814. Though no longer functioning as a church, we found the grand edifice open for an art show. |
Jean stood near the alter where all of the children of her GGG grandparents, William Brocklebank and Catherine Shaw were baptized and married.
Exhausted from our trip through time and space, we made our way back to the train station for our bus trip back to Lancaster. We settled into our B&B with relief, glad to be back to sleepy Lancaster, away from the big city automotive bustle of Preston.