The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-09-13 00:00:00

PRESTON GUILD,

Through soma error which we are are oven now at a loss to
account for, we did not receive our special report of the pro-
ceedings on Wednesday and Thursday at this memorable
carnival until Saturday morning. We now however, subjoin
an abbreviated report of each day's occurrences since Tuesday.

IVEDNESDAY.
Shortly after eight o'clock in the morning every avenue
into the town was crowded. The proprietors of all the mills
and manufactories in the town and its vicinity having also
agreed to give their hands a holiday, and pay them their
wages for the day, added greatly to the holiday people of the
town. On the lowest estimate 80,000 persons were congre-
gated in the town, enjoying festivities which, on account of
ancient local recollections of religious and commercial rites,
have attracted so much attention for many centuries in this
and the surrounding counties.

_
The grand ceremony of the day was the procession of ladies
from the Guildhall, in Church-street, preceded by the
mayoress, to the parish church. A mat was laid along the
street for a distance of upwards of 300 yards, each side being
lined by members of the Odd Fellows' Societies, who ex-
ceeded 3,000 in number. There were no devotional services,
but the sublime oratorio of the Messiah was given with very
excellent effect by a most efficient orchestra and chorus. The
chief performers were Miss Birch, Miss Scott, Miss Maria
B. Hayes, Mr. Hobbs, and Mr. Phillips. Miss Scott, a
young debutante, sang with great effect, and promising ex-
cellence for the future, whilst the performance of Miss Birch
was very much approved of. The church was crowded to
excess, and upwards of 3,000 persons were present.
The processions of the day were never excelled on any
previous occasion. Supplying as they did such interesting
reminiscences of former days, accompanied by historical
recollections of a very ancient date, the living scenery was
highly gratifying. At the head of the procession which
accompanied the ladies to the parish church was the ancient
order of Foresters, who were preceded by a cart, in which
was a fine buck, presented by the Earl of Derby for the
occasion. Robin Hood, Little John, and their " merrie
men," were seen in fancied reality. After these succeeded
the ancient order of Druids, with all the accompaniments of
the early religious and educational rites of the country. The
order of gardeners, mustering upwards of 500, next followed,
being preceded by a model of a flower-garden, ornamented
with every description of flower at present in bloom, and
with the appropriate emblems of their profession. The vari-
ous other orders of the town followed in similar procession,
who altogether included upwards of 10,000 persons, all of
whom, engaged in loyal and peaceable pursuits, afforded a
most interesting contrast to the condition of the town within
the short space of three or four weeks.
The ladies' procession to and from the church was pre-
ceded by the excellent band of the GOth rifles. From an
early hour in the morning the town was the scene of melody
from the bands connected with the different societies. In
the evening a full-dress ball was held at the Guild ball-room,
in the Corn Exchange, at which upwards of 800 persons
attended.