The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-09-06 00:00:00

PRESTON GUILD.

(From our own Correspondent.)

PRESTON', MONDAY AFTERNOON, FIVE O'CLOCK.-ThiS
grand festival, the recurrence of which takes place only every
twenty years, has at length commenced. Whilst 1 write,
numbers of strangers are crowding the town, and every hour
only adds to the enthusiasm manifested both by strangers
and inhabitants.

The morning—fine and propitious—was ushered in by a
grand peal on the bells of the parish church, which continue
at intervals to enliven the town, and give every fresh arrival
the first fruits of the grand jubilco. As a proof of the ex-
citement: the festival is causing, and the immense influx of
strangers to which it has given rise, I may mention that since
geturday afternoon the railway trains have bean more than
do bled in extent. The principal hotels in the town are
nearly full with the bespeaks of the intended visits of the
nobility and gentry who intend to honour the festival with
their prnence, and who will arrive this evening and in the
course of to-morrow. Amongst the numerous visiters ar-
rived and expected, we may name the Earl of Baloarres and
suite, the Earl and Countess of Shrewsbury and family, Peter,
Greenall, Esq., and family, and an immense number of
others, whose names in the hurry of this report I am quite
unable to furnish. Suffice it to say that both in the number
and character of visiters, the Guild of 1342 will evidently
maintain the position of former similar festivals.

As the movements of to-day are almost entirely confined
to the legal proceedings of the Guild, which I detail below,
you will not expect that I can send you any accounts of the
consequent festivities, which, in fact, only commence in re-
ality to-morrow. I may, however, say, that independently
of the arrangement of the Guild Committee, the various aux-
iliary sports and other amusements have already commenced,
in honour of the festival. Thus, this morning a match at
cricket was played between the Preston and Blackburn Clubs,
and after some splendid playinz on both sides, the Preston
came off victorious in one inning. Another match was after-
wards played between the Preston and Belmont- Clubs, but
the contest is not yet over, therefore I cannot give you the
return.

The town has been amused by the Ribble Yacht Club's
annual regatta occurring on this day. Several sailing and
rowing matches have taken place, amidst the acclamations of
assembled thousands of strangers and inhabitants, who have
been present to witness these agreeable and innocent sports.
Pursuant to the advertised arrangements, the mayor and
corporation assembled at the Town-hall, a little before two
o'clock, to open the guild books, and proclaim the guild,
after which the guild court was adjourned to the magniffeent
great room in the Exchange, intended to be used for the cos-
tume ball, the mayor, recorder, and town-clerk, being in
their full robes of office, and attended, in addition to the
corporation, by a numerous assemblage Of the clergy and
gentry of the town and distrift. On entering the Exchange,
the first and most imposing sight presented to view was the
splendid galaxy of fashion and beauty in the persons of many
hundreds of Lancashire witches, who had already been ad-
mitted into the rooms, and whose graceful salutition to the
Mayor and corporation on their arrival were appropriately
acknowledged. The band of the Rifles, a detachment of
which is now stationed in the town, arrived from the head-
quarters at Manchester, about eleven o'clock this morning,
and accompanied the mayor and corporation to the Ex-
change. After being placed in the orchestra, they immedi-
ately struck up the National Anthem, which they executed
in a truly splendid style. The Recorder then rose, and after
passing an enlogium on the Mayor of the borough, and ex-
pressing his conviction that connected as his family had ever
been with the growing prosperity of the town, a more ap-
propriate individual could not on such an occasion have filled
the civic chair; explained to some extent the origin and
meaning of the Guild ; after which, the Clerk of the
Guild, by his deputy, read over the records of the seve-
ral Guilds which have been held for several successive
centuries ; and concluded by declaring that all rights,
privileges, and immunities then devolved into the hands
of the Mayor and Guild stewards, and must be now
renewed, or such privileges would for ever be lost. The
roll of the Guild burgesses was then called over by the clerk,
who received from the mayor, stewards, and aldermen, their
ancient fees of one shilling ; and the same from all burgesses
who came to renew their freedom. A scholar of the Gram-
mar School then addressed the guild in a Latin oration,
amidst the enthusiastic admiration of the company assem-
bled, after which he was presented with a guild medal. The
band then again played several airs, after which tha Clerk of
the Guild announced that the guild books would remain
open all week for receiving the names of guild burgesses.
The court then adjourned. The amusements of this evening
consist of a display of fireworks, by Mr. By-water, which
are, of course. only preliminary to the general festivities of
the week, which commence to-morrow.