page_title: History of St Helens, Merseyside
section_title: The industrialists
hierarchical_section_title: History of St Helens, Merseyside / Industrial Development / The industrialists
caption_attribution_description: English: The building known as Beechams Clock Tower, originally part of Beechams Factory and now a part of the modern St. Helens College Scanned from Public Archives by the team at St Helens Connect.net.Koncorde (talk) 15:53, 1 July 2010 (UTC)
context_page_description: St Helens is a large town and the administrative seat of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens in Merseyside, England. The town was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1868, responsible for the administration of the four townships and manors of Eccleston, Parr, Sutton and Windle. In 1887 this role was expanded to a county borough, which was superseded in 1974 by the larger metropolitan borough.
  St Helens is in the far south west of the historic county of Lancashire in North West England, six miles north of the River Mersey. This portion of the county was partially settled by the Celtic Brigantes who were subsequently subjugated by the Romans in the 1st Century, with nearby Wigan probably the location of the Roman settlement of Coccium. No archaeological evidence has been uncovered to tie either group specifically to the St Helens area, though Eccleston derives its name from either the Latin Ecclesia or Welsh Eglwys suggesting a link to a church.
context_section_description: The foundation of these new ventures owed much to industrialists from outside the town, the length and breadth of the country. Firstly the development of the James Watt's stationery steam engine in the 1770s was a significant factor. Collieries would now be able to pump water from greater depths and shafts could be driven to find even deeper coal seams. At the same time the use of machinery for cotton mills such as the spinning mule and later still the forges with the invention of the steam hammer increased the demand exponentially for coal.
  The local gentry moved out of the growing towns which filled with the working classes. In their place came wealthy industrialists such as John Mackay, who leased land in St Helens in the 1760s from King George III before buying Ravenhead Farm from the Archbishop of York, as well as Michael Hughes, the Gambles, and later Thomas Beecham, Thomas Greenall and the Pilkingtons. A few remained such as the Gerards of Bryn who moved into Windle Hall.
  Their drive and investments established the foundations of the towns resurgence between 1780 and 1830 that ultimately saw St Helens grow into its role as a modern market town.
  "if any ... good colliers ... will apply at Thatto Heath Colliery, they will meet with constant employ and the best encouragement."
  — Mike Fletcher quoting John Mackay, Black Gold & Hot Sand, 200
caption: Beecham's Clock Tower built in 1877.
exif: {}