Lytham 1907
LYTHAM
THIS is a picturesque and pleasant residential town, and a
watering place very popular amongst the fashionable and genteel
class of visitors. It is situate at the mouth of the Ribble, 5½-
miles S.W. from Kirkham, 7 S. from Blackpool (rail distance), and S
miles N.E. from Southport by sea. Under the Local Government Act,
1894, the powers of this body were transferred to the Urban District
Council, under whose control still greater improvements have been
effected. The town is divided into four wards, viz. :—North-East
Ward. North-West Ward, South-East Ward, and South-West Ward, each
ward returning three members. Lytham is in the Blackpool
parliamentary division, and in the Fylde county council division and
Union.
 The
Market House, which was opened 19th June, 1848, cost in its erection
£1,400. The Gas Works were established in 1847. The annual
consumption is about 68,000,000 cubic feet. There :are 2,100
consumers, and 600 public lamps. Mr. Arthur Halliwell, manager.
Lytham is abundantly supplied with excellent water from a reservoir
at Weeton, which is in connection with that at Grisedale, a distance
of 22 miles from the town. The works belong to the Fylde Water
Board, who purchased the water works from the Fylde Waterworks
Company in 1898, and of which the Lytham Urban Council is one of the
constituent authorities.
 The present railway station was opened for traffic in 1874, and is a
great convenience to the public. The Lytham Branch line from the
Preston and Wyre Railway was opened 16th February, 1846, and the
cost of its construction was £50,000. The line from Lytham to
Blackpool was opened 6th April, 1863, and the capital required for
its construction, including the cost of a station, was £60,000.
 An
IRON PIER was constructed in 1864-5, at a cost of £5.890. The Pier
was re-constructed in 1892, at a cost of over £12,000.
The
BATHS and ASSEMBLY ROOM is a fine building, with a square tower,
erected in 1862, at a cost of £6,700. The water for the baths is
pumped from the sea by a powerful steam engine, and is filtered and
freed from impurities.
 The LIFEBOAT HOUSE stands near the " Old Windmill,'' which is a
prominent object in view ; and here also is the CUSTOM HOUSE, built
in the form of a square tower.
 The
COTTAGE HOSPITAL, instituted for the relief of the poor when
suffering from sickness or accident, was built and furnished by the
late John -Talbot Clifton, Esq., at a cost of £1,300. It was opened
in 1871, and is supported by voluntary contributions. It was
enlarged in 1882-3 at a cost of nearly £700. The accommodation
consists of 25 beds, some of which are always available for patients
outside the five miles radius at an inclusive fee of 12s. 6d. per
week. A new ward, in memory of the late Dr. L. Fisher, has been
subscribed for, and several additions and alterations have been
effected at a cost of £600. Dr. J. C. Fisher, lion. secretary ; J.
Lomax, assistant secretary ; Miss Barwick, matron.
The SEA SIDE HOME for City Children was established in 1883.
The LYTHAM INSTITUTE, Clifton Street, was opened in September, 1878,
the cost of its erection being about £3,000, raised by voluntary
subscriptions. It is a neat Gothic building, and contains billiard,
reading, and lecture rooms, and a library of 3,500 volumes.
Technical and Art Classes are also successfully conducted. An
addition to the Institute, in commemoration of the late Queen's
Diamond Jubilee, of a new wing was opened by His Grace the Duke
of Norfolk on September 13th, 1898, the foundation stone being laid
by Sir Matthew White Ridley on the 8th of January, 1898. The site,
valued at £250, and on which several cottages formerly stood, was
presented by J. T. Clifton, Esq. The addition includes a fine
reading room, gymnasium, and additional class-rooms, the cost being
£1,500. The architect was Mr. T. C. Grimble, and the contractor Mr.
George Myers. The reading room is well supplied with all the current
papers and periodicals, and the Institute is open also to visitors
at a small weekly subscription.
The CONSERVATIVE CLUB, Hastings Place, was opened June, 1905. It has
at present a membership of 210.
 LOWTHER PARK GARDENS present a very ornamental and tasteful
appearance. They contain 12 acres, and have been laid out at a cost
of £2,000.
The lovers of botany may enjoy themselves among the sandhills with
the many beautiful specimens which grow there in profusion. The
LIGHTHOUSE is situated between Lytham and St.Annes, and was erected
in 1864. It replaced the old lighthouse which was washed away in the
storm of 1863.
The London City and Midland Banking Co., the Lancaster Banking Co.,
the Manchester and County Bank, and the Williams Deacons Bank have
each a branch in the town.
 The
PARISH CHURCH, dedicated to St. Cuthbert, was rebuilt in 1778, on
the site of the ancient fabric which existed as early as the 12th
century. This is evident from the terms of the grant made in the
reign of Richard I. (1188), by Richard Fitz Roger, who gave to the
monks of Durham all his lands of Lytham, with the church of that
town, that they might form a Benedictine cell there to the honour of
the Blessed Virgin and St. Cuthbert, which was accordingly done. The
first stone of the present edifice was laid in 1834. It is a plain
substantial building, with square tower, the Tudor style
predominating The windows are of stained glass. There are several
marble monuments to members of the Clifton family, with the monogram
R.I.P. to each inscription.
 The
church also contains a large number of hand-some monuments and
objects of interest, among these being the oak choir screens erected
in memory of the late Dr. L. Fisher. Lord Justice Holker is interred
here, and also most of the crew of the St. Annes lifeboat, who were
drowned in the lifeboat disaster when proceeding to the wreck of the
Mexico in 1886. In the tower are eight fine-toned bells. There are
1,020 sittings, of which 220 are free. The benefice is a vicarage,
of the annual value of £401, in the patronage of J. Talbot Clifton,
Esq., and held by the Rev. Canon Henry B. Hawkins, M.A.
 ST. JOHN'S CHURCH, erected in 1849, at the east end of the town, and
enlarged in 1857, is a handsome stone building in the Early English
style, and was built at a cost of £4,000. In 1875 a peal of bells
was placed in the steeple. Two handsome brasses were placed in the
chancel in 1888, to the memory of the late Baroness Grey de Ruthyn,
one recording the erection of the window over the altar to her
memory, and the other recording the enlargement of the organ to the
same memory. A handsome lych-gate has recently been erected in
memory of the late vicar, Rev. T. G. Smart, M.A. Nearly £5,000 has
been recently raised and expended upon the church. There are 800
sittings, of which 266 are free. The benefice is a vicarage, of the
annual value of £266, in the patronage of J. Talbot Clifton, Esq.,
and held by the Rev. John Gilbertson-Pritchard, B.A.
ST. PETER'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, in Clifton Street, is a Gothic
edifice, opened in 1839, and is calculated to accommodate 500
persons. during recent years several important alterations have been
effected. In 1875-6 new sacristies and confessionals were
constructed. In 1877 three new beautiful altars were erected, the
high altar being generously subscribed for by the congregation, in
memory of the late Rev. Joseph Walmsley, who was the pastor here for
44 years.
 The
Lady altar was the gift of John Turner, Esq. ; and St. Joseph's
altar was the gift of the late John Mercer, Esq., of Alston Hall. In
1878 the church tower 78 feet in height, was built at the expense of
the late John Talbot Clifton, Esq., who contributed £1,000 for its
erection. The church has been thoroughly restored, and its arcading
of pictures and stations round the interior is very artistic. The
whole work was from designs by Messrs. Pugin. During 1893 the old
benches gave place to new ones of a very elegant design. On August
26th, 1894, a peal of six bells were erected in the tower, and in
October of the same year eight stained-glass windows were erected,
being an offering from Mr. John Singleton, and his wife, Ellen
Singleton, of Lytham. Two more were erected, one in the Lady chapel
and the other in St. Joseph's chapel. The whole of the Windows were
supplied by Mayer & Co. A handsome lych-gate was erected during 1898
by the present rector. It is built of English oak, standing in a
base of Accrington brick, surmounted by Aspatria stone, and is from
the designs of Messrs. Pugin and Pugin. The church has recently been
decorated in a most artistic style. The schools were rebuilt during
the year 1902, from designs by Mr. T. C. Grimble, architect, and are
now thoroughly equipped in the most approved style. The main school
is divided in class-rooms communicating with each other. A new-
infant school with separate room for-babies has also been added. The
rectory was renovated during the year 1899, and now is a handsome
and commodious building. Very Rev. James Canon Taylor (rector),
Revs. John Almond, Joseph Leo
Prescott. The Catholic population is 1,100.
At Saltcotes is a
CATHOLIC CEMETERY, acres in extent, laid out with much taste. It was
opened in 1892. It is enclosed by a substantial brick wall, and in
the centre stands a mortuary chapel. The ground was secured by the
efforts of Canon James Taylor, from J. T. Clifton, Esq., for a
period of 999 years, at a nominal rent of £1 per year.
The CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, Bannister Street, was erected in 1862,
and is a neat Gothic stone building with graceful spire. The
WESLEYAN CHAPEL. Park Street, is a commodious building with stone
front, erected in 1868. A new church, situate in Albert Street, con-nected
with this body, was erected in 1907 at a cost of £3,000.
 LYTHAM
HALL, the seat of the Clifton family, is a stately mansion, about
half-a-mile north-west of Lytham. It was erected by Thomas Clifton
in 1764, replacing a more ancient hail built by Sir Cuthbert
Clifton, who became owner of the estate in 1606. The park and
gardens are open to visitors, on their obtaining a ticket at the
estate office. A small sum is charged, which is devoted to the
support of the Cottage Hospital.
 ANSDELL
and FAIRHAVEN are important suburbs of Lytham, developed under the
auspices of the Fairhaven Estate Co., Limited, who purchased 30
acres of land at the west end for building purposes, and who have
made a large marine lake at Fairhaven. Ansdell is a station on the
line between Lytham and Blackpool.
HEYHOUSES and SALT-COATES are two hamlets in the parish, the former
about two miles west, and the latter one mile east of Lytham.
The population of the parish in 1861 was 3,194 ; 1871, 3,904 ; 1881,
4,122 ; 1891. 4,656 ; and in 1901, 7,185. The rateable value is
£65,630 10s., and the area of the township is 2,236 acres. Two
annual fairs were established here in 1850, to be held on the second
Tuesday in April and the second Tuesday in October.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LYTHAM URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL.
Chairman, W. F. Holden, J.P. ; vice-chairman, E. R. Lightwood. J.P.
; J. Ainscough, T. V. Barker, J. Stother, T. Butcher, J. Cockshutt,
J. W. Craig, H. E. Dixon, H. Eastwood, J. S. Slitter, and W. Wignall.
Urban. District Council Officials.—C. A. Myers, clerk ; Arthur J.
Price, C.E., surveyor ; Evan Holding, accountant and assistant
overseer ; J. C. Fisher M.A., M.B., B.C.L., medical officer of
health ; Harold Yates, sanitary inspector ; A. Halliwell, gas
manager ; W. Henderson, treasurer ; Robert Ashworth, collector. Tel.
56.
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, OFFICES, &c.
Ansdell Institute, Commonside ; H. B. Marsh, sec.
Baths, Central beach ; J. W. Aspden, manager
Cheetham Hill Institute, Holiday Home, 10 Albert street
Conservative Club ; J. Talbot Clifton, Esq., President ; J. T. Fair,
Esq., chairman ; R. Poole, Esq., hon. treasurer ; Major P. E. P.
Crawford, Esq., hon. sec.
Convalescent Home for Sisters of Mercy, 64 Westby street
Cottage Hospital, East beach ; J. Cecil Fisher, hon. sec. ; J.
Lomax, asst.. sec ; Miss Barwick, matron. Tel. 61
Cottage Home (Whitworth), 4 Church road ; Miss Holdsworth, matron
Fylde Water Board, Westby street. Tel. 52.
Home of Rest, St. Mary the Virgin (Wantage), 11 Lowther terrace
Jacson Convalescent Home (branch of the Harris Orphanage (Preston)
Seaside Home), 2&4 Warton street ; Lt.-Col. T. R. Jolly, V.D.,
governor
Life Boat Station, The Beach; C. A. Myers, hon. sec. ; W. G.
Parkinson, coxswain
Lytham Yacht Club, Central beach ; A H. Poole, secretary
Lytham Choral Union; W. F. Holden, conductor
Lytham Fire Brigade, Chapel street ; E. Tipping, supt. Tel. 60
Lytham Urban District Council Office, Diconson terrace ; C. A.
Myers, clerk. Tel. 56
Lytham Estate Office ; T. Fair & Son, agents. Tel. 51
Lytham Institute, Clifton street ; Allon Wilson, sec. ; G.
Tattersall, steward
Lytham Pier and Pavilion Co. (1895), Limited ; J. H. Harrison,
manager and secretary
National Telephone Co., Ltd., 7 Queen street. Tel. 30
Nursing Home, Park gate, Woodville terrace ; Miss J. Bellhouse,
matron. Tel. 21x
Police Station, Bannister street ; Clots. Scott. police inspector.
Tel. 71
REGISTRAR OF BIRTHS, DEATHS, & MARRIAGES ; Robert Wareing, 17 Church
road
Ridgeway Coursing Club, 5 Lowther ter; John W. Mugliston, sec. Tel.
0170
Seaside Home for City Children, 2 & 4 Warton st ; Mrs. M. Goode,
matron
Sisters of the Holy Cross & Passion, 31 East beach
St. Vincent de Paul Convalescent Home. 16 East beach ; Miss Mary
Brophy, Westby street ; J. Salisbury, secretary
Post. Money Order, and Telegraph Office, Clifton street ; J. Barlow,
postmaster. Letters arrive at 6-45 a.m., 1-50 p.m. and 5-15 p.m. ;
and are dispatched at. 6-0 a.m., 10-0 a.m., 11-15 a.m., 2-0 p.m.,
4-10 p.m., 6-45 p.m.. 8-0 p.m., and 9-45 p.m.
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