1755 Blackburn-Preston (Blackburn & Walton Cop Trust) – Preston Old Road
The Turnpike Road from Blackburn to Walton Cop was first authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1755.
In 1830 another Act of Parliament to allow for better maintenance of the existing road. That act was described as follows:
An Act for more effectually repairing the Road from Blackburn to Walton Cop within Walton-in-le-Dale in the County of Lancaster. 11 G. 4. c. lxxxv.
11 G. 4.: Refers to the 11th year of the reign of King George IV (1830).
c. lxxxv.: Refers to Chapter 85 of the statutes enacted in that year.
Looking at the local newspapers, the first evidence of the this Turnpike Trust was their AGM (Annual General Meeting, or as they advertise it ‘General Annual MEETING’ ) in May 1831.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN,
THAT the General Annual MEETING of the Trustees of the Turnpike Road from Blackburn to Walton Cop, in the County of Lancaster, will be held at the Boar’s Head, in Hoghton, in the said County, on Friday, the 6th day of May next, at Eleven o’clock in the forenoon, to audit the Accounts of the Treasurer and Surveyor of the said Turnpike Road, and on other business relating to the said trust.
Dated the Sixteenth day of April, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-one.
NIC. GRIMSHAW, Clerk to the said Trustees.
NIC. GRIMSHAW, is likely to be Nicholas Grimshaw, the seven-times Mayor of Preston.
Advertisements & Notices
Date: Saturday, Apr. 30, 1831
Publication: Preston Chronicle
Gale Primary Sources
British Library Newspapers:
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/Y3205331766/BNCN?u=lancs&sid=bookmark-BNCN&pg=1&xid=6411b647
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Later that year, in August, a meeting was held to outsource toll collection and related services.
NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN,
THAT a Meeting of the Trustees of the Turnpike Road between BLACKBURN and WALTON COP, in the County of Lancaster, will be holden at the Black Bull Inn, in Blackburn aforesaid, on Thursday, the 11th Day of August next between the hours of Eleven in the Forenoon, and Two in the Afternoon, at which Meeting the Tolls arising at the several Toll Gates and Side Gates up-on the said Road, including the Finnington Side Gate, will be Let by Auction, to the best Bidder, in the manner directed by the Acts passed in the third and fourth years of the Reign of his Majesty King George the Fourth, “For regulating Turnpike Roads,” which Tolls produced in the last year the sum of £1306. 11s. 3d. clear of the Salary of the Collectors, and will be put up at that sum.
Whoever happens to be the best Bidder, or Bidders, must give Security, with sufficient Sureties to the satisfaction of the, Trustees of the said Turnpike Road, for payment Monthly, of the Rent at which the said Tolls shall be Let, and (if required) must pay one Month’s rent in advance:
At the said meeting will be Let, also, to the highest bidder, the WEIGHING MACHINE, Situate upon the said road at Riley Green; the Taker whereof must give satisfactory Security for the payment of the rent for the same.
NIC. GRIMSHAW, Clerk to the said Trustees.
Preston, July 7th 1831.
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In 1838, it is apparent that the Clerk to the Trustees has deceased, and therefore there needs to be a new appointment. Nicholas Grimshaw, Esq., the fomer Mayor of Preston, died suddenly, at his residence in Winckley Square at Preston, on January 17th, 1838, in his 81st year. This confirms that the Clerk for the Trust was indeed that Nicholas Grimshaw.
Notice is Hereby Given,
THAT the General Annual Meeting of the Trustees of the Turnpike Road from Blackburn to Walton Cop, in the County of Lancaster, will be bolden at the Boar’s Head, in Hoghton, in the said County, on Friday the 23rd day of February next, at Eleven o’clock in the Forenoon, to audit the Accounts of the Treasurer and Surveyor of the said Turnpike Road, to elect and appoint a Clerk to the said Trustees, in the room and stead of Mr. Nicholas Grimshaw deceased, and on Turnpike Road. Dated the 29th Day of January, 1838. JOHN LAWE,
RICHARD WALMSLEY,
Two of the Trustees of the said Turnpike Road.
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Following this a new Clerk was elected. The role passed to N. Grimshaw’s son, S. R. Grimshaw, Esq.
BLACKBURN AND WALTON TURNPIKE ROAD.
At a numerous and highly respectable meeting of the Trustees of the Turnpike Road from Blackburn to Walton Cop, held at the Boar’s Head Inn, in Hoghton Lane, yesterday, the worshipful the Mayor of Preston, in the chair. The following gentle-men were present at the meeting:-T. B. Addison, Esq., John Addison, Esq., W. Taylor, Esq., Vicar of Preston, Rev. Robert Hornby, John Lawe, Esq., William Marshall, Esq., James Pedder, Esq., Edward Pedder, Esq., H. P. Fleetwood, Esq., Samuel Horrocks, junr., Esq., John Gorst, Esq., and a great number of other gentlemen. The first matter for the consideration of the meeting was the general reduction of salaries. It was then proposed and carried that the salary of the Clerk should be reduced from £40 to £30; that the salary of the Treasurer should be £20 instead of £30; and that the salary of the Surveyor should be reduced from £60 to £50. The meeting then proceeded to the election of a Clerk, in the room of the late N. Grimshaw, Esq., when his son S. R. Grimshaw, Esq. was unanimously elected. The accounts were then produced and passed, from which it appeared there was a small balance in hand; it was therefore resolved to pay to the executors of the late S. Crane, Esq. the sum of £50 in liquidation of part of the debt owing to them.
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By the next AGM, it is clear that S. R. Grimshaw has taken over as the Clerk. Samuel Richard Grimshaw was a Preston solicitor, following directly in his father’s professional footsteps, and active in local legal and trust work in the late 1830s and 1840s.
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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN,
THAT a Meeting of the Trustees of the Turnpike Road from Blackburn to Walton Cop, in the County of Lancaster, will be holden by adjournment, at the Boar’s Head, in Hoghton; in the said County, on Thursday the 25th day of April inst., at eleven o’clock in the forenoon, on the general business relating to the said Road.
Dated the first day of April, 1839,
S.R. GRIMSHAW, Clerk to the said Trustees.
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Notice is Hereby Given,
THAT an ALTERNATE MEETING of the Trustees of the Turnpike Road from Blackburn to Walton Cop, in the County of Lancaster, will be holden at the Town Hall, in Preston, on Tuesday, the Eighth day of October next, at Eleven o’Clock in the Forenoon, on the General Business relating to the said road. Dated this 23rd day of September, 1839.
WILLIAM CALROW,
JAMES LIVESEY,
THOMAS CLARKE,
THOMAS GERMAN,
Trustees of the said Road.
By S. R. GRIMSHAW, Clerk.
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Notice is hereby given,
THAT & MEETING of the TRUSTEES of the TURNPIKE ROAD from Blackburn to Walton Cop, in the County of Lancaster, will be holden by adjournment, at the house of Mr. WILLIAM PEARSON, the sign of the Boar’s Head, in Hoghton, in the said County, on FRIDAY, the EIGHTH day of MAY next, at Eleven o’clock in the Forenoon, on the general business relating to the said Road.
Dated this 14th day of April, 1846. S. R. GRIMSHAW, Clerk to the Trustees of the said Turnpike Road.
TURNPIKE ROAD
From Blackburn to Walton Cop.
LETTING OF TOLLS.
Notice is hereby given,
THAT & Meeting of the Trustees of the Turnpike Road from Blackburn to Walton Cop, in the County of Lancaster, will be holden at the Black Bull, in Blackburn, in the County aforesaid, on FRIDAY, the SEVENTEENTH day of DECEMBER next, at Eleven o’clock in the Forenoon, on the General Business of the Trust; and, that at such Meeting the Tolls arising at the several Toll Gates and Side Gates upon the said Road, called or known by the names of the Knot Lane End Toll Gate, the Brindle Lane End Toll Gate, and the Blackburn Toll Gate; and also the several Side Gates at Knot Lane End, Kitlingburne, Duxon Hill, Brindle Lane End, and Finnington Lane End, will be
LET BY AUCTION,
to the best bidder, in the manner directed by the Acts passed in the Third and Fourth years of the Reign of his Majesty King George the Fourth, for regulating Turnpike Roads, which Tolls produced in the last year, the sum of £747 138. 5d., above the expenses of collecting the same, and will be put up at that sum; and if not let together and in one Lot, the said Tolls will be put up in Parcels, and in several Lots, each at such sum as the Trustees shall think fit.
Whoever happens to be the best Bidder or Bidders, must give security with sufficient Sureties, to the satisfaction of the Trustees of the said Turnpike Road, for payment Monthly of the Rent at which the said Tolls, or any Parcel thereof, shall be Let, and (if required) must pay one Month’s Rent in advance.
PETER CATTERALL, Clerk to the said Trustees.
Preston, 29th October, 1847.
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In the next phase, Catterall & Catterall are the Clerks to the Trustees of the said Turnpike Road.
WANTED,
A SURVEYOR to superintend the TURNPIKE-ROAD from Blackburn to Walton Cop, in the County of Lancaster, who will be required to find two sufficient Sureties, in the sum of £100 each, for the faithful dis-charge of his duties. Salary, £30 per annum.
Names and Testimonials of Applicants to be sent to the Trustees of the said Road, on or before the 26th day of February instant.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN,
That an adjourned General Annual MEETING of the Trustees of the Turnpike Road from Blackburn to Walton Cop, in the County of Lancaster, will be holden at the BOAR’S HEAD INN, in Hoghton, in the said County, on Monday the 28th day of February instant, at Eleven o’clock in the forenoon, for the appointment of a Surveyor of the said Road, in the place of Mr. Samuel Marsden; and on the General Business of the Trust. – Dated the 7th day of February, 1853.
CATTERALL & CATTERALL, Clerks to the Trustees of the said Turnpike Road.
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TURNPIKE ROAD FROM BLACKBURN TO WALTON COP.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that an adjourned General Annual MEETING of the Trustees, under an act passed in the eleventh year of the reign of King George the Fourth, intituled “An act for more effectually repairing the road from Blackburn to Walton Cop, within Walton-in-le-Dale, in the county of Lancaster,” will be holden at the Boar’s Head Inn, in Hoghton, on Friday, the 28th day of March, instant, at the hour of Eleven o’clock in the Forenoon, in order to take into consideration the propriety of erecting a Toll Gate, or Side Gate, on the south side of the said Turnpike Road, at or near the Cherry Tree Station of the East Lancashire Railway, at Livesey, in the said county of Lancaster, and on the general business of the trust. And Notice is Hereby further Given, that at such Meeting an Appointment of New Trustees will be made, in the place of several of those now deceased.
PAUL CATTERALL, Jun., Preston, March 5th, 1856.
Clerk to the said Trust.
