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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 In 1887 this role was expanded to a county borough, which was superseded in 1974 by the larger metropolitan borough.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 (10 km) 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, (none are formally recorded in the township until the 19th century). The first settlements are the manors, parishes and titled lands listed in the Domesday Book ten centuries later in the 12th century that encompass the modern townships as part of their fiefdoms, though it may be inferred from tithes that the land was populated before then. The area developed during the 18th and 19th centuries into a significant centre for coal mining, and glassmaking. Before and during this time there was a cotton and linen industry, particularly sail making, that lasted until the mid-19th century as well as salt, lime and alkali pits, copper smelting, and brewing. The town and greater area are notable for the construction of the St. Helens sections of the Sankey Canal and also the first competition for steam locomotives at the Rainhill Trials. The borough is home to 147 listed buildings, and 12 scheduled monuments. Some of the most prominent include Windle Chantry (dating to the early 15th century), St Mary's Lowe House (known as "The Poor Man's Cathedral" due to its construction from donated funds from the working class), the red brick Gamble Institute (home to the Central Library and other local authority offices constructed in 1896), the Beechams Clock Tower (built 1877) and The Quaker Friends Meeting House. Converted for use as a meeting place by George Shaw of Bickerstaffe, in 1678, a sign at the front of the building reads "so used" since 1678, partly leading local historians to believe the building had been used for another purpose for quite a number of years before then. (en) |
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