SCARISBRICK-HALL, the seat of Thomas Eccleston, Esq. is feated in the parish of Halsall, at the distance of about three miles north from Ormskirk. The owner, who settled here in 1778, has particularly distinguished himself for his spirited improvements in the agriculture of his estate; and, in the year 1796, received, from the Society of Arts, the honorary gold medal for the useful effects he produced in draining that sterile tract of bog-land called Martin-Meer. His account of this arduous undertaking is published in the seventh volume of the “transactions" of that society, wherein he states, that the "meer was formerly a large pool, or lake of fresh water, of an irregular form, surrounded chiefly by mosses, or boggy land, containing near 1717 acres, of eight yards to the pole, which is the customary measure of the neighbourhood (about 3632 statute acres). It lies in the different manors of Scarisbrick, Burscough, North-Meols, Tarleton, and Rufford." To drain this stagnant pool, was a favorite scheme of a Mr. Fleetwood of Bank-Hall, as early as the year 1692; but although he cut a canal from the meer to the sea, and expended considerable sums of money in constructing banks, floodgates, &c. he failed in effecting his intention. Undismayed by this event, Mr. Eccleston, assisted by the scientific and skilful advice of Mr. Gilbert, of Worsley, (who had judiciously planned, and successfully executed, some difficult subjects of engineering for the Duke of Bridgewater,) resolved to make another effort towards accomplishing this object. "The plan Mr. Gilbert struck out, which I have executed," says Mr. Eccleston, have, in the main sluice*, three different pair of flood-gates." The first, to keep out the sea; the second, at about half a mile distance nearer to the meer, to stop the sea there in case any accident should happen to the first; and the third built close to, and in the same walls with the sea-gates, but to open and shut in a contrary direction. All these gates are kept open when the tide has sufficiently

was to

The sluice, or canal, is nearly five miles in length from the sea-gates.

sufficiently retired; and when the water rises above the level of the meer, the sea-gates are shut. Thus," continues Mr. Eccleston, "by the great skill and superior ingenuity of Mr. Gilbert, the great obstacle to the perfect draining of Martin-Meer is done away, which had baffled the many vain efforts of the proprietors for almost a century." A part of the land being drained in 1783, in the following year some few acres were ploughed up, and "yielded a tolerable crop of spring corn; some yielded a very inferior kind of hay; and the rest was pasture. In the next year the proprietor prepared for oats and barley, by ploughing nearly 200 large acres." He proceeds to state the advantages that have resulted from this drainage; and observes, that previous to this "the best meer-lands let for a few shillings the large acre." In 1785, he sold some standing barley at 111. 17s. 6d. per acre; and the purchaser to cut, carry off, &c. at his own expense. "Good roads, for several miles in length, have been made across the meer, by means of faggots, covered with a stratum of sand. The recovered land is now generally appropriated to pasturage, on which horses thrive better than any other kind of stock.

RUFFORD-HALL is seated between the meer already described and the great road leading from Ormskirk to Preston, at the distance of about six miles north of the former town. This estate belongs to Sir Thomas Dalrymple Hesketh, Bart. who has recently built a new mansion on it, and much improved and adorned the park by new plantations, &c. This estate, in the parish of Croston, and in the hundred of Leyland, has a chapel of ease, which was built at an expense of 11651. raised by brief. The dean and chapter of Chester receive 401. per annum from this manor.

SOUTHPORT, in North-Meols, has, within a few years, become a place of fashionable resort for bathing; and its fine flat sands are peculiarly favorable to this healthful recreation. Here is a good inn, and several lodging-houses.

VOL. IX.

P

PRESCOT,

PRESCOT,

A manufacturing town, is seated on high ground, on the great road between Liverpool and Warrington. Leland calls this place a ❝ litle market, having no notable water about hit, a iiii mile from Mersey up toward Lyrpole. Mr. Molineux, a knight of great landes, a ii miles from Prestcode, dwellith at a place called 'Crostoffe. Tokstoffe, a park of the king's hard by his howse. Knollesly, a parke having a praty house of the erles of Derby within a mile of Prestcod. Sir William Norys dwellith at a house called Speyke, a ii or iii miles from Prestcod*." This parish abounds with collieries; and supplies the town of Liverpool, and 'many adjacent places, with coals at a cheap rate. Among the manufactures of Prescot, those of watch-tools, and movements, 'and also small files are particularly celebrated. The former have been long established here; and, in consequence of various inventions and improvements that have originated in this town, the business is now carried on to a considerable extent. A large portion of the inhabitants are regularly employed in making the movements, springs, chains, cases, wires, and various other component parts of watches; and also in the manufactory of tools, &c. for the London artizans. The small files are also much valued for their superiority of steel and cutting. Coarse earthen"ware, 'sail-cloth, and cottons, are also manufactured in this town and its vicinity. The church is large, with a lofty steeple; and, attached to the outside wall of the former, is a statue, in stone, of John Ogle, of Prescot Hall.-By a valuation of church livings, made January, 1756, the rectory of Prescot was rated at 5001. per annum. It is now a vicarage, and in the gift of King's College, Cambridge. The chapelries of Farnworth to the south, Rainsford to the north, St. Helens and Sankey to the east, are all within this parish. In 1801, the township of Prescot con

Itinerary, Vol. VII. fol. 56.

tained 736 houses, and 3,465 inhabitants. Among the great manufactories of this parish, that of PLATE-GLASS, at Ravenhead, is entitled to particular notice, as being the most complete and ample of the kind in this country. In the year 1773, an act of parliament was obtained for establishing these works, and incorporating the proprietors: but though this company appears to have spared neither application nor expense, yet it failed in about twenty years; and the proprietors were obliged to sell the premises, &c. in 1794. In the same year, a new company was established and incorporated; and, combining prudent with scientific management, they have succeeded in firmly establishing the concern, and improving many processes in the manufacture. Cast plate glass, with concave and convex mirrors, are now made here, of sizes and qualities equal, or superior, to any that have been imported from the continent. Of the latter, some have been made thirty-six inches in diameter; and of the former, one hundred and forty-three inches in height, by seventy-two inches in width. In these extensive works, which cover about twenty acres of ground, nearly 300 persons are usually employed in the processes of melting, casting, blowing, polishing, &c. The room, or hall in which the glasses are cast, is two hundred feet long, by seventy-eight feet wide; and its roof is supported by lofty pointed arches. In it are three furnaces; and the table on which the plates are cast, is a solid piece of copper, fourteen feet long, by eight feet in breadth, and seven inches thick. Two large steam engines are employed for grinding and polishing the glass plates. At the company's warehouse, near Blackfriars Bridge, London, a great variety of specimens are to be seen.

ST. HELENS, or ST. HELLEN,

From its advantageous situation on the Sankey canal, and from its natural characteristics, has gradually increased to a town of considerable size and consequence. A most extensive copper work was established here about the year 1780, by

the proprietors of the Paris-mine, in Anglesea; and it is stated, in the "Description of the country round Manchester," that 20,000 tons of ore are annually smelted here and at another of the company's works on the same canal. "The Ravenhead works manufacture thirty tons weekly, of small copper bars (not seven ounces troy weight), for the East India Company, which are exported to China, and supposed to pass for coin. These bars are dropt from the mould into water, when an effervessence begins, in a few minutes, to take place at one end, and proceeds quickly to the other, by which the bar is changed, from a leaden hue, to the colour of red sealing-wax*." In the vicinity of Prescot, is

KNOWSLEY, or KNOWSLEY-PARK, an ancient seat belonging to the Earl of Derby. The park is extensive, and abounds with fine woods; but many of the largest trees are nearly stript of their foliage, and smaller branches, and slope towards the north-east. Seated on an elevated part of the park, is the mansion, a building that has evidently been erected at different periods. The most ancient part, which is built of stone, and has two round towers, is said, in the work just quoted from, to have been raised by Thomas, the first Earl of Derby, for the reception of his son-inlaw, King Henry the Seventh; but, in the "History of the house of Stanley," it is stated, that the Earl only "enlarged his house, at Knowsley, by the stone building, and repaired and beautified the other part; and also that of Latham." The preparations made by the Earl, in consequence of the Royal visit, were upon a grand scale; for, besides enlarging and decorating his mansions, “he purchased a road, from the cross-ways leading from Sankey and Winwick (now called Market-gate,) to the river, through the field, now called Bridge-street; and, at the bottom thereof, erected a spacious stone bridge, and threw up a causeway across the marshes, to the rising ground on the Cheshire side, and kept the

same

"Description of the country round Manchester," &c. 4to. p. 313.