The Welbourn Prize for Local History is awarded annually to the author of the best essay on a given subject dealing with some aspect of the history of Prescot and district. The competition is open to all boys in the School, regardless of age, and a pleasing feature has been the enthusiastic response amongst middle-formers who are keen to pit their knowledge and skill against sixth-form rivals. We welcome this opportunity to acknowledge the generosity of Mr. Burkewood Welbourn in providing this stimulus to historical research, and to congratulate all contestants, whether successful or otherwise, upon their enterprise in exploring the annals of their own locality.

Since the inauguration of the competition in 1940, the following subjects have been investigated :—

1940-41 " The Prescot Clock and Watch Industry." Winner : W. E. W. Smith.
1941-42 " The British Insulated Cables Company Limited." Winner : J. W. Hammond.
1942-43 " The History of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway." Winner : G. Beadsworth.
1943.44 " The History of Prescot Grammar School." Winner : H. E. Walker.
1944-45 " The Growth of the Glass Industry in St. Helens." Winner : R. Atkin.

From the last-named essay, the following excerpt, dealing with the early phases of the development of the industry, has been extracted :—

"The first recorded glass works in St. Helens appeared during the first half of the eighteenth century. At this time there were two glass works at Sutton, probably both making window glass. One of these, founded by Peter Wilcox, who died in 1721, is heard of in 1747 under the name of " Wilcox Glasshouse." The other was held in 1747 under an old lease by John Woods, probably the " glassman " who is recorded to have polled at the Liverpool Election in 1761. John Woods, a son, appears in the Poll-Book of 1784.

Edward Tarbuck, glassrnaker, of Sutton, died in 1756 ; he was perhaps the successor of Peter Wilcox. Andrew Stannistreet, a glassrnaker, of Sutton, polled at the elections of 1754 and 1761. Two glassmakers, members of this family, Henry and Andrew, appear in the Poll Books of 1784 and 1796, and at that date they were located at the neighbouring site of Thatto Heath. It would seem therefore that the Sutton Glass Works were abandoned before 1800.

For many years a glasshouse existed at Eccleston, probably used at first for the manufacture of bottles. Thomas Fenny, member of a well-known Stourbridge family, was perhaps the first glassrnaker here ; he died in 1752. He was probably succeeded by John Highton, " glass--bottle founder," of Eccleston, who died in 1775.

Another bottle manufactory was started at Thatto Heath, probably before 1750. It was first heard of in 1775 in connection with David Booth, glassmaker, who had already left the place and gone to Bristol, where he came to grief. Soon afterwards the manufactory came into the hands of Onell, Fosters & Co., who in 1767 announced the continuance of the partnership business. They were succeeded in 1785 by Thomas West & Co. W. A. A. West & Co. were still found there in 1833.

In the latter year there was a second glasshouse at Thatto Heath in the possession of Thomas Cockburn & Co. Its previous history is obscure, but it may be noted that in the Poll Book, Thomas Cully and Andrew Stannistreet were glassmakers at Thatto Heath in 1796. Unless they were servants at the West glasshouse, they were probably interested in a second glasshouse at the same place.

It was in 1773 that the direct foundations of the modern industry were first laid. In this year, attracted by the plentiful supply of coal, good sand, the transport facilities offered by the Sankey Canal, and the nearness of the port of Liverpool, the British Cast Plate Co. established a works at Ravenhead, St. Helens. Their method of manufacture was a great innovation, since, as the name implies, the Company made plate glass by casting and rolling it after the French method. Before the establishment of the Ravenhead Works, plate glass, made in England, had been blown, not cast. This new method of manufacture was really the origin of the modern plate glass industry in England.

Owing, probably, to heavy taxation, the original Company did not make much progress, and the concern was taken over by a new Company called the British Plate Glass Co., in 1798. The works at Ravenhead occupied about thirty acres, cost about £40,000, and was enclosed by a wall within which were the workmen's dwellings.

As the new method of manufacture was a French process, the Company imported skilled workmen from France. The secrets of manufacture were jealously guarded and the Act incorporating the Company provided the penalty of transportation for a term not exceeding seven years for any person breaking into the manufactory with intent to steal or damage glass or tools. From 300 to 400 were employed in the Works. In 1789 a steam engine was erected to grind and polish the plates of glass, both of which processes had hitherto been done by hand. At the time this steam engine was considered to be a " very curious piece of mechanism."

The price of polished plate glass was, in those days, extraordinarly high, and had a very high Excise Duty on it, a plate of size 60-in. x 42in., costing £81/17/0.

Other industries were also attracted to St. Helens by the abundant coal supplies and the canal. By 1800 St. Helens was a town comparable in size to Ormskirk with a total population of 7,570 people. It was in the year 1826 that the name of Pilkington came to be associated with the glass-making industry. William and Richard Pilkington, two of the original founders of the firm, were sons of Dr. William Pilkington, who had come to St. Helens from Horwich near Rivington. Dr. Pilkington had an extensive practice in St. Helens and lived in Church Street, which was then a residential area."