Welcome to the St Helens History Site!

St Helens 1834

**** Important news, please read our Whats New page for more details! ****

**** Cowley School photo's and Cowley School Magazine (64-65) uploaded ****

**** Many thanks to James Prescot who's grandfather is the driver of the Cannington Shaw Steam Wagon (Miscelaneneous) - many thanks for your picture ***

This site has been created as a way to allow interested parties the oprotunity to see postcards collected by my granfather showing sights and famous people from St Helens. The images are of a quite different (yet strangely familiar) St Helens from around 1890 - 1940. Please note that these images maybe subject to copyright. If you are the copyright holder please Contact Me to resolve any issues.

Please note that the descriptions of the images have been transcribed from the postcards, and may not be accurate for todays St Helens. Some of the images say they 'used to stand where a certain building stands now' - please bear in mind that these descriptions were written around 1940 and these new buildings may themselves have been replaced.

A brief outline of whats here:-

Celebrities - pictures of minor celebrities, and bands.

Buildings - including many that have been demolished.

Churches - Including the demolition of old churches to make way for new ones - was Mr Rigby the stonemason your relative?

Colonel Cody - 'Buffalo Bills' famous St Helens Theatre performance, the fire at the theatre cost Cody £2000

Clubs - including the first car in St Helens - introduced by a cycle club

Hospitals - both the Cottage, and the Providence

Royal Visits - King George V's visit, and in yet to be uploaded pictures, a royal visit to Pilkingtons

Mine - Southport Mine - in St Helens????

Public Houses - if you think there are a lot of pubs in St Helens today, just look at the ones they demolished - spot the ones still in existance!

Railway - from the Rainhill trials, to the first Station - all in pictures

Roads - the old canal running under the town centre?

The Fleece Hotel - an absolutely glorious looking hotel sadly demolished

The Gamble Institute - from the layin gof the foundation stone, to the hand over

The Theatres - including the terrible fire

The Town Hall - and its destruction by fire

Beechams

Pilkingtons

I will be attempting to put the stories behind the postcards on line within the next few months or so, any information you have that may be of use would be greatfully received.

Please feel free to contact me via the Contact Us page and tell me what you think, how to improve the site, or even to send new pictures.

The St Helens Soldiers page is currently being researched and will take a while to complete.