Preston People - by street

The schedules below show the names of the householders, in alphabetical order. On the same schedule additional side notes were added from the Guild Rolls made three years earlier in 1682. If we assume that half of the population was female and of the other half of 800-1000 male then about 50% of these may have been eligible to register on the Guild Roll. Only about 140 of the householders listed appeared in the Guild Rolls. But anybody who wished to conduct a trade or business in the town had to be a member of the Guild. It was the renewal ceremony, which formerly acknowledged that membership. It may be that other listed members were living with their families or relatives, or perhaps were lodgers but even so there still seems to be an unaccountable discrepancy in the number of people registered in the rolls and those listed as residents of Preston.

For example, at the town council meeting on the 22nd September 1684 was: - 

All the above members lived in the town and yet less than half are listed in the rolls whilst the town plan shows the majority of plots as burgage plots

The occupations listed are of interest. There were plenty of shoemakers, butchers, saddlers, joiners, carpenters and wheelwrights; even a few watchmakers, gunsmiths, an apothecary and a doctor. The bulk of the trade or work would be carried out either in part of the house called a workshop or in outbuildings at the rear. The cottages and barns may well have been of cruck beam or similar construction in bays with thatched roofs. The taller buildings could be oak timber framed with brick infill panels and slated roofs. Kuerden said “ The streets belonging to this town are very spacious, good handsome buildings side here and there interwoven with stately fabrics of brick building after the modish fashion extraordinarily adorning the streets to which they belong unto”. Shops as we know them today were scarce, as much buying and selling was done in the markets.

Fishergate Street

Key: - h = house; s = number of stories; c = cottage; b = barn

The 3 Inns in Fishergate St. were: Ye Wheatsheaf at No. 16, Ye White Horse at No.17 and Ye Holy Lamb at No. 46

Cheapside

Key:- h = house; s = number of stories; c = cottage; b = barn

The 3 Inns in Cheapside were: Golden Lyon at No 2; Golden Anchor at No 9, & Mitre at No 18.

Gin Bow Entry

Tithebarn Street

Salter Lane

Moor Lane

Marsh Lane - Now Fylde Road

Rd Bray Ye Garden House

Back Lane

Church/Guild Row

Old Cock Yard

Cheathams Wind

Draw well situated on east side of lane 33 yards from the bottom at Sike Hill

Sike Hill 

Fryer Lane (now Marsh Lane)