History of Preston
PRESTON is first mentioned in Domesday Book by which time it had emerged as the chief manor of Amounderness roughly in the area of the modern Fylde. In the 12th century it was important enough to have its privileges confirmed by royal charter. By 1328 it had a guild merchant and a new charter that year granted permission to hold a Wednesday market and an annual fair. In Elizabethan times Camden reported that Preston was a large and for those parts handsome and populous town while by the 18th century it had become a smart and stylish place much frequented by the Lancashire gentry. A profound transformation was well underway however by the end of that century Richard Arkwright a Preston burgess was among those inventors whose new technology led to powered factories. Preston first cotton mill was opened in 1777 by Collinson and Watson and the industry was greatly expanded by John Horrocks and his partners from the early 1790’s. During Victorian and Edwardian times the population of Preston and the extent of its built-up areas increased at unprecedented rates. Many buildings of style and character were erected reflecting a powerful emergence of civic pride and opulence. Preston is regarded as one of Lancashire’s towns ranked highly according to their visual attractiveness, despite some intense redevelopment in recent times.
The History of Preston: From Market Town to Industrial Powerhouse
Preston is first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, recorded as “Prestune” — meaning “priest’s settlement” — already established as the principal manor of Amounderness, in what is now central Lancashire. By the late 12th century, Preston’s importance had grown enough for King Henry II to grant it a royal charter in 1179, confirming its status as a market town and allowing it to form a Guild Merchant — a privilege that shaped the town’s commercial and civic life for centuries.
By 1328, Preston had received a new charter allowing it to hold a weekly market and annual fair, both of which helped it thrive as a regional trading centre. The medieval period also saw Preston attacked and burned in 1322 during a raid by Robert the Bruce, yet the town recovered and remained a key settlement throughout the Middle Ages.
In the Tudor and Elizabethan periods, Preston was described by antiquarian William Camden as a “large and for those parts handsome and populous town,” a reflection of its growing significance. Religious institutions, including a Franciscan friary founded in the 13th century, were central to town life until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1530s.
Preston’s transformation truly accelerated in the late 18th century. The opening of its first cotton mill in 1771 marked the beginning of its rise as an industrial powerhouse. The town became a hub of textile innovation and manufacturing, thanks in large part to figures like John Horrocks, who expanded the cotton industry at scale from the 1790s onward. By the early 19th century, Preston had earned its reputation as one of the most industrious towns in the north of England.
The arrival of the Lancaster Canal in 1792 and the railway in 1838 further fuelled Preston’s growth, making it a vital transport and logistics centre. But the Industrial Revolution also brought social unrest. The Preston Strike of 1842, part of the wider Chartist movement, saw violent protests and tragic loss of life.
During the Victorian and Edwardian eras, Preston’s population boomed. By 1851 it had grown to over 69,000, and by the turn of the century it approached 120,000. Civic pride was evident in the construction of grand public buildings — most notably the Harris Museum and Art Gallery, the Town Hall, and the impressive docklands infrastructure. Horse-drawn trams, telephone exchanges, and electric lighting all arrived as the city modernised.
Despite periods of challenge — from air raids during the Second World War to deindustrialisation in the late 20th century — Preston retained its character and resilience. It was officially granted city status in 2002 during the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, a nod to both its historical significance and its modern-day role as a vibrant regional centre.
Today, Preston stands as one of Lancashire’s most historically rich and visually attractive cities. From its medieval market roots to its role in the Industrial Revolution, the city continues to evolve — proud of its past and ambitious for its future.