Category: 1885

Frederick Arthur Stanley – Blackpool’s First MP

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Frederick Arthur Stanley, the 16th Earl of Derby, had been born on 15 January 1841. For many years he was known as the Honourable Frederick Stanley, and later, from 1886 until 1893, as Lord Stanley of Preston. A figure of both politics and sport, he had served Britain as a Conservative politician and had held some of the highest offices in the government. His time as Colonial Secretary ran from 24 June 1885 to 28 January 1886, before he crossed the Atlantic to serve as Governor General of Canada from 1 May 1888 to 18 September 1893. Away from politics,… Read more »

Blackpool Transport

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Blackpool Transport was established by the town council in 1885, marking the beginning of its operations with the opening of its tramway on 29 September 1885. The tramway initially utilised a conduit system for electric operation, but this method faced significant challenges. Consequently, in 1899, the system was upgraded to a 550V overhead wiring system, which proved to be more reliable. In July 1920, Blackpool Transport expanded its services to include buses, launching its first route between Cleveleys and Thornton railway station. The introduction of bus services within Blackpool itself began in December 1922, with the inaugural route running between… Read more »

St Annes Pier

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St Annes Pier, located in St Annes-on-the-Sea, Lancashire, was designed by Alfred Dowson and opened on 15 June 1885 by Lord Stanley. Originally intended as a peaceful promenade, the Victorian-era pier later included various attractions. However, changes to the estuary channels meant to improve access to Preston Dock eventually left the pier stranded on dry land, which ended steamer services to Blackpool and Liverpool. A Tudor-style entrance was added in 1899, followed by a Moorish Pavilion in 1904 and the Floral Hall in 1910. Unfortunately, both were destroyed by fire—first the Moorish Pavilion in 1974 and then the Floral Hall… Read more »

137 Years of Blackpool Trams

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Michael Holroyd Smith (1847–1932) was a British pioneer of electrical and motor car engineering. He was born in Halifax on 22 December 1847, the son of Matthew Smith and his wife Mary Sutcliffe. Over his life he worked on various projects as a consulting engineer. In 1885 he was responsible for the design and construction of the Blackpool Electric Tramway, a line in Blackpool that was Britain’s first electric tramway and survives to this day, albeit in a rather different form. Between 1886 and 1890, he was responsible for the electrification of the City and South London Railway, the first… Read more »