Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Lancashire Day

If you didn't know, 27th November is Lancashire Day.

Lancashire Day commemorates Edward I calling the first elected representatives from Lancashire to parliament in 1295.

Warrington has gone by many titles over the years, such as: a municipal borough, a county borough, and most recently a unitary authority. The local government reforms of 1974 made Warrington part of Cheshire, but historically, culturally, and more importantly, linguistically, Warrington is part of Lancashire.

For proof of this, you need look no further than the Lancashire Day proclamation, which is read out by town criers on this day throughout the county:

  • Know ye also, and rejoice, that by virtue of Her Majesty's County Palatine of Lancaster, the citizens of the Hundreds of Lonsdale, North and South of the Sands, Amounderness, Leyland, Blackburn, Salford and West Derby are forever entitled to style themselves Lancastrians. Throughout the County Palatine, from the Furness Fells to the River Mersey, from the Irish Sea to the Pennines, this day shall ever mark the peoples' pleasure in that excellent distinction - true Lancastrians, proud of the Red Rose and loyal to our Sovereign Duke.
(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancashire_Day)


You can see that, "From the Furness Fells to the River Mersey..." is historically Lancashire. Also, I have left in the link to the Wikipedia article on the West Derby Hundred as Warrington had been part of it since the 11th century.

Here are a couple of links to Lancashire societies:

As a result of local governmental bureaucracy, Warringtonians may have Cheshire in their addresses nowadays, but they will have Lancashire in their hearts forever!

Happy Lancashire Day, everyone!

2 comments:

  1. Here,here Wirelector. We went to listen to the crier today in the town centre, very proudly done and he was given a rousing round of applause at the end.

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  2. Bryan,
    Please correct the statement that Warrington became part of Cheshire in 1974. It did not! only administrational areas were changed.Warrington north of the River Mersey remains within the Historic County Palatine of Lancashire, no legislation has ever changed that!Put Lancashire on your letters and don't be ashamed of being a Lancastrian.

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