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I am grateful to Paul Watkinson for providing the information on this page.

Acknowledgement: Many thanks to Knowsley Borough Council for use of their archives.

Parish Church of St Mary's

Prescot is believed to be Anglo-Saxon in origin, with the name 'Prescota-cot' meaning a 'priest cottage'. It was the centre of an extensive parish, within the West Derby Hundred which included fourteen other townships including St Helens. After the Norman Conquest, Prescot became part of a manor, and by 1391 this was owned by John of Gaunt. On his death the manor passed to his son, who subsequently became Henry IV. The parish church dates from the 12th century, although it includes earlier items (Anglo-Saxon font) and later additions (tower and spire). Built on the top of a hill it became a focal point for the town and surrounding area. In 1447 Henry VI included the manor in a Royal Charter to establish what now Cambridge University is. At least the townsfolk were exempt from paying certain tolls. A Court Leet (local town council) was established and the town adopted the College Crest.

In the 14th Century, a number of potteries were created, centred on Eccleston Street, using local white and red clays. Examples can be found in the Prescot Museum, Church Street (opposite the library). The pottery industry was aided by the discovery of coal near the surface which provided fuel for the kilns. The town roads were greatly enhanced by the Turnpike Trust of 1726. Prescot was a major point along the route which split into two on Church Street; one to St Helens (via High Street and St Helens Road, A58), the other to Warrington (A57) via Market Place and Kemble Street.

Eccleston Street in the 1960s

The Deane's House

It was not until 1871, forty one years after the Rainhill Trials, that Prescot received its own railway station. This was followed thirty years later by tramlines. There are proposals for trams to return to Prescot as part of a Liverpool scheme. During the 18th century, thanks to a Hugnenot refugee from France, Prescot became a centre for watchmaking. The work was performed in homes and hundreds of small workshops. Examples can be found in Prescot Museum. In the 1800s the population continued to grow, many of Irish descent, forced away from the 'emerald isle' during the famine years. Due to increased mechanisation and mass production, Prescot's pottery and watchmaking industries declined.

From the late 19th century the BICC (British Insulated Callender Cables) became a major employer in the town, producing paper-insulated cables. In 1892 it was responsible for installing Prescot's electric lighting and also for Lord Derby's residence at Knowsley Hall. Unfortunately in the 1980s most of the BICC plant closed leaving a large area of wasteland to the south and west of the town. Part of this land was recently developed into a retail area. The Court Leet which had established the principals of self-government, was replaced in 1867 with what now is Prescot Town Council, under the umbrella of Knowsley Borough Council.