Longton in 1859

LANE-END, with LONGTON, a chapelry and market-town, in the parish and union of STOKE-UPON-TRENT, N. division of the hundred of PIREHILL and of the county of STAFFORD, 4 miles (E.S.E.) from Newcastle-under-Lyme; containing, exclusively of Longton, 1952 inhabitants. This place, which is situated at the southern extremity of the district called "The Potteries," and on the road between Newcastle and Uttoxeter, has risen to opulence and importance, in consequence of the flourishing state of the earthenware and china manufacture established here within the last few years. It consists of spacious and well-built streets, and contains many neat houses and public buildings, supplied with water from several springs on an eminence about a mile to the south-east, where a large reservoir has been formed by the Duke of Sutherland, the proprietor of the works. Here is a subscription library, established in 1807; and a newsroom was opened in 1833.

An indurated clay, or soft stone, found between a hard marl and iron-stone rock, and containing siliceous and argillaceous earth, with magnesia and lime, has the property of burning white, and has been used by Mr. Turner in the manufacture of china similar to that of India. Of this clay the first table service called "stone china" was manufactured by that gentleman, who obtained a patent for using it for that purpose. Brown limestone, coal, and ironstone, are found in abundance, with manganese, and coloured marl and clay; and there are extensive collieries in both Lane-End and Longton, and in the vicinity.

The Trent and Mersey canal passes about two miles westward from the town, from which there is a railway communication. The market is held on Saturday for provisions, of which the supply is very good; and there are fairs for woollen-cloth, hardware, and pedlery, on February 14th, May 29th, July 22nd, and November 1st.There were formerly two market-houses, one at the upper, and the other at the lower, extremity of the town; the former is disused, and the latter, which has been enlarged, and over which a public room has been erected, is now exclusively appropriated to the use of the market, and is called the Union Market. 

There are places of worship for Baptists, Wesleyans, Independents, Calvinistic Methodists, Methodists of the New Connexion, and Roman Catholics. A charity school was founded in 1760, and endowed by Mr. Bourne with property producing £66 per annum, which sum is applied towards the support of a national school. 

 

[Description(s) from The Topographical Dictionary of England (1859) by Samuel Lewis - Transcribed by Mike Harbach ©2020]