|
St. Anne's on the Sea Land and Building Company was formed in 1874 and played an integral part in the development of the new town of St.Anne's on the Sea from 1875. The company had its roots in the Rossendale area and the most significant investor was William John Porritt, a woollen manufacturer from Helmshore. His money contributed to the building of St Anne's and restored confidence in the project after some early problems. == Early Days of the Company == The Clifton Family of Lytham Hall, owners of the Manor of Lytham in Lancashire, guided by their land agent James Fair began planning for a new town in the area as early as the 1840s. During the 1850s they invested in the railway between Lytham and Blackpool which was opened in 1863. In the early 1870s a road was laid from what is now Fairhaven to the present St Anne's Square and a further road continued to the Parish Church of St Anne which was built in 1872/3 and funded by Lady Eleanor Cecily Clifton. The church gave the name to the new town of St Anne's on the Sea. In 1874, the St Anne's on the Sea Land and Building Company was formed by eight Rossendale men led by the chairman Joseph Wood Whitehead. This company negotiated 999 year leases with Thomas Fair who had succeeded his father James as the Clifton's agent. This company sought to develop what became known as the Square Mile in the centre of St Anne's. The architects for the project were Maxwell and Tuke of Peel Chambers, Bury. James Maxwell himself came from Haslingden in Rawtenstall and these men later went on to design Blackpool Tower. The ambitions for an exclusive and select resort can be seen in an early company document which states, "of late years Blackpool has become so much the resort of Excursionists that a decided want is felt for a watering place which, whilst possessing the same bracing atmosphere and commanding position, shall secure a more select and better class of visitors"!〔The Clifton Papers at Lancashire Archives (Ref:DDCL)〕 The first lease between the Company and the Clifton estate was signed on 14 December 1874. Work began on the development of the Promenade and the St Anne's Hotel in February 1875 and the foundation stone of St Anne's on the Sea was laid in the Hotel on 31 March of that year.〔Lytham and Kirkham Times, 7 April 1875, p.8〕 At the ceremony Joseph Whitehead commented "..perhaps many would be surprised at the scheme being taken up by Rossendale people. After relating the circumstances which led to the negotiations with Col. Clifton, he said that an arrangement was made with Mr. Fair by which 82 acres of land had been secured upon a long lease, a portion of which they had been upon that day. The company was floated and had succeeded beyond their expectations. It was their intention, as a large sum of money had been subscribed, to build as quickly as possible." 〔http://www.amounderness.co.uk/st.annes-on-the-sea_foundation_stone_1875.html〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「St. Anne's on the Sea Land and Building Company」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|