ABSTRACT
IN 1830 St. Helens was still little more than a coalmining district. As the glass and chemical industries grew up and became more important, coal gradually ceased to predominate and, by the end of the century, more people were employed at the glassworks than in the coalmines. But in the 1840s this transition was only in its early stages and the grimy face of the collier returning from his day’s work was still the most familiar sight in the neighbourhood. 1
