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Michael Kirkham Jones Biography & Facts

Kirkham aka Kirkam-in-Amounderness is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Fylde in Lancashire, England, midway between Blackpool and Preston and adjacent to the town of Wesham. It owes its existence to Carr Hill upon which it was built and which was the location of a Roman fort. At the census of 2011, it had a population 3,304 (Kirkham South) plus 3,890 (Kirkham North), giving a total of 7,194. By the census of 2021 the total had risen to 3,217 (Kirkham South) plus 4,666 (Kirkham North), giving a total of 7,883. History In his 1878 History of the Fylde of Lancashire, John Porter described Kirkham as ".. probably the earliest inhabited locality in the Fylde district." Remains found at Carleton in the 1970s of an elk with two harpoons embedded suggest that the Fylde was inhabited as long ago as 8,000 BC. The town is pre-Roman in its origin with a name originating from the Danish kirk (church) and -ham (Saxon for settlement, or "home"). The town owes its existence to Carr Hill upon which it was built and which was the location of a Roman fort. It appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 under the name of Chicheham and is described as lying on the Roman road between Ribchester (Bremetennacum) and the River Wyre. The town's market charter was granted in 1269–70 by King Henry III. In the 15th and 16th centuries Kirkham remained a small market town. But from the late 17th century the town grew into a thriving textile centre. From 1830 sailcloth was being woven in cottages in the town and later at the Flax Mill, built in 1861 by John Birley. Kirkham Grammar School was founded in 1549 but the original building no longer exists. In 1792 a Roman brass shield boss was discovered by local schoolmaster John Willacy, in the Dow Brook, in Mill Hill Field. Willacy sold the shield to a Scotsman, but it found its way to the Charles Townley collection in Burnley and from there to the British Museum. The oval shield, about 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter, bore the representation of a human figure, seated, with an eagle to the left and an athlete at the side. Horse racing took place at Carr Hill in Kirkham in March 1852 and again in March 1853. Point-to-point races were still being staged at Thornley-with-Wheatley, near Preston, by the Kirkham Hunt in the 20th century, including a meeting on Friday 6 April 1900. Races at Carr Hill continued up to the start of World War II, but it is uncertain whether they began again after the War had ended. In 1887 a memorial was erected, at Town End, to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. The memorial was later moved to a site adjacent to the United Reformed Church. Looms ran in the town from about 1850 until 2003. At one time the town had eleven mills, the last to be built being Progress Mill in 1915. On the lower part of Station Road "The Last Loom" of Kirkham is on permanent public display. This loom, a cross-rod type from the 1920s, with the use of tappets at the side, could produce an extensive range of fabrics including velvets, twills and Bedford cord. In 1925, Church Street became the subject of a pencil on paper drawing by Pendlebury artist L. S. Lowry In his later "A Lancashire Village, 1935" he painted the scene again, but with a wider street full of people and a house in front of the church. Due to an expansion of secondary education after the Second World War, in 1957 Carr Hill Secondary Modern School (now Carr Hill 11-18 High School and Sixth Form Centre), was built on the site of Carr Hill House and a former racecourse. It was officially opened in 1958 by the Duchess of Kent. Several housing developments have been built on the edge of the town in the last half of the 20th century. Governance The town council for Kirkham is elected as a parish council, which has six elected councillors and operates under the name "Kirkham Town Council". The council manages local services such as waste management, community spaces, planning permission and council tax among others. The Lancashire County Council councillor is Stewart Jones. In the 2023 local elections the three Fylde Council seats were won by Edward Collins, Damian Buckley and Paul Hodgson (all Independent). Banks The Kirkham branch of HSBC closed in 2015 and that of Nat West closed in 2017. The branch of Lloyds Bank also closed in 2017, the branch of Santander closed in October 2018 and the branch of Royal Bank of Scotland closed in January 2019, leaving Kirkham with no bank branches at all. The town has one remaining building society agent, for Yorkshire Building Society at Guy Penn Community Insurance Brokers, on Poulton Street. Pubs and dining There are several pubs in Kirkham, four of which are within or very close to the town centre including the Queen's Arms, the Swan and the Stable Bar. The Tap & Vent brewhouse, operated by Lytham Brewery, on Poulton Street, opened in December 2017. The Bullhorn Smokehouse opened in March 2021 and is located on Poulton Street. The Old Bank, a fine dining venue, was opened by restaurateur Andrew Booker and his son James, in the premises of the former Midland/HSBC bank in 2021 In February 2022 the former premises of the Santander bank were used as the home for the new German Brewhaus. Indulge Dessert Bar opened, on Market Square, on 30 March 2000. Regeneration In 2022 Fylde Borough Council purchased Grade II listed "Hillside" on Preston Street and the former Lloyds Bank on Poulton Street, as part of the town's £10m regeneration plan, Kirkham Futures. "Hillside" was a former restaurant and popular wedding venue, but both buildings had been empty for some years. The former bank, which was originally a Charity Girls School dating back to 1860, is hoped to be converted into a community cinema. Kirkham Futures is a four-year plan, led by Fylde Council's regeneration team, in partnership with Lancashire County Council and Kirkham Town Council, which will use a £6.3m grant from the Government's Future High Streets Fund (FHSF). In January 2023, the town's Market Square closed for up to 52 weeks for town centre improvements to be carried out. The Phase 1 Public Realm works for Kirkham will replace existing public realm and infrastructure, such as street furniture, in the area of Market Square and Poulton Street. Included in the contract is a five-year maintenance and repair commitment by the contractor, after which such upkeep would be included in existing revenue budgets. A lighting scheme to be implemented in Market Square will be maintained and repaired within the existing revenue budget provision. The contract was awarded to Eric Wright Civil Engineering Ltd following a successful procurement exercise. In 2023 and 2024 a cooperative partnership funded a programme of events inspired by the former Roman presence in Kirkham and Wesham, allowing the community to participate in art and archaeology projects. Activities indlcued a community archaeology project, a high street mural and a heritage-inspired art and lantern festival. .... Discover the Michael Kirkham Jones popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Michael Kirkham Jones books.