Other current and historical names
Location and coordinates are for the approximate centre of St Helens within this administrative area. Geographic features and populated places may cross administrative borders.
Gazetteer of the British Isles (Edinburgh: Bartholomew, 1887). John Bartholomew
St Helens.-- parl. and mun. bor., manufacturing and market town, Prescot par., SW. Lancashire, 12 miles N. of Liverpool and 191 NW. of London by rail, 6586 ac., pop. 57,403; 2 Banks, 3 newspapers. Market-day, Saturday. St Helens, which within comparatively recent times was little more than a village, is now one of the most thriving commercial towns in the county. It owes its rapid growth largely to the canal and railway systems, which connect it with extensive coal-beds in the vicinity, and with the Mersey. It has large alkali, copper-smelting, and iron works, but is best known for the mfr. of glass, which is carried on to a great extent in all its varieties. A handsome town-hall, with public library, was opened in 1876. St Helens was made a mun. bor in 1868, and a parl. bor. in 1885; it returns 1 member to Parliament.