Page:History of the Fylde of Lancashire (IA historyoffyldeof00portiala).pdf/234

 four double rows of cottages for the accommodation of the workpeople, and a Roman Catholic chapel. Preston Street contained but few houses in addition to the Fleetwood Arms Hotel; thence, travelling eastward were Dock Street, with the Crown Hotel, as far as and including the Victoria Hotel; the east side of Warren Street, the west side of St. Peter's Place, the church and Sunday school, both sides of Church Street, Custom House Lane, the Lower Queen's Terrace, the North Euston Hotel, and the bath houses. The Upper Queen's Terrace was in process of erection, but was not completed until 1844, after having been allowed, for some reason, to remain in a partially finished state for two years.

The church, standing on a raised plot of ground in the centre of the town and surrounded by an iron palisading, is dedicated to St. Peter, and was first opened for divine service in 1841. It is a stone edifice with a square tower and octagonal spire at the west end, and was erected by voluntary contributions, the site being provided by Sir P. H. Fleetwood, who retained the right of presentation to the living. The interior of the building is neat, and contains sittings for about four hundred persons in the body, with additional accommodation for two hundred more in the gallery, at the end of which are the choir-pew and organ-loft, the latter being occupied by an instrument constructed by Gray, of London. Previous to the alterations, which were made seventeen years since, and consisted of the erection of a gallery and the convertion of some of the private pews into free seats, the family pew of the Fleetwoods stood in front of the organ-loft, and was the only one raised out of the body of the church. The chancel window is of stained glass, large and handsome, representing a central figure of St. Peter bearing the Keys of Heaven, below and on each side of which several scriptural subjects are illustrated. This window, purchased by subscription amongst the parishioners, was inserted in 1860; and in the previous year a handsome font of Caen stone was presented by Mrs. G. Y. Osborne. Two upright tablets, the gift of the late vicar, the Rev. G. Y. Osborne, illuminated with the Ten Commandments, are placed, one on each side of the Communion table. Four other tablets are fixed against the walls of the church, the first of which was erected by a few friends as a tribute of respect to the memory of Dobson Ward,