We now come to speak of Poulton as a port, and in this respect our information, it must be acknowledged, is very scanty; the harbours of Poulton were situated at Skippool and Wardleys, on opposite banks of the Wyre, and it was to the cargoes imported to those places that the custom-house of the town owed its existence. At what date it was first established cannot be discovered, but that it was in being nearly two centuries ago is proved by a paper on “The comparative wages of public servants in the customs,” in which the following occurs:—

“We find that William Jennings, collector of the customs at Poulton, in the Fylde, received in 1708, during the reign of Queen Ann, for his yearly services thirty pounds per annum; and five subordinate officers had seventy-five pounds equally divided amongst them.”

The chief traffic of the port was in timber, imported from the Baltic and America; and flax and tallow, which arrived from Russia. In 1825 Poulton was described by Mr. Baines, in his History of Lancashire, as a creek under Preston, and it is probable that such had been its position for a long time anterior to that date. In 1826 Poulton was made a sub-port under Lancaster, and later, when the town of Fleetwood sprang up at the mouth of the Wyre, the customs were removed from Poulton to that new port.

Subjoined are the number of inhabitants of the township at intervals of ten years from 1801, when the first official census was taken:—

1801769
1811926
18211,011
18311,025
18411,128
18511,120
18611,141
18711,161

In 1770, during the reign of George III., an act of parliament was obtained by means of which a court was established in this town “for,” according to the wording of the deed, “the more easy and speedy recovery of small debts within the parishes of Poulton, Lytham, Kirkham, and Bispham, and the townships of Preesall and Stalmine.” A number of gentlemen engaged in commercial pursuits and residing in these several districts were appointed commissioners, any three or more of whom constituted a court of justice, by the name and style of The Court of Requests; they were empowered to hear and determine all such matters of debt as were under forty shillings, further they were authorised and required, “to meet, assemble, and hold the said Court in each of the said Parishes of Poulton and Kirkham, once in every week at least, to wit, on every Monday at Poulton, and on every Thursday at Kirkham, and oftener if there should be occasion, in a Court-house, or some convenient place appointed in each of the said Parishes.” Each commissioner on being elected took the following oath:—

“I ... do swear That I will faithfully, impartially, and honestly, according to the best of my Judgement, hear and determine all such Matters and Causes as shall be brought before me, by virtue of an Act of Parliament, for the more easy and speedy Recovery of small Debts, within the Parishes etc.; without Favour or Affection, Prejudice or Malice, to either Party. So help me God.”

Edward Whiteside and Simon Russell were elected, respectively, clerk and sergeant of this court, and James Standen, of Poulton, in consideration of having advanced money to pay the expenses of obtaining the act and providing suitable accommodation for its administration, had authority given to him and his heirs to appoint a person to be clerk or sergeant as often as either of those offices should become vacant, until the sum so advanced with lawful interest had been repaid; after which the appointments were to be filled up by a majority of votes at a special meeting of the commissioners, not less than eleven being present. For the better regulation of the proceedings it was enacted that a majority, amounting to five, of the commissioners assembled in court should have full power and authority to make, as often as occasion required, such rules and orders for the better management of the court as might seem necessary and conducive to the purposes of the act, provided always such rules or orders did not abridge or alter the scale of fees as at first arranged, and were consistent with equity and the true intent of the act. In the event of anyone neglecting to comply with an order from this court for the payment of money owing an execution was awarded against the body or goods of the debtor, if the former, the sergeant was, by a precept under the hand and seal of the clerk, “empowered and required to take and apprehend, or cause to be taken and apprehended, such party or parties, being within any of the parishes or townships aforesaid, and convey him, her, or them, to some common gaol, or house of correction, within the county palatine of Lancaster, there to remain until he, she, or they, had performed and obeyed such order, decree, or judgment, so as no person should remain in confinement upon any such execution, for any longer space of time than three months.” In the case of goods the sergeant was similarly empowered “to levy by distress and sale of goods, of such party, being within the parishes or townships aforesaid, such sum and sums of money and costs as should be so ordered and decreed.”

One clause of the act stated that if any person or persons affronted, insulted, or abused, all or any of the commissioners, the clerk, or officers of the court, either during the sitting or in going to or returning from the same, or interrupted the proceedings, or obstructed the clerk or sergeant in the lawful execution of their different offices, he, she, or they should be brought before a justice of the peace, who was hereby empowered to inflict on conviction a fine of not more than 40s., and not less than 5s. The jurisdiction of the court did not extend to any debt or rent upon any lease or contract, where the title of any lands, tenements, or hereditaments came in question; nor to any debt arising from any last will or testament, or matrimony, or anything properly belonging to the ecclesiastical courts; nor to any debt from any horse-race, cock-match, wager, or any kind of gaming or play; nor from any forfeiture upon any penal statute or bye-law; nor did it extend to any debt whatsoever whereof there had not been contract, acknowledgment, undertaking, or promise to pay within six years from the date of the summons, although any of the above mentioned debts should not amount to forty shillings. No attorney or solicitor was allowed to appear before the commissioners as attorney or advocate on behalf of either plaintiff or defendant, or to speak on any cause or matter before the court in which he was not himself a party or witness, under a penalty of five pounds for each offence. It was further enacted “that no action or suit for any debt not amounting to the sum of forty shillings, and recoverable by virtue of this act in the said Court of Requests, should be brought against any person or persons, residing or inhabiting within the jurisdiction thereof, in any of the king’s courts at Westminster, or any other court whatsoever, or elsewhere, out of the said Court of Requests, and no suit which had been commenced in the said Court of Requests in pursuance of this act, nor any proceedings therein, should or might be removed to any superior court, but the judgments, decrees, and proceedings of the said court should be final and conclusive to all intents and purposes; provided always, that nothing in this act should extend, or be construed to extend, to prevent any person from suing for small debts in any other court, where such suit might have been instituted before the passing of this act.” The various fees to be paid to the clerk of the court were—for entering every case, 6d.; for issuing every summons, 6d.; for every subpœna, 6d.; for calling every plaintiff or defendant before the court, 3d.; for every hearing or trial, 6d.; for swearing every witness, plaintiff or defendant, 3d.; for every order, judgment or decree, 6d.; for a non-suit, 6d.; for every search in the books, 3d.; for paying money into court, 6d., if by instalments, 6d. in the pound more; for every execution, 6d.; for every warrant of commitment for misconduct in court, 1s. The fees to the sergeant were—for every summons, order, or subpœna, and attending court with the return thereof, 6d.; for calling every plaintiff or defendant before the court, 1d.; for executing every attachment, execution, or warrant, against the body or goods, 1s.; for carrying every plaintiff, defendant, or delinquent to prison, 6d. more for every mile. Although this was purely a lay-court the commissioners possessed and exercised the power of placing the witnesses on oath previous to receiving their evidence. In 1847 the Court of Requests was superseded by a new court, for the recovery of debts not amounting to twenty pounds, which held its first sitting on Monday, the 23rd of April in that year, under the presidency of John Addison, esq., a barrister and the appointed judge, in the room belonging to the Sunday school. This gentleman wore a silk gown, as prescribed to the judges of these courts, and Mr. Elletson, solicitor, the clerk, was also robed. At the first assemblage the Rev. John Hull, M.A., the vicar, and Giles Thornber, esq., J.P., were seated on each side of the judge. The cases for trial or arbitration only numbered seventeen, and were of little interest, so that the initiative sitting of the court was but of short duration. The circuits apportioned to the judges had an average population ranging from 202,713 to 312,220 persons, and the salary paid to each of these officials was £1,200 per annum. In the schedule of fees it was stated that for the recovery of debts not exceeding 20s. the cost should be 3s.; under 40s., 5s.; under £5, 9s.; under £10, £1; under £20, £1 10s.; and in jury cases 5s. would be charged for the jurymen, while the other court charges would be a little increased. The powers of this court, now designated the County Court, have been considerably enlarged since its first establishment; the following gentlemen are the officers at present connected with it:—

JudgeWilliam A. Hulton, esq.
RegistrarMr. E. J. Patteson.
High BailiffMr. J. Whiteside.