With more than 800 years of tradition, Preston Guild is a famous and unique celebration.

800 years of tradition

King Henry II granted Preston the right to have a Guild Merchant in 1179, when he gave the town its first royal charter. The Guild was an organisation of traders, craftsmen and merchants. It had a monopoly of trade in the town: only its members could carry on a craft or business. Newcomers could only trade here with the permission of the Guild, and such approval was not given lightly.

At intervals the Guild Merchant updated its membership lists, to ensure that people were not falsely claiming the right to trade in the town. Anybody who claimed to be a member of the Guild had to come to Preston and in a public ceremony or court, swear loyalty to the Mayor and the Guild Merchant. His credentials were checked and if he was eligible, and paid a small fee, he would then be admitted or re-admitted as a member.

There is some evidence of a Guild Court in 1328, but the first reliably recorded celebration of the Guild was in 1397, when it was already more than two centuries old. These gatherings for renewing membership were infrequent. It was soon accepted that they were needed only once in a generation. As a result, from 1542 onwards, Preston Guild took place every twenty years. The rarity of the celebration, and the fact that large numbers of people congregated in Preston for the occasion, made the Guild a special opportunity for feasting, processions and great social gatherings. In this way the great festival which is the Preston Guild was born, hundreds of years ago, and continues to flourish today.

All the trades of the town

For five centuries the Guild Merchant controlled trade in Preston. It was not until 1790 that there was freedom of trade in the town, but this did not lead to the abolition of the Guild. The Guild Merchant survived because its celebrations had developed into prestigious social occasions.

Traditionally the traders and craftsmen held processions to demonstrate the power of the Guild. They wore colourful costumes and carried banners and emblems of their trades. By the late 18th century the displays became increasingly elaborate, the decorated platforms which started to appear were the predecessors of the modern floats.

Some trades, such as the carpenters and butchers, have always been in the Guild. Others are more recent. In 1802 the cotton industry was involved for the first time and by the end of the 19th century it had become so important in the life of Preston that it had its own procession. This century, as the cotton trades declined in relative importance, new trades appeared. In the Guilds of 1972 and 1992 industries represented included nuclear power, mail order catalogues, electronics and aircraft building.

Proud Preston

Guild celebrations were more than just a demonstration of the authority of the trades and craftsmen. They were also a way of showing the world the importance, power and sophistication of the town itself.

Traditionally the Guild officers were members of the Corporation and to be chosen as Guild Mayor was the highest honour that Preston could bestow. The civic pride of Preston was reflected in the civic procession which took place at the start of each Guild. The Borough regalia was brought out for display - gleaming silver maces, swords and pikes, ceremonial plate and embroidered banners and standards. The Guild Mayor and members of the Corporation wore their finest robes of office and were attended by trumpeters, mace bearers and sergeants in traditional costume. The splendour of the occasion was increased by the presence of the great families of Lancashire who, as patrons and members of the Guild, also wore their richest clothes.

Churches and Schools - like a mighty army

In 1835 the Corporation was reformed and the powers of the Guild abolished. The future of the Guild looked in jeopardy but strong public pressure ensured its continuation. Inevitably the nature of the Guild changed, it became a celebration for Preston as a whole - not just the traders and leaders of society. Churches and schools were now given their own processions.

Evidence that the Guild had become less elite could be seen in the procession of the children of the town, all dressed up in their best clothes. This soon became a favourite with the crowds. Equally popular were the great historical pageants performed by local children in Avenham Park, a tradition begun in 1922. The church possession were not as harmonious as those of the schools. Intense religious rivalry meant that the Anglican, Catholic and Nonconformist churches held separate processions until 1972 when there was the first joint event.

Like the trades processions, those of the churches reflected change in the town and in particular the fact that Preston had become a multicultural community. In 1952 the Ukrainians and Poles who had come to the town after World War II were represented as was the Gujurat Hindu Society in 1972.  In 1992 all the ethnic groups of the town played a hugely popular part in the first ever Community procession.

All the fun of the fair

The Guild has always drawn large crowds of visitors to witness not only the processions but the enormous range and variety of events. Between processions and official events the wealthier visitors went to concerts and plays or watched horseracing on what is now Moor Park. Ordinary folk enjoyed circuses, fairs, travelling comedians, exhibitions of curios and the like on the outskirts of the town.

One of the most popular spectacles of the Guild were balloon ascents. In 1822 disaster struck the ascent of Mr Livingstone when his balloon crashed near Whalley and he broke a leg falling out! Equally spectacular was the performance of the world-famous tightrope artist Blondin on Preston Marsh in 1862. Guild celebrations also included concerts by famous performers, plays with nationally-renowned actors, regattas on the river and firework displays on the Market Place.

Feasts and fancy dress

Social events were crucial to the success of the Guild. The Guild Mayor presided over lavish entertainment for all the leading figures in county and town society. They expected to be entertained in grand style, and no expense was spared to ensure that they were not disappointed. A highlight of Guild week was the great Mayoral banquet held after the civic procession on the opening day.

Evening entertainment was provided by grand dances and costume balls. Those attending wore expensive costumes and jewels. In 1782 a masked ball was held, at which most people wore black facemasks for disguise. The 1802 Guild included a full fancy dress ball, by all accounts a spectacular and hilarious event. Not surprisingly the costume ball became an essential part of the Guild programme thereafter.

The Guild and the town

Every twenty years Preston was overwhelmed by a great invasion of visitors for the fame of the Guild had spread far and wide, even overseas. Not surprisingly accommodation was always in short supply. In 1782 it was said that during the Guild all the main roads leading to Preston were blocked by traffic jams, with coaches queuing to enter the town. After the railways had reached Preston many special trains were put on to carry the crowds, and the station was all but swamped by the hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Past, present and future

The first eye-witness account of a Guild dates from 1682, by which time it was already regarded as a rare historical survival. There have been 26 Guilds for which records survive, held regularly every twenty years apart from a wartime interruption- there was no 1942 Guild. Each Guild has been a triumph, despite the  predictions of some Prestonians who have said, since the Guild began, "it can't be as good as last time". The Guild has adapted to change. It has included new trades, new events, new ways of celebrating the present, but at the heart of the Guild is a renewal ceremony which is as old as the Guild itself. Change and continuity have been its hallmarks for eight centuries.

For Guild 2012 an experienced Festival Director has been appointed and a team are in place, working behind the scenes to maximise the opportunities presented by the next celebration of this truly unique event. As it is one of the things that makes Preston so special the Guild's celebrations deserve to be as spectacular and memorable as ever.

See useful websites for videos of the 1972 Preston guild celebrations.