The Armoury (also known as the Band House) on the corner of Wigan Road and Armoury Bank is reputed to be the oldest building in Ashton. It was used as the armoury, and later the band house, for the Ashton and Garswood Troop of the Lancashire Hussar Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry.
The regiment was formed in 1848, and the troop was the unofficial successor to the Loyal Ashton Yeomanry Cavalry, one of five independent troops of cavalry raised in Lancashire in 1798.
According to the Old Mersey Times website, the authority for raising the Lancashire Hussars was obtained in August 1848, the government in part paying for their outfit and pay for eight days a year. Sir John Gerard at his own expense provided swords and belts and paid the Band Master and members of the band. The regimental band was initally drawn from Liverpool, but in 1849 the Park Lane Chapel band was engaged, with some additions, as the band of the regiment.
The Hussars paraded at Southport in 1850, and the following men were listed:
Troop A
Officers
Major Sir John GERARD Bart, Commanding, New Hall Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Capt YATES [on sick leave] Eccleston Rectory
Lieut Lionel STANDISH [on leave]
Lieut T. D. B. D’ARCY [on leave]
Cornet W. E. HUGHES
Non commissioned Officers
Regt Sgt Major John PORTEUS Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Troop Sgt Major George HARRIOTT, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Sgt John KNIGHT, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Sgt William ASHTON, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Cpl William UNSWORTH, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Cpl BenedictTURNER, Aspull nr Wigan
Lance Cpl Abel PENNINGTON, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Lance Cpl William PENNINGTON, Woodhead nr Newton
Band master Charles ROBINS, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Privates
Henry ADAMSON, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
John ASHCROFT, Aspull
Peter BOARDMAN, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Richard BOON, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Isaac BRIDGES, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Benjamin BLINSTON, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
John BURGES, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Thomas BROOMHEAD, Aspull
Peris BROOMHEAD, Aspull
Thomas BRETHERTON, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
James CLARKE, Snr Ashton-in-Mackerfield
James CLARKE Jnr, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
William CLARKE, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
George CUNLIFFE, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Henry DUCKWORTH, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Joseph DUCKWORTH, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
James DAPLIN, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Peter ELLIOTT, Aspull
James FAIRCLOUGH, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
John FAIRCLOUGH, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Henry FAIRCLOUGH, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
James GASKELL, Billinge
Peter GIBBONS, Dounal Green, Billinge
John HODGKINSON, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
William HOWARTH, Ince Wigan
James HOWARTH, Ince Wigan
William HIGGINSON, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
James HARDMAN, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Peter JENKINS, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Thomas JONES, Aspull
James KELSALL, Billinge
Thomas LUCAS, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Peter LOWE, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Mathew LOWE, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Henry LEAKE, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
John LUNT, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Abraham LYMER, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Thomas MARTLEW, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Richard MASON, Aspull
Daniel MURRY, Aspull
James ORMROD, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Henry PENKETHMAN, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
John PENNINGTON Sen, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
John PENNINGTON Jnr, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Bryan PENNINGTON, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
PIGOTT, Billinge
John PARKINSON, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Jacob PIMBLETT, Edge Green, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Robert PRESTON, Wigan
Moses PYTHIAN, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
John ROSE, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
John RIGBY, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Samuel REEVES, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Thomas RIMMER, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
James SIMM, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
John SHEPHERD, Aspull
Thomas SOUTHWORTH, Aspull
David SMALLEY, Aspull
David SUTTON, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Frederick SUTTON, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Henry THOMASON, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Abraham TURTON, Wigan
Edward TAYLOR, Billinge
Henry UNSWORTH, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Thomas UNSWORTH, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
James UNSWORTH, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Robert UNSWORTH, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Joseph UNSWORTH, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Richard UNSWORTH, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
John WATKINSON, Billinge
William WISWELL, Billinge
James WILCOCK, Billinge
Paul WALMSLEY, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Isaac WORRALL, Aspull
Troop B
Officers
Lieut Frederick GERARD, Aspull House, nr Wigan
Non Commissioned officers
Sgt Thomas PALMER, Ormskirk
Sgt Thomas FOSTER, Bickerstaffe
Sgt George BRETHERTON, Liverpool
Sgt A. G. HAIL / HALL ?, Liverpool
Cpl James LEATHAM, St Helens
Cpl Henry H. PYE, Ormskirk
Cpl James UNSWORTH, Aspull
Cpl Benedict PROCTOR, Liverpool
Privates
K. ALLWRIGHT, [trumpeter], Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Thomas ARNOLD, Windle
Altherster ASPINALL, Liverpool
M. Henry ASHCROFT, Liverpool
Benjamin BARNETT, Liverpool
Thomas BOARDMAN, Windle
Francis BATH, Liverpool
John BATH, Liverpool
Thomas BROWN, St Helens
William BIRCHALL, St Helens
Robert BUTLER, St Helens
Charles BARROW, St Helens
Walter BEATTIE, Windle
Henry BOLENO, Liverpool
Thomas BRIDGE, St Helens
Thomas BRINDLE, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Henry John BRINDLE, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
John CLOUGH, Windle
William COLE, Liverpool
Joseph CHALLENOR, Liverpool
John CURRIE, St Helens
William CARLOSS, St Helens
Charles FARMER, Liverpool
John FOSTER, St Helens
Henry FAIRHURST Snr, Windle
Henry FAIRHURST Jnr, St Helens
John GORSUCH, Liverpool
James GLOVER, St Helens
James Hugh GLOVER, Liverpool
John GORSE, Ormskirk
Edward GORSE, St Helens
Henry HARTSHORNE, Liverpool
George HOUGHTON, St Helens
-------- HOPKINS, Liverpool
William JORDAN, Liverpool
Charles LOWCOCK, Liverpool
Samuel LEATHWOOD, Liverpool
Henry William LYNESS, Liverpool
David LEYLAND, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Joseph LEYLAND, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Jabez LEYLAND, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Henry LOWE, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Thomas LOMAX, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
William MAYBRICK, Liverpool
Patrick MCKIGGEN, St Helens
Samuel MADDOX, St Helens
William MOSS, Aintree
Adolphus MOBART, St Helens
James ORMSHAW, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Henry OWEN, Liverpool
Thomas PEMBERTON, Liverpool
William PARR, Windle
Samuel POSTLETHWAITE, Liverpool
Banks PENNINGTON, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Henry PENKETHMAN, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
George RIPLEY, St Helens
Joseph RIGBY, St Helens
James SUMNER Snr, Windle
James SUMNER Jnr, Windle
William SUMNER, Windle
Henry SMITH, Liverpool
Charles SWIFT, Windle Moss
James SWIFT, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Robert SEPHTON, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Robert TONGUE, Liverpool
Peter TAYLOR, Aintree
John THOMAS, Liverpool
Henry THOMASON, Ashton-in-Mackerfield
Joseph VALENTINE, Ormskirk
Alexander WHITE, Liverpool
James WARD, Liverpool
Richard WHITFIELD, St Helens
John WOODS, Wigan
Peter WEBSTER, Windle
At one time the headquarters of the Lancashire Hussars was at Ashton-in-Makerfield. The Hussars took part in the "Boer War", 1899 - 1900 and the local regiment played a brave part in the 1914-18 war, where Lord Gerard won the D.S.O. The regiment was disbanded in 1969. It was from Lord Gerard's Hussars Band that the Haydock Band was formed.
At some time the building was extended to include the section now occupied by Lal Quilla. In the fifties the Armoury housed a sweet shop, and later Dicconson's cafe. By the seventies the building had become rather dilapidated and was used for storing furniture for the local Oxfam branch. However, it was renovated and is currently used as a hairdressers.
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