Preston, Lancashire the many large active Roman Catholic parish churches is St Thomas of Canterbury and the English Martyrs, located on Garstang Road. Preston was the location of the world's first foreign mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (commonly known as the Mormons). As early as 1837 the first Mormon missionaries to Great Britain began preaching in Preston and, in particular, other small towns situated along the River Ribble. Preston is home to the world's oldest continuous branch (a small congregation) of the LDS Church. An official memorial to the church pioneers may be found in the
Preston on the Hill schools came into being following the Education Act of 1870, and were able to raise funds from the local rates. The single most influential thing to happen in the history of the villages of Preston on the Hill and neighbouring Preston Brook was the opening of the Bridgewater Canal in 1776. The canal was linked with the Trent & Mersey Canal in 1772 at a point just 11 yards inside the north end of the Preston Brook tunnel. This spot is marked today by a milepost on the path over the tunnel, which was used to walk the horses that