IN last week's Remember When we featured an insight into how Victorians viewed the history of mid Cheshire.

This came to light in a booklet printed in 1897 to celebrate the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria, which described the queen's reign and what had happened in Northwich, Winsford and Middlewich since she came to the throne 1837.

The booklet was brought in to the Guardian by Winsford man Graham Jones, who also has souvenir programmes of how Winsford celebrated the coronation of King George V and Queen Elizabeth II.

In last week's Guardian we looked at the changes that had taken place in Northwich during Queen Victoria's reign but in this week's edition we will focus on Victorian Middlewich.

The booklet, printed by Mackie and Co Ltd as a supplement to the Guardian, says of Middlewich: "Perhaps during no period have greater changes occurred in the ancient and loyal Wyche than those which have been witnessed during our Gracious Queen's reign, albeit Middlewich does not now probably play a part as important in the history of our county as it did in days of yore."

It outlines the town's history from Roman settlement to salt manufacturing town, but states that this had considerably diminished by the time of Queen Victoria and describes it as becoming a 'quiet and slumbering town'.

This was down to the River Weaver becoming navigable, which gave Northwich and Winsford the advantage, and the introduction of railways, which did not see the Northwich to Sandbach branch line open until 1867.

The booklet described the decline of the town's silk industry but said that the establishment of an Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Factory in 1872 made up for it.

It said the formation of a Local Board in 1869 was one of the most important steps in Middlewich's history as they immediately carried out a drainage system, although a public water supply was not complete until 1896.

Highways and burial boards were also established and Middlewich cemetery opened in the 1860s.

The Middlewich Gas Light and Coke works was set up in 1854, and proved a 'boon' for the town.

During the Victorian era the Independent Chapel, Primitive Methodist Chapel, the United Methodist Free Church and the Salvation Army Barracks were all built and all religious groups, apart from the Quakers, flourished.

A public free library was set up and Sir John Brunner donated Naylor House and grounds to the town as technical schools and library.

The booklet said the old men's club, dividend club and old ladies' club folded during this period but a number of new friendly societies grew, including the Masonic fraternity.

The parish church was restored in 1857 and a telephone exchange established.

The booklet summarises a revival of the salt industry and the coming of the alkali industry and says: "The revival of the trade of the town may be said to date from the Queen's Jubilee.

"New private business establishments have been opened, and on all hands are to be seen signs that the once sleepy old town is now becoming a more important one and more in keeping with the times."