Special issue marking 170 years since the Preston Lock-Out and Strike, 1853-1854. In addition to a context-providing introduction by the guest editorial team, the volume contains nine articles relating to the Strike, a research note focusing on the the bicentenary of the University of Manchester and nine book reviews.

This year's volume includes seven articles and 18 book reviews. Fresh insights are offered on a wide variety of subjects with the chronology ranging from the early modern period to 1914. There is perhaps more focus on scientific matters than in recent volumes and the spatial focus is on Lancashire. Also included is a retrospective look, fifty years on, at R.C. Richardson's key text, Puritanism in North-West England, by its author.

This year's volume includes six articles and sixteen book reviews. Whilst a wide variety of subject matter is presented, the spatial and chronological focus of this year's articles, in comparison to those in recent editions, is Lancashire-centric and modern. The inter-disciplinary nature of Transactions is underlined by James Moore and Catherine Site's article focusing on Lancashire's pioneering impressionist painters. Also included is a retrospective look at John Walton's key text, Lancashire: a social history 1558-1939.