THEY were the well-to-do family who once lived in a Prestwich landmark and now the infamous Petrocokinos are set to feature in a new exhibition.

Owning property on the continent as well as in Prestwich, the wealthy Petrocokino clan were a well-known family who lived at Sedgley House — the modern-day Sedgley Park Police Training College in Sedgley Park Road.

Amateur historian Craig Brisbane has tracked down documents that offer a fascinating new insight into the family, who had their roots in Greece.

"They were the 'it' family of their time," said Mr Brisbane, who snapped up the paperwork when a history enthusiast put them up for auction on ebay.

He added: "The records provide an insight into what the family was like, what kind of things they bought and how they lived their lives."

Themistocles Petrocokino, a wealthy cloth merchant, was the first of his name to arrive in Prestwich.

He came in 1876 and became a leading member of the Manchester Greek community.

Determined to put a personal touch to the property, he authorised a comprehensive refurbishment, which took another 14 years to finish.

He transformed the interior of the house and placed the family emblem on ceilings, the staircase, the chimney piece and even lamps and clocks.

Themistocles had a son, named Ambrose, who married Violet Anne May Sykes — the daughter of a baron, Sir Frederick Henry Sykes, and they moved to Berkshire, as Sedgley House was sold to a teaching order of nuns in 1903.

While living in Prestwich, the family were trendsetters, owning their very own motor car at a time when the horse-drawn cart was a common sight on the area's roads.

But the Petrocokinos were so wary of the new technology, they insisted on sitting in a cart drawn by the car, rather than travelling in the car itself.

To acknowledge the family's impact on Prestwich and the local importance of Sedgley House, the Government listed the building in 1990.

Among the items within that cannot be changed without special permission are the parts of the house bearing the family emblem.

Mr Brisbane added: "The exhibition also features a range of letters, documents and objects documenting Prestwich’s history, including a set of photographs of the Sedgley Park area from around about the 1930s."

The exhibition takes place at Prestwich Library in the Longfield Centre on December 5 and 6 from 9.30am to 1pm. Entry is free.