Updated: 25 March 2009
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Contents:
Page 1:
Wallasey History
Wallasey Parish Church Fire
The Wallasey Wreckers & the US Pennsylvania
Leasowe Castle
Perch
Rock
World's First Solar Heated Building
Penny Bridge
Liscard Castle
Page 2:
Old Descriptive of Cheshire
Images in thumb nail format of Wirral
Personal Photographs taken by myself and daughter Lorna
Messages from ex pats from all over the world.
Have
you joined the forum?
SOME RESEARCH ON HOME TOWN HISTORY
Also below - Old and New Wallasey Images
Wallasey means the "island of Welshmen" but its literal translation can be taken "Welshmen" as strangers. When the Saxons spread across what became England, the pushed minority tribes etc out into the less accessible regions. Wallasey was one such region. Situated at the top right hand tip of the Wirral Peninsula, Wallasey was bordered on one side by the river Mersey, on the other by the Irish Sea, to the south by a large area of marshland known now as Bidston Moss and the waters of the Wallasey Pool inlet To the west by it was protected by marshland and mobile blowing sand. It was almost quite literally an "island". The Moss was not an easy place to cross. Visitors from out of the region would have been very hard pressed to find a way across. There was in fact one landward passage that led into Wallasey. Starting from near what is now Leasowe lighthouse, in Moreton, there was a long narrow lane (now Green Lane) that ran along behind the dunes and in front of the most fertile land in the area, known as "the market gardens". Now, on the opposite side of the same market gardens, runs Leasowe Road. Where I lived. Moreton, did not actually become part of Wallasey until 1928, but that's on my Moreton page.
The Market Gardens, or part of, taken from the
flyover on Leasowe Road 4th Feb 2009. Image two shows the remains of the sand
hills at the rear.
Green Lane is between the gardens and the dunes running right to left. Image 4
is Telegraph Lane, Green Lane crosses at the bottom.
Apart from the barrier, its pretty much as I recall it in the 1960s.
The Saxons never reached Wallasey, hence their name for the region. The situation was not dissimilar to the Celts in Cornwall, or the highlands or indeed, Wales. Very little is known about early Wallasey dwellers. There have been a few finds of animal bones, an adze hammer, a bronze palstave and, in 1864, at Leasowe, of a complete skeleton displaying "characteristics and peculiarities of an original race, or savage tribe." (Sir Edward Cust). The adze hammer was found in 1936 in Brickworks on Leasowe Road, 4 - 5 feet down in blue silt on an old course of the River Birket. It was thought that a flint factory had been found at Red Noses, New Brighton, but later decided that it was most likely the products of trade from Co Antrim, the nearest source of this type of flint.
Palstave
The names Wallasey, Seacombe and Liscard are the only remnants of the Britons who we presume lived in the area. There is also no evidence of the Norsemen who visited the region except for names like Breck and Kir(k)by and the thwaites and holms of Bidston Moss. The very first documented reference to Wallasey is from the Doomsday Book. Bidston Moss has pathways known by many locals but not further afield. Two whale jawbones were recorded as forming a bridge at one point on the Moss. Liscard was central to this "island". Black Rock stood alone for many centuries, local fishermen were all that frequented the area (and smugglers later on) until, in 1830, New Brighton began to appear. On the opposite side of the Moss, stood the village and parish of Bidston, Bidston Hill and Claughton. To the south of Wallasey Pool stood Birkenhead Priory. The remains of this today stand between Woodside Ferry and what was Cammell Lairds shipyard.
In the mid 1800s, Leasowe Road was created purely so that they could transport stone being quarried from the Breck to Leasowe Shore. Indeed, stone from the Breck was also used to make Leasowe Road. The road from St Hilary's Brow to the Breck was cut through the rock by the contractor.
St Hilary's. From the sea and the shore, from Moreton to the fields in between, St Hilary's was a most prominent landmark for all to see. Although still there, buildings and estates now block the view for many. The Church stands on top of the most prominent natural feature, The Brow. For centuries there has been a church on this site. See the newspaper report below.
The name dedicated to this church is quite rare throughout the whole of Great Britain. There are only 8 churches of this name. With the exception of Lincolnshire, all are situated in Celtic lands. As Wallasey was christened the "isle of Welshmen" I suppose we could claim celtic shores for our own St Hilary. The Scandinavian name for Wallasey is Kirkby in Wallea or Church in Wallasey; this tells us that a church existed here already, in the 10th century, which is when the Norsemen arrived. There is another, lesser known, theory that the name St Hilary is a mix up with St Elian, a 6th Century Welsh saint who was often confused with St Hilary of Poitiers and that a church on this site could have been dedicated to him approximately 400 years earlier. Whichever theory hold water, there has been a church on this site since, at the very least, the 6th century. No remains whatsoever can be found of the earliest church, especially as we now consider that it was quite likely constructed of wattle and daub or wooden.
The earliest remains found to date have been Norman. These were fragments of a font, the bowl of a piscina, (similar to that pictured below), an arch stone and portion of a doorway. It is likely that the builder of the Norman church was Robert de Rodelent.
Piscina in Shrewsbury Abbey (click image to enlarge)
At the time of Henry II it was recorded that William of Wallasey donated two fields to the church in exchange for a burial in the chancel. Apparently a rebuild took place in the 20 years following 1162, and again around the years of Edward I or II. The tower was added in 1530; this was the sole remnant of the church of that period, the survivor of the fire of 1857. The parish register starts in the year 1574. In 1658 records are available showing accounts. The sum of 3s being spent of a pewter basin. In 1660-61 a new pulpit was provided and 2s spent on manufacturing and placement of a Vane on the "steeple" (did the tower have a steeple?). In 1662, William Coates and his son were paid the sum of £3.10s.0d for plastering and whitening the church, for painting the commandments and the lord's prayer and scripture extracts for for placing the King's Arms. In 1692, Thomas cotton was paid 2s for repairing the churchyard wall.
Church plan 1665 showing seating plan
Repairs were also carried out in 1704, Thomas Cotton is again referred to as is Samel Deane. This involved the removal of the south end window and south ile (aisle?) and the subsequent rebuild with new stone to be completed before Michaelmas next. Churchwardens are to find seven barrels of lime and to lead new stone as needful. Thomas Cotton was to be paid £3.0.0 on completion. In 1750, Henry Cotton was paid £17.17s.0d to rebuild the west end and £1.6s.8d for the provision of 80lb of lead for new windows. To Thomas Wilson the sum of £1.2s.8d for a new window and repair of old. The above work was conducted in 1751.
In 1760, with the exception of the tower, the church was completely pulled down and the materials used to provide a new building. It would appear that the earlier builders had not done as good a task as intended what with all these ongoing repairs and eventual rebuild. It must have been decided that it would be far less of a cost to "start over". Stones of the Norman period when built into the new church gave evidence of an previous fire. Local tradition talks of 3 fires in the history of the building, the last being 1857. The new building was an oblong structure, akin to a barn, pews and containing galleries. It had no chancel and the east window was described as "venetian". In 1837 a transept across the east end was added which gave extra seating and also created a chancel.
It was noted, in 1854, that "little of the original character of the church remained. The arcades have been removed, windows modernised, and a new perpendicular one, filled with stained glass at the east end. The 1530 tower, embattled with gargoyles and corner buttresses and course 3 light belfry windows. The only good feature is the Norman font with arches in relief on shafts and cable moulding below".
Henry Robinson wrote a complete history of Wallasey, details of which contained many stories regarding his parish. He was baptised in 1640 and died in 1727; and was a Master of the Free Grammar School. Apparently all this work was kept in a church chest within St Hillary's. This would today have been worth its weight in government tax to historians. But what happened to it all is totally unknown. He wrote An Account of Wallasey in a letter to a Mr Charles Bunbury.
(see pages 353 - 360) Rise & Progress of Wallasey.
If that is but an extract, I would love to see the full article.
In 1753 a gent by the name of John Hough kept a journal and he recorded the costs of various items.
1753.
Aug. 4th 17 pairs of plain gloves at 1/4 pr. pair 01:02 :08 One pr. loop’t
gloves for the Minister. . 00:02:02
1754. Feb. 5 Jack’s coat came home, for making 00:01:03
Feb. 6th came
home his waistcoat, for making 00:00:05
Apr. 20th I
pair of ribbed stockings.. 00:02:08
Apr. 20th A
new hat .. .. .. .. 00:02:03
1757. Mar. 29th My wife’s shoes was soled by Israel Gleave ..
00:01:00
1761. Dec. 10th I had a pair of shoes, from Watson pd.
..00:05:00
1762. Bought a new hat from Robt. Wilson.. .. 00:01:06
June 28th 2
lbs. of wool at 8d. per lb. .. 00:01:04 1753.
Aug. 2nd To
Mrs. Tyrer a barrel & a half of ale .. .. .. .. .. .. 02:02:00
1758. Cheese sold by J. Hough to Bidston Miller, 18 lb. (2d.
per lb.) .. .. .. .. 00:03:00
1762. Feb. 24th Half a swine 84 lbs. at 2 per lb. 00:17:06
Beef 38 lbs.
from the Black Horse Inn at 2d. per lb. & 26 lb. more at 1 3/4d .. .. ..
00:10:01
Also by the same gent; he makes reference to January 5th 1755, "being the old Christmas Day". Unsure of that meaning? and around the same time he makes mention of a Wallasey past time:
Wallasey had a very popular game around this period known as Prison Bar. Each parish would send a team and two teams formed two circles, one inside the other both of which revolved in opposite directions. As a member of one parish passed a member of another parish, he would "tick" that person. They then both broke the circle and began a chase across country. The prize was usually a half barrel of ale. Roasted sheep and potatoes were provided for both winners and losers. It attracted a great many spectators.
No major roadways existed in the area, country lanes being the norm. "Seacombe in 1850, was a country village consisting of one main street (Victoria Road), two cross streets and a few scattered houses." By the 1890s all was changing and the character was lost forever as industry began to unfold along towards the Wallasey Pool. the docks.
Guinea Gap got its name from the discovery of, in 1850, a number of William & Mary; George 1 and George II guinea coins were found, together with a skeleton and a sword. Another, lesser known theory says that it was "Gyn Gap", meaning a gap in the clay cliffs and it was here where a stream, risen in what is now Brougham Street, flowed down into the Mersey. I suppose the former has a more romantic ring to it (except to the poor skeleton) but was probably the latter.
In 1882, The Liverpool Home For Aged Mariner's was built. The main building was surmounted by a 135 foot tower containing a clock and a bell. This tower can be seen in this image of HMS Keppel, moored on the river during WW2.
Wallasey Road Names & their Meanings
Poulton Road -
led to Poulton at the head of the Pool.
Bellevue road - was the site of Belle Vue Gardens
Demesne Street - ran through the demesne of Rear Admiral Smith, Lord of the
Manor of Poulton
Beaconsfield Road - Lord Beaconsfield
Beatrice Street - Princess Beatrice
Leopold Street - Prince Leopold
Gladstone Road - Prime Minister Gladstone
Byerley Street - Dr Isaac Byerley
Nelson Street - Philip Nelson, Liverpool Ship Owner of the firm Nelson, Ismay &
Co
Ellis Street - John Ellis
Littledale Road - Harold Littledale, son in law of Sir John Tobin
Rappart Road - D B Rappart
Mainwaring Road - Mainwaring family
Vienna Street - Mr Emmanuel Kopetzki, built the Vienna Hall, Brighton Street,
came from Vienna
Cinder Lane - corruption of Sunderland, name of local field
Creek Side - When the Pool was not restricted by dock walls.
Sherlock Lane - nothing to do with Sherlock Holmes, but Capt Sherlock, the last
captain of the sailing bots between Seacombe and Liverpool
Chamberlain Street - Joseph Chamberlain
Breck - Norse word, natural scrub, ferns etc
Harrison Drive - local family who donated local land for public parks
Claremount Road - after the school. Clare College, Cambridge, school founders
own school
Hose Side road - corruption of hoose, itself a corruption of Hoes, or sandhills
Broadway Avenue - nicknamed Suicide Lane after a visitor, Mr Munro, shot his two
children them himself, formerly Townfield Lane.
Seaview Road - Formerly Marsden's Lane after a Mr Marsden who lived in Liscard
"castle" - not actually a castle but a villa nicknamed thus due to its
battlement frontage.
The Laund - built on The Laund, or town fields known as lands or launds.
Kirkway - Modern(ish) road, takes its name from a legendary church (kirk)
Vyner Road - named after the Bidston family
Meddowcroft road - William Meddowcroft - landowner
Love Lane - once a charming rural "walk"
Cuffy Lane - Cuff Hey Lane, local field
Mill Lane - an old mill stood near Eric Road
Monk Road - Thomas monk. Built the Great float and Seacombe Ferry approaches
Urmson road - Old Wallasey family
Rake Lane - Rake means lane, therefore Lane Lane
King Street - formerly Barn Lane. Named after Ellen King who owned the land
Withens Lane another lane named after local field The Withens. A cul de sac
leading off known as Withensfield
Trafalgar Road - formerly Abbott's Lane (After Mrs Abbott).
Stringhey Road - field name String Hey
Zigzag Lane - purely from ite zig zag route!
Magazine Brow - The powder magazine. Once had a fearsome reputation known
locally as "Hell's Brow". Fishermen lived there.
Holland road - Holland family who had house in what is now Vale Park.
Atherton Street - James Atherton, creator of New Brighton.
Rowson Street - his son in law
North Drive - Frederick North
Fowell Road - Rev Richard Drake Fowell - 1st Vicar of St James
Molyneux Drive - Molyneux Family
Dalmorton Road & Sudworth Road - named after large houses in these roads, now
demolished
Other Wallasey names are also associated with roads including Maddock, Penkett, Steel, Walmsley and Tobin.
Promenades
Until 1891 the river front was open to the shore. The only built up are as being the Ferries. If a traveller on the river prior to this period looked toward Wallasey he would have seen mainly eroded clay cliffs supported by a large masonry wall (1858-1863). It was impossible to pass directly from Seacombe to Egremont via this route. At the Guinea Gap there was an actual hole in the cliff in which the tide had carved out a large hollow. From Egremont to what is now New Brighton existed only private properties occupying the foreshore.
The Seacombe - New Brighton promenade was completed in stages, to 1901. New Brighton Ferry started in 1906. In 1931 work started on building a seawall to Harrison Drive, Wallasey Village, even by today's standards, an ambitious project. Included in the project would be an embankment 130 feet wide, 46 acres of public gardens, a marine lake (for model boats), open air bathing and subsequent roadways. With the exception of the public gardens, it was completed in 1939. The land between the railway and the promenade was left untouched due to the arrival of WW2. In fact nothing was done to this area at all until the 1990s when developers got their greedy mitts on it and built "luxury apartments". More revenue for the council and no lay out in costs! The Home Guard (Dad's Army) were located at their HQ in the School of Art. In fact some of the guard were enlisted as students too!!
Al Etherington emailed me on November 5th 2008: Your site has brought a lot of memories back from my childhood day's in Wallasey and area's. When as a kid on the early 50's I had walked most of the places you mentioned. On a Sunday morning around 9am with a bag of butties a gang of us (5-6) would set off from Seacombe Ferry along the prom to New Brighton then along the beach's to Hilbre Island, down to West Kirby, and back across the peninsular via Frankby, Greasby, Upton and home, on the way we did a bit of scrumping as our sarnies had long gone, getting home around 5-6pm,in those day's you did not have to worry about being beat up or abducted, and our mums where glad to see the back of us for a few hours, as we all came from large families I was the eldest of 7, and we lived right near the docks, nobody locked their doors, as a matter of fact when you needed to lock your door if you where going a way for a few days you used have to borrow some ones key, as there was only about 3-4 left on the street of 16 houses and they all had the same locks.
Football - New Brighton AFC
The Wirral is represented in top flight league football by Tranmere Rovers, Prenton Park, Birkenhead. Over the river is Liverpool and Everton but they don't count! Not many people know that Wallasey had a "top flight" league team also in New Brighton AFC. Formed in 1921, they played at Sandheys Park, Rake Lane. About this same time, South Liverpool had disbanded and New Brighton successfully bid to assume control of their fixtures. Becoming a member of the Lancashire combination in 1921-22 they won their first game 3-0 against Fleetwood, finishing 6th in the league.
The following season New Brighton played in the FA Cup and actually reached the 3rd round proper, quite an achievement for any none league side. At the end of this season they finished 3rd. In June 1923 they were elected to the Third Division (North) of the Football League. They stayed in this division until WW2 interrupted the sporting calendar. Between 1923 and 1939 the club has reached no less three trips to the FA Cup 4th Round. notable visitors to Sandheys Park were teams like Tottenham Hotspur, Sheffield Wednesday, Stoke city and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Some international players also turned out for New Brighton. They included Kenny Campbell, Billy Lacey, David Lyner, Tommy White and Tom Lewis. Whilst they were playing for New Brighton, Billy Lacey tgot capped by N Ireland and Tom Lewis for Wales. World War 2, and to a greater extent, Wallasey Council, were responsible for the demise of New Brighton AFC.
In 1944, the Council requisitioned the ground for a prefabricated housing estate. By the end of the war, New Brighton had no players, no ground and no money. The directors fought hard to ensure New Brighton did not lose her Football League status and managed to acquire Tower Grounds as their new stadium. 1951 saw them lose their status. This ended 28 years in the League. Tenancy of Tower Grounds was lost and they were only able to play the 1954/55 season because the Council (kindly) provided an open field at Castleway North (Leasowe) and New Brighton Rugby Club kindly allowed use of their dressing rooms at the rugby club on Reeds Lane, a few minutes walk away. In 1955 they regained a joint tenancy of the Tower Grounds and results were satisfactory and a few good wins in the FA Cup managed to restore finances.
In 1956/57 the club became sole tenants of the ground. This season proved to be the best ever. They reached the 4th Round proper of the FA Cup (for the 4th time) and it took a tie away at Division One team, Burnley, to end their run, losing 9-0. Bit stuffy if you ask me!! The referee was rubbish!! Only joking - but what an attendance - 42000!! Money in hand and all debts paid. In 1958 the club borrowed £5000 from the FA and purchased the Tower Ground for £8373. In 1958/59 they erected a small stand, some cover for spectators and built new dressing rooms.
So, what went wrong? Its now exactly 50 years on, no New Brighton AFC exists. The biggest local club, as far as Wallasey is concerned is probably still Poulton Vics (Victoria), they certainly were in the 70s. They were the local West Cheshire League "big club". Also in theis league were Cammell Laird of Birkenhead. In 2008, Lairds are in a league not too distant from the Conference Leagues and then the Football League. I hope they make it one day. Also in the same league now, with Lairds, is a name famous amongst football fans for a team which was built by fans of another famous club, Manchester United. This team is called FC United of Manchester (FCUM). They enjoy a huge support. Not to be confused with a southern New Brighton AFC which was formed in 1959. New Brighton A.F.C. were reborn in 1993, and joined the Birkenhead and Wirral League, which they won in their first season. In 1995 the club switched to the South Wirral League. After upgrading their new ground, the club were admitted to the Second Division of the West Cheshire League in 1996. The club won the Second Division in the 2004/5 season, and were promoted to the First Division. There is a history of New Brighton, published in 1990 (Breedon Books) author Garth Dykes. Titled "New Brighton - a complete record of the Rakers in the Football League".
Industry. The earliest industry here on the northern tip would have been Milling. Poulton, or Rake Mill, stood in 1665. In 1765 a mill was built at the opposite end of the Breck, demolished in 1887. Liscard mill stood in 1819 but disappeared by 1841. Not yet in Wallasey, but Saughall had a mill on the borders with Moreton. Over the Moss, Bidston still displays here Mill and can be seen for miles around, it was recently re roofed (2005-6). On Wallaseys Dock Road, running alongside the Pool, I worked in the late 60s/early 70s in Paul's Mill, for Spillers and across the road was MacDougall's, which was destroyed by fire around 1970.
Seacombe had the Seacombe Pottery, 6 kilns all in a row. This flourished up to 1873, when a shipwreck brought financial ruin, costing them dearly. Little remains of their fine products but a few examples can be seen today in the Williamson Art Gallery in Birkenhead. (Somewhere I have yet to visit) Seacombe also boasted a Sugar Works which existed on the dock road around 1860. Mawdsley's & Smith's Smalt works also existed on the dock road until the same year. Known to be in production before 1741. The making of smalt was of Saxon origin. Consisting of cobalt, potash and ground flint. When it was heated and dropped into cold water it shattered so finely it could be crushed into a powder for use in paintings and mixed with starch to produce coloured linens.
Havelock Street has the Peruvian Guano Works, which commenced about 1830. I understand the "aroma" was quite becoming. Bibby & Co Copper works started in about 1812, standing near Creek Side until about 1863. Some of the workers cottages were still in existence up to 1959. If they are where I imagine them to be, they were still there in the early 70s. Grosvenor Brewery in borough Road, Seacombe acquired in 1896 by a Yorkshireman, John Cattle, its not known when it closed down. Spraggs Wallasey Vale Brewery on Leasowe Road dated back to 1856. A pottery stood on Green Lane in 1831.
In 1751 gunpowder was stored at the Magazine. This was to avoid transporting it through the streets of Liverpool. Barker & Jones, brickworks, stood off Leasowe Road. It was still going strong when I lived there in the 1960s. They acquired the Moreton Works in 1930 and production then was 380,000 bricks per week.
A Classic Con?
A possible bit of 1820s gazzumping took place when plans were put forwarded, and accepted, that a canal be constructed from Poulton end of the Pool, towards Leasowe Castle, onwards to West Kirby and into deep water off Hilbre. Liverpool was greatly alarmed by this turn of events. Fearful that a lot of trade would be diverted across the river from their docks. So they succeeded in buying up the relevant land, at a greatly inflated price. The land in question actually belonged to the speculators, Sir John Tobin, William Laird and John Askew. Liverpool believed that they had foiled the great canal project. Did Liverpool get the classic scam? Liverpool paid £150,000 for land not worth even half that, in those days.
Seacombe Shipbuilding took place, chiefly between 1864 and 1887. Bowdler & Chaffer, 1864 - Andrews & Co, Thomas Vernon & Sons, Alexander Jack and JF Waddington followed. All had yards along the stretch of what is now Seacombe Ferry and the entrance to the docks.
Everybody in Wallasey knew Gandy Belt. A very large factory on Wheatland Lane. A Belting & Brake Lining manufacturers. Started in 1863 by Captain Gandy, a seafarer from the days of the famous tea clippers. He transfered his works from Liverpool in 1891. In 1927 fire closed the factory for two years. I can recall this huge building of dark red brick very well indeed but have no idea what became of it. In the 60s it was thriving. I can remember looking through the grime covered windows at some "strange and dark, mysterious place beyond."
Al Etherington tells me about Gandy's (Nov 08): .... well I worked there from 1958 till leaving for Canada in 1965, I met my wife there, she was a weaver and I work on various jobs in the brake lining part of the factory. We came home for a holiday in 1969 and it was still there, but on another trip in 2002 it was gone, it was cut up into about 6-8 small business's, so not much of the old large building left.
Coming toward the dock road from what is now the M53, the large tanks of United Molasses attract the eye at the Poulton end of the dock road. Further along we arrive at Stone Manganese Bronze, still there now. Formed in 1882, they made huge ships propellers. Originally based in London, they moved to Wallasey with the coming of WW2. A wise move indeed!
Cadbury's
Finally, one of the most well known companies in the UK arrived in Moreton in 1954. Cadbury's Chocolate. Their main factory was, and still is, in Bourneville, South Birmingham, not too far from where I live now, in Sutton Coldfield. They built a purpose built factory on Pasture Road, on the Moreton shore side of Moreton station. The factory backed onto the Liverpool - West Kirby line. Front entrance is on Pasture Road, and a rear entrance off Reeds Lane, Leasowe. Occupying 77 acres, it is the largest single company in Wallasey. Landscaped Gardens, sports facilities, it employed over 2000 people under ideal conditions. It was quite literally years ahead of its time. A model of mechanical efficiency with the highest standards of hygiene. Development continued well into the 1960s. Names changed, Cadbury became Cadbury Schweppes, then something else. A large sign on the rear of the premises advertises Typhoo Tea! Its still there in 2008, manufacturing biscuits which then get transported by road to a large chilled storage facility in Minworth, Sutton Coldfield. Its current name may be Burton's Foods but its still Cadbury's.
In August 1970 signals began to appear near the docklands indicating to motorists the current bridge state, which was open, which was closed. This was a positive beneficial idea, allowing motorists time to decide on a diversion is necessary. not to mention emergency vehicles. In all there were a total of 7 signals.
In 1971 the population of Wallasey was 97,040 compared with 103,209 in 1961. Many emigrated during this period, whole families shipped out to Australia and New Zealand and, to a lesser extent, Canada. Others like myself left for the Forces, severing my ties, and eventually taking my new family with me to Germany and beyond.
In June 1971, a 36 inch 3 mile pipe was laid out into the Irish Sea to dump sewage directly into the sea to "facilitate" yet more homes being built on land long left to nature. I noted that, on a visit to the sea in 1974, my legs "tingled" when I was in the water paddling. I never went into that sea again, ever.
Work began on a second Mersey Tunnel, entrance by Gorsey Lane, Wallasey and from the new M53 which split Fender Valley and Wirral right down the middle to south of Chester. The motorway followed the route of the old Seacombe railway line. The tunnel opened to traffic in June 1971 and the M53 in February 1972. The M53 crosses Bidston Moss and piles had to be driven down 70 meters, the deepest piles in Europe at that time. (says it all really!!). New access roads were built upon the Moss which now sports industrial units, supermarkets and megastores.
And so my history ends, where it began, on the Moss. What the future holds will not be recorded, at least by me. My tale is done.
When a teenager on Merseyside, I had heard of an excellent microfilm library in Liverpool, which housed old local newspapers. I had been wondering for a while what had happened to the old Wallasey Parish Church, the ruined stumps of which still rest on the present site in Wallasey Village. I was intrigued and went over to Liverpool on the ferry boat to see for myself. I was looking through old film of the Liverpool Daily Post. I had a slight idea of the dates so investigated for myself. The result was an excellent account of the traumatic night - February 1st 1857. This report was printed in the Liverpool Daily Post Feb 2nd 1857, on page 5. Following on from this, and connected with this church, is the story, also taken from the Liverpool Daily Post, of an account of the wrecking of the packet ship Pennsylvania, which had set sail from Liverpool en route to New York on Christmas 1838. Cornwall is traditionally the region of fantastic tales of wreckers and smugglers, but Wallasey was just as notorious, maybe worse! I live there no longer, having been away with HM Forces, and now settled in Sutton Coldfield.
As a Borough, Wallasey died on 1st April 1974. Much to the annoyance of much of the population, Wallasey became part of the Merseyside County Council which included the detachment of Wirral from Cheshire, a link we were all proud of and, instead, "dumped" with Liverpool. Also parts of Lancashire suddenly found themselves now Merseyside. It was not popular then, and this has not waned over the years since. I was talking to a noted historian on the Wirral, via my computer, and he said that I had Wirral in a Merseyside folder on my site. He said "and you can damn well change that! We are NOT Merseyside!" I did.
Looking back 40+ years, it was the best time to be a Merseysider, but also the worst. It was the era when many old irreplaceable buildings and sites were ripped down and "modern" plastic, steel and glass replaced them. High rise flats sprang up almost overnight, like mushrooms and small villages were suddenly suburbs. a testimony to the quick building, get rich fad of the 1960s was that many of these are now, in turn, being torn down and replaced by buildings, in some cases, more pleasing to the eye. I suppose Wallasey should consider itself lucky in that many of the Victorian and Edwardian buildings that cover Wallasey are much prized dwellings as well as places of learning and commerce. Who can forget the grand old ABC Cinema in Liscard. /Not a cinema for many a year but still there.
The worst area of Wallasey to change, sorry to say, is my home town of Moreton. Leasowe, although post war, has managed to retain much of its original facade but Moreton is a pale ghost of itself, choked with people and traffic. "Plazzy" shops and sun tan parlours and fast foot eateries! Those of you too young to recall "ye olde Wirral" should take a trip and sit by Raby Mere no matter the weather. A trip back in time. But be mindful of the young idiotic kids in their flash looking wrecks with a stereo that costs much more than the car!
The following is a reprinted account direct from the microfilm of the original story which I had copied into a notebook all those years ago!
EXTRAORDINARY FIRE YESTERDAY - WALLASEY CHURCH BURNT DOWN
The Church today with the gutted tower still remaining
The Parish Church of Wallasey, an ancient edifice, was utterly destroyed by fire yesterday forenoon. We have made enquiries respecting the catastrophe, and the following is the result. It appears that yesterday morning, so early as 2 o'clock, an inhabitant of the village, on looking through his bedroom window, discovered smoke and flame issuing from the church, and immediately communicated the fact to the rector, the Rev P Haggit. The Rector and several of the parishioners proceeded at once to the spot, and found that the flames were breaking through the windows, and the fire presented an alarming aspect. A messenger was dispatched for the Birkenhead Fire Brigade and engine that being the nearest from which effectual assistance could be had in such an emergency. In the meantime the flames spread rapidly, the persons present being unable to do anything towards arresting their progress.
From every window the fire burst forth, and burnt with such brilliancy as to be visible from a distance of several miles. In a brief period the roof fell in, shortly afterwards the fire brigade from Birkenhead arrived at half past three, but even then any efforts they could make were inoperative from the want of a supply of water. After some time water was obtained and the engine got into play, but it was then too late to make any effectual efforts towards arresting the progress of the fire. The body of the church was completely gutted and presented nothing but a heap of smouldering ruins. The register books and some documents of value connected with the church were the only things saved from the conflagration. The organ created a few years ago, and which cost three hundred guineas, was totally consumed, also a handsome font, presented to the church by Mr Chambers. The church contained a set of six bells, which fell with a tremendous crash during the progress of the fire. Only two of the bells remain entire, the remainder being broken to pieces. The church underwent very extensive improvements a year or two ago, and a large sum of money was expended. A new roof was added, and the organ and the font previously alluded to were introduced at the same time. As to the origin of the fire there is little doubt. The fires connected with the flues for heating the building were lighted as usual about eight on Saturday evening, and it is supposed that some of the flues, becoming overheated, had ignited the flooring, and thus led to the fatal results which followed.
The loss is covered by insurance in the Sun Fire office to the extent of about £2000. The church was one of the oldest ecclesiastical edifices in the neighbourhood. The tower bears the date of 1530, although the church itself was rebuilt about 100 years ago. The ruins constitute an interesting sight; and during the whole of yesterday crowds went to view the desolation.
The tower alone was left standing. after some repairs it remains, in memory of one James Harrison who died in 1891. Below is an image taken by me in 2007.
This image was taken February 25th 2007
The present church of St Hilary was consecrated on 28th July 1859. The stone was freely donated by a Mrs Mary Ann Maddock from her quarry in Rake Lane. This was then the site of bowling greens. The windows were provided in the form of gifts, as was a new font. In 1895 the chiming clock was added to the new tower in memory of William Chambres who died at Wallasey Grange on 28th August 1893. The bells were made in Loughborough and bore nothing but the makers name, Taylor & Co. (Fragments of the old bells were cast into the new ones.)
The original Norman font which apparently now stands in St Lukes, Poulton, remained on site up to 1760 and was then placed in the rectory garden till 1834. It was then replaced in the church until 1856 and then removed again, to the rectory garden. 30 years later, it was again placed in the now, new church. When St Lukes was built in Poulton, it found its way there! To the rear of the font there is inserted a section of newer stone. It is rumoured that, in Cromwell's time, a piece was knocked out to use as a horse trough. Presume the piece was knocked out to provide entrance for a supply?
In 1955 a new east window was commissioned to replace that which had been damaged during German air raids in WW2. The new window is of Middlesex origin (E Liddle Armitage).
First recorded rector of Wallasey is Thomas de Waley in 1170. Thomas Fletcher was rector from 1579 - 1580 to 1619. His marriage is recorded "at Woodchurch to Catherine Benet of Saughall Massie on 22nd February 1597 or 1598. She was his second wife. The next rector of Wallasey was actually a Devon man, George Snell, incumbent to 1635. He was married to Lydia, sister of the Bishop of Chester, also a Devon man. In 1631 he refused a knighthood claiming that being "in holy orders and did not hold a lay fee". Narrowly escaping a fine for refusal. He was a determined Royalist at a time of Republican fervour. He actively preached against Parliament and sent a troop of Musketeers to "harass the Parliamentary troops at Nantwich". His tomb is in St Mary's on the Hill, Chester enscribed that "Archdeacon of Chester who by the lawlessness of his times, reduced to lay communion, died a private man, 5th February 1655-6. (Unsure why two years are given, maybe it was hard to read.)
The next Rector was, not suprisingly, a Puritan. Randolph Adams who was possibly curate under Snell. Chalres Aldcroft was Rector 1718 - 48. He married a widow and for some reason lived in a separate house to his wife, both in Chester, as he did not wish his marriage public knowledge. He paid very little attention to Wallasey whilst in office. He had 3 sons. Reginald Betts is the last Rector of note, being the holder of a Military Cross from his WW1 service. He was Rector 1937 - 1942.
The Wreckers
"God bless feyther
and God bless mather
and God send us a wreck afore morning"
Old Wallasey Prayer
Ordnance Survey
The prayer of the Wirral Wreckers was tragically answered on many occasions. At the foot of the old Wallasey Parish Church tower lie two weather worn and almost forgotten gravestones, concealing a tale of one such shipwreck on the Wirral shore. An apt resting place, looking out, as it does, over Leasowe Castle and the Wirral shore, the waters of Liverpool Bay and the very sandbank where disaster struck. On Christmas Day, 1838, the packet ship "Pennsylvania" set sail from Liverpool bound for New York. She proceeded to the mouth of the Mersey to await the first favourable wind. She was a superior and fast sailing freight carrying vessel, with cabins commodious and elegantly fitted. On this voyage there were 40 people on board, of which 5 were passengers. On the 12th day of Christmas, a Sunday, she finally put to sea on her fatal voyage. It was 10.30am and there was already a strong wind blowing from the southeast. The ship had a good run as far as Point Lynas, off Anglesey, which she reached by 9pm. Then she was totally becalmed for some 10 minutes, the proverbial lull before the storm. The wind freshened from the southeast, and soon after midnight the Pennsylvania was in the midst of a hurricane. It was the 13th day of Christmas. The storm continued unabated throughout the Monday. About the Pennsylvania efforts were made to clear the damage, and turn the ship about. When daylight came on Tuesday, Captain Smith, her Commander, tried to put back to Liverpool. On reaching Ormes Head, a course was plotted for the Mersey Lightship. Unknown to the Pennsylvania, however, the floating light had parted from its mooring the previous day. Normally it was anchored off the East Hoyle Bank to help guide mariners safely into the Horse and Rock Channels. The newspapers of the time were suspicious:
"To say the violence of the gale drove her from her moorings is absurd. The floating light ......... makes its appearance ......... so regularly in the Mersey with every onslaught of the elements ...... (that one might suspect) that those who tended it felt so deeply for their own personal safety in times of danger that they quit their post. Again, during the past gale when most needed to guide vessels in distress, has this vessel parted her moorings. It is scarcely two months since she parted her moorings before a gale and came into port. To us this is very extraordinary and inexplicable"
The Pennsylvania still bewildered by the absence of the Lightship, dropped anchor off Hoylake, about three miles from the shore. It was now 1.30pm on Tuesday. Before another anchor could be dropped however, the vessel swung around, drifted, and struck the Hoyle Bank. The force of the gale rammed her into the bank 8 or 9 times, and she started to take on water rapidly. Strangely, two other packet ships, the St Andrew and the Lockwoods also struck the Bank, not more than half a mile apart. One cannot help but recall the words of James Stonehouse, writing in 1863:
"Many a fierce fire has been lighted on the Wirral shore on stormy nights to lure the good ship onto the Burbo or Hoyle Banks, there to beat and strain and throb, until her timbers parted ......."
In an attempt to reach the shore, the Pennsylvania's jolly boat was launched into the gale. Aboard it were 5 passengers, including one William Douglas, as well as the Chief Mate, Lucas B Blydenburgh, and several of the crew. Those worn gravestones in a Wallasey churchyard tell only too well the fate of that little boat. Only one of its occupants survived. Meanwhile back on the wreck of the Pennsylvania, the long boat, the only other prospect of escape, was lost in heavy waves, which also swept the Captain overboard. It was 3pm Tuesday. Much of the hull was now underwater. The remaining crew climbed desperately into the rigging where they were to cling for dear life for 19 hours. It was not until 10 am the next day that the steam tug Victoria took them off, except that is, three of the crew who had literally been starved to death of cold and hunger in the rigging during the night. 21 were saved from the wreck, 19 drowned. From the wreckers of the Wirral shore, the storm had come as a belated Christmas present. Liverpool newspapers commented:
"We lament to find that these infamous wretches, the wreckers, have been at their fiendlike occupation, plundering what the elements have spared, instead of seeking to alleviate the calamities of their fellow creatures. The wreckers who infest the Cheshire coast were not long in rendering the catastrophe a source of emolument to themselves. The property of the passengers and crew where plundered by them to an alarming extent. The Steward, who had in his trunk sixty watches and other articles of jewellery, found on regaining the vessel that the whole had disappeared". Some reports placed the value of the cargoes carried by the Pennsylvania and St Andrew as high as £400,000, so it is hardly surprising that the wreckers chose the Pennsylvania as their "especial prey". The Pennsylvania had suffered most, her state cabin has almost entirely been stripped. A number of plunderers were, however, taken into custody. One in particular, a John Bibby, boatman, is worthy of our interest. When apprehended he was found to have forty yards of new cloth, valued at £12, folded round his body. In his fishing boat were found books, a large and handsome cruet stand, a black coat, a pair of trousers, a pair of drawers and much else.
It transpired that the coat had belonged to the late Captain Smith and the cruet stand to the same ship. The trousers belonged to Mr Thompson, its sole surviving passenger. The owner of the drawers was never ascertained. Bibby claimed in court that the cloth had been given him by a man on the Pier Head. Nor had he any idea how the other articles had found their way into his boat. He was fined £27. In default of payment he was to be jailed for 6 months. He might have considered himself lucky, for it was an age when a not unknown penalty for wrecking was public whipping or even transportation. William Douglas, one of the 5 passengers, who along with the First and Second Mates, tried to escape from the wreck. However, the ill fated boat did not live long in the tempest. About midway between the vessel and shore, she swamped, and all on board were thrown into the sea. He succeeded in reaching the shore, he was immediately taken to Leasowe Castle but he only survived a short time. The Captain and First and Second Mates were also drowned. It was thus reported,
"His mortal remains (Lucas Blydenburgh) were attended to the grave by all American Captains in port, as well as by hundreds of seamen. The sight was most mournful"
The Inscription reads:
"Sacred to the memory of Lucas B Blydenburgh of New York, Mate of the Packet Ship Pennsylvania, who was drowned near Leasowe Castle after leaving the wreck during the Memorable Gale on January the 8th 1839. Aged 40 years"
Max Moeller Director of Research Services The Historical Society of Pennsylvania 1300 Locust St. Philadelphia, PA 19107 has replied to a question from me asking about ships images, he states that:
I have found two images reproduced in published sources (both of which should still be available in bookstores) of the U.S. Ship Pennsylvania . Neither of the originals are owned by HSP. They are: “Launch of the U.S. Ship Pennsylvania”, a wood engraving by R.S. Gilbert, July 1837 – private collection (reproduction found on page 271 of Russell Weigley’s Philadelphia: A 300 Year History, 1982); and “View of the Launch of the U.S. Ship of War Pennsylvania”, lithograph by Lehman & Duval after G. Lehman, 1837 – Library of Congress (reproduction in Edwin Wolfe’s Philadelphia: Portrait of an American City, 1990).
The following extract is taken from the book "Portrait of Wirral" by "Kenneth Burnley".
One hundred and fifty years ago this stretch of coast was renowned for its wreckers; robbers and smugglers who would lure the Liverpool-bound vessels on to the sandbanks using decoy lights and flares. Once ashore, the wreckers showed no mercy towards the unfortunate crew and passengers; if their lives were spared, their cargoes and belongings were not. But not all wrecking was deliberate; winter storms claimed many ships, and local people were quick to arrive on the scene to salvage what they could. Henry Aspinall, of Birkenhead, wrote this vivid description of a severe storm in 1839: On 6th January 1839, the day was fine; a fair wind blew for outward-bound ships. Many left the Mersey under sail, among them the St Andrew, the Lockwoods, and the Pennsylvania, first class packet ships, loaded with valuable cargoes and emigrants together with a few saloon passengers for New York. On the morning of the 7th, the barometer fell to a very low point. The vessels had almost reached Holyhead, when suddenly the wind changed to the north-west and blew a hurricane. The three vessels at once put back for the Mersey, the only shelter in such a gale. Unfortunately the wind veered dead north-west, and took the three vessels on to the Burbo and West Hoyle Banks. The sea rose to a fearful height, and the vessels settled in the sand until they were literally smashed to pieces. No boats could live. The moment they reached the water they were swamped and all on board were washed away. Many were drowned and washed ashore at Leasowe, Hoylake, and the neighbouring coast. Such a sight I never saw before or since, nor should I like to. The scene deeply impressed. The beach was covered with wreckage and dead bodies. I vividly recall the latter . . it was, indeed, a most pitiful sight. To this day, in old Hoylake cottages, may be seen cupboards, doors, satinwood fittings, and glass and ebony door handles, washed up and appropriated by the finders , sad relics of a catastrophe which caused a great sensation in the district.
After a long time of searching for images of this ship I was contacted by Ron Blyden (Nov 06) who provided me with this artists "impression" of the fateful events described above. He also provided mew with a link to another painting, by the same artist, of the ship coming into Liverpool, passing Perch Rock. I am trying to obtain a copy of this image as well. Thanks to Ron, a descendant of Lucas Blydenburg. This is a "cleaned up" version of the original browned image.
The inscription beneath the painting:
Reads:
The loss of the Pennsylvania, New York Packet Ship, the Lockwoods Emigrant ship, the Saint Andrew Packet ship and the Victoria from Charleston, near Liverpool, during the hurricane on Monday & Tuesday Jany 7th & 8th 1839. Also the Ward from St Johns at anchor; the Victoria Steam Tug towing the Lifeboat and the Mountaineer steamer, with a view of Leasowe Lighthouse & Bidston Hill. This print is intended to represent the vessels shortly after they struck on the Tuesday afternoon from particulars given to the artist by Captain Sprowle of The Lockwoods; Captain Thompson of the Saint Andrew and by Captain Candler of the Victoria. (The perspective of the painting is as if the artist was out to sea, off Mockbeggar Wharf, looking back towards the Wirral. The River Mersey is to the left, the Dee off to the right - mk).
The artists viewpoint is obviously on the Mockbeggar Banks but has a section missing. Figure 1 is Leasowe Lighthouse and Figure 3 is Leasowe Castle whilst 4 is in the general direction of New Brighton and the mouth of the Mersey. But Figure 2 should be the Observatory/Lighthouse on Bidston Hill. On a line of sight from the imagined viewpoint of the artist this would make sense but then he has missed out Wallasey Brow and St Hilary's Church. The darker patch behind the ailing ship on the left is too low.
That this part of the coast in the past enjoyed a very sinister reputation for wrecking and similar offences may be gathered from an extract from the report of the Royal Commission for enquiring into the establishment of a Police Force in England in 1839. The County of Cheshire was said to be, with Cornwall, the worst in the kingdom for wreckers, and it was stated "that on the Cheshire coast not far from Liverpool, they will rob those who have escaped the perils of the sea and come safe on shore and will mutilate dead bodies, for the sake of rings and personal ornaments.". Stonehouse, writing in 1863, states: "Wirral at that time and the middle of the last century was a desperate region, the inhabitants were nearly all wreckers and smugglers, they ostensibly carried on the trade and calling of fishermen, farm labourers and small farmers, but they were deeply saturated with the sin of covetousness, and many a fierce fire has been lighted on the Wirral shore on stormy nights to lure the good ship on the Burbo or Hoyle banks, there to beat and strain and throb until her timbers parted and her planks were floating in confusion on the stormy waves. Fine times then for the Cheshire men. On stormy days and nights, crowds might have been seen hurrying to the shore with carts, barrows, horses, asses, or oxen even which were made to draw timber, bales, boxes or anything that the raging waters might have cast up. Many a half-drowned sailor has had a knock on the sconce, whilst trying to obtain a footing that has sent him reeling back into the seething water, and many a house had been suddenly replenished with eatables and drinkables and furniture and garniture where previously bare walls and wretched accommodation only were visible. Then for smuggling. Fine times the runners used to have in my young days. Scarcely a house in North Wirral that could not provide a guest with a good, stiff glass of brandy or Hollands. The fishermen used to pretend to cast their nets to take the fish that then abounded on our coasts, but their fishing was of a very different kind."
Formby, on the Lancashire side, was a great place for smugglers. I don’t think they wrecked as the Cheshire people did, these latter were very fiends. The Formby fishermen were pretty honest and hard-working and could always make a good living by their calling, so that the smuggling that they did was nothing to be compared to their Cheshire compatriots? The fishermen of Hoylake were always ready to board either in-bound or out-bound vessels from which they could obtain excisable articles for the purpose of ‘running’ them. The story may be truth or myth, that a parson, once minister to the old church ‘at Wallasey’, was as much addicted to wrecking as any of his congregation, and who would cry from his pulpit when news of a wreck was brought during service time: "Now, friends, wait till I get down from my pulpit and doff my gown, and then we all start fair", and he would head the stampede across the sandhills.
To show the truth of what Stonehouse says, the description
of the fate of the schooner Mary Betsy which sailed from Wexford on 24th October
1820, will suffice.
On Wednesday the 26th, they picked up a Liverpool pilot, and by 4 p.m. a
dreadful gale had sprung up. Two hours later the vessel struck on a bank, beat
off and drifted ashore. The crew endeavoured to launch the boat but failed, so
took to the rigging where they remained about five and a half hours drenched by
every sea. Cullen, one of the crew, said, I do not know how I held on as I was
quite unconscious; hearing a noise below I looked down and saw a large crowd of
one hundred or more people with horses and carts. It was just at break of day at
a place called Mockbeggar.’ (Leasowe). He goes on to tell how two carpenters
working at Mrs Bodee’s (Mrs Boode; Leasowe Castle) took him in a cart to the
lodge where restoratives were applied and he received every kindness. The
captain (Thomas Lambert) and four of the crew who were drowned were buried in
Wallasey Churchyard. No humanity was shown by anyone on that shore but by Mrs
Bodee and her servants and the two carpenters. The pigs with which the vessel
was loaded were scattered up and down the district, some of them alive. The
wreckers completely stripped the vessel, leaving nothing but the standing
rigging and the masts, but as one informed of another, dreading the strong arm
of the law, a great deal of the plunder was restored.
A grave or pit discovered during the building of New Brighton Palace
(Fairground) revealed evidence that it had been used by smugglers and wreckers
for the purpose of concealing their goods, and that it was also possibly the
scene of even graver transactions; for the workmen engaged, on reaching the pit,
were completely overcome by the sickening stench emanating from it, and only by
the use of enormous quantities of disinfectants could the work of removing the
contents, whatever they were, be carried on. Old residents in the neighbourhood
are firm in the belief that the contents represented human remains, and there
certainly has not been advanced any evidence to the contrary.
Speaking of much more recent times than 1820, Lucas P. Stubbs says:
‘In spite of the activity of the local coastguards in
later years, many of the residents of Wallasey, if a wreck occurred in the night
from which merchandise was washed ashore, were ready to assert “seeking’s
finding and finding’s keeping.” It is doubtless true that many cases of
hams, sides of bacon, casks of rum, sugar, molasses, etc., and even cases of
silk, have been found washed ashore in the night-time, and such have
occasionally found lodgement in certain cottages or been carried and hidden in
the sandhills in the hope of being removed later by those who had hidden them.’.
A master builder of Wallasey once told the writer that his workmen had had an
unexpected treat from a barrel of grapes, found on the shore, which had been
rolled in the night to a house then in course of erection. It is a fact, too,
that a certain sandhill was years ago discovered to be covered with sugar. A
hogshead of sugar washed ashore had been rolled by the populace to this point
and then broken up. The sugar hill was much frequented by children who put the
mixture of sugar and sand into their mouths, sucked the sugar, and spat the
sand.
The scenes that followed the wreck of the brig Elizabeth Buckham on 26th
November 1866 have been graphically described by Mr Bertram Furniss: ‘She went
ashore and broke up before assistance could be rendered. Laden with rum and
coconuts which floated ashore and were soon taken possession of by inhabitants.
On the shore casks of rum were broached; some carried the spirit to their
houses, others drank it on the spot, fights ensued, and the whole police force
of Wallasey (five in number), was quite inadequate to cope with the tumult.
Towards evening they were fully occupied lifting the sleeping carousers to a
safe place above high-water mark to prevent their being drowned by the rising
tide. At least two deaths occurred, one “the boots” at the Victoria Hotel. At
the inquest Coroner Churton referred to the prayer at the head of this chapter
and added that on one occasion, when a wreck was reported while the congregation
at Old St Hilary was listening to the sermon, the rector said to those who were
moving prematurely towards the door, “Keep your seats till
after the collection and then we can all start fair”. A slight variation
only on the tale related earlier.
No bodies came ashore from the wreck, nor did any of her timbers for several
months after. Her log-book floated ashore at Wallasey which proved her to be the
brig Elizabeth Buckham, 242 tons register, built at Whitehaven in 1839, owned by
Mr J. Thompson of that place and commanded by Captain T. Wylie. Before the tax
on salt was removed in 1825 large quantities of it were smuggled.
There are strange stories extant of boats clustering round the salt flats when
they arrived in the open estuary. These boats took away a few tons of salt to be
replaced by river water. This salt thus surreptitiously obtained was landed on
the Lancashire and Cheshire coasts where it was readily sold to customers at a
comparatively cheap rate. Immense quantities of salt were then smuggled and
there is no doubt that large fortunes were made by this illegal trading. The
object of shipping the river water was to make weight; every flat load previous
to leaving the works was carefully weighed and the contents registered. On the
arrival of the flats in Liverpool if the weight was deficient the duty had to he
paid on the deficiency, and if the weight was over, the duty had to be paid on
the surplus.
It was necessary evidently to try to prevent this illicit trade and in the
parish register under the date 1753 we find recorded the burial of Christopher
Bibby of Seacombe, Salt Officer. In Gore’s Directory of Liverpool for 1756 in
the list of Officers of Custom, Riding Officers, appears Francis Stuart,
Seacombe, and Edmund Hayworth, Rock. It was once recorded that on the wreck of a
vessel laden with silk stuffs several bales were ‘wrecked’ and concealed in the
cellars at Mother Redcap’s, and at a later date distributed amongst the
villagers of Liscard, Wallasey and Bidston. The following summer the inhabitants
all appeared in similar patterned stuffs of superior material.
Following on from a particular wrecking in 1758, it was reported that "the whole of the North Wales coast and Wirral peninsula, was roaring drunk after a vessel with a huge cargo of wines and spirits ran aground on the welsh approaches to Liverpool." The name of the vessel is not yet known by me.
Mother Redcap's about 1888. I can recall this
building as a youngster in the 1960s. Sadly demolished and a Nursing home was
built on the site.
My mother died there in 1999, which is why it is very poignant for me. Liverpool is on
the extreme left of the painting. Seacombe Ferry behind the images on the sands.
Mother Redcaps is the black & white building
on the left.
See my page on Mother Redcap's HERE
The World's First Solar Powered Building
On Leasowe Road is the first building in the world to be heated entirely by solar energy. St George’s School was built in 1961 to the designs of Emslie Morgan, a “genius” who spent a lifetime looking into ways of harnessing the sun’s rays. His research resulted in the “Solar School”, a matchbox like building with, on one side a drab, windowless façade and on the other I0,000 square feet of glass, a giant solar wall. The wall is built of glass leaves two feet apart. These draw the ultra violet rays from sunshine and bounce them around the walls of the classrooms. The walls become warm and heat the air. Hardly any warmth escapes through the school’s massively thick roof and walls covered with slabs of plastic foam. On the coldest days it is always 6o degrees Fahrenheit inside, and in summer the school is cooler than its more conventional neighbours, for panels inside the glass wall can be turned to deflect heat or absorb it. It need hardly be said that, despite the uniqueness of the building at the time of its erection, it was left to foreign designers to take up the invention and use it on a world wide scale.
From the book Portrait of
Wirral by Kenneth Burnley 1981.
Perch Rock or New Brighton Lighthouse
Started in 8th June 1827. The work could only be carried out during the summer months being eventually completed on 1st March 1830, costing £27500. Made of Anglesey granite, each piece is cut to precise dimensions. Each piece dovetailed into each other. The whole of the outer walls were painted in "puzzellani", a volcanic material from Mount Etna. In time this becomes harder that the stone it is painted upon.
New Brighton Lighthouse - New
Brighton Tower
Penny Bridge, Leading to Birkenhead
Half Penny bridge began in 1843, so called because of the half penny toll to cross it. It was situated in Wallasey Pool on the road between Bidston and Poulton. Made of wood and it opened in the middle to allow ships to pass through. On 1st September 1896 the fare was increased to one penny, the bridge is still known as penny bridge to this day. In 1926 it was replaced by a modern swing bridge by the Mersey Docks & Harbour Board.
Liscard Castle. Well, ok, it wasn't really a castle. Local gave it that name but it's proper name was Marine Villa. It belonged to a John Marden (Seabank Road was originally Marsden's Lane). John Marsden manufactured rooms, hence it became Broom Castle, then Liscard Castle. Later on, standing remote, back off the road, grounds overgrown and trees masking a goodly portion of the house from view. It was painted grey, and as is the same with all "olde" properties, became "haunted" and was demolished in 1902.
But there could have been a kernel of truth in this haunting rumour. The story goes that a young sea captain placed his new, beautiful, wife here to live. He was about to sail. She was later informed that her new husband was missing at sea, presumed drowned. Terribly in love, the shock unhinged her mind and she then drowned herself in a neighbouring pit in Hoseside Road, hoping to rejoin her husband. It was said that, after the tragedy, she continued to walk the home. A workman, hearing persistent knocking, fled in terror. He had been in the cellars, dealing up some "weird old passages"!
The length of these passages varied according to local legend. Some would have them leading directly to Mother Redcaps, other to the Yellow Noses, others to Red Noses and others to Leasowe Castle and to St Hilary's in Wallasey Village. One tale even told of a tunnel to Chester Castle!! One hell of a long tunnel if so!!
Whether fact or fiction, these tunnels were certainly there, shrouded, quite deliberately, by smugglers and the like who did not want their activities "unearthed". So, who dug these tunnels? Were they artificial or natural or both? Still there to this day, I am really surprised that no self respecting adventurers of this, the 21st century had bothered to even try and find some truth down there. Did Wallasey really have an underworld where sailors hid from Press Gangs and smugglers enjoyed the fruits of foreign labours with impunity. Records show customs men were regularly duped with false leads whilst cargo and contraband found its way across the Moss by donkey. Could tunnels have emerged into cellars near to the Moss (eg: Poulton) to allow for quick and secret access to the little known pathway? Until somebody looks, we will never know!
The next 4 images are of New Brighton Lighthouse
Lighthouse Locations - Wirral
From Al Etherington 1 Nov 2008: I was originally from Seacombe, born there in 1941,left for Canada in 1965 with my family. I have been trying to do my family tree, we lived at 14 Alfred Road Seacombe, and my granddad lived at 16. as a kid in the 40's I seem to remember saying it was named Havelock Street. Then named Alfred Road sometime between 1900 and 1930, also I was trying to find out who lived on this street between 1930 to 1945, can anyone help? I only ask as your mention of Havelock street is the first that I have come across other than an old 1900 map of the area.
Email I received from France - December 31st 2008: I search about a plane crash who happened 25th of June 1918 near my village (Kallhausen). Both crew members died, one of them was Second lieutenant Goodyear from Wallasey ,Cheshire. The other crew member was Canadian, his name was Sweet. Both were buried in local cemetery of Kalhausen as far as 1977 and transferred to Vimille, north of France.They were members of Independent Air Force and came back from a bombing raid over Saarbrücken and were shot down by an german Albatros plane. I would like tell this story on our internet site and I search a picture of Second lieutenant Goodyear. May be is his family still living in Wallasey. Tha’s why I contact you. He was son of Frederick John Goodyear and Ada Elisabeth and his address was 56, King Street Wallasey. My mail is Bernard Zins 12 rue des jardins 57412 Kalhausen France. Thank you very much if you can help me. (Can anybody help? If you can and email me, I shall pass it on - mk).
January 2009: Got this email from Gavin Littler: I was brought up in the Travellers Rest pub in New Brighton, my father was the landlord there from 1958 to1965. New Brighton in winter was like a small village without all the coach loads of visitors. Maybe you could tell me the name of the little pub that used to stand opposite Seacombe Ferry, I think it had a nick name, breezes? (Me: I think I recall this pub, it was directly opposite the Ferry, facing it. I seem to recall a green frontage? Anybody got any ideas?)
February 2009: Dave Taylor replied to the above: "The Marine Hotel' also known as Brasseys, (after Thomas Brassey I think). The pub was demolished a long time ago now with houses on the site, It was a small very cosy proper pub.
March 25th 2009: There are allegedly secret tunnels, or what were secret tunnels, like a rabbit warren beneath Wallasey. Smugglers landed stock at New Brighton's Yellow noses and then vanished beneath the town!! Sian Evans has been in touch with me about these. She has heard that an entrance to these tunnels exists in Wellington Road and that they are supposedly open to the public on 1 day per year. Does anyone have any information on this?
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1. WW2 Thunderbolt. |
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2. U Boat 534 |
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3. Moreton YC |
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4. Hovercraft |
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5. Moreton/Leasowe |
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6. Wallasey Ferries |
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7. Mother Redcap's |
Sources:
Most of these images are my own property but some came from these and some are just links:
http://www.liverpoolwebcam.com/
http://www.liverpoolpictorial.co.uk/
http://www.aoxx90.dsl.pipex.com/
http://www.mikekemble.com/mside/moretonyc.html
http://www.jones-sands-publishing.com/marine/marine_home.htm
http://www.wirral360.com/ Virtual Wirral
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