St George's Church, Everton

St George's Church, Everton

While searching for more information on the Myers family, (see previous post) I visited St George's churchyard in Everton. St Georges church, also known as the Iron Church, towers over the city of Liverpool as it stands at the highest point on the hill. It was built in 1814 by, and for, the wealthy merchants who lived in what must have been a beautiful village overlooking the city and the River Mersey.

The view from the churchyard must have been a sight to behold, especially on a summers evening as the sunsets out over Liverpool bay colouring the sky various shades of red.

Liverpool Bay

This picture taken from Leasowe shows how dramatic the bay can look in the evening sun.

In those days, the river would have been teeming with sailing ships bringing back sugar, spices, cotton and all manner of goods that would add to the merchant's wealth.

An old postcard showing a view of the river and

New Brighton

The view inspired James Atherton of Lodge-lane (later St George's hill), one of the major contributors to the building of the church, to create the town of New Brighton on a sandy corner of the Wirral Peninsula known as Rock Point. Atherton's New Brighton would become a fashionable retreat from the smogs of the city for the wealthy and eventually a thriving seaside resort in its heyday.

Postcard showing New Brighton Ferry

Even today, although it doesn't pull the kiss-me-quick crowds it did at the end of the 19th century and early 20th century, it still attracts quite a few visitors. Mention the name "New Brighton" to any Liverpudlian and they will regale you with fond memories of going out for the day on the ferry, visiting the fair or dancing in the Tower ballroom.

Old postcard showing the Tower

James Atherton died in 1855 long before the Tower was built (1896 - 1900). He chose to be buried back at St Georges church with his children James, Charles, and Henry who died before him. His wife, daughter Caroline and family plus others are also buried there. His funeral, like all other funerals at St Georges, would not have entered via the west gate. He made this a stipulation when he gave the land to the church as this gate was opposite to his mansion. James Atherton's gravestone is very big and doesn't show up clearly on this photograph.

Atherton's gravestone

There are a number of other interesting gravestones in the cemetery which hint at Liverpool's dark past. Buried here are some of the wealthy merchants who traded in slaves making fortunes and beginning dynasties who would go into "legitimate businesses" when the British slave trade was abolished in 1807. This was not necessarily the end of the slavery as it was carried on in various guises way into the middle of the 19th century.

Horsfall Gravestone

Horsfall Family

One of the gravestones is that of Charles Horsfall of Netherfield-lane, Everton who died at the ripe old age of 70 in 1846. Charles Horsfall and his family led interesting lives - he was the Mayor of Liverpool 1832 - 33 and possibly involved in slavery. It was not unusual for such successful businessmen to become Mayor of Liverpool - others such as Foster Cunliffe, Thomas Golightly, Thomas Leyland and George Dunbar were slavers who made fortunes from the trade, to name just a few. Note that George Dunbar was mentioned in the previous post as an early business partner of Messrs. Ewart & Myers.

Charles Horsfall was married to Dorothy Hall who died in 1826 at the age of 43. Dorothy Hall was the daughter of another Dorothy Hall and Thomas Berry, a merchant who owned a slave. She was born in Jamaica in 1780 and christened in Kingston. Charles owned a plantation in Jamaica.

Piggott Gravestone

Gravestone of Mary Piggott of Barbadoes

An intriguing grave is that of Mary Piggott of Barbadoes. She must have been important/wealthy enough to warrant a large stone, but there is no mention of any descendants as was common practice . I wonder what the mysterious inscription on the stone meant "Here the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest"?

Harman Gravestone

Gravestone of Thomas L Harman of New Orleans

Thomas L. Harman - late of New Orleans - Thomas Harman was one of the first Aldermen to be elected for the 5th ward in New Orleans first elections following the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The 5th ward contains some of the most historic parts of New Orleans such as the French Quarter and the Cabildo where he was sworn to office.

Beaumont Gravestone

George Beaumont FRCS

George Beaumont was a Surgeon who worked in the Liverpool Dispensary. He died from Typhus caught during carrying out his professional duties. The Liverpool Mercury (1820) said he and another surgeon were "distinguished by zeal and industry in the cultivation of their talents, and by diligence and humanity in the discharge of their official duties"

The Dispensary for the treatment of the poor, which stood on the site of the old Littlewoods store in Church St (soon to be a new Primark), was supported by wealthy slave traders such as the Heywoods. Surprisingly, while making fortunes from the terrible trade in human life they also considered themselves to be philanthropists and supporters of the arts.

Since writing the above post about St Georges, I was able to visit the church thanks to the kindness of Bob Harrington. It was a very rainy Sunday a week before the 12th of July and the Orange parade. As I stood outside the church with my husband waiting for the service to finish, we could hear the pipes and drums of the marching band drawing closer and closer. Large umbrellas sheltered them from the heavy rain as they were practised for the following week, no doubt hoping that the sun would shine when they did it for real.

Bob and friends from the church invited us in and gave us a hot drink before showing us around the wonderful church.

The East Window

The east window was dedicated on 4th April 1952. The original window was destroyed during WW2. The picture below shows the east window and some of the beautiful iron work which earned the church the nickname of the "Iron Church".

The unusual design is the work of architect Thomas Rickman with the iron cast at the foundry of Thomas Cragg.

You can read more about this design and others at http://www.lookingatbuildings.org/ This is an excellent site by the Pevsner Architectural Guides and the Buildings Books Trust supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

After leaving the church the rain held off for a few minutes before the next downpour. I remembered the grave of the curiously named "Netlam Tory" and his wife Eliza and managed to get a photograph intending to do some research. The gravestone was partially covered with soil washed across it by the heavy rain but still readable.

The gravestone of Netlam and Eliza Tory

The inscription states "In memory of Netlam Tory Esq, for many years a resident in the island of Jamaica died 16th February 1855 aged 71 years...............................................Eliza Tory who died 27th January 1885 in her ninety second year. "This woman was full of good works and alms which she did...... She hath done what she could do"

Netlam Tory married Eliza Maskew in 1838 in Liverpool. The 1841 census for Everton shows that they lived in Netherfield Road, which was previously called Lower-lane. Their neighbours were merchants and brokers and like most of the inhabitants in the road, they were wealthy enough to employ servants. The census decribes Netlam as a 55 year old man of Independent means. His wife Eliza is 45 years old, neither of them were born in the county. They have three servants at this time. Eliza next turns up on the 1861 as a well-provided-for widow living in Richmond Park with servants to look after her. The 1861 census tells us that she was born in Kendall in Westmoreland. There doesn't appear to be any reference to them in the 1851 census and Netlam died in 1855. The inscription on the gravestone indicates that Netlam lived in Jamaica for some time but this may have been before his marriage, although he may have still had interests there during his marriage.

There are three references to Netlam Tory on the internet. Firstly, the British Library have a painting of Kingston Harbour, Jamaica, published in 1825, showing a store owned by a certain Netlam Tory.

Secondly, on July 17th 1829 a Netlam Tory joined the Jamaican Agricultural Society as reported in The Gardener's Magazine

Lastly, the 1840 Jamaica Almanac lists Netlam Tory as a proprietor owning 40 acres called Logwood Tavern.

If these are all the same person, then he must have lived in Jamaica before his marriage and spent some time there later. It's impossible to know if Eliza went with him.

Eliza continued to live in Liverpool at 3 Richmond Park with servants until her death. There is no record of any children living with her. The inscription on her grave indicates that she was a good person who helped others during her lifetime but little else can be found out about her at the moment.

This blog has described the stories behind only a few of the fascinating graves at this church yard. For me, they are a window into Liverpool's entrepreneurial past as a city built on trade with other countries. They record stories of people who aren't that much different from today - moving to a growing city to make their fortunes. The ancient method of recording information about someone in stone together with modern technology of the internet has brought these people to life again. After all, isn't this what they wanted when they had their names carved into marble or granite, to be remembered by future generations?

The following picture brings this post to a close. During our visit, Bob Harrington gave us this beautiful picture of St George's at night

St George's at night

My email is lostliverpool@gmail.com

Harbreck House and the Myers Family - Liverpool Merchants

Harbreck House

Harbreck House stood in grounds off Higher Lane, Fazakerley. The house was situated in Bluebell Woods, just north of Fazakerley Brook. Harbreck Estate was bought by Liverpool Council in 1898 and this was the beginning of the development which has resulted in University Hospital Aintree, a large general hospital that provides health care to a population of 330,000.

The house itself was used as an administration block and staff quarters for the Annexe section - a supposedly temporary set up which lasted until the 1950's. The development of the hospital is an long and interesting story which will be described in a later post.

The house however, has a history of its own. Sadly, it has disappeared for good but a walk in what is left of the intriguing Bluebell Woods will reveal paths and evidence of a demolished building which is now overgrown with ivy. A close look at the trees shows that some of them were deliberately planted such as the giant monkey puzzle tree in the middle of the wood, indicating planned gardens.

The Monkey Puzzle Tree

It is unclear at this stage who built the house and who sold it to the council but between the years 1851 - 1855 and possibly longer, it was the home of a rich and influential cotton merchant and his family.

Gores Directory for 1853, records that Jaques Myers lived in Harbreck House and also had a business "Myers and Co" at 2 Exchange Alley. Jaques was a cotton and colonial produce broker. In 1845, he is recorded in Gores as a broker at Ewart & Co. This appears to be a shortened version of the company name, which was Ewart, Myers & Co. Papers in the Rothchild Archive state that this was a Liverpool based bank, which handled imports and sales of cotton. They had dealings with the West Indies and South America according to price lists included in this archive.

Ewart and Myers were not only partners in the firm but were connected by marriage. William Myers, Jaques' father was married to Ann Jaques. Her sister Margaret was married to the William Myers partner William Ewart. It is not surprising the Jaques was given his mothers surname as his christian name as this was a common practice at the time. Useful clues for genealogists to make connections.

Jaques had taken over a thriving business from his father and uncle. It was well established by 1820 as can be seen by a letter from Richardson & Bolton of Liverpool to B (Benjamin) Gott & Sons dated 25th April 1820. The letter accompanies instructions over the payment of $16,800 to Gott & Sons on bills of exchange in Philadelphia.

James Stonehouse in his book "The Streets of Liverpool" published in 1869 and recently republished by Liverpool Libraries and Information Service mentions the Ewarts on a number of occasions, particularly when he describes Sir George Dunbar a leading colonial broker and mayor of Liverpool (1796-97) residing in Rodney St. Stonehouse says that Dunbar had an "immense business" and “brought up” Messrs. Rutson and Ewart in his business. When Rutson and Ewart asked to join the partnership he declined so they started on their own account drawing away nearly all of their late employers business. The firm of Ewart, Myers & Co sprang from this with all the principles acquiring large fortunes.

The Gott Papers also contain a letter from William Myers to William Ewart the younger dated 16th September 1830 which describes the death of William Huskisson in the first railway accident. This William Myers was Jaques father. The Ewarts, Myers and Gotts appear to have complex, close business and family connections and strong friendships. Liverpools Walker Art Gallery contains a sculpture of William Ewart by Joseph Gott. It is kept in The Oratory near Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral

William Ewart

Interestingly, another letter in the Gott collection dated 1821 is from (Sir) John Gladstone to William Ewart the elder, William Myers partner. Sir John Gladstone must have been fond of his partner and friend as he asked him to be Godfather to one of his sons William Ewart Gladstone who went on to become Prime Minister. Roger Pincham writes that Sir John Gladstone was a successful merchant trading in corn with the United States, cotton with Brazil and owning extensive plantations in the West Indies which were operated by slaves although he was not actually a slave trader himself. Gladstones maiden speech as Prime Minister defended his father's use of slaves on their West Indies Plantation.

There is no evidence that Ewart, Rutson & Co were involved in the slave trade themselves, however, it is highly unlikely that any business which grew in Liverpool around the turn of the century didn’t have some indirect link. Liverpools last slave ship, the Kitty’s Amelia, was carrying 72 hhds of sugar for Ewart, Rutson and Co in 1805, while still involved in the slave trade.

1841 Census showing Jaques at Mere House, Everton with his father William

Stonehouse's “Streets of Liverpool" puts Rutson, Ewart and Myers in the Everton area; Mr Rutson in St Annes Street, Mr Ewart in a large mansion at the corner of Netherfield Rd and Georges Hill and Mr Myers in a handsome mansion in grounds which had its entrance at the corner of Mere Lane opposite the church. Fullerton’s Plan of Liverpool and Birkenhead (1862) clearly shows the extent of the property. It stretches in a triangular shape from Mere Lane to Beacon Lane. The back of the property would have been where Breckfield Road would have continued to Beacon Lane. The entrance to the grounds would have been where the Mere Bank Public House is today.

Mere Bank Public House

Stonehouse described the property as having “a beautiful row of trees down Mere-lane” which were “the admiration and delight of all residents in the neighbourhood. Into the grounds extended a canal, crossed by two ornamented bridges, from the pool in Breckfield-road North which at one time was called hangfield-lane” Everton was the place to live for rich merchants, who were known as “Everton Nobles"

The side of the property in Mere Lane as it is today

Before the plot of land was bought by William Myers it was part of the St Domingo estate belonging to Mr George Campbell, Sugar Refiner, West India Merchant, Privateer and Mayor of Liverpool (1763-64). It was sold to another Mayor of Liverpool, John Crosbie and then a Mr Sparling and subsequently, his son William, who was aquitted of the murder of Mr Edward Grayson in Liverpool's penultimate duel. J.G. Geller bought and laid out the mansion and grounds before it was bought by William Myers. William was the son of wealthy John Myers of Crosby. Their line goes further back with influential ancestors in Preston and elsewhere.

A famous neighbour of William Myers and his son Jaques was James Atherton, founder of New Brighton, Wirral. The graves of James Atherton and other famous merchants and mayors of Liverpool can still be seen in St Georges Churchyard opposite to the site of Mere House. More about them in a later post. William and his wife Ann are buried here also but their gravestone has long gone.

Back to the story of Jaques, he was the 3rd of 4 brothers including John, William and Henry. They had 4 sisters, Fanny, Mary Ann, Emily and Frances. John will be discussed later, William died young, Emily went onto marry stockbroker Robert Elcum Horsfall, from an influential Liverpool family. Jaques however, married Helen Esther Tobin in 1844. Helen Esther Tobin was the daughter of Thomas Tobin, a wealthy Liverpool Merchant and slave trader. Jaques and Helen had moved into a town house at 33 Canning St by 1845.

33 Canning Street, Liverpool 2007

Two of their four children were born here, Anna in 1845 and Edith in 1846. They were both christened in St Peters Church.

The family moved to 15 Bedford St South in 1847. Bedford St South led onto Abercromby Square. Many of the houses and the beautiful park in the middle of the Square still exist as part of Liverpool University but sadly there is no sign of number 15. Jaques and family continued to live here for a further four years. The family grew with the birth of Florence in 1847 and Frederick Jaques in 1849. There is a mention of a further son John on the 1861 census but no further records of him have yet been found.

They moved to Harbreck House sometime between 1849 and 1851. Jaques was successful, he became President of the Cotton Brokers Association in 1852. This was a powerful body, who in 1863, formulated rules for the buying and selling of cotton. 60% of the worlds cotton today is still traded under "Liverpool Rules" The association still exists under the name of the International Cotton Association.

According to census records, Jaques and family were still living in Harbreck House in 1851. Ten years later, the 1861 census shows them in Tormoham, Torquay. It is not known if they lived here or were staying temporarily but they had moved out of Harbreck. Meanwhile, Jaques' older brother John was had become head of the family, living at the family seat Crosby House, north of Liverpool, with his wife Sarah Birkett and stepchildren Martha, James, John Lord, William and Thomas Henry until his death in 1865.

John had been part of the family business but retired in 1848, the year he married Sarah. He remained a Director of the Royal Bank of Liverpool. This bank collapsed twice in 1847 and again in 1867. He may have been involved in the first collapse although it doesn't appear to have affected him personally. He died 2 years before the second collapse. Interestingly, one of the casualties of the 2nd collapse was the White Star Line which was then bought by Thomas Ismay for £1000 and went onto become one of Liverpool's most famous and successful companies.

John died in 1865, he had rented a house in Leamington Spa to join the hunt but had a fatal accident. His body was brought home and buried in the grounds of St Lukes church. He is commemorated in one of the stained glass windows depicting The Good Samaritan. John and Sarah are buried in the graveyard of St Luke's church, their names are hard to distinguish unless as in the photograph below, the light catches the stone at a certain angle. It was only that the names of Sarah's son (John's stepson) was clear that I was able to find the grave.

Jaques appears to have inherited the family fortune when John died. Crosby House is recorded as his "seat" in "UK County Families", however it remains unclear whether if he ever actually lived there. He died in 1868 and the house was then inherited by his son Frederick. The family must have allowed Sarah to continue living there until she died in 1871.

In the following years the house was inhabited by a shipowner named John Hay and his family, and an East India Merchant named Joseph Paterson in 1881 and 1891 respectively. It may have been rented to them but by 1901, it was definitely no longer belonging to the Myers family and had become part of Nazareth House.

Frederick is reported as staying there around the time of the building of St Faiths church. The church was built 1898 - 1900 by Frederick's cousin Howard Douglas Horsfall on land donated by Frederick.

By the 1870's, the family had settled in the south. Frederick was now head of the family at Linford Hall, Little Linford. He married Florence Wrey Coker, the 3rd daughter of Major Coker of Bicester House Oxfordshire. Florence's early life was touched by tragedy, at the age of 5 her father died in a drowning accident as he and a servant tried to clear a pond at Prideaux in Cornwall. It must have been a difficult time for Florence's mother Caroline who had lost her 3 year old daughter in the previous month and her 1 year old son 10 days after the death of her husband.

Frederick became a JP for Northamptonshire and settled at his main residence, Charlton Lodge near Banbury. Frederick and Florence appear to have a number of addresses; They are living or staying at Bicester in 1881 while Helen, Frederick's mother was staying at the Royal Hotel in Torquay with her ladiesmaid. Frederick's sisters Emily and Florence married wealthy landowners, it is not certain what happened to eldest sister Anna and younger brother John.

Jaques' widow, Helen, continued to live in Torquay area, her last address being "The Firs" in Tormoham in 1881 where she lived with the help of 10 servants. She died in 1891. The Firs is a beautiful house which coincidentally overlooks Harbreck Rock in the Torbay.

16 Brunswick Square Hove, 2007

On the night of the 1891 census, Frederick, Florence and their 3 daughters Helen Florence, Lily Agnes and Edith Wrey were staying at 16 Brunwick Square in Hove. On the 1901 census he was staying at a London address: 25 Charles St in Mayfair. It is difficult to know if these properties belonged to him, however he still lived at Charlton Lodge at the time of the 1911 census. He died within a few months of the census from heart failure following surgery. Florence continued to live at Charlton Lodge until her death 13 years later. Their first daughter Helen had died at the age of 21 in 1895. Frederick and Florence erected two beautiful stained glass windows in the church of St James in Newbottle in her memory.

Two other daughters were Lily Agnes, born 1875, and Edith Wrey, born 1881. Edith married William Whitmore Otter-Barry and had at least two children Francis and Helen. Lily Agnes married Alfred Harvey in 1912.

The history of the family came to light while reseaching into the history of Harbreck House, part of the original Fazakerley Hospital. I hope, in time, to be able to add more information which it has not been possible to publish so far.

If you would like to read more about the history of the hospital click on this link

If you have any information which would help in the research into the Myers family or the history of Fazakerley Hospital or you would like further information to help in your own research please email me at lostliverpool@gmail.com

Hidden Fazakerley

Higher Lane, Fazakerley

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There is more to Fazakerley than meets the eye. Fazakerley maybe a couple of miles inland but its history and geography is intertwined with the river Mersey and all the good and bad tides that it brought to the city.

Hidden under the council houses, high security prison and ever growing hospital are tales of men who made fortunes from slavery, sugar, cotton, and guano. Then there were others who looked to the greater good and used their knowledge and influence to help fight diseases which were prevalent in a city where people came from all over the world in the hope of finding a better life and mostly finding poverty, deprivation and disease.

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University Hospital Aintree from Fazakerley Brook

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One of the highest points in Fazakerley is University Hospital Aintree. A functional rather than attractive building, it can be seen for miles and offers amazing views over the surrounding countryside. Looking out of the hospital tower block, you can see how close we are to the river. The wind turbines and the cranes at the docks in Seaforth are hardly ever still, reminding us of how busy this port has been and continues to be despite the changes in technology. Beyond them lies the Wirral coast rising upto the magnificent Ss Peter and Paul's church dome at the highest point in New Brighton. This must still be a comforting site to sailors returning home. Look further up the coastline and you can see the pine trees at Formby outlining the beautiful Sefton coast. Look further north and your eyes are drawn up the slopes of the Lancashire plains over the solitary smoking chimney in Kirkby, the lonely Clieves Hill in Ormskirk, then more dramatic rise of Parbold and Rivington Pike. On a clear day you can see the transmitter on Winter Hill. Best time to look is in the winter when the hilltops are snow covered and the air is crisp and clear. Turn again and the land rises to Gateacre Brow in the distance. The flat plain of Norris Green, Walton and Everton is deceptively green, despite being heavily populated.

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Fazakerley Brook
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Farrer & Brownbill wrote in 1907 that the area was flat, treeless and devoid of beauty. They didn’t have the vantage point of the hospital or they would have seen that it is not only surrounded by beauty but there are hidden gems such as the beautiful Bluebell Woods and Fazakerley Brook.

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Bluebell Woods

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Since beginning this blog the area has changed significantly; Sugar Brook has been realigned as part of the new Stonebridge Business Park , and Stonebridge Lane has changed beyond recognition. The hospital has grown and old wards demolished. Coronation Court has been and gone. Recording the history now is important before the memories are lost forever.

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Peter Roughley DCM

Front of Peter Roughley's Memorial Card

As a child I loved looking at the old photographs and trinkets my Mother kept in her dressing table drawer. It was a beautiful old dressing table made of polished mahogany with the largest mirror I had ever seen. The whole room was filled with amazing things– fur coats that I couldn’t wait to grow into, handbags containing letters in from a soldier who looked like a movie star. An old cardboard box containing a crucifix and candlestick holders with half used candles still in them, remnants of some catholic blessing that must have taken place here. The curiosities were endless and kept me amused for hours. Of all these items, the one that fascinated me most of all, was a small black-edged card the size of a playing card. On one side of the card was a drawing of a wounded soldier looking at Jesus. It appeared to be very old fashioned and the white areas were yellowed with age. On the back was a short poem and some words that used to make me feel sad.

Reverse of Peter Roughley's Memorial Card

My Mother told me that it was given to her Mother following a mass for Peter Roughley who was married to her Aunt Sally but was killed in World War One. Years went by and these items just became part of my childhood memories but I never forgot the story of Peter and Aunt Sally and often wondered what had happened to him.

Peter Roughley DCM

By the late 1990’s my Mother lived alone for the first time in her life. We would talk for hours about family history. I think it made her feel closer to the people who had gone. She loved to colour the facts with stories of who these people were and what had happened to them in their lives, which was usually a sad tale. If it hadn’t been for her excellent memory a whole chunk of our family history would be lost. She recalled broken love affairs and a suicide following unrequited love. She described nights when all their relatives came to stay to get away from the blitz in Liverpool not knowing if they would have a home by the next day.

When she died in 2003 and we were left to empty a house full of memories while our hearts were heavy with loss. How do you throw away a birthday card sent to your Grandmother from The Front; your first drawing you brought home from school 40 years ago or a lock of hair from someone you have never met but was obviously well loved. I left the place where I was born and spent the happiest of childhoods with boxes of stuff I still can't throw away. I wonder what the new people thought when they saw the childish scribbles on the plaster under the wallpaper. I hope that their children feel the sense of love and security we had and that the house is as warm and comforting as it was for us no matter how old we were.

Looking through the boxes brought back all those childhood memories, I could almost smell Mum’s stew cooking! There amongst the memories was the black-edged card that fascinated me so much as a child. “Peter Roughley” the name conjured up memories of my Great Aunt Sally. I had met her only once or twice when taken to her flat in the Scotland Road area of Liverpool, where she lived alone. She was quite elderly by that time. I remember feeling very sorry for her that she didn’t have any children. I was only about six at the time but I couldn’t imagine a person having a life where there weren’t children running around playing. I wondered how different her life may have been if Peter hadn’t been killed. He was so handsome – I had found a couple of faded photographs taken in his Kings Regiment uniform. He looked too young to be married, never mind sent off to war. I didn’t have any pictures of Sally but decided that her and my Mother were so alike in their old age that they must have looked similar when young – small, dark hair and blue eyes. I imagined her, beautiful, young and alone waiting for news of her new husband together with thousands of other wives, girlfriends and mothers. One day she would receive the news that he had been killed in action. He wasn’t coming back to her ever again. She would never see that handsome face again, never put her arms around him again nor or feel his around her comforting her in difficult times. She would not have lots of babies like her other sisters. She must have felt that her life was over.

I wanted to know more about them. Finding out more became an obsession; I just couldn’t let it go. I later wondered if his spirit was restless and would only found peace when his story became known – it would be a tale which would make me realise that these men who died far in a “foreign field” were not just names on war memorials but real men who are connected to us. I had looked Peter’s name up on the Commonwealth War Graves website to see if there was any more information about how or where he died. The site referred to him as “Peter Roughley DCM” The Distinguished Conduct Medal – second only to the Victoria Cross was awarded for bravery. It also said that he was buried in Hooge Crater Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. I remembered one of my Mother's stories about Peter getting a medal. Aunt Sally was supposed to go to London to pick up a medal but she didn’t know if she actually went, as they were so poor that she doubted that she could have got the train fare together. I looked through the bag of medals she kept in the house – there was quite a few, mostly from the WW2 except for an odd one or two, which turned out to be my Grandfathers WW1 medals, but it wasn’t there. Looking back, it would have been amazing if it had, as these medals are quite rare collectors items. A bit more research turned up the citation in the London Gazette

I felt a lump in my throat as I read the citation, here was this young man who risked his life for his friends, died and our family hardly remembered him. I felt sad that he had been buried in Belgium and it was highly unlikely that anyone from our family had ever laid flowers on his grave. I felt I had to rectify this so on a cold but clear weekend in March we travelled to Ypres and visited the cemetery at Hooge Crater.

Hooge Crater Cemetery, Belgium

It would be impossible to go to this area and not feel great sadness. It is so peaceful and beautiful now but each blade of grass is tinged with the blood of our ancestors. The sun cast long shadows on the frosty ground. Row upon row of white stones interspersed with varying small bushes to try to break up the regimentation. You could see how well cared for the cemeteries were – but they were impersonal and so lonely – no little teddies placed on the ground by a loving son or daughter, no reminiscences of a Dad’s favourite football team. These graves have not had tears shed over them by a grief stricken family.

Peter Roughley's final resting place

We found Peter’s grave on Sunday morning. The sky was clear and blue and we could see for miles. A church bell rang appropriately in the distance as we laid flowers on his grave – deep purple coloured tulips. We shivered with sadness not only for him and Sally but for the others who also gave their lives for King and Country – the graves went on forever. As I laid the flowers I thanked him for the freedom we have and we take for granted. I cherished my husband and my life that bit more from that moment. We came back to England and got on with our lives. I no longer felt the same need to keep trying to find out what happened. Maybe his spirit was able to rest now, maybe he did not want his sacrifice to be forgotten. I hoped that there was an afterlife where they were both together.

Peter Roughley's DCM front

A number of years later I received an email from a collector who had just bought Peter’s medal. He kindly sent photographs of it and agreed that next time he was in the area – he would bring it along for us to see, but the medal itself is no longer important, after all its just a piece of metal. What was important was that Peter’s story not been forgotten. He, together with so many of his generation, had made a lasting impression in time.

Peter Roughley's DCM reverse

Rest in Peace Peter and Sally.
Barbara 14/8/06

Since publishing the story of Peter Roughley last year, a number of people have contacted me with comments, some have expressed how interesting the story is, others have shed a tear as it touched their hearts. Another person, Anthony, contacted me with newspaper clippings from the Liverpool Express telling initially of Peters award and sadly a few months later, a report of his death.

24 October 1916

9 June 1917

Anthony also sent photographs of the war memorial in Our Lady of Reconciliation de la Salette church in Eldon Street.

The War Memorial

Peter's name on the Memorial

You can read about Peter and others named on the memorial on Anthony's website

Our Lady of Reconciliation War Memorial

My email is lostliverpool@gmail.com

In The Beginning

Collingwood Dock, Liverpool 2006

I started this blog to capture some of the hidden history of Liverpool and its inhabitants and places that I had come across during my research into local and family history.

There are many books written about the history of Liverpool but some of its history has been forgotten - such as tales of ordinary people who didn't make the headlines and some extraordinary ones who did. Places on old maps which no longer exist but influence our lives even now. Fleeting moments in time almost forgotten - this is the part of Liverpool I love.

Look closely where you live and you may see a glimpse of a different life - a bit of sandstone wall left from an old farm - an old fashioned street name - a twisting road when a modern straight one would be much more convenient. Look closer to home and you may find a medal from Grandad's war days or an old love letter sent from the front. There is more to Liverpool than meets the eye.

Click on the labels to the right to read on..........................

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