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Home , History of Liverpool

history of from the middle age to the present 12th Century until 17th Century 1

1172 Liverpool seems to have been a Pool was the waste where the Liverpool as a naval base and place of embarkment for the townsmen dug for peat. Only this probably explains why it conquest of by Henry access to the waste was via a began to appear on cartogra- II. Henry granted John, his ferry over the Pool. phers maps. son, the lordship of Ireland. From this time on John appears 1235 William de Ferrers, the Earl 1335 William de Werdale provided to have realised the signifi- of Derby, given royal assent war ships for Edward III, they cance of Liverpool in relation to build . were based in "Lyverpole" to keeping control of Ireland. This makes him de facto Lord of Liverpool. 1351 William de Liverpool became 1207 John brings Liverpool back first Mayor of Liverpool. This under crown control giving 1237 Liverpool Castle built on the was an important step forward lands in exchange to Warin de site that today houses the for the burgesses from whose Lancaster to obtain it. Five Queen Victoria Monument in ranks the Mayor was chosen. days later, 28 August 1207, Castle Street/Derby Square. The Mayor was usually appoin- John’s Charter creates the The actual date when the ted annually on St. Luke’s Day Borough of Liverpool. The castle was built is open to (18 October). The calling of Charter made "all who have conjecture with other histo- the "Portmoot", a medieval taken burgage houses at Lyrpul rians offering alternatives to type of assembly, followed shall have all the liberties the events described here. this a few days later. At the and free customs of the town time of the Mayor’s appoint- of Lyrpul which any free 1266 William de Ferrer deposed for ment the burgesses also chose borough on sea has in our ter treason. The king placed the bailiff. ritories." It would appear Liverpool under the Earl of that John’s Charter created Lancaster’s jurisdiction, a 1361 Edward III ordered the Navy to 168 burgesses, some of whom situation that lasted until speed to "Lytherpool" and took the opportunity of moving 1399 when Henry Bolingbroke, in order to prepare from the manor to the Lord of Liverpool and Earl for an attack upon Ireland. become freemen in Liverpool. of Lancaster, took the throne Liverpool geographical area from Richard II, thereby 1400 During the 15th century, as a consisted of seven streets, bringing Liverpool back under result of the Wars of the Dale Street, Bank Street, royal control. Roses and the effects of the Castle Street, Moore Street, 100 years war with France, the Mill Street, Chapel Street and 1331 First reference to Liverpool English monarchs were forced Juggler Street. Around these on a map of Britain. Moreover, to loosen their hold over streets the burgesses had from this time onwards there Ireland. This had an adverse their strips of land for grow- are frequent references to effect upon Liverpool’s ing food. To the south of the economic prosperity. 2

1406 Stanley granted permission by 1565 Liverpool had 138 householders 1626 Charles I granted Liverpool a the crown to fortify his house and cottages, with a populati- Charter, which re-stated that at the foot of Water Street, on of about 690. The port Liverpool would be a free this became the tower. The consisted of ten barques and borough forever. The Charter Tower stood for over 400 years two boats with a total tonnage notes, That Liverpool is an before the council of the day of 223 tons and employed 75 ancient and populous town, and demolished it, severing the men. Ireland, Wales, the Isle the only port of the County town’s last links with its of Man and Liverpool. There is Palatine of Lancaster. Alas, historical past. The Tower also some indication that Charles had money problems, building now occupies the Liverpool was expanding its which forced him to sell the site. trading links as far as Breton royal estates in Liverpool to and Bordeaux. the Corporation of London 1425 During the baronial battles (1628/9) for £120,000. Also that dominated England in the 1570 Liverpool men were attempting included in the deal was the 15th century Liverpool’s two to control salt supplies from sale of the ferry and the most powerful families, the rather have to rely market tolls. Subsequently, Molyneux’s and the Stanley’s on supplies from Breton. This London sold all its rights in were often at loggerheads. trade had its own dynamic as Liverpool to Lord Molyeaux for In 1425 they lined up in Liverpool ships, by the time £450. No wonder Charles lost battle against each other only of , began to his head! for the sheriff of Lancaster export coal, iron, copper, to intervene and avert open hops, Yorkshire cloth, alum, 1642 Civil War in England. Moore warfare. soap and in return would - supported the Roundheads, as import such diverse commodi 1649 did the majority of burgesses 1507 The Tudor monarchy ushered in ties as sheepskins, tallow, who were overwhelmingly of a period of stability during linen, flax, frieze and Puritan stock, while the which Liverpool’s prosperity mantles, wool, salt herrings nobles and the gentry suppor increased. The Tudors re- and salt beef. ted the Cavaliers. The established control over Cavaliers had a strong power Ireland which quickly revived 1592 About this time the ancient base in that they had posses trade for the Liverpool mer park of was broken up sion of the castle and tower chants. Moreover, trade and divided into farms for at the commencement of between Europe and America Puritans. In the 19th century military operations. also helped to revive part of the old Park became Initially, Liverpool was in Liverpool. Sefton Park. royalist hands with the Mayor, John Walker supporting the 1561 Ancient haven destroyed by a 1600 Population of Liverpool king. Edward Norris was great storm in November. estimated at 2,000. governor. 3

1650 Parliamentarians take control The ship was called Friendship; 1673 Trade from the West Indies of the town. Royalist cause its cargo was mainly tobacco. begins to pass through throughout Liverpool. Its potential was collapsed. John Moore became 1668 Lord Molyneux laid out Lord noted as early as 1650 by Sir governor of Liverpool. Street. When he erected a Edward Moore, who noted that bridge over the Pool he came if a sugarhouse was built it 1651 Prince Rupert with an army of into conflict with the would bring "a traid of at 10,000 retook Liverpool burgesses which culminated in least forty thousand pounds a although the parliamentarians Liverpool gaining civic year from ye Barbadoes, which put up a stout defence. independence. formerly this town never Rupert lost over 1,500 troops. new." Meanwhile, Moore escaped. The 1672 Liverpool gets its town back! Roundheads recaptured the Following a dispute with 1698 Liverpool now had 24 streets town six months later. There Molyneux over building a and a population of about 5- was a lot of damage to the bridge over the Pool, which 6,000. castle and it remained in poor Molyneux had built to give condition until its demoliton. access to the waste. 1700 Liverpool acquires its own The Common Council promptly Customs House giving Liverpool 1647 Liverpool becomes a free port, knocked down the bridge. The control over its own trading no longer under the rule of dispute was resolved when affairs. This was a fundamen Chester. Molyneux granted the fee farm tal step into becoming a major lease to the burgesses on a port; the development of a 1648 The Mayor of Chester’s account one thousand year lease. In dock system was soon to to the Privy Council noted return the burgesses allowed follow. Liverpool is now that Liverpool was a "little Molyneux to build a bridge on completely separated from Creek" compared to the "wide payment of an annual rent of Chester. and extended port of Chester." 2d. Later the burgesses were In fact Liverpool had 24 ves- able to secure the fee farm sels, with a total tonnage of lease outright. This gave the 462 tons compared to Chester’s burgesses complete control of 15 vessels weighing a total of their courts and their markets 383 tons. William Williamson, and also brought an end to a the Mayor of Liverpool attemp- struggle for the lease that ted to have Liverpool recogni- had lasted since medieval sed as the superior port but times. was overruled by the Privy Council. First reported cargo to arrive from America. 18th Century until the 2nd World War 4

Liverpool exists because of the . The original “Pool” of Liverpool provided a sheltered inlet next to high ground on which Liverpool Castle was built. The town grew north-westerly around the spine of Castle Street, forming the significant part of Liverpool’s historic urban structure.

Two important events effected the further expansion of Liverpool. In 1668 Lord Moluneux laid out Lord Street, effectively spanning the pool with a bridge, linking the eastern suburbs. Secondly, the engineer and architect Thomas Steers put forward proposals to close the Liverpool in the middle age Pool and create one of the first enclosed docks in the world - “The Old Dock”.

The world’s first commercial wet dock was built 1712 in the mouth of the Pool, it could accommodate bet- ween 80 and 100 ships. The upper reaches of the Pool were drained and new streets, Whitechapel and Paradise Street were built upon the reclaimed land. Liverpool’s trade began to expand rapidly.

Customs House removed from Water Street to a new building near to the first dock. Industries close to dock included: Blackburne’s salt works, sugar refineries, iron foun- dry, a copper works as well as numerous metal workshops. the old dock Liverpool in 1668 5

It is no exaggeration to say that the Liverpool’s prosperity grew dramatical- grand buildings which grace Liverpool's ly through the 18th and 19th century, waterfront and inner heart were built with the port supplying the new world with the blood money of slavery. From with the manufactured goods of the nor- 1700, when the slave trade was embraced thern mainland and importing raw mate- by the city's merchants, Liverpool was rials to fuel the industrial revoluti- transformed from a modest trading vil- on. Its population had grown from lage into a major mercantile capital, 20,000 to 80,000. In 1707 about 102 prospering on the back of the infamous ships were using the port this had “triangular trading” of slaves for raw grown to nearly 5,000 by 1806. materials. goods and hardware Moreover, tonnage had increased from a were transported to West to be meagre 9,000 tons to over 450,000 tons exchanged for slaves, who were in turn in the same period. carried to the West Indies and to Virginia to be exchanged for sugar, Architecturally, Liverpool as the rum, tobacco and raw cotton. Empire’s second city, pioneered the vision of emulating the beauty and splendour of ancient Greece, but had the added influence of its American sisters across the Atlantic trade route which set her apart from other English cities.

In 1725 the Liverpool Castle was demolished.

The road between Liverpool and Prescot improved following the establishment of a turnpike trust. This gave Liverpool improved communications with its back areas. An essential ingredient for Liverpool`s trade expansion.

In 1729 Liverpool and connected following work to make the Rivers Irwell and Mersey navigable. At this time Liverpool was the third mer- cantile port of Britain behind London and Bristol.

The Parliament decided 1755 to build the Sankey Canal. Once built it connec- slave trade in the 18th century the triangular trade ted Liverpool with the coalfields 6 around St. Helens. The Sankey Canal was Jews - set sail from the Mersey's docks city core and a unique overhead railway the first canal to be built in Britain. to find a better life in Australia and threaded along the docks. Sadly, In 1766 the Duke of Bridgwater’s canal the USA. Liverpool was also the port of through changing political and economic also was built between Runcorn and entry for migrants from Britain's far- climates, both the tram system and Manchester. And in 1777 Brindleys Grand flung colonies, and the resulting overhead railway were removed, leaving Trunk Canal, 92 miles long, connecting Caribbean, Indian and Chinese communi- wide expansive corridors of varying the Trent with Mersey was completed. ties that developed made it one of quality quite unusual to British Britain's first multicultural cities. cities. The abhorrent trade was abolished in 1807, and people-moving of a different Four times between 1830 and 1866 The 1920’s and 30’s witnessed signifi- kind became the port city's major indu- Cholera outbreak in Liverpool and kills cant changes to the face of Liverpool. stry. In 1813 the ’s almost 15,000 people. The total number Many large projects were started. St monopoly was abolished of trade with of cases estimated at 25,000. Johns Gardens and the Old Haymarket India. This aided Liverpool’s trade changed dramatically with the building with the far east. This position was During the early 1900’s, Liverpool was of the Mersey Tunnel, providing an further strengthened when the East well served by public transport: rail improved link across the River Mersey. India Company’s monopoly with China was linked to every part of the country to Work also began on the impressive Roman abolished. Between 1830 and 1930, nine serve the booming commercial liner Catholic Cathedral, to rival St. Peters million hopefuls - English, Scottish, industry , a comprehensive tram net- in Rome, but tragically the war inter- Irish, Swedes, Norwegians and Russian work linked the outlying suburbs to the rupted work and Lutyens original plan was never realised.

Liverpool in 1729 Railway Liverpool-Manchester 1829 late 19th century 2nd World War until the present 7

Liverpool's cosmopolitan nature was homes, churches and schools. Between reinforced by the second World War 8 and 15 May 1941 Liverpool was hit influx of American GIs and the by the Blitz. During the week the city's role as the western gateway ”Luftwaffe” dropped 2,315 bombs, 119 for transatlantic supplies - which land mines and countless incen- was also one of the reasons it was diaries. In the area heavily bombed during the war. almost 4,000 people were killed, Liverpool also accommodated the some 3,500 were seriously injured Combined Headquarters of the Western and over 70,000 were made homeless. Approaches, which coordinated the Many of Liverpool`s historic buil- transatlantic convoys and the battle dings were either destroyed or against German U-Boats. badly damaged. Specifically in the City Centre, bombing raids during The Second World War had an enor- May 1941 devastated the area bet- mous impact on the urban pattern of ween Church Street, Lord Street, Liverpool - whole streets disappea- South Castle Street and Hanover red along with many fine buildings, Street.

Captured U-Boat entering Gladstone Dock 1941 drury lane in 1941 8

Spirits and civic pride received a Toward the end of the Second World well-needed boost when Liverpool War, a Post-War Redevelopment stormed the entertainment world in Committee was formed to oversee the 1963-64 with its Merseybeat sound. planning and rebuilding of Liverpool No city has spawned a group as City Centre. The first 1947 Plan popular as , and they proposed an inner ring road around all remained reasonably true to the commercial centre, which was to their roots. be extensively rebuilt, eliminating narrow streets with more spacious But during the 1960’s, dramatic lines. The Shankland plans of the changes took place in Liverpool. 1960’s proposed a vast network of Not only did a significant portion traffic routes using multilevel of the shipping trade move to the flyovers with mass capacity car south east of England, but the parks linking a continuous segrega- nature and operation of seaports ted pedestrian walkway to shopping altered with the introduction of precincts, literally streets in the containerization. Liverpool lost its sky. This vision was never fully political status and the economic realised and has left the City with benefits of being a major trade a legacy of discontinuous sections port disappeared: Liverpool had to of elevated walkway and first floor adapt. The City’s last significant entrances, particularly in the com- development followed the riots of mercial district. 1981. The Government set up the Merseyside Development Corporation It is acknowledged that Liverpool (MDC). MDC went about restoring once was the centre of trade and areas of the south docks, including commerce for the North-West region Albert Dock. although since the Second World War there has been a progressive decli- The city famed for its Mersey beat, ne of Liverpool’s retailing positi- Scouse wit and rivalry with all on. things Mancunian continues to receive its fair share of visitors, and is a strong contender to win the highly soughtafter tag of 2008 European Capital of Culture.

Model in 1947 9

reference: dtv-Atlas Weltgeschichte, dtv München 1990 www.liverpool2007.org.uk www.liverpoolvision.co.uk/som01.htm built up area, 1913-1966 17/09/02 Roman Hörler