CHAP.

VI.

"Moore Rental."

in Hanover Street near the foot of Duke Street. Moore, in his "Rental," makes repeated mention of this bridge and of the street. He was sagacious enough to foresee the capabilities of the site for the nascent commerce of the port. Speaking of a field at the point of land between the pool and the river, he Pool Lane. says: "Here is a most convenient parcel of land, if ever the Pool be cut navigable, to build almost round it; there not being the like place in Liverpool to the river side for cellars and warehouses. For the worth of this place, I know not how to value it; for if the Pool shall ever be cut, it may be worth five hundred pounds to you; therefore be careful what you do with it."

Moore had lands also on the east side of Pool Lane; but they were, unfortunately, intersected by lands belonging to other persons. With a keen eye to the future, he thus counsels his son and heir in reference thereto :—

"If you could buy them all, or indeed two of them, then add your own close, and you might have a little town there, built all on your own land. You might make one entire street to begin at the gate that goes into Alderman Lorting's ci se (near the top of Cable Street), and then run south-east directly to the Pool Bridge (near the bottom of South John Street); but remember you leave convenient land to make a street to face the Pool east the line of the present Paradise Street), if ever it be cut, and so to make houses fronting the Pool, and their back sides to go backward till they reach the back sides of the street above said; then may you likewise cause houses to be built all up the Pool Lane to the castle, and leave little back sides to them to run eastward till they reach the lak sides (on the west side) of the intended street above sai These four closes may be the greatest concern you have in England; for if the Pool be made navigable the shipping must lie along these closes, and the trade will be all in them from the whole town. You may have building here worth far more than twenty thousand pounds, if God send peace and prosper trade. I do not question but to see this brought much to a head in my time."

Moore here shows great sagacity and foresight; but, alas '

The best laid schemes o' mice an' men

Gang aft agley.

The street so earnestly recommended was never cut. The

navigation of the Pool was developed, but in quite a different manner to that anticipated by him; and so far from either he or h.s son "seeing it brought to a head in their time," not many years elapsed before their estates passed into other hands and the place knew them no more.

CHAP.
VI.

A. D. 1700.

The above extract shows the tendency of men's thoughts towards the improvement of the port. The general idea was to enclose, deepen, and extend the Pool by a canal along the natural course of the stream, so as to form a haven for shipping. About the end of the seventeenth century the land began to be built upon. In 1700 the land on which Atherton Street is Building. belt was granted by the Corporation to one of its members, Atherton Mr. Peter Atherton, who was bailiff in 1673. In the convey- Street. ance it is stipulated that "a bridge shall be built over the extended canal," at the expense of the town. A similar conveyance to Mr. Thomas Ackers of land at the bottom of Cable Street describes it as land lying "all along the new intended canal." The scheme at length ripened so far that in 1708 Mr. Thomas Steers was brought down from London, as engineer, to prepare a plan and execute the necessary works. His report changed the whole aspect of affairs. The canal was abandoned, and application was made to Parliament for power to construct a wet dock. To this I have already referred in the history of

the Dock estate.

During the construction of the Old Dock it was thought advisable to remove the Custom-house from the bottom of Customhouse. Water Street to a more suitable building on the quay of the new dock. The old building belonged to Alderman Sylvester Sylvester Moorcroft, mayor in 1706. He undertook to erect the new Moorcroft, building at his own cost, charging a rent for its occupation. The building was commodious and handsome for the period. It stood at the east end of the dock, near the site of the present Salors' Home; and, with alterations from time to time, continued to serve the purposes of the port for about a century and a quarter, down to the completion of the new Revenue Buildings, Moorcroft was a draper in the town. His election to the civic chair is said to have been sorely against his will. In 1716 he was elected the first treasurer of the Corpration, at a salary of £50 per annum, which he held until 1720.

In the maps of 1725 the Custom-house is shown sur- A.D 1725. rounded with open fields; and Thomas, Cable, Atherton, and

CHAP.
VI.

Benn.

Crosbie,
Rigby.

Decline.

King Streets are unbuilt for about one-fourth of their lengtha from the bottom.

Pool Lane during the first half of the eighteenth century must have been a very quiet, secluded neighbourhood, since the access from Castle Street was so contracted as to be impassat ie for wheel carriages, which had to go by the circuitous route of Preeson's Row. About the end of the seventeenth century Mr. James Benn, mayor in 1697, had a house, with large garden, on the west side. This property, about twenty years afterwards, was laid out for buildings, the enclosure taking the name of "Benn's Garden," to which I have already referred. Several of the magnates of Liverpool resided in Pool Lane, amongst others, Mr. William Crosbie, mayor in 1776; his son, mayor in 1779; and Mr. Peter Rigby, mayor in 1774. When the access was opened out in 1786, giving a direct route to the Old Dock, Pool Lane became gradually a street of shop After the filling up of the Old Dock, in 1828, the street to some extent lost its prestige, the shops for the supply of shippang migrated elsewhere, and the neighbourhood remained under a cloud for some years. In 1839 the west side was widened and rebuilt.

The Pool having been destroyed, its name was voted vulgar and antiquated, and to obliterate its memory the name of the Change of street was changed to South Castle Street. With the improved avenue and the progress of commerce, the street under its new name has taken its rank as one of the leading lines of the town.

name.

Butchers'

Near the top of Pool Lane there existed a relic of the ollam time, only recently swept away. In the early part of the last century a market or shambles for butchers' meat existed in an shambies, alley extending from Pool Lane, with an elbow into Cable Street. At that time the general market was held in Castle Street and the open spaces round. When the market was removed, in 1823, these shambles, being private property, were still continued, and were principally frequented by dealers from the country. Gradually the trade fell off, customers went else where; one stall after another was vacated, until the andert market was feebly represented by one or two rickety old standings, patiently waiting for dissolution. About 1864 the property was sold, and shops and offices built upon the site.

Thomas

The four streets running from Pool Lane to Paradise Street have nothing very remarkable in their history. Thomas Street Street, etc. and Atherton Street until very recently preserved many specimens

CHAP.

VI.

of their original architecture, which are now fast passing away. In King Street a large house opposite the Bank was the mansion of the Trafford family already alluded to, and was occupied by King Street. several generations. It was afterwards tenanted by Mr. John Zu.il, merchant, who removed from thence to Tabley Street. Subsequently it was converted into the brass-foundry of the well known firm of Webster and Forshaw, and so occupied for many years. In King Street also resided Mr. Bentley, the friend and afterwards partner of Josiah Wedgwood.

Thomas Bentley was born at Scrapton, in Derbyshire, Thomas January 1, 1730. He commenced life as clerk in a Man- Bentley. chester warehouse. After going abroad for some years he established himself in King Street, Liverpool, as a dealer in Manchester goods. In 1762 Josiah Wedgwood, then on a visit to Liverpool, made his acquaintance, which soon ripened into a warm friendship, resulting in a lifelong connection in business. After acting for some years as agent in Liverpool for the Etruria Works, he entered into partnership with his friend, and removed from Liverpool. Whilst resident here he was active and useful in many good undertakings. He was one of the founders of the Liverpool Library in 1757. He aided, along with the Heywoods, in the establishment of the Warrington Academy. He was one of the promoters of the erection of the Octagon Chapel, in Temple Court, afterwards St. Catharine's Church. He was one of the earliest assailants of the slave trade, taking every opportunity of denouncing it as a moral wrong, and doing his utmost to turn the commerce with Africa into a trade for the legitimate productions of the country.2

King Street is best known as the habitat of the banking Leyland's firm of Leyland and Bullins.

Thomas Leyland was not one of the least distinguished of those enterprising Liverpool men, who, by their industry and sagacity, were the means of developing the commerce of Liverpl during the last century to such an enormous extent. Of humble origin, he was emphatically the architect of his own fortune, and so rapid was his early rise, that tradition-whether true or false—ascribed it to the fortunate purchase of a lottery ticket.

Be this as it may, in 1781 he was a prosperous merchant residing in Houghton Street, with his office in Nova Scotia. 1 See Herdman's Pictorial Re'ics, vol. ii. pl. 16, 20. * See Miss Meteyard's Life of Josiah Wedgwood, passim.

Bank.

CHAP.
VI.

A. D. 1806.

New Bank.

Business arrangements.

About 1802 he joined Messrs. Clarke and Roscoe in their banking establishment, which was carried on for several yearsunder the firm of Leyland, Clarkes, and Roscoe, in Castle Street. In 1806, about the time of Mr. Roscoe's election as member for Liverpool, Mr. Leyland, who in money matters had a scent for distant events as keen as an Indian, withdrew from the firm, and in conjunction with his nephews, Christopher and Richard Leyland's Bullin, established a new bank. The locality was in York Street, between Duke Street and Lydia Anne Street, a situation for a bank which would at the present time indicate insanity in any one who would make so bold a venture. The reason was that Mr. Leyland lived in Duke Street, and had his othee in Henry Street, hard by. He probably reasoned that those who wanted money would have no difficulty in finding the bark, and it might at that day have been a convenient situation for depositors. Here the bank was carried on most successfully until the year 1815, when it was removed to the premises in King street, where it still remains. It is a remarkable fact that several generations ago concentration in business seems hardly to have been thought of. Merchants' offices were dispersed about the town along the whole line of docks, and inland as far as Duke Street and Bold Street. The primitive arrangement was for the merchant to have his house in front and his offe and warehouse behind. Many of these establishments could be pointed out in Hanover Street, Lancelot's Hey, Duke Street, etc. One of the most complete was the house still standing in Colquitt Street, now converted into the Royal Institution. It was built about the beginning of this century, by Mr. Thomas Parr, from whom the adjoining street takes its name. A node mansion fronted the street, having a railed garden and pleasureground opposite. Adjoining were two wings, containing the stables and domestic offices. In the rear, abutting on Parr Street, was a substantial warehouse. Long after this system was abandoned it was common for the merchant to have his office at the rear of his house. This was the case with many of the houses in Duke Street and Bold Street to a period within living memory. Even the Bank of England established its first branch in Liverpool in Hanover Street. The erection of the Exchange buildings, in 1803-9, gave the first impulse to concentration, which is now carried to such an extent, that to be outside the charmed circle narrowly drawn round the Exchange is almost equivalent to being ostracised from business