History of Birkenhead Page 1
The Priory
Birkenhead's history can be traced back to an ancient building, the Priory, which was
founded between 1154 and 1199 and stood on a lonely headland of birch trees.
The Priory has a mixture of architectural styles due to the continual rebuilding of
it throughout its years of existence. The Priory has now officially been declared
an Ancient Monument. After King John granted Liverpool its charter, in the early 13th Century,
the monks introduced the first ferry service across the river in 1330 from the Priory. When
trips were not possible due to bad weather, passengers were accommodated in
the Priory. The service was originally free, but increased demand meant that the
monks could no longer afford to do this and they had to start charging a fee.
The Priory was used as a garrison during the Civil War in the 17th Century and
the main hall was surrendered by the Cavaliers to the Roundheads and then
demolished. The stones from the buildings were used to construct other buildings
and, with the exception of St Mary's Church, these have since been pulled down and
lost.
The Priory needed to have a work force of people to help the monks, and as a result, the local
population increased in size. However it wasn't until the 1700s that Birkenhead started to
build separate farms and cottages in the Priory area. Following the introduction
of the first steam boat in 1815, businessmen of the day saw its potential and
introduced the first motorised ferry service, along with a hotel. As a result of
these developments, more housing and businesses were attracted to the area.
Laird's, Son & Co. Shipyard
Of all the businesses in Birkenhead, Laird's shipbuilders was probably the most
important. It was started by John Laird in 1824 and is still in operation today and has
launched many famous ships in its time including the Alabama. John Laird also designed and
built wide streets and squares in the town with the aim of
improving living conditions in the area. One such area is Hamilton Square, which
is one of the finest in the region and is named after John Laird's mother. John
Laird became Birkenhead's first mayor in 1877 and a statue of him stands in
Hamilton Square.
During this time the town's population grew rapidly and Birkenhead was awarded
the right to govern itself. The Town Hall and Market were built, and the Market
still exists today and is open six days a week.
Birkenhead Park
Birkenhead Park was laid out in 1847 by Joseph Paxton and involved vast amounts of
landscaping and the creation of artificial lakes, cricket and football pitches and
driveways. Such was its success, that many of its features
were incorporated into New York's Central Park following the visit of an American
to the park in 1850. The park was nominated a Conservation Area in 1977 and a
Grade 1 Listed Landscape by 1995.
The Docks
Wallasey Pool was converted into an artificial basin and the first docks were
opened in 1847. The Docks have nearly six miles of quay facilities, and since
1857, have been under the control of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company.
Birkenhead not only shared in the general trade of the Mersey but developed an
individual trade in exporting and importing. This included the export of goods
from the Midlands, importing cattle from Ireland and the export and import of
goods with the eastern tropics.
