Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

Greetings from Sydney Australia.

A family story that I was brought up on when living as a youngster on the
Wirral, was that one set of maternal great-great grandparents (Lowe) once
lived in the supposed smallest house in England which was situated at 95 High Street, Wavertree.
Whenever we visited relatives in Liverpool we would often drive down High
Street & either my mother or maternal grandmother would point out the house & repeat the story about our relatives.

It was not until many years later, when I had moved to Australia, that I become interested in discovering my family history.
I then remembered this story & set out to either prove or disprove it.

I'm making some progress but so far nothing conclusive. BDMs & CRs show them living in & around High Street from
1861 to 1891 but in many cases no number is given for the house.

In the hope of making further progress can anyone tell me what numbers High Street were on either side of the entry to
Smithy Yard in 1861 & what number High Street was Greenside House in 1871?
My old Ordnance Survey map of 1905 is not much help.

With many thanks
Barry Moscrop

Cross referencing from my 1873 street directory to the 1871 census, it is apparent that the High Street was not enumerated in numerical order. In the street directory, number 95 is not listed. Richard Lowe is a blacksmith at 91, Mary Thomlinson is a butcher at 99, Anne Blackburn is at 101.

If you Google 'Wavertree smallest house' or similar, you will find lots of stories, or the same one retold, about the house and its neighbouring pub, the Cock & Bottle, and photos from different periods.
Daggers

Many thanks to those who replied to my post.
As a supplementary question does anyone know when the Cock & Bottle pub was first licensed & if
it was a temperance hotel before then did it have a name or just a street number (93 High Street).
Barry

The 1881 Kellys Directory gives the entry
Finch, Edward, beer retailer, 93 High Street, Wavertree, there's nothing listed under the name Cock & Bottle.

Hope that helps

In the 1881 census the Lowe family (Edward, blacksmith, wife Jane and 3 sons) are recorded in "House up yard between 99 and 101 no number" High Street.

I see Ellen Lowe in the 1871 census two households up from Edward Lowe, and one down from Mary Tomlinson the butcher. So in the right cluster to be at 95, bearing in mind that the enumerator seems not to have fallowed a strict numerical order.

In the 1867 Gore's Directory there are no house numbers for High Street Wavertree. Richard Lowe is listed as a ropemaker, again in proximity to Thomlinson and Blackburne

Responding to Barry's PM. I have tried to respond by PM but it doesn't work. The outgoing messages are stuck in the outbox. Barry asked if there is any more I could tell him about Richard Lowe and said that he'd been unable to find Richard (49) or his sons Charles (22) or Peter (11) in the 1871 census.

My replies:

1.No, there's nothing more to tell from the 1873 directory entry,In the 1871 census there's a Peter Low aged 12 working on farm in Prince Alfred Road Wavertree

2. Is Charles Lowe the one who married Margaret Maguire in 1868? An omnibus driver, father Richard Lowe, a roper? I think he is in Prestwich in the 1871 census (Sharp Street) with Margaret and 3 month old son Charles.

Incidentally I think the "blacksmith" occupation for Richard in the 1873 directory listing could be a mix-up with Edward Lowe.

I think it remains in the outbox until read by recipient

Bertieone wrote: ↑

23 Mar 2018 20:42

I think it remains in the outbox until read by recipient

Tat's right