Widnes: Escaping The Chemical Metropolis

[Cupcake]

Hello good people. It's been a while, but I think of you often as I continue my research and working on the wee family book.

In the book Hard Times by Charles Dickens (1854) there is a passage that talks about people escaping the pollution of their town: " . . . it was customary for those who now and then thirsted for a draught of pure air, which is not absolutely the most wicked among the vanities of life, to get a few miles away by the railroad, and then begin their walk, or their lounge in the fields."

Is it safe to assume that the inhabitants of Ditton did the same? And if you have any other knowledge of people getting away from the pollution, that would be interesting to know.

Bets a/k/a Cupcake, your American Cousin

[Hilary]

The 1st edition 6 inch to the mile map of the early 1840s shows Ditton as an area of isolated farms.

You might findthis interesting

aboutwidnes.blogspot.com/2007/10/historical-widnes.html

It appears that the first factory was built in 1847 between the railway and Sankey Canal near to the river. More were to follow. I think you need to find the dates of the building of factories in the Ditton area.

The 1861 census has 12 pages only for the whole of the township of Ditton. A quick look shows it to be mainly an agricultural district at the time. You would need to study the entries on the different census to see when it's identity changed and also look at maps.

I don't Charles Dickens description in 1854 applied to Ditton, the large towns and cities yes.

[Cupcake]

Thanks Hilary for the Widnes blog spot link.

What about later when Widnes became known as "a poisonous hell town" and "the dirtiest, ugliest and most depressing town in England.”? Or when anyone on this board was growing up? My cousin talks about being sent home from school because the visibility was so bad due to the pollution from the industrial waste that was left behind.

[Hilary]

I thought you were asking about the time Charles Dickens was writing about 1854 so replied about that time.

Many places were affected by industrial pollution in the 19th and 20th century and these were often compounded by fog. I remember the London Smogs of the 50s and 60s and we lived 12 miles from central London!

I think you need to decide what time you wish to find out about and then do some intensive research into the area at that time.

[Cupcake]

Sorry I was unclear. I am specifically interested in the years 1890 - 1910, but also am interested in personal experience from people who grew up in the area as the environment seemed extremely degraded for a long time.

[chris leigh]

Hi Bets
Sorry for not picking up on this query earlier, To the best of my knowledge, the Ditton area at the time you are talking about was mainly countryside, with some factories down by the river, but most wouldn't class this as Ditton, Widnes itself at this time was highly industrialised and the source of much airborne pollution, but the prevailing westerly winds blew most of the pollution towards Warrington. A local cottage industry for residents of Ditton was laundering washing for the better off in Liverpool. This would have been impossible if a lot of airborne pollution found its way to the area as the Widnes factories used a lot of coal with consequent high levels of smoke and soot etc. Many of the residents of Ditton worked in the Widnes factories but there was little industry as such until after the the second world war. So I think if people left the Ditton area it was rather for a better quality of life, rather than escaping the pollution.
cheers chris.

[Cupcake]

Very interesting about the winds and the laundry.

There has also been a lively discussion about this issue on the FB page.

Have enjoyed everyone's perspective.

Thank you all.