Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

I don't know if this is in the wrong seection, but I'm trying to find some information on the township of Simonswood near Kirkby, particularly Simonswood Hall.

Does anyone have any information about the area or particularly Simonswood Hall.

It was occupied by the Gore/Woods/Shacklady family for many generations.

Many thanks

I tried Kirkby Library's local history section a while ago when somebody else had a query relating to Kirkby and was disappointed that they have so few books and so little information about it's history. I don't know if there might be more in either Huyton or the Liverpool Record Office.

There is this website that might be helpful http://history.knowsley.gov.uk/

All I can say is that Simonswood Hall appears to still be there, I've driven past it by chance occasionally but it's not in full view from the road.

Hi
I had a look in British History Online.
Here's the link, sketch of the Hall too.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report ... mpid=41290

Tina

Grade 2 listed

http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk ... simonswood

perhaps British Heritage could tell you more

Simone x

Googling Simonswood Hall produces a number of hits including a description of the property as it's a listed building. Simonswood is an area that is partly now in Knowsley Council area and partly West lancashire. it's mainly isolated houses. The area was owned by the Molyneux family Earls of Sefton.

Your families would have more than likely leased the property (it was basically a large farm house) from the Molyneux so on the www.nationalarchives.gov.uk site find acces to archives or just google access to archives and then put in simonswood and see what you get or put in the family names you are interested in. A quick search on Simonswood produced 296 results.

Any finds will involve going to Lancashire Record Office to see the actual documents.

Hilary
Ed Officer

Great, thanks for that. I think my best bet is to head to the Lancashire record office. I drove past Simonswood Hall on Saturday and have got to say it's a very impressive. I'm glad it's still there, although it did look like nobody was living there.

I'll have to have a look and see if the lancashire record office holds any rent documents for the property. Are these kind of documents usually kept by record offices or not?

Look on Access2archives via the National Archives site as advised above.

Lancashire Record Office holds many of the Earl of Sefton estate papers. The catalogue number is DDM - it's a large file that you then need to peruse to find what you wish to see. This is why I advise having a look on Access2archives first - that way you can go with all the reference numbers you require.

Hilary
Ed Officer

Here's another link for the Hall, it's from West Lancs Council, turning the piggery into a cattery??

http://publicaccess.westlancs.gov.uk/Pu ... FHWRHBU000

Hello,

You are very lucky I came across this post by accident.

My family and I reside at Simonswood Hall and have done so since May 2009. I have found some local Historians who have shared some old pictures and some limited local History with me.

The place was in quite a mess when we moved in and my wife has been lovingly restoring the inside ever since.

I will try to attach some recent photographs. If you have any specific questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

My knowledge of the Hall is limited as I never got around to researching the History properly. I hope you like the pictures.

Paul.

As promised, you can find some photographs of the Hall (taken last year) at:

http://photobucket.com/images/simonswood%20hall/

Best wishes.

Paul.

Hi Paul and welcome to the forum. Thank you for sharing your photographs, as you can see we were curious about it, the outside is lovely with the old dressed stone.

I very much look forward to seeing some photographs of the inside that you have restored if you would mind sharing these also.

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the images. I passed the house about a month ago. It's really nice, in such a lovely area.

If you have discover anything related to the history of the house it would be great if you could share it on here.

I know my family lived there until at least 1900. There appears to be a lot of people residing there in the 1840's-1870's so I'd love to know what it was used for. My ancestors who lived there were farmers so it may have been a farm house. I'm not too sure.

Hi Paul.

Did you manage to find any more info regarding the history of the house? The land directly behind the house belonged to my family for many years and is still called 'Shacklady paddocks' today. They used to live in the Hall and grow wheat, potatoes, barley etc in the fields behind. Their chidren then took the crops and sold them in Liverpool.

If you have any old photographs or documents or have found anything in the house relating to the Shacklady or Woods family please let me know.

Dan

Shacklady - probably the family the road is named after in Northwood.

Shacklady Road although it's probably about a mile? away from Simonswood Hall.

I am descended from William Woods and Nancy Shacklady, who married in 1825. The Woods lived then at Simonswood. Was that at Simonswood Hall? I would be interested in more information about the house.

Was your Nancy Shacklady born in about 1863? Daughter of Joseph Shacklady? If so, we are probably 4th cousins!!! The shackladys lived in Simmonswood hall before moving to Johnson Street in Liverpool. They were farmers at Simmonswood Hall and then moved to sell Milk in Johnson Street.

If you discover any more info about the family please let me know.

Dan

Sorry just realised you mention 1825. Can you give some more info about the family? Parents/brothers/sisters?

Thanks

I am still working on this. The websites for St Chad Kirkby are very valuable in all the information they give, but the marriage of William Woods (1794-1852) of Simonstown to Nancy Shacklady (1792/3-1865, will pr. 1865 to John Woods son and William Bullen, son-in-law, my ancestor) on 5 April 1825 took place at Walton, so I am not absolutely sure that I have the right Nancy. In fact I am still a bit confused about the Woods family, though was in touch with another descendant at Newcastle, Staffs, some years ago.

Hi everyone
IGI has a marriage 5 April 1825 Kirkby
William Woods to Nancy Shacklady
Lancs OPC
Marriage: 5 Apr 1825 St Chad, Kirkby, Lancashire, England
William Woods - Farmer of Walton Parish, Simonswood Extraparochial Township
Nancy Shacklady - spinster of the same place
Witness: William Harris; Henry Shaklady
Married by Licence by: R Cort Minister
Register: Marriages 1813 - 1837, Page 27, Entry 80
Source: LDS Film 1545853

Tina

1851 census
Simonswood
William Woods 57 farmer 35 acres emp 4 labrs bn Simonswood
Nancy 57 bn Aughton, Dorothy 21, Joshua 20, John 18, Nancy jr 15
all bn Simonswood.
HO107/2196/9/11
No address, earlier pages do have some.

1861 has Nancy snr wid at Moses House in Simonswood
farming 50 acres emp 3 labrs
dghtr Nancy 24, grandson William Webster 15 employed at home,
gdgtr Ann 17 emp at home both born KIRKDALE.
Servants
I hope this is of help.
Tina