Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

My Fletcher family had a strong connection with Chester, though they had moved to Liverpool by 1830. If they travelled to see a relative during the 1830s or 1840s, or attended a funeral, or had to go on business, for example, I am wondering how they would have done the journey, assuming they were not particularly wealthy but not penniless either? Perhaps there was more to-ing and fro-ing during that period than I imagine, or perhaps there was less, and you really didn't make a journey unless you absolutely had to?

Prior to the Birkenhead to Chester railway line opening, approx., 1840, they would have used a Stage Coach from Birkenhead, having reached Birkenhead by ferry from Liverpool.
The station would have been Grange Lane station, Birkenhead, the line later extended to Monks Ferry.

Stage Coach Timetables,

http://www.carlscam.com/coach.htm

Thanks Bert! So you could have taken the ferry Liverpool to Birkenhead, then 2 and a half hours stagecoach Birkenhead to Chester. Sounds like if the weather was fine, you could do a return journey in one day perhaps, if you had to? Have you any idea how the ferry worked in those days?

Depending on the timetables, perhaps an overnight stay in a hotel was needed to catch an early coach.



Info,
http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/mari ... e/sheet/27

Good answers Bert, thanks, helps me visualise how one of mine got to Chester to marry his second wife.

The trade directories usually had advertisements for coaches leaving Liverpool from one of the public houses along Dale Street and prices, I'm remembering this from years ago when I read it. I was imagining all the passengers lined up in their best attire to get the coach, but obviously some of them had the back steps and up on top I believe, at a cheaper price.

1822, Pigots Directory of Cheshire,

Coaches from the White Lion Inn, Northgate St.

1843 Directory,

Times & Prices,

On the episode of "Coming Home" the Welsh BBC TV series that featured Cilla Black it was revealed how her grandfather and his brother walked to Liverpool from Wales to look for work:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/4736384.stm


Blue

That reminded me of the one with Carol Vordeman where the ship sailed from Wales to Liverpool, although that would have been with produce I'm sure they wouldn't have been averse to taking passengers too, although that would have been much further than Chester.

People did walk far greater distances as a matter of necessity than they do nowadays.

I suppose later on they were given even more freedom when bicycles became available. A friend of the family used to cycle daily from St. Helens to Wales.

I'm wondering if there was a cheaper alternative of hitching a ride on a canal boat.

In 1833, there were plans to extend the Ellesmere & Chester canal, from Ellesmere to Birkenhead, dead level and without locks.
The canal that never was, perhaps a wise decision not to build, considering the rail line was soon to follow.

Bertieone wrote:1843 Directory,

Times & Prices,

What an interesting thread. I was in Oxton last week which is full of huge mansions, apparently the wealthy merchants of Liverpool moved there when the inner cities started getting overcrowded. They used to get the ferry from Liverpool to Woodside, then a horse drawn tram up to Oxton and apparently in some of the gardens you could see the ships sailing up and down the Mersey.

There are some beautiful old houses overlooking the Mersey on the Wirral side if you look out for them, full of maritime history.

Thanks for that ferry info - I don't believe I've seen it before.

Hubby's great grandfather was a well-known figure locally, but he came from Salford as a young man. I believe he would have arrived in Birkenhead via the ship canal, the same route that the ferry now provides leisure cruises along - it seems the most obvious route.