Melling Moor

[ZED]

My family (Greaves) lived in Melling from 1950 - 1991. Recently I noticed a reference to 'Melling Moor' in an online a document describing the history of Melling ... and I've actually obtained an old sepia postcard of 'The Arch, Melling Moor' from a well-known online auction site.

However, I just can't place where Melling Moor is ... or perhaps more likely, where it 'was'. Does anyone have any idea, please?

[MaryA]

Don't know if there's any chance of narrowing down the area using some references in the British History online site, although these references appear to be quite a lot earlier than your postcard would be

A charter by Robert de Byron granted land in Melling to Nicholas son of Henry de Bootle, at the yearly rent of 1d.; and a further grant at the same rent was made in 1309. (fn. 37) Another charter granted Adam son of Richard de Thorp land which Robert de Brookfield formerly held, extending between Alt and Melling Moor, and pannage of his pigs in the common wood.

and also

The Bootles of Melling, ancestors of Lord Lathom, are traceable from about 1300. Roger son of Dobbe de Melling in 1317 quitclaimed to Henry de Bootle certain lands of which he had enfeoffed him. (fn. 58) A few years later (1324–5) Adam son of Richard de Bootle granted to Adam son of Richard the Serjeant all his land in Melling lying between Thorpsbrook and the moor.

[ZED]

Thanks MaryA.
Yes, Melling Moor was certainly still in existence during the era of mass-produced post cards ... the card is unused, but the print type-face looks early 1900.

[Hilary]

I've had a look at my OS 25 inch to the mile map on DVD coverong Melling surveyed around 1891 and there is no mention of a Melling Moor or The Arch on the map.

However there is another Melling in Lancashire near Wrayton and googling that shows a Melling Moor.

Maybe both Mellings have local history societies or parish councils that you could contact.

[MaryA]

Sorry, had visitors at work and had to close out.

I did wonder if it was indeed the Melling in Cumbria, but there is also another postcard giving View from Melling Moor http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Melling-nr-Kirkby ... 0675142323 wow £16. Well I wonder if the seller is absolutely sure that it is the Melling near Kirkby and not the other one.

I'm glad you got a better bargain.

Melling Parish Council http://www.mellingparishcouncil.org/history2.asp appear to have the same text as the British History Online, despite claiming copyright in 2009.

Now I'm not looking at a map here, but places often kept the name, so Brookfield School in Westvale, Kirkby may well be on a site originally owned by Robert de Brookfield, the Alt flows in between there and Valley Road, then up past the side of St Chad's Church. So to get a patch somewhere "between Alt and Melling Moor" I can only assume that it must be about where Melling Mount is now. http://www.mellingparishcouncil.org/boundaries.asp

There is only one arch in the locality that I know about and that's the one under the railway bridge and it doesn't look like that.

[ZED]

I noticed the other post cards MaryA ... I think I paid 75p for mine! It'll be interesting to see whether anyone actually pays £16 for the other view of Melling Moor! (Actually, the same seller was offering a post card identical to mine ... I think it was listed for £10?) I might just email him/her to ask whether there's any evidence that it's 'Merseyside Melling' in the pictures.

I've only recently started looking at the local history of Melling, and I did wonder when the boundary with Kirkby was established.

[ZED]

I've had a look at my OS 25 inch to the mile map on DVD coverong Melling surveyed around 1891 and there is no mention of a Melling Moor or The Arch on the map.

However there is another Melling in Lancashire near Wrayton and googling that shows a Melling Moor.

Maybe both Mellings have local history societies or parish councils that you could contact.

Thanks Hilary ... I'll try that.
The person who is selling the Melling Moor post-cards claims that they are from 1910, and the arch doesn't look like a 'new build' in the pictures: So I think the fact that neither the arch nor the moor feature on your 1891 map suggests that this probably isn't 'Merseyside Melling'.

[MaryA]

You may remember our little project on the Asquiths who were commemorated on the memorial in St Thomas's Church. The Treasurer of the Church, Bert, is obviously local to Melling and I thought I'd give him a ring to pick his brains, but he has never heard of Melling Moor.

In view of the date of the mentions in the British History online site, I would keep an open mind as to whether the postcards are in fact of the Melling near Kirkby, I suspect they might well be the other Melling, that might bear investigation.

[ZED]

Just received a reply from the chap who is selling the Melling Moor post-cards ... he can't confirm that the images are 'Melling near Kirkby'. He says "I shall try to trace it better when I have the time"

Thank goodness I didn't feel tempted to part with £16!

[MaryA]

Hmmm also. He is quite specific about the "near Kirkby" bit isn't he? He could get in trouble if it was sold as that and later found that it was the incorrect one, it says on all items that the description is the seller's responsibility, he should research first.

[dickiesam]

I think the eBay man is taking a 'flyer'. There is Melling [x2] and Melling Moor, three(!) separate and distinct places.

There are two Mellings in Lancashire:
Melling, Merseyside> an area of Sefton, Merseyside, England
Melling, Lancashire> is a village in Carnforth, Lancashire, England

See Melling Moor here: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1896816

From Wiki... Melling is a village and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 Census the population was recorded as 2,810.[1] The hamlet of Melling Mount is 1.2 miles (2 km) from the village of Melling.

DS

[chiefsub68]

As a boy, my aunt and uncle in Melling, Liverpool, gave me a book about highwaymen operating on Melling Moor.

[ZED]

As a boy, my aunt and uncle in Melling, Liverpool, gave me a book about highwaymen operating on Melling Moor.

... That's amazing! (I don't suppose you still have it, by any chance?)

[chiefsub68]

Sadly, I don't - and I cannot remember the title, either. My late uncle was Willy Owens, who was chairman of the parish council. Perhaps the current parish council may be able to help. http://www.mellingparishcouncil.org/

[chiefsub68]

In fact, the moor is mentioned twice at http://www.mellingparishcouncil.org/history2.asp No mention of highwaymen, though.

See also http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1896816 (Post script: this is the wrong Melling!)

Link fixed MA

[Hilary]

The photograph in the last post is of Melling Moor at the other Melling (in Lonsdale)

Hilary
Ed Officer