Liverpool Hidden History

My latest book, Murder, Mayhem & Tragedy in Suburban Liverpool is available on Amazon, £8.99 paperback and £1.99 Kindle. amazon.co.uk/Murder-Mayhem-…

5/8/1811 Rev Thomas Spencer of the Newington Chapel in Renshaw Street, drowned at Dingle. The 30 year old was described in local press as having ‘pulpit talents so far above his years and a power of attaching the audience in a manner that will never be forgotten'

OTD 1956 at Speke airport 100k watched in horror as Leo Valentin, a birdman dubbed "the Most Daring Man in the World", mistimed his jump from a twin engine Dakota plane, clipping the corner of one of his balsa wood wings with the hatch & falling 8,000 feet to his death.

The foundation stone that is just inside the former home for destitute children on Myrtle Street.

This sundial is within the beer garden at Allerton Hall, dates from mid 18ht Century.

@IslaBroadwell @thedustyteapot @phil_oates @Waite99D @BygoneLiverpool @VictorianWeb @VictorianMasc @NecropolisTales “In the vault lie the remains of William Mackenzie Esq died 29th October 1851 aged 57 Also Mary his wife died 19th December 1838 aged 48 and Sarah his second wife who died 9th December 1867 aged 60. This monument erected by his Brother Edward as token of love and affection 1868"

William McKenzie's pyramid grave, St Andrews Church, Rodney St, Liverpool. William was a compulsive gambler who wagered and lost his soul to the devil. Legend says that to avoid paying this debt he is buried sitting upright with a winning hand clasped in his skeletal fingers.

@Liverpool1207 A gatepost to Terra Nova is still there too

Sir Frederick Charles Bowring, who was Lord Mayor of Liverpool for two successive years, died at Terra Nova, Croxteth Drive, on 24th March 1936

@Liverpool1207 Grave in Allerton Cemetery

Joseph Green was 55 when killed by a boiler explosion in 1843. His gravestone (at St James' Cemetery #liverpool) includes a memento mori verse which were less common by the mid-19th century #gravestone #mementomori

14/3/1910 Prof James Campbell Brown died. Born Aberdeen 1843, he came to Lpool 1867 as lecturer at Royal Infirmary School of Medicine for experimental toxicology. When University College Liverpool was formed in the 1890s he was Prof of Chemistry. Buried at All Saints, Childwall.

I created a #map of all mentioned countries on the surviving memorials at St James' Cemetery #liverpool. Also were mentions of the Patagonia Islands, St Helena, Bermuda, and Antigua (not visible), 42 deaths at sea, and 4 of "Africa" in general. #cemetery #memorials

3/3/1884 Catherine Flanagan and Margaret Higgins, 2 sisters from Vauxhall, were hanged after poisoning four members of their family as part of life assurance fraud. liverpoolmurders.blogspot.com/2011/05/vauxha…

Liverpool from @LivCathedral @angiesliverpool @YOLiverpool @LiverpoolTweeta @LiverpoolTIC @ExploreLpool @theAlbertDock

27/2/1967 American rock n roll singer Chuck Berry played at The Cavern. Spencer Leigh, in his book The Cavern Club, The Beatles and the Rise of Merseybeat writes that Chuck was not happy about having the crowd so close to him so makeshift bars were put across the stage.

@Liverpool1207 Grave in Anfield Cemetery.

Sheil Road, and Sheil Park opened in 1862. They were named after Alderman Richard Sheil, who died on 26th Feb 1871 williamgray101.wordpress.com/2018/08/16/ald…

24/2/1883 at Liverpool Cricket Club, Aigburth England beat Ireland 7-0 in the 1st football international to take place in the city. Liverpool is the only city outside London where 3 venues that hosted the England national side are still in existence.

22/2/1861 The Scheah Gehald arrived in Liverpool from Egypt with a crew that had endured filthy conditions. William Dooley, a doctor at the Southern Hospital, was one of four locals who died from a fever developed having come into contact with those on board. Grave in Toxteth Cem

20/2/1927 George Harding, one of the last surviving Crimean War veterans, died at the age of 95 at his home, Grange Lodge in Grange Lane Gateacre. He was present at the bombardment of Sebastapol & awarded Turkish & Crimea medals. He later became manager of Broadgreen gas works.

20/2/1920 Edward Russell, Baron Russell died. He was editor of the Daily Post from 1869 until his death aged 85 in 1920, overseeing its rise into one of the country's top regional dailies. He also sat briefly as Liberal MP for a Glasgow Bridgeton. He lived 6 Abercromby Square.

Sir John Utting, after whom Utting Avenue is named, died 17/02/1927 of pneumonia. Utting was a medical practitioner in Anfield and was elected to the city council as Conservative member for Kirkdale in 1899, serving on port sanitary committee. He was Mayor of Liverpool 1917-18