Letters - Local History

LETTERS - LOCAL HISTORY

More on 'Meanygate'

The information I have is that any road with meanygate after it gave the farmers with that name I.e. Taylors the right to pass over the landlords land to take produce or animals to market without paying a toll. Thus they passed through the mean gate. Which over the years came to be known as taylors meanygate. Bolten's, Sward and Boundry being others.

Margery Aughton, 17th October 2009

History of Tarleton Mill

Hi i wonder if anyone can remember the Tarleton Mill down by the canal?

I lived in Tarleton from 1951to 1969 my gaurdians were Alan and May Davidson they were related to Eddie and May Farrell. I worked at the mill approx 1965. I have looked at the history of cotton in Lancashire and can't find any info on Tarleton Mill. I wonder if anyone can remember the name; I seem to remember it was taken over several times by various company's any info would be gratefully received.

Thank you.

Mary Ward, 1st July 2009
madmaryward (at) yahoo.co.uk

Bernard Dickinson Shop Photos

This year our business is 50 yrs old - Dad founded the business on 2nd April 1959.

I am looking for some old photographs of both the original shop on Station Road (which is now Bang Bang school clothes), and of the current site on Hesketh Lane - formerly the Mission Room.

If anybody can help I would be most grateful.

Yours sincerely,
John Dickinson. 21st April 2009
john (at) bernarddickinson.co.uk

Visit of 'The Mauritania' to Hesketh Bank
It was around 1950, my Dad recollects he was about 12, when one morning on looking out of his bedroom window of McCloeds butchers, at the railway bridge in Hesketh Bank, a giant was in the fields over near the river. He said it looked like a huge hotel jutting out in to the sky. With great excitement of a young boy he raced over the fields to have a look, it was a ship, a huge ship, it was also a huge stuck ship, grounded in the small, narrow River Douglas." The Mauritania." The story went, the liner was being towed to the breakers yard, when they took a wrong turn up the Douglas and the large liner got stuck.

My dad Peter Trafford McCloed is interested to know if anyone else has memories of this happening, or if there are any photos. What happened to the ship?.

Pauline Trafford, 1st March 2009

Memories of 1954
Dear Editor,
I had the usual Christmas letter from a Lancastrian 'exiled' in Canada, thanking me for the Hesketh Bank calendar. I would like to share a little of it with you and any readers.

"Your calendar sure brought back a lot of old memories, now I know exactly where you live. Way back in the 1950's when I delivered milk for Reeces after Crossens and Banks we delivered all along Shore Rd., then up Chapel Rd. to Station Rd., back down to the School and top of Shore Rd., then out through Tarleton, Bretherton Croston, Sollom back to Rams Head down to Mere Brow then across to Black Lane, Back into Hesketh Bank then down Newarth Lane and Moss Lane across the moss to the Mere.

One vivid memory I have is the Christmas eve of 1954 there was a blanket of snow on the ground, we were almost at the end of our round out in the middle of the moss.As we drove into the farmyard, there in front of the house was the Hesketh Bank Brass Band playing carols. It was a picture made for a Christmas Card. So thanks again for the memories."

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas,
Mo Bentley. 29th December 2008

Tarleton Fire Engine

Dear Sir,

On your web site you have a photo of a Tarleton fire engine reg DPU 15 for which you are seeking details.

This is a Dennis Ace that was new to Chigwell Urban District Council Fire Brigade, Essex, in May 1936. It would have passed into the National Fire Service (NFS) on 18 August 1941 when the fire service was nationalised.

After the war the service was returned to local authority control and in England and Wales the 146 counties and county boroughs became the new fire authorities, effective from 1 April 1948 when for some reason DPU 15 joined the fleet of Lancashire County Fire Brigade. I don't know why and can only assume it must have been moved to Lancashire by the NFS and not returned to its original home. Fire engines were moved around the country in numbers during the war to provide effective cover for the fires caused by the Blitz, and the ratepayers of some local authorities were more than a little miffed when expensive vehicles they had paid for were not returned on denationalisation.

I believe the appliance went out of service in 1955 so we can conclude that your picture was taken between 1948 and 1955.

I hope that is of interest.

With regards,

Roger Mardon, Canterbury. 9th October 2008

Tarleton Lock
Dear Sir,
With regard to Harry Hall's letter asking for information on the subject of the Douglas Navigation etc. I believe I may be of some assistance to him. I live at Douglas House which was built for the Douglas Navigation Scheme 1726 and have been conducting some research on the subject. I have quite a lot of information, drawings and diagrams etc. and also know of the workings of the transhipment of goods via the Douglas/Leeds Liverpool Canal Co.

I am still in the process of compiling information but will submit something to this website in due course. In the meantime if Mr. Hall wants to contact me he is welcome to do so via these pages or by 'phone.

Yours Sincerely,
J.E.Hodson. 25th June 2008

Tarleton Lock
Dear Sir
I am at present reading diaries of my great grandfather who lived and worked the whole of his life in Freckleton. The diaries are from 1884 (when he was 24) until his death in 1950. He was a shipwright by trade and worked in the early part of his life at Freckleton ship yard building schooners but his family (Rigby) ran a coal business which involved bringing coal from Appley Bridge via canal. At times he would help out working on the “flat” which was a type of canal boat. The route taken was to go out of the small Freckleton pool (River Doe) and into the main Ribble channel on the ebb tide and probably anchor off just below where the Douglas joins the Ribble. When the tide turned they would, using poles manoeuvre the barge up the Douglas and enter the canal at Tarleton lock and then proceed up the canal to the pit at Appley Bridge. There is never any mention of the use of horses but I was wondering if there was a stables situated near the lock entrance where horses were hired out . On your web page you have pictures or the Douglas and the old railway bridge which my great grandfather refers to. Does anyone have any knowledge of the history of the lock and canal and its workings around 1880 to 1900? If so, I would be very grateful if you would share any information you may have.

[We can start a page in the Local History pages dedicated to the canal if sufficient information can be gathered - Ed]

Yours sincerely,
Harry Hall, 19th June 2008

Tarleton Corinthians
I am compiling a history of Tarleton Corinthians FC which celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2010. I would be interested to hear from anyone with photographs of past teams or anecdotes about the old days before the club developed into one of the biggest and most successful in West Lancashire.
Please email egjohn (at) talktalk.net with any information
Graham Johnston, 6th March 2008

Dear Editor,
I am writing a novel set in the villages of Hesketh Bank and Tarleton during 1914-1918 and would like to hear from local people about the events that took place at this time and what both villages were like.

I would be very grateful if anyone has any photographs, letters, newspaper articles etc, that I could view, which would help with the historical documentation of the book.

If you feel you could help in any way, please contact Sue Rigby
Tel: 07754-203-701 or suerigby (at) btinternet.com.

Many Thanks,
Sue.

mv Gladiolus LM 12

Hello out there. Does anyone remember this boat? Any yachtsmen, seamen , ships carpenters etc.

I am researching the history of this fishing boat which was built in Lossiemouth. She was eventually bought by Billy Hogarth in 1957 and based at Glasson Dock. She was sometimes used as a safety boat at Stanlow Pier and was also used as a standby pilot ship at Heysham.

The latest I have found was that she was bought by a Director of Leyland motors around 1960, and converted into a yacht/cabin cruiser, and moved to River Douglas. I realise that this was a long time ago, but it is amazing the response i've had from letters in the Visitor and Lancaster Guardian, and maybe someone in your area remembers something.

I would be grateful for any information, no matter how little you think it may be.

I can be contacted at billandirene31 (at) btinternet.com
or Mr W.A.Smith, 31 High Street, Lossiemouth, Moray IV31 6AA
I will acknowledge all correspondence

Bill Smith, 24th October 2006

Because of Neglect, Arson and Vandalism, the Greaves Hall Mansion has lost its "Grade Two" listed status and is to be demolished.

Whilst Greaves Hall Mansion is not in Tarleton & Hesketh Bank, Nevertheless many local residents will have worked there in various capacities and will recall the handcrafted fireplaces, panelling, staircases etc & have seen the "Hammer Beam" roof & minstrels gallery in the main hall, As well as recalling the lovingly maintained gardens surrounding the building in its NHS "Heyday".

Though the mansion is not as old as Bank Hall it has, sadly gone largely the same way [Does that tell us something of "Heritage" in 2006 Lancashire? - or perhaps the impotence of both WLDC, English Heritage, Lancashire County Council and our national laws to protect such buildings.

The failure to find a "Community" use for the building and to secure its future by the NHS on their leaving, seems to leave little credit on a number of groups and individuals. Despite its long service to the community, it was cast off like an old shoe.

The building [for its epitaph] is a little over 100 years old and was constructed by a branch of the Scarisbrick Family when they were the "Richest Commoners" in Britain.

I am not certain as to who the architect was, however they employed Augustus Pugin [of Palace of Westminster fame] in their other edifice in Lancashire, "Scarisbrick Hall" the quality of the workmanship being at least as good at Greaves Hall. Another northwest building by him is the R. C. Church at Cheadle.

Perhaps the best that can be hoped is that some of the contents might be "Salvaged" and carefully re-used elsewhere.

In Sadness,
Arthur Wright, 9th October 2006

Dear Editor,
As I understand it, the term 'Meanygate' is derived from the original roads being built privately, subsequently becoming 'Toll' Roads, hence the name Meany.
Yours Sincerely,
Cllr. J.E.Hodson, 27th September 2006

Dear Sir,
When I've looked into this before (yes you're not the only one to think about this stuff), the only thing I came across when searching the internet was the following reference to a "Meangate" in a document about Burscough: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=41330

"He also gave three large and good acres of land bounded by ditches and four crosses, these limits being respectively near the Smith oak, the Forked oak, the Sty oak, and the Meangate close of Ormsdyke".

This kind of suggests that it might be a corruption of "main gate"

I also wondered who was Ralph that his wife needed her own lane and what about "Cockle Dick" who's that?

Regards,
P.Hipwell, 26th September 2006

Can anyone tell me the origin of the name Meaneygate which is used on many of the roads in the locality.
Thanks.
John Rimmer, 25th September 2006

BANK HALL RESTORATION
Hi,
Just come across your site for Bank Hall. What a loss and so sad that it has been allowed to get in such a state!
I lived in the wing of the Hall, when I was home from school, during the war. It was used in fact as the Headquaters of Army Movement Control.
My father was the Colonel in command and he was responsible for the movement of troops in and out of all the North West Ports. I think he opened up in Bank Hall in 1940 and left in late 1945. When I was there it was still a beautiful house with a grand staircase, an emormously long table which ran the length of the entrance hall and a Fourposter in a main bedroom.
I fear you have an almost impossible task on your hands looking at your recent photo but good luck all the same.
Best wishes.
Mike Jones, 26th January 2005

WEST LANCASHIRE VIKINGS
Thank you for the excellent web site, however, I feel I should point out that the Vikings of the West Lancashire coast were mainly Hiberno-Norse rather than being Danes. Hesketh, Meols, Birk, (as in Birkdale) Orm, brick/breck (as in Scarisbrick and Swarbreck), Kirk as in Kirkby/Ormskirk, Litherland etc are all Norse not Danish. There are many other examples. Danish test words include Hulme etc and are just not found in West Lancashire.

Prior to settling (many as refugees) along our coast, the Norse Vikings settled in Ireland where they established Dublin as a major trading centre - hence the Irish elements in certain local place names including Becconsall.

Keep up the good work
Thanks and regards

Stephen Hesketh, 23rd January 2005

Viking Mersey: Scandinavian Wirral, West Lancashire and Chester
by Stephen E. Harding.

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