The Anorak's Journal

SCOUSERS AND SCHISMS The story of the church on Renshaw Street begins when a small group of parishioners at the Ancient Chapel of Toxteth protested the appointment of minister Hugh Anderson. Believing him to be religiously fickle, the dissenting group broke away from the church, and formed their own congregation closer to the city. Construction of the building which would become Newington Chapel began in 1776, and in 1777 it was opened for worship - you could see this date above the door. The first minister was Rev. David Bruce, and he remained at the chapel until his death in 1808. He was even buried under the main entrance of the chapel. View of Newington Chapel from Ackermann's Panoramic View of Liverpool (1847) A MESMERISING MINISTER Perhaps Newington Chapel's biggest claim to fame was its bewitching young minister, Thomas Spencer. Though he only served from 1810-11, Spencer had an enormous impact on the congregation. Described as a man of great talent and remarkable orator...

Spotlight On: In this series, we aim to explore the stories of some interesting characters we've stumbled across and who you might also like to meet. In this instalment, we encounter Mary Elizabeth Williams, Leasowe's last Lighthouse Keeper. Leasowe Lighthouse c.1905. Could this be the Williams family? Credit: Geoff Topp's Postcard Collection. In its 500-year history, Trinity House - the official authority for lighthouses in England and Wales - has never appointed a woman to the post of Principal Keeper . Mersey Docks and Harbour Board adopted an entirely different attitude, appointing Elizabeth Wilding as keeper of Bidston Lighthouse in 1797 after the death of her husband. Leasowe Lighthouse boasted two female principal keepers in the last sixty years of its service: Ann Jones in 1854, and Mary Elizabeth Williams between 1894 and 1908. And so it was, that for the last fourteen years of its active life, Leasowe Lighthouse was expertly manned by a middle-aged single mother...

Over the past two weeks we embarked on an unusual expedition to document the post boxes in our local area and do some research into the history of these cultural landmarks. We thought this would be an interesting and tangible way to learn more about our town and its history.  Along the way we encountered 39 red-faced fellows. Notable mentions included  a  lonely village wall box, a  rebellious black box ,  an ironworks forging the way for the Industrial Revolution,  a dateable Edwardian model,  a nd even a pillar that appears to have been moved to the other side of the road.  We hope you enjoy accompanying us on our casual meander, and that you might be compelled to take a peek at your local box next time you’re out on a wander. Let's begin with a bit of post box history!   A SHORT HISTORY OF THE BRITISH POSTAL SERVICE Penny Black. FIRST CLASS! In a world before online ordering, e-mail, and real-time video calls, writing letters was the only ...