Allerton
In the early
1900s the township of Allerton now a suburb of Liverpool was described as
follows:
Allerton is a
suburban township containing 1,586 acres, pleasantly situated on the gentle
slopes of a ridge which rises on the eastern side to 230 feet above sea level,
overlooking the River Mersey across the adjacent township of Garston. There are
several large residences with their private grounds set in the midst of
pastures and a few arable fields. There are plantations of trees, some of a
fair size for a suburban district. An air of tidiness reigns over what remains
of the natural features, with neatly kept hedges and railed paddocks, and
shrubs grown to rule and measure. The roads are good, and the soil, apparently
clay and sand, appears fertile, and is of course much cultivated; good cereals
are successfully grown.

Previously known
as Alretune, in the Domesday Book it was referred to as Allerton, in 1306. In the twelfth century
Allerton became a member of the barony of
Manchester. During the medieval period the manor of Allerton was held by
the Lathom family, throughout her long widowhood, Elizabeth Lathom (née Legh)
the wife of Richard Lathom (1563–1602), occupied Allerton Hall. And by her Will
and Codicil, both executed in July, 1624, gave her second son, Edward Lathom,
the occupation and profit of “this my hall in Allerton," and the houses
and lands for three years after her death for the better discharging of her
debts and to keep her other sons, Richard and John, until her grandson, Richard
Lathom (of Parbold, son of Thomas who died in 1623), then an infant of about
two years old, the heir of Parbold and Allerton, "came of age".
Richard Lathom, a Royalist, fought alongside his uncles in the English Civil
War. Richard survived the war but his Estate was "forfeited in the name of
treason" by Cromwell's parliament in 1652. "The commissioners"
(of parliament who had confiscated the estate) sold it in 1654 to a John
Sumpner of Midhurst, Sussex. for £2,700. Notwithstanding that the Lathoms,
father, mother, and children, now dispossessed, were frequently convicted of
recusancy, ( a refusal to attend Anglican services), they contrived to hang on
to both Parbold and Allerton a little longer. Indeed it was not until 1670 that
the Sumpners managed to eject the Lathoms, and only then by increasing the
amount of the original purchase price. When assessments were made for the
hearth tax in 1666, Allerton Hall was one of the larger houses in the parish of
Childwall with eight hearths; this was exceeded only by Speke Hall with
twenty-one hearths. The estate was bought in 1736 by John Hardman and his
brother James. John Hardman was a merchant from Rochdale and it is likely that
the present house on the site originates from this time. In about 1779 the
house was bought by the lawyer, philanthropist and abolitionist, William
Roscoe. Roscoe completed the building of the house but had to sell it in 1816
when he became bankrupt. During the American Civil War, the mansion was rented
by Charles Kuhn Prioleau, an American landowner from South Carolina who
financially supported the Confederate States and who married Mary Elizabeth
Wright, daughter of the owner of the hall. In the early part of the 20th
century the building was owned by the Clarke family who donated it to Liverpool
City Council in 1927. The building was damaged by two fires, in 1994 and in
1995.
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Major General Sir William Earle |
The more recent
landowners of Allerton were the Earles of Liverpool, Sir Hardman Earle, of
Allerton Tower, who was made a baronet in 1869 and died in 1877. He was
succeeded by his son Sir Thomas, who died in 1900, and his grandson Sir Henry
Earle, D.S.O. General Sir William Earle, C.B., C.S.I., a son of the first
baronet, was killed in the Soudan on 10 February, 1885 and there is a statue to
commemorate him in front of St. George's Hall, Liverpool.
Allerton is now
a suburb of Liverpool, located 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of the city centre,
bordered by Mossley Hill, Woolton, Hunt's Cross and Garston. Allerton has a
number of large houses in the prestigious Calderstones Park area, with mainly
1930s semi-detached housing around the shopping area of Allerton Road. Purchase
of the land for Allerton Cemetery was completed in October 1906, the Church of
England section was consecrated by the Bishop of Liverpool on 24 September
1909, and the first burial in the cemetery took place on 29 December 1909. It
is still in operation.
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All Hallows in Allerton |
The Church of
All Hallows in Allerton, is designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed
building, it is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Liverpool,
the archdeaconry of Liverpool and the deanery of Liverpool South - Childwall.
The church was built at the expense of John Bibby of the Bibby Line in memory
of his first wife, at a cost of £20,000 (£1,590,000 as of 2014). It was
designed by G. E. Grayson. The foundation stone was laid on 31 October 1872,
and the church was consecrated on 10 August 1876 by the Bishop of Chester.
During the Second World War the stained glass was removed to Slaidburn for
safety and replaced by plain glass. This was destroyed in an air raid and the
stained glass was returned in 1946.
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Hillside Road off Allerton Road circa 1928. |
Notable former
residents of Allerton are:
![]() |
Penny Lane
roundabout which is
actually on
Smithdown Place, circa 1957
|
Peter Adamson
Saint John
Almond
Bill Kenwright
Paul McCartney
John Power
(musician)
John Arne Riise
William Roscoe
Daniel Agger
Hollie Cavanagh
Allerton Road
features in the Beatles' song, Penny Lane. The 'shelter in the middle of the
roundabout', the barber shop and possibly the bank (whose banker 'never wears a
Mac') mentioned in the song are all located on Smithdown Place which is at the
junction of Allerton Road, Penny Lane and Smithdown Road. The suburb of
Allerton also features in the first episode of BBC Drama 'Spooks', where a bomb
exploded outside the home of a family planning doctor. The attack was organised
by a group of pro-life campaigners.
Sources
British History
online
Liverpool
Central Library
Wikipedia
Liverpool
Records Office
Robert F Edwards