In 1907, the
authors William Farrer and J. Brownbill gave us the following description
of Childwall:
The township
of Childwall, containing 831 acres, is principally situated on the slope of a
low hill, the highest point of which is 223 ft. above sea-level, commanding an
extensive panorama of a wide, flat plain lying to the east. The district has an
agreeable park-like appearance, with plantations and pastures, diversified with
cultivated fields, where crops of corn, turnips, and potatoes are raised. There
are but few dwellings, besides the hall and the houses which cluster about the
church. Jeremiah Markland, a celebrated classical scholar, was born here in
1693, son of the vicar of Childwall.
In
1760 Samuel Derrick wrote, 'The roads from Liverpool 'are deep and
sandy; consequently rather unpleasant; but the views are rather extensive,
particularly from a summerhouse on Childwall Hill, about three miles distant,
where you have a prospect of fifteen counties and a good view of the sea. In
the skirts of this hill are several small villages with gentlemen's seats
scattered about, well covered and for the most part delightfully situated.
The earliest
recorded reference to Childwall was in the Domesday Book of 1086;
Childwall, known as Cileuuelle in the 1086 Domesday Book meaning 'a stream
where youngsters meet' from the Old English words cild and wella. Historically
the name has been recorded as Childewalle (1212 and 1332), Chaldewall (1238),
Childwall (1261), Childewelle (1291), Chaldewal (1305) and Childewall (1354).
Childwall was traditionally part of the West Derby Hundred. It was an urban
district from the Local Government Act 1894 until it was annexed to Liverpool
in 1913.
In 1596
Childwall formed part of the lands settled on by Thomas Stanley, but reverted
to the earl of Derby in 1614. During the Civil War the earl's estates were
sequestered by Parliament. The manor was contracted for sale in 1653 to Henry
Nevill and Arthur Samwell. Childwall House had been leased to Hugh Houghton,
deceased, but the lease had expired. The succeeding earl of Derby was able to
repurchase Childwall among other lands and in 1657 he obtained an Act of
Parliament to enable him to sell several manors and chief rents at Childwall,
Little Woolton, part of Dalton, and all Upholland. The manor house of
Childwall, occupied by Isabel Houghton, was mortgaged to Dame Elizabeth Finch
and Edward Bagnell in August, 1657. A
year later, on 14 October, 1658, the purchasers, in conjunction with the earl
and countess of Derby, for £4,700 transferred to Peter Legay the younger and
Isaac Legay, who are described as 'of London, Merchants,' their right to the
manors of Much and Little Woolton and Childwall, with the lands and mansion
house. In February the following year Peter Legay released his rights to Isaac.
Isaac Legay, died in 1690, aged sixty-five, and was buried at West Stoke in
Sussex the estates descended to his son Samuel, who appears to have resided at
Childwall House, and died at Warrington in 1700, he was buried at Childwall on
23 July in that year. The heirs were his two sisters, one of whom, Hannah, was
married to Thomas Hollis, and the other, Martha, to Nicholas Solly. In 1718,
they sold off all three manors and the house known as the hall of Childwall or
Childwall House, together with lands in Much and Little Woolton and Childwall
to Isaac Greene of Prescot, an attorney practising in Liverpool. Isaac Green
married Mary, surviving daughter and heir of Edward Aspinall of Hale, and thus
became Lord of Hale as well as of the manors of Childwall, Wavertree, Much and
Little Woolton, and West Derby. He built a new Childwall Hall, later demolished
by his grandson, and replaced by a castellated building from the designs of
John Nash. Isaac Greene had three daughters and as the eldest did not marry,
the inheritance was divided between her sisters, Mary Frances, married the
second marquis of Salisbury. Her grandson, became lord of Childwall and the
other manors. In Edward III's reign a dispute resulted in Childwall remaining
in the King's hands by reason of an appropriation made by the prior of
Upholland'
All Saints'
Church, in Childwall, is designated by
English Heritage as a Grade I listed building, and is the only medieval church
remaining in the Metropolitan borough of Liverpool. The chancel dates from the
14th century, and the south aisle and porch are probably from the 15th century.
Additions were made in the 18th century and the tower and spire date from
1810–11. The north aisle dates from 1833 and it was partly rebuilt between 1900
and 1905.There are two chapels; the Plumbs' Chapel on the north side is dated
1716 and on the south side the Salisbury pew (formerly Isaac Green's Chapel)
dates from 1739–40. A restoration of the church was carried out by W. Raffles
Brown in 1851–53. The rebuilding of the north aisle was by James F. Doyle and
he added a vestry in 1905–06. Between 1987 and 1991 the external fabric of the
church was restored and in 1994 the clock was also restored.
Early reference to Childwall found in the Domesday Book, which was compiled by order of William I in 1086. A translation reads:-
“Four Radmans held Childwall as four manors. There is half a hide. It was worth eight shillings. There was a priest, having half a curucate of land in frank almoign.”
The presence of a priest indicates that there was probably a chapel here in the 11th century, though there are few, if any, remains left now.
In 1094, Childwall became attached to the priory of Lancaster, a cell of the Abbey of St. Martin at Seez, Normandy, and it remained so until the thirteenth century when the patronage passed to the Grelleys, barons of Manchester. Sir Robert de Holland in 1309 assigned Childwall to his college of secular canons at Upholland, near Wigan. Ten years later the endowments were assigned to the new priory of St. Thomas the Martyr at Upholland: Childwall was included among the endowments. The patronage of the church belonged to the monks of the order until the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII in 1536; it then passed to the newly created See of Chester in 1557-8.
At present the patronage is vested in the See of Liverpool, as it has been since the creation of the See in 1880.
The dedication of the church is to All Saints, but there is no evidence of this beyond modern ascription. On the other hand a fourteenth century document contains a reference to St. Peter of Childwall; making it seem like that the ancient dedication was to the Apostle Peter.
 |
| Childwall fiveways at Queens Drive 1935 |
Childwall became
an affluent suburb of Liverpool, it was Historically in Lancashire, and is
located to the south of the city, bordered by Gateacre, Wavertree, Belle Vale,
Broadgreen, Bowring Park and Mossley Hill. In 2008 the population was recorded
as 14,085. Childwall is dominated by the "Childwall Fiveways", a
roundabout that is one of the busiest in Liverpool and has developed into a
hotspot for upmarket bars and restaurants. Former residents of Childwall
include, Brian Epstine, Craig Charles and Ian St John.
 |
| King David High School, (Liverpool Records Office). |
Among the
schools in Childwall are Childwall Academy, known as the Holt, King David High
School, (Specialist Humanities College) and Childwall Academy or Childwall
Sports & Science Academy which is a secondary school with academy
status.
Much more can be
learned about the area from the fantastic History of Childwall website, the
link to which appears below.
Sources
British History Online
Liverpool Records Office
Liverpool Central Library
Wikipedia
Robert F Edwards
