Found this in: A SHORT HISTORY OF OXTON 1800-1900 BY RAY JOHNSON To ensure the religious well-being of the children of Oxton, the Sunday School was established in 1858 by Mr Francis Morton timber merchant of the Hermitage, Ingestre Road. Originally known as the Hermitage Sunday School, this establishment later became in 1871 a School in every sense of the word. Situated on Woodchurch Road close to its junction with Carlton Road, Mr Morton’s Sunday School was renamed the Hermitage British School and continued its educational role until it was closed in 1894. At that time it was realised that a larger School was required and plans were laid to build a replacement. The outcome was Woodchurch Road School which was opened in 1901. The same Mr Morton also started a savings bank, called The Cottagers Penny Savings Bank, no doubt to teach the simpler folk of Victorian Oxton that thriftiness was next to godliness.
As the following cutting from the Liverpool Mercury of 18th November 1863 reveals, Francis Morton had the honour, if you can call it that, of being the first person to be interred at Flaybrick Cemetery. The details given concerning the Sunday School do, however, conflict with the info in A Short History of Oxton...
Speaking of graves, the most unluckiest bloke must be the one buried in Neston Church yard. He was playing the organ at Lower Heswall church (forgotten name of it sorry)in the 19th century, when lighting struck the building and masonry crashed down and killed him. Had a photo of the grave but can I find it, No!
Excellent thread -thanks to all. The Hermitage School referred to here became a Welsh Church and then Wirral Christian Centre BUT there is another Hermitage in Bidston Road , Oxton . Just a forlorn gate-post remains of the original Victorian mansion . Does anyone know about that Hermitage building please ?