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Looks like another brilliant council initiative to redevelop this town. 1,500 homes, offices and a NUMBER of new hotels will be built. I assume these are for the numerous businessmen that will want to see the new regenerated Birkenhead rather than punishment blocks for hapless immigrants looking for a better life.

At least we'll see the end of the disfiguring flyovers though, if it all goes to plan so it's not all bad.

The Wirral Globe seems enthusiastic but whether that is a good sign or the kiss of death remains to be seen.

There are absolutely tons of regulations on new builds including minimum room sizes and insulation.

Insulation rules have gone so extreme that now it is also required to use controlled ventilation, fan systems that are on 24 hours a day designed to ventilate the whole property without causing draughts or losing significant heat. Often the kitchen and bathroom extractors are dual-purposed for this function.

Minimum size for single bedroom is 7.5m2 (averages at 8'11" square) with minimum width of 2.15m (7'0")

Minimum size for a double or twin bedroom is 11.5m2 (averages at 11' square) with minimum width of 2.55m (8'3") but at least one double bedroom has to be minimum width 2.75m (8'11").

On top of that the minimum total floor space is specified depending on the number of bedroom, number of beds and number of storeys.

A single bedroom single storey property has to have a minimum total floorspace of 39m2 (averages at 20'4" square) or 37m2 if it has a shower room instead of a bathroom.

A three bedroom (2 doubles, one single) two storey property requires at least 93m2.

Cavity wall insulation makes an enormous difference, the property we are in now (1980's) was retro-fitted and uses about a quarter of the heating of our previous property (1880's) despite us now having all the window vents open all year. Floor insulation, cavity insulation and loft insulation to very high standards are compulsory on new builds Part of the insulation standards is to reduce the increased tendency for air conditioner use in summer, guidelines are now to keep your windows shut in hot weather, keep the heat out.

What is required is UK housing standards including adequate land - ideally big enough to sustain a family - decent sized rooms, good insulation and a design lifetime of at least 100 years.

Some of the mew housing I have seen is ridiculously cramped. Prisoners in cells have more space.

You have the correct address, according to the Probate she died on the 7th August 1948.
Mentioned is Colonel George Noel Humphreys, HM Army, born, Cork. He married Hilda Coppinger, born, Ireland.
Names to keep on file for further use.

The problem with that time period, no reasons had to be given to move between England and Ireland or vice versa, no passenger records were recorded or kept, it was like moving from one town to the next. To cross the Irish sea, you bought a ticket and off you went, similar to getting a ferry across the Mersey.

Thanks for your help on this. I have been unable to find her deed of probate which you list as 1948. The Sarah Isabel Nicholson, I have, died 11/08/1948, her address is given as .Beaumont, off Gladstone Way, Hawarden in Deeside, aged 78. I am intrigued why she should move to Ireland pre 1901 and remained there for over thirty years and then return to the locality she had come from. She appears to have been a woman of independent means, who chose to live in Ireland at a time when many of her countrymen were returning to the UK. There must be a story in this somewhere!

Probate, Sarah Nicholson, 1884, Death, 1883, Effects, £4,002, 4s

I assume this went to Sarah Isabel, her probate, 1948, Effects, £3,263.

?

From The Age of Saturday, 11 March 1865, Page 5



DEATH OF THE HON. WM. NICHOLSON.



Early yesterday morning, the hon. Wm. Nicholson, who has played a very important part in the political history of Victoria, expired at his residence, St. Kilda. Mr Nicholson may almost be said to be another martyr to the cares of political life. Some time ago he received warning that his overtasked energies were beginning to give way, in the shape of a slight attack of paralysis. From this, however, he recovered, and continued to discharge his public duties with unabated vigor. In January, 1864, he had a second paralytic visitation, and this seizure, which, from the first, was regarded as of a very alarming character, eventually resulted in his death. His medical attendants never entertained any hopes that he would ultimately recover, and this attack compelled him to retire from public life. The deceased gentleman spent a good portion of the last twelve months among friends in the country, in the hope of renovating his shattered constitution; but his powers, both of mind and body, gradually decayed, and, when he returned to town a week ago, nothing but the end which has come was anticipated.



Mr Nicholson's integrity as a public man was unquestioned; and, in private life, he was much respected. He leaves a wife and family, and many warm friends to mourn his loss. Mr Nicholson arrived in the colony some twenty-three years ago, and, commencing business as a grocer, gradually improved his position, until he became a prosperous merchant. His first entry into public life was by his election as a member of the city council, and he afterwards became mayor of the city. As a politician, his name will always be associated with the introduction of the ballot, a principle for the possession of which the colony is mainly indebted to him; and the origination of the Land Act of 1860. Mr Nicholson abandoned his connection with municipal government in 1852, in order to fill still more important posts in the colony. In that year he was elected a member of the then existing Legislature, a partly elective and partly nominee Assembly; and, the Imperial authorities desiring the Legislative Council to frame a Constitution, he took a prominent part in the preparation of the Constitution Act which received the assent of the British Parliament. In December, 1855, he carried a proposition in the Legislative Council declaring that all voting for the two Houses of the Legislature about to be created should be by secret ballot; and the Government, being defeated on this question, resigned. Mr Nicholson was entrusted by Sir Charles Hotham with the task of forming a new Ministry, but in this he was not successful, and the Haines Government continued in power. Vote by ballot was, however, adopted. Soon after this Mr Nicholson paid a visit to England, where he was entertained by some of the leading politicians of the day, and made much of as the founder of the ballot in the British dominions.



Returning to this colony in 1858, he was defeated in a contest for the representation of South Melbourne, but was returned for the Murray district the following year. At the general election of August, 1859, he was returned for Sandridge. Parliament met in October, and the O'Shanassy Government was ousted upon an amendment on the motion for an address in reply to the Governor's speech. Mr Nicholson then became Chief Secretary, and, with his colleagues, at once addressed himself to the settlement of the land question. The action of the Legislative Council upon the Land Bill twice compelled him to resign, but he was induced to continue in office, and the wavering spirit of the Ministry at this period led to the memorable riot of the 28th August in the Parliament House yard. The Land Bill was ultimately passed. In November following the Heales Ministry succeeded the Nicholson Administration, and Mr Nicholson was leader of the Opposition for some time, but after this period he took no very prominent part in political life. The funeral takes place on Monday.

Having traced both Nicholson families back to the late 1700s I have yet to find a definite connection though I'm sure there is one.

Sarah Isabel's side,

The 1871 census,
John Nicholson, Head, 52.
Sarah, wife, 23,
Sarah Isabel, daughter, 8 months,
Miles Nicholson, 25, born Australia. Nephew.
Servants.

Miles Nicholson is the son of William Nicholson and Sarah Fairclough, (Newspaper article below)

The census suggests John and William are brothers. Father of William Nicholson, marriage certificate, Miles Nicholson, Farmer, born 1794.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutton_Hall,_Sutton_Lane_Ends

Hugh Hathorn Nicholson, Cheshire Regiment, son of Hugh Nicholson and Margaret Gifford Nicholson, nee Broadfoot.

His grandfather was Hugh Hawthorn or Hathorn Nicholson (transcription) born approx 1828

His great grandfather was Christopher Nicholson, Minister in the Scottish Church.

In Christopher Nicholson's probate there is mention of a John Nicholson, Farmer.

John Nicholson (Farmer) father of Sarah Isabel was born approx 1818 and married Sarah Kitchin.

Sight of their marriage certificate would help, still searching.

I am doing some research on a Sarah Isabel Nicholson (1870-!948) of Sutton Hall, Little Sutton, father John Nicholson, mother Sarah Nicholson, they both appear to have died within a short time of each other 1882/83. The purpose of the research is to include Isabel Nicholson in an article for a local history journal on women in the local area from approx. 1900 to 1940 whose lives ran against the flow of those times. Ms. Nicholson is listed in the Irish Census of 1901 & 1911 as residing at Ballyellis Lodge in County Cork. Ireland. Her occupation is listed as "income from shares and dividends" and she is unmarried. She appears to have lived there from 1900 into the late 1930s or early 40s. She died in 1948 in Hawarden which I understand is not too far from her ancestral home of Sutton Hall. There appears to be a second Nicholson family in residence at Sutton Hall coming up to the WW1 period, Mr & Mrs H Nicholson whose son Hugh H Nicholson, 2nd Ltnt. Cheshire Regmt. was killed in action in 1915.Was there a family connection here?
Basically what I'm looking for is any background information on the family, especially Sarah Isabel, why she would have settled in Ireland and what her income could have derived from, so she could have lived so independently. Any family photographs or photographs of Sutton Hall from that period would be most welcome.

My great-great-grandfather James Smith and his second wife Mary Mills married in Birkenhead in 1882.
The bride and groom give addresses as: 1 Campbell Terrace and 2 Campbell Terrace.
So he married the woman next door - and she was in the same house as your relative occupied 20 years later.
He was a widower with five children; she was a spinster.
Campbell Terrace Birkenhead isn't there now; old maps show it off Back Camden Street which went between Conway Street and Claughton Road, where the Birkenhead Bus station is now.

I worked in Micro-Snips from 1988 to when it closed.
Started out in Wallasey running the Mail Order department with owner Paul Zabludow's wife (Gloria) and then eventually managed the Birkenhead shop until closure in 1994. We briefly had a store in West Kirby for a year or two and also one by St James Church (only lasted a year, if that) That was the golden age of computing!
Ended up working for GAME and running their Chester and Birkenhead stores for 5 years before ditching retail (weekend work is a pain when you have kids) and I've been in IT ever since.

This is uncanny.
15 years later I am doing the same thing.
My Great grandfather Emmanuel is one of the lame boot repairers / cobblers!

I wonder whether you uncovered any additional information?