Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Guinea Gap

Was looking through the 'Loads of old Wirral pics' thread and found these of the Guinea Gap. The gap not the baths.

It got me thinking where the name came from and found this.

"The name comes from a natural cleft, or gap, that had formed in the high embankment above the river, sometime in the early 18th century following a storm. The gap is still there but is now a paved pathway from the road down to the modern esplanade that runs along the Wallasey waterfront. However, when the gap first opened up it also created a large natural basin against the shore. This was big enough for a number of people to swim safely in at low tide. This proved to be very popular indeed, and local boys came here regularly to strip off and frolic about in the river waters.

But, around 1850, one of these youngsters felt something round and hard beneath his foot in the sand under the water. When he lifted up his leg to see what was caught between his toes, he, and his very excited friends, saw a golden guinea. This bore the head of King William III (1650-1702), so dated from the end of the 17th century.

The boys now scrabbled around in the sand, where they discovered around fifty of these valuable gold coins. As a result, the gap soon became known as ‘The Guinea Gap’, and the coins were believed to be some of the hoard of the local smuggler chieftainess, Mother Redcap. Her isolated tavern had stood for very many years, further along the coast at Egremont, where a large treasure had always been believed to have lain undiscovered.

What happened to the gold coins is not known; there are no records stating into whose pocket or bank account they eventually found their way. It is almost certain that the boys who found them never got to keep them, so all that remains of this curious incident today, is the Guinea Gap itself."

Has anyone else heard of this or if it's true?
I don't know when the walls and what looks like a slipway were built but the gap is visible on the maps I have been looking at up until 1908 when the promenade is covering it.



https://www.wikiwirral.co.uk/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/download/Number/104739/filename/The%20'Guinea%20Gap',%20Seacombe%20promenade.jpg

Don't know why the last pic will not show but you can see it here.
https://www.wikiwirral.co.uk/forums...loads-of-old-wirral-pics.html#Post907331

Think on Bryants 1831 map it may have been called Codlilng Gap

click

If interested
These maps were available to buy on cd

At the History fair today

Made up getting these

MAPS OF CHESHIRE 3cds �8 each or the 3 for �20


1819 Greenwood
1831 Bryant


1577 Saxton
1610 Speed

1675 Ogilby's road maps
1777 Burgett's Cheshire


�10
2 cds of The Cheshire Sheaf searchable
(Digital copies of the original publications)


First time on Sale The Family History Society of Cheshire
If anyone wants any they'll be at Greasby library 12 April between 10 upto 4pm

It's odd there's no mention of the find in the newspapers.
In 1859 at a Historical society bash they mention an Earthenware crock found just further up from the gap when the bank collapsed. You would think if gold coins were found, the newspapers would have got wind of it.

It is a plausible story of how it got its name though. Does anyone know?

Codling Gap looks like it is closer to Egremont Ferry rather than Guinea Gap but I suppose there are a lot of discrepancies between old and new maps.

.

Thanks Bert. We now know the 2 gaps are different.
What is the date of that map?

The map above is 1876,

This one is dated 1850 ish , but I'm not sure to be honest exactly what year.

Here is where I got the tale from.
https://www.discover-liverpool.com/local-history/the-guinea-gap-treasure-trove/
It says around 1850. It would be interesting seeing if it was called Guinea Gap before then.

I've been trying to find reference to Guinea Bank Cottage you can see on the map prior to 1850, no luck as yet.

Just been looking at the tithe maps c1841 and the land either side of the Gap is unoccupied.
https://maps.cheshireeast.gov.uk/ti...h3E3-QhprLXPytdBPS1zQaOoi36URkm6ZC33qq18

Just found this as well which is similar to the first tale but, different.
"In 1849 workman in the Seacombe area discovered a small haul of old artefacts.
These 17th Century dated findings included a small stash of coins, Guineas, an old sword and a small bone.
The area is reputed to be named after the findings and this created
the name "Guinea Gap""
http://www.hiddenwirral.org/legend-of-guinea-gap/4594849701

Found a reference to Guinea Bank Cottage here on page 222 but I don't know the date of the book.
https://archive.org/details/bookreferenceto73survgoog/page/n221/mode/2up?q=PARISH+OF+WALLASEY

So its gone from kids swimming to workmen and yet no proof of either, not even where the coins ended up, what museum, etc.

not here either,

https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:ht250491b

Now you can add a whole skeleton to the find, not just a bone, haha!

"In about 1850, a "quantity of Spade Ace guineas was found in a cavity by the shore," which is the origin of the name Guinea Gap. The money dated from the late seventeenth to mid eighteenth century (William and Mary, George I and George II), and was found with a sword and a skeleton."
https://www.tutorhunt.com/resource/7035/

The book the first tale came from is 'Merseyside Tales: Curious and Amazing True Stories from History'

Right, I'm off for a walk to Guinea Gap now, haha!