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#1085830 26th May 2025 8:50am
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A couple of Newspaper snippets,
Man found drowned in the water by Tranmere Bridge.
Lifejacket demonstration at Tranmere Bridge.

Map is where I think it might have been, anything further?

https://www.oldmapsonline.org/en/Li...n=15.2309/53.43313/-3.0346&year=1897


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bert1 #1085832 26th May 2025 10:46am
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Hi Bertieone. pleased to see you are still active on here.
Do the newspaper reports dates tally with the map date
The only bridge I could see was a railway bridge in Waterloo st which used to get flooded up past Central Station

bert1 #1085833 26th May 2025 11:05am
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The snippets are 1849 and 1854, however just come across a notice from the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, March 1899.

Giving notice a Red Light and Fog Signal have been fitted to Tranmere Pier. The stage and bridge have been removed.

Thinking, Tranmere Bridge must be from the Pier to the Stage?


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bert1 #1085834 26th May 2025 1:51pm
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Originally Posted by bert1
Thinking, Tranmere Bridge must be from the Pier to the Stage?

November 1887,

Condensed from Newspaper report.

During a gale.

The large floating bridge to the Liverpool stage broke in the middle. The Woodside and Tranmere stages were almost complete wrecks.

The Tranmere stage broke adrift and floated down the river coming in to contact with the Birkenhead stage.

The disaster was caused by a Schooner breaking its moorings and floating in to the bridge that connects the pier to the stage.

Soon after a Schooner fouled on 2 pier supports, struck the wrecked stage, turned over and sank.

The pier etc was repaired and rebuilt 1888.


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bert1 #1085835 26th May 2025 5:20pm
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I normally take historical references to Tranmere Bridge as being the bridge across Tranmere Pool, I'm not sure of its timeline off hand, I'd wild guess.1780-1820 which could be totally wrong.

There may also have been another bridge between Birkenhead Ferry and Tranmere Ferry https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/83e741dd-924d-4a86-9068-2e5530f95abf around the middle of 19th Century.


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bert1 #1085836 26th May 2025 6:14pm
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Possible DD, worth looking in to.

More on the 1849 report on the drowning. Jackie Bennett, although the body was found by Tranmere Bridge, it goes on to say he normally slept on a Flat (vessel) moored in the Pool.


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bert1 #1085837 26th May 2025 6:33pm
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Liverpool Mail, 1872.

Tranmere Ferry, Auction.

Image below, includes wooden foot bridge crossing the Pool.

Attached Images
Screenshot 2025-05-26 192515.png (276.09 KB, 63 downloads)

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bert1 #1085838 26th May 2025 6:59pm
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Is this it, DD. 1835.

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Screenshot 2025-05-26 195423.png (659.83 KB, 56 downloads)

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bert1 #1085839 26th May 2025 8:11pm
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Very good Bert, that confirms there were two bridges. The pool silted up very rapidly (the second of Birkenhead's great stenches?) and the docks were expanding rapidly.

Birkenhead Ferry 1820-1870
Tranmere Ferry 1586-1904 (1817 was first steam ferry)

So it looks like Tranmere Ferry owned Birkenhead Ferry as they sold it off when it closed.


There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025

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bert1 #1085840 27th May 2025 4:58am
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Liverpool Corporation closed Birkenhead Ferry at the end of 1871 and at the same time put Tranmere Ferry up for sale (21 year lease)


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bert1 #1085841 27th May 2025 11:16pm
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Apparently they had offered Birkenhead Ferry on a 999 year lease but there were no takers. Possibly this was the consequence of Birkenhead Corporation taking control of most of the other ferries and the knowledge they would take control of the rest of the ferries when Birkenhead was to become a borough. It is incredible how many ferry terminals there were that crossed the river to Liverpool, many of the ferries below were operating at the same time around the middle of the 19th century.

In physical order from the south

Runcorn Ferry
Weston Point
Ince
Stanlow
Ellesmere Port
Eastham Ferry(aka Carlett Ferry?)
Job's Ferry
Bromborough Pool
New Ferry
Rock Ferry
Tranmere Ferry
Birkenhead Ferry (aka Birkenhead South)
Monk's Ferry
Woodside Ferry (aka Birkenhead North)
Wallasey Pool (possibly where the first ferry was located)
Seacombe Ferry
Egremont Ferry (aka Magazines?)
New Brighton Ferry


There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025

We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn

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bert1 #1085842 28th May 2025 7:09am
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Not missed by me, something like 40 years since I've been on the ferry and probably the same for a train. Would have been that long for a bus only a couple of years ago I couldn't get a parking space in York, had to drive out and park up and get a bus, that was a shock to the system, £3.50p for a few stops. I'm an idiot, should have got a bus pass when I qualified, still haven't got it.


God help us,
Come yourself,
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This is no place for children.


Bertieone.
bert1 #1085843 28th May 2025 10:45am
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Snap! keep on meaning to get travel pass but not got round to it, not been on a bus for a few decades, use a train a couple of times a year but I would go on the ferry in day time if it didn't go on a tour with an unwanted tannoy going on.

Wasn't allowed to drive for a few days recently so took a taxi to hospital and back, that was a price shock!


There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025

We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn

https://ddue.uk
bert1 #1085844 28th May 2025 12:01pm
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Yes, a friend of mine jumped on the ferry, first time in many years and thought he was going away to sea, came back with a parrot.


God help us,
Come yourself,
Don't send Jesus,
This is no place for children.


Bertieone.

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