Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Tranmere Bridge

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

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

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?

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.

I normally take historical references to Tranmere Bridge as being the bridge across Tranmere Pool, I'm not sure of its timeline off hand, I'd wild guess.1780-1820 which could be totally wrong.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.

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.

Liverpool Mail, 1872.

Tranmere Ferry, Auction.

Image below, includes wooden foot bridge crossing the Pool.

Is this it, DD. 1835.

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.

Liverpool Corporation closed Birkenhead Ferry at the end of 1871 and at the same time put Tranmere Ferry up for sale (21 year lease)