Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Raby Old Hall

Does anyone have info or a link to a post about Raby Old Hall down near Raby Mere?? I am doing some local history research and cannot find anything about the site. I know it has been used as a Residential Home since the 60s. Is there a census that might indicate families who lived there in the past?

The 'newest' census available to view is the 1911: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/census/

The library should have the electoral roll (not sure on how long they archive these for though).

Contact the owners they might be able to help you: http://www.wirral.autistic.org/information/howtofindus.php

Google Books has a PDF of the Wirral Hundred by Mortimer 1843
it gives the a little piece on Raby manor but not the hall and it does say the manor at that time was held by the Earl of Shrewsbury

http://books.google.co.uk it has loads of digitized books.

ghostly1

I realise you may have looked here already.

The 1911 Census has this:
In an address search for Raby Hall:

the result was RABY MERE Raby Wirral Cheshire

For the full transcript of everyone in the household the price is 10 credits which cost between 83p and £1.16

For the original document of the census of the household the price is 30 credits which costs from £2.50 to £3.48

But I think you may have to pay an initial charge of £6.95 for 60 credits.

Its a while since I used it and can't remember what my first payment was.

1911 Census address search

The LDS Family Search has the 1881 Census for free but you need a name to search, which you might get from the 1911 census if you do that, and work backwards.

Family Search 1881 Census

I can't sleep so done some searching for Raby Hall:

Two surnames have come up which are BAMFORD AND IRLAM

If you search the 1881 census mentioned in my previous post, for Edwin BAMFORD in Cheshire you will get the household of the family and servants in Raby Hall. I have copied the info but I don't think because of copyright I can put it on here.

On another site it says under Deaths for 5 May 1895,a W.A.Bamford,the son of the late Edwin Bamford, of Raby hall, Bromborough, England

Another site says - All Saints Church graveyard is the resting place of The Bamford family of Raby Hall

If you do a Google search for William Irlam "Raby Hall" (Raby Hall in quotes) you will find some info on William Irlam.

Hope this helps but you probably already have this by now!

I found it interesting reading though!!

Many thanks for that information and yes I had read about some of those families but you have gone a step further with finding the grave sites. Are they in All Saints Church in Thornton Hough?

Regarding the Bamfords, it was them that made me follow the family trail as they also lived in Torpenhow in Frankby which I was originally looking into. So thanks for clarifyin that.

And regarding the house i have been looking at some old maps from around 1840s and it seems it did not exist then so must of been built later that century.

Also one other question, what is a provision merchant? as it seems most of the family heads of the household did this under employment. I presume its something to do with shipping and must of brought in some money!

Oh and thanks for the info on the website and that book. I have ordered a copy from the library, going to have a good read when I get a chance.

A provision merchant was another name for a grocer (if you know what that is/was). I can't think of a single one left round here.

I wonder where his shop was? it must of been doing well for trading as his Father and son where provision merchants so business stayed with the family.

For anyone researching family history etc, this site is brilliant once you can master the different search facilities!
You can save your search result as a PDF file.

Historical Directories

I done a quick search, so there maybe more in other directories, but this is what I found.

Gore's Directory of Liverpool & Birkenhead, 1900. Part 3: Trade & Official Directories

* note Bamford was found under "Merchant - Provision"

Bamford Brothers, 10 Mathew St and 53 Harrington St, W (I think the W means West)
Bamford & Co, 13 15 & 17 Victoria St. W

Here is the link which should work:
Bamford in 1900

So looks like they were quite a major dealer.

Can you believe, I have just done a quick google search of "10 Mathew St" and it is "The Cavern Club is a rock and roll club at 10 Mathew Street, Liverpool"

You have got me hooked now but I must turn this pc off and do some work!!

Regarding the graveyard

The info is here:
All Saints Church info

Many Thanks for that, I might look into the parish records about this family as they seem to be throwing up surprises everywhere.

Also noticed on that directory of provision merchants the name Garner which is the family that moved into the house after the Bamfords on the 1901 census. The Bamfords moved to Torpenhow and opened the open air hospital there.

I went to Raby Hall a while back.. Dont know if it was previously Raby Old Hall tho... Link Here

Doc

Some pics of the stain glass windows in Raby Hall, there is writing around each of the knights legs that I can just about make out saying courage, scholarship and service. Dont know what this means?? Also I read somewhere that the hall was bought by a businessman at auction in 1975 for nearly £50,000 as a suprise for his wife. But she didnt want to move so he sold it in to the Wirral Autistic Society.Before that is was a nursing home and hotel and before that is was private residence. Built around 1855