Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Coronation Postcard, Wallasey

This postcard's for sale on ebay and it's one I've not seen before. I'm assuming it's the coronation of George V in June 1911 but I can't work out where the photo was taken. Obviously Liscard, with St. Alban's and the water tower in the background. The houses top right look as though they're being built. I also assume that they're marching to St. Hilary's Church. Any ideas?

You have a good find there!

It could be around empress rd/ central park avenue area maybe?

From the perspective, I'd guess at the playing field between Withens Lane & Rake Lane, Wallasey. You can see an entrance of sorts in the background which looks a bit like the entrance at Rake Lane. But I could be wrong.

It's also possible that the church refered to may have ben the new Presbyterian Church (Liscard Road/Brougham Rd) which had it's foundations laid at about that time in the summer of 1911. Whether or not it was actually on Coronation Day I couldn't rightly say.

My first thought was Empress Road/Liscard Road area but I think St. Albans and the watertower are the wrong way round from that perspective. As this was a big civic occasion you'd have thought that the march would be from the Town Hall (then in Church Street) to the oldest parish church at St. Hilary's. The obvious route would then be Church Street, Liscard Road, Wallasey Road, Claremount Road. That seems a bit of a hike though! If this was the route, could the pic have been taken from around the Wallasey Road/Belvidere Road junction before the houses in and around Torrington Road were built

I think it's wrong to assume that the church refered to would necessarily be St.Hilary's.

St.John's in Liscard could have held a fair sized congregation and been more on the way from Liscard to Egremont. And, like I say it's possible that the foundation stone for the new church was being laid by the Mayor at that same time.

That's a fair point about not assuming the church is St. Hilary's, geekus. It's just that when I was a boy scout in the 50s all the parades we were in ended up at st. Hilary's which was regarded as Wallasey's senior church.

According to Paulwirral on his liberator web site, the foundation stone of the Presbyterian Church was laid on 29th July 1911. The coronation was 22nd June 1911.

The more I look at the photo the more confused I get!

Given the perspective between the tower and the church spire, I would say that they are in Marlowe Road. They must be going to St Hilarys because the mayor is walking and he ain't gonna walk far!! I looked on the 1910 OS map and I am pretty sure this is what it is.

I've looked on Google Earth Street view and from
the junction of Wallasey Road and Claremount Road,
the water tower and church are in roughly the same
relative positions as on the postcard. I guess it
was taken from this general area. It would mean they
are marching towards St Hilarys.

(Edit) I just noticed that the road they are marching
on has tramlines. So a tram guy may be able to help.
I think that the houses on the right are the backs of
houses in Harrow Road or similar parallel road.

It's quite high up and could be Claremount road itself?

Some interesting points there!

I was never a boy scout myself, so was unaware that the parades always ended at St.Hilary's. I certainly can't argue with what you say nightwalker about it being Wallasey's senior church. All of that makes sense, but my eye was still drawn to, what looks like, an entrance on to the field (in the centre of the picture) and it reminded me a bit of Rake Lane.

Perhaps the older cottages on the left are another clue?? If you can put a name to this group of cottages, chances are you've cracked it.

If this is the Claremount Road area, could those cottages be near Prospect Vale?

I make it on Torrington Road, the new buildings on the right are Rullerton Road leading to Newton Road, this is the only road I can find with that style of house.

Claremount is too far away and there would be buildings nearer.

Marlowe can't get a road in the same direction as the houses on the right.

Assuming that the guard of honour is in the vicinity of the church itself, i.e. outside of it, it can only be St Hilarys. Forget what it looks like these days and imagine it before it was all built up. Water tower and St Albans aline correctly.

I'm using 1910 maps, to get roads and buildings to line up it can't be as far away as Claremount Road ie St Hilary's, there would be a row of houses straight across the front of the picture.

Undoubtedly the are heading to St. Hilary's, even in the 1960s parades used to be between one and two miles.

I have to cancel my Rullerton Road idea as well, some of the houses have front gables.

doh!

The view is of the back of those under-construction houses, isn't it? There seem to be some kind of out-house structures there and they wouldn't be at the front would they...?