WikiWirral Wirral's Biggest Online Forum
Forum Statistics
Forums65
Topics76,352
Posts1,033,281
Members14,560
Most Online16,551
Feb 2nd, 2024
Who's Online Now
10 members (ArranGirl13, 3 invisible), 8,027 guests, and 431 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters
sunnyside 45,164
MattLFC 22,315
Mark 21,269
granny 17,788
_Ste_ 16,345
Newest Members
Kalena1962, rattus, Lisrush, Emotecreative, ArranGirl13
14,560 Registered Users
New General Forums
New Wirral History
Tall Brick Chimneys
by diggingdeeper - 16th Mar 2024 11:56am
D.I.Y. / Building Shop
by mharford91 - 3rd Mar 2024 8:53pm
1970's Murder in Central Park, Wallasey
by cutespam - 4th Aug 2018 10:28am
Old Hall in Higher Bebington
by Rhoobarb - 25th May 2010 5:55pm
Oleo Works
by Ducko - 14th May 2008 3:09pm
Top Posters(30 Days)
granny 14
casper 13
bri445 4
Topic Replies
What song are you listening to?
by diggingdeeper - 28th Mar 2024 6:06pm
Facial recognition coming in supermarkets?
by diggingdeeper - 27th Mar 2024 3:50pm
Bolts at Bebington Road
by diggingdeeper - 27th Mar 2024 2:33am
Hot Spot Chippie Broadway
by Excoriator - 26th Mar 2024 7:57pm
Tall Brick Chimneys
by diggingdeeper - 26th Mar 2024 5:43pm
Lost river (Well, brook really)
by diggingdeeper - 26th Mar 2024 3:09am
Old Hall in Higher Bebington
by diggingdeeper - 24th Mar 2024 5:58pm
Netflix 3 Body Problem.
by BultacoAstro - 22nd Mar 2024 8:04am
Wisper electric bike. 36v .
by Dilly - 21st Mar 2024 7:36pm
March
M T W T F S S
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Top Likes Received (30 Days)
Kylix 1
cools 1
Top Likes Received
bert1 14
Mark 4
granny 3
casper 3
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#278248 27th Dec 2008 5:40pm
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2
Philip Offline OP
Beginner
OP Offline
Beginner
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2
Hi, I am trying to find out the history of my Grandparents old home.
The address was 168 Conway Street, Birkenhead ( at the junction with park street)(Now Europa Pool etc)
My Grandfather was a stonemason and ran his business from these premises and had a showroom on the front selling headstones.
There were 2 sandstone gateposts at the side of the showroom which led to the house. On one gatepost the word CONWAY was carved and on the other was the word COTTAGE.
From what I have been told I am led to believe that Conway Street was at one time the driveway to the house and it stretched down to Birkenhead Park, but do not know any more than that.
Does anybody know where to start looking for information please?

Many thanks

Google Ads
Philip #278251 27th Dec 2008 6:17pm
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,924
Forum Addict
Offline
Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,924
Philip,try wirral archives.If your Grandfather ran a business then there is a great chance it will be listed,as far as the property is concerned they might have a map of where the property once stood.

Dava2479 #278253 27th Dec 2008 6:17pm
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,924
Forum Addict
Offline
Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,924
Sorry, wirral archives is situated in the chesire lines building,Canning st.

Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 292
Addict
Offline
Addict
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 292
Philip, try this site for maps of the area. I found my house in 1875 it is a great site http://maps.cheshire.gov.uk/tithemaps/ you might also want to try here to find who lived in your Grandparents house in early 1900. http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/index.asp.

Cheers

Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 119
Enthusiast
Offline
Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 119
I remember this clearly just cant think of the familys name.

Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,344
Likes: 19
Wiki Master
Offline
Wiki Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,344
Likes: 19
Conway Cottage, Birkenhead, Map C1875

Attached Images
Conway-Cottage-C1875.jpg (278.9 KB, 257 downloads)
Map Conway Cottage Birkenhead C1875

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

https://ddue.uk
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 472
Likes: 1
Smartchild
Offline
Smartchild
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 472
Likes: 1
Hi Philip, I've managed to do a bit of research concerning Conway cottage, but info on the history of the house is hard to find. The exact date the house was built isn't known, but it doesn't appear on any of the maps of Birkenhead from the mid-1840s. It is, however, clearly marked on Mills & Fletcher's map of 1858 (see pic below) next to the K in 'BIRKENHEAD'. A block of property on this site seems to be marked on an earlier map from 1850 showing J M Rendel's plans for the proposed Birkenhead Docks, which would suggest that it was built some time in the late 1840s, possibly about the time that Birkenhead Park opened in 1847. A number of substantial detached 'villas' were built along Conway Street at this time, but most of them only survived 35-40 years before being demolished to make way for terraces of workers' housing.

The earliest occupant I've been able to trace is Alfred Dudley esq, who is listed in the 1851 Census, 1857 Post Office Directory & 1860 Gore's Liverpool Directory. He was originally from Kingswinford, Staffordshire, and is variously described as a commission broker or merchant, working for G Wheatley's India & China Express Company, whatever that may have been! He seems to have moved shortly afterwards, for by the 1861 Census he was living in the Manor House, Moorside, Neston.

I haven't had time to trace every subsequent occupant of the property, but in 1881 the occupant was James Harkness, a widowed builder from Scotland, and in 1901 it was John Ambrose Thomas, a team owner from Eastham. If you want to have a go, there are various sources available: Trade Directories (available at Birkenhead Reference Library or on microfilm at Liverpool Record Office, but sometimes unreliable), Census Returns (available online, but difficult to search if you haven't got a name to look for), Voters' Lists/Electoral Rolls (at Birkenhead Library & Wirral Archives), and Rate Books/Valuation Lists (Wirral Archives, but survival is patchy).

I have managed to track down some stuff relating to your grandfather's time at the house. He and his brother (?brothers) appear to have arrived there in early 1922, when they put in an application to build a temporary masons' workshop at the side of the house. This presumably soon became a permanent building, for the business of Alldis Brothers was well-established by 1928. In that year they applied to build a showroom on the boundary of the property fronting onto Conway Street. This was originally going to be built directly next to the pavement, but apparently the dentist next door at no. 166 objected, so the plan was revised and it was built six feet further back. I've included a photo of the showroom in the early 1960s; it's not great quality, but it brings back memories of walking down that end of Conway Street when I was a kid. God knows how many times I must have passed the place, but, although I remember the gate posts, I don't recall Conway Cottage itself - basically because you couldn't see much of it unless you were on the top deck of a passing bus!!
Hope this stuff helps. If you want copies of the surviving building plans, they're available at Wirral Archives, off Shore Road near Woodside Ferry.(If you can't get there in person you can email any requests to [email protected])


Attached Images
1858 Mills & Fletcher.jpg (109.26 KB, 375 downloads)
1858 Mills & Fletcher map
1875 OS Street Plan.jpg (139.15 KB, 375 downloads)
1875 1:500 OS Street Plan
168 Conway Street.jpg (140.66 KB, 375 downloads)
168 Conway Street c1963
Showroom resized.jpg (48.71 KB, 376 downloads)
Proposed showroom 1928
1928 Letter 1.jpg (122.64 KB, 380 downloads)
1928 Letter 2.jpg (189.02 KB, 374 downloads)
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 23
Newbeee
Offline
Newbeee
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 23
Omg Conway cottage was last called Alldis builders jean Alldis was in my class in trinity street ..also Helen Alldis and another sister but can't remember her name ...jean was my first ever girlfriend at 10years old omg

Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 392
Old Hand
Offline
Old Hand
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 392
i remember my first day at rock ferry high school,i called for a lad,im sure he was from the stonemasons,it was 1958,anyone know who he was.

Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 230
Addict
Offline
Addict
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 230
Gilly Alldis,the son, used to play for tranmere rovers


Moderated by  Mod 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Random Wirral Images

Click to View Topic.
Newest Topics
Facial recognition coming in supermarkets?
by Excoriator - 27th Mar 2024 10:52am
Hot Spot Chippie Broadway
by Excoriator - 26th Mar 2024 7:57pm
Bolts at Bebington Road
by Excoriator - 23rd Mar 2024 9:48am
Netflix 3 Body Problem.
by BultacoAstro - 22nd Mar 2024 8:04am
Tall Brick Chimneys
by diggingdeeper - 16th Mar 2024 11:56am
For Sale & Free
Wisper electric bike. 36v .
by Dilly - 21st Mar 2024 7:36pm
This is Elvis
by GingerTom - 17th Mar 2024 2:37pm
Member Spotlight
Dilly
Dilly
wallasey
Posts: 8,973
Joined: July 2011
Today's Birthdays
There are no members with birthdays on this day.
New Wirral Info
Facial recognition coming in supermarkets?
by Excoriator - 27th Mar 2024 10:52am
Hot Spot Chippie Broadway
by Excoriator - 26th Mar 2024 7:57pm
Bolts at Bebington Road
by Excoriator - 23rd Mar 2024 9:48am
Get your Money Tree ready
by keef666 - 22nd Mar 2023 12:27pm
Restaurant/pub with outdoor seating - Bromborough
by CarterUSM - 7th Aug 2020 7:59pm
News : New Topics
Gaza
by diggingdeeper - 29th Oct 2023 9:28am
Lost river (Well, brook really)
by Excoriator - 10th Sep 2019 8:50am
New Enthusiast Forums
Netflix 3 Body Problem.
by BultacoAstro - 22nd Mar 2024 8:04am
Xbox
by TudorBlue - 3rd Mar 2024 8:48pm
Wiper mechanism needed
by Peter0787 - 20th Feb 2024 4:07pm
What song are you listening to?
by - 24th Jun 2007 9:06am
Popular Topics(Views)
5,069,755 WIKI WALK CHAT
4,013,812 Spotted!
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5