I live in Craven Street in Birkenhead, and am just wondering if there was ever a church in Craven Street ?

there was a st Matthews church that went through Patterson street to Park Road East.the church also had a st Matthews mission hall in Bentinck street.the church was were the newish houses are on Park Road East

Craven and Patterson were built later than Bentinck and Park Rd North and missed the great church building era in Birkenhead.

Was any part of it actually in Craven Street though ?
There is an empty space in Craven Street, and my wife was wondering if a church used to be there.

St.Mathew's Hall was in Craven Street.

St Mathew's parish hall was between nos 40 and 42 Bentinck Street in 1953

If you could say what house numbers are either side of the gaps then I may be able to find out more and put up relevant maps.

Craven street was bombed during March and May 1941

The electricity station had an entrance from Craven Street to three air raid shelters.

According to Kelly'S Directory 1902 it was in Craven Street. The church was built twice once in Claughton Road 1882 then rebuilt in Park Road East 1889/1970.I could not find anything about the hall apart from the reference to the hall being in Craven Street.Some research required when time permits.

Interesting the Bentinck Street St Mathew's Hall in 1953 was an infant school in 1911.

There is nothing other than houses in Craven Street on 1911 map or the map just prior to 1900.

I love St Mathew's full title "St. Mathew's, Chapel of Ease"

The Craven Sreet address is St Mathew's Institution and was between 112 and 152 Craven Street, this may be the gap directly opposite Bright Street which would be number 123. On the 1889 map there is what appears to be a hall there, it certainly is bigger and deeper than the adjacent houses.

The Bentinck Street school was St Mathew's Infants which later became St Mathew's Hall.

That's me worn out

Sorry to talk to myself, here are 1889 and 1911 maps of the church and (earlier) hall area.

everywiki... wow amazing research on said subject , My parents lived in paterson street ,whn i was a small child. actually we lived @27 + further up top end (cole street school)reason for this @27 being renovated from a 2bedroom to 3bedrooms ...... and i remember the was alot of hidden spaces.
i am amazed to read about the church! also remember the row of house running across bottom of paterson street(#27end) actually noticed they have built "new row " homes were the last was stood !! many moons age . well in 1 of those house was a man who reminded me of "Giant Haystacks" ,always wore a huge black cape type of coat. wonder if anybody else remembers this gentleman? if iam honest , he used to scare the life outta me as kids we would dare each other to run past his house to the alley ...without breaking ye neck on cobbles , coz you petrified . up the alley turn lft +you'd be in park road!!!! bk down alley , across paterson street , into alley leading into craven street. WOW IT'S ALL COMING BK TO ME NOW!! also used to be a family about 3/4 doors from end of street +they owned a dog called "BLUE"and they never had yard gate!!! so 1nce again we'd dare each other to run down tht alley to see if you'd "survive the child eating dog" oooo days gone by A?

Re. Chapel of Ease. There were many churches with this designation. They were built as parish populations grew and made it easier for people to attend church, either by reducing crowding in the parish church or, if they were built in areas of new housing, by reducing the travelling distance. In most cases, they eventually became parishes in their own right.
St. Matthew's was a chapel to Holy Trinity, Price St. Others were St.Anne, Beckwith St. 1847 and St.Peter, Cathcart St. 1867.

Thank's Chris, I've never noticed that title before, I will have to be more observant

Not so interested in the church but found the thread looking for information about the Electric Power Station. We have recently moved into the area and are re-wiring half an Edwardian house which has traces of the old lead and cotton wiring in thin steel conduit for lighting only (as well as the lead water supply, still in use 115 years later) which got me wondering if they house had electric from new and where the power came from.

Seems it just about probably did, as the Craven Street, Bentinck Street, station was erected in 1896 and supply extended up this way 'at the turn of the century' which is ace.

See 'focus on Wirral' a few pages in.
http://manweb-remembered.co.uk/Sep%2064.pdf


Daniel

Interesting question, instinctively I would have said it was originally gas but in this case being built so close to the power station you might be right.

I'm fairly sure(?) many streets in Birkenhead still had gas lighting after WW1 and also I have come across numerous post-WW1 house with the remnants of where the gas wall lights were fitted in rooms.

The lead cable was remarkably safe although pretty unreliable, this was replaced by rubber which was more reliable but less safe. I've found lead cabling in post WW1 houses, specifically I remember a 1926 house having it.

A friend of mine lived in Gomer Street off Borough Road in the late 60s, it was still all Gas, no electricity at all in the house.Some of the streets in Birkenhed in the early 50s were 240 volt AC and some were 240 volts DC very interesting if you took something electrical to your mate's house and plugged it in, our house in Mornington St was AC, I think the next but one street up (Derby St) was DC. Back to topic:-several members of my Family were married in St Matthews Church and quite a few Christenings as well.

The electricity substation at the top of Singleton Avenue was one of the last to convert to AC in the country.