BIRKDALE LORD-STREET. 5 



nent abode. New and independent residences of superior 

 quality soon followed, and, as in most other places of similar 

 history, the growth of Southport has been steadily progressive. 

 How wonderful the expansion in not exceeding eighty years, 

 may be judged from the fact, that the last census returns 

 (1881), give for Southport and Birkdale in the aggregate, a 

 population of 42,454. 



The second step as regarded the providing hotel accom- 

 modation was made about the year 1807, when the "Union" 

 was erected. In this year was also built the first actual row 

 of houses. In 1818 the Wellington Buildings made their 

 appearance, and two years afterwards Southport enriched 

 itself with its first ecclesiastical edifice, namely, Christ Church, 

 Lord-street, now a beautiful structure with tower, lofty spire, 

 and a peal of eight bells, but then of humbler appearance. 

 Up to that time episcopal service was celebrated only at 

 Churchtown, to which place even Birkdale still belongs, 

 ecclesiastically. 



Birkdale is the southern of the two townships into which 

 the parish of North Meols is divided. There is nothing to 

 indicate where one township ends and the other begins. The 

 boundaries are not marked by a stream or other natural 

 feature. The path from one extreme of the parish to the 

 other is virtually continuous. 



An important move towards the formation of the future 

 town was made in 1825, when an Act of Parliament was 

 obtained by the Lords of the Manor, authorising, among other 

 things, the laying out of the present Lord-street. An avenue 

 more noble is not often seen except in a metropolis. It runs 

 .almost exactly parallel with the high-water mark of the sea, 



