A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 





John Bibby of Allerton near Liverpool. Mr. Charles 

 Hesketh Bibby, born in 1871, therefore became lord 

 of this moiety of the manor. In February 1899 he 



a bend sable three garbs 

 or ; a chief azure, there- 

 on an eagle -with nvo fesse point by a lion ram- 

 heads displayed proper, pant pean ; two escallops 

 all ivitkin a bordure er- in pale and as many mul- 

 minis, lets of six points in fesse 

 of the second. 



assumed the surname of Hesketh by royal licence, and 

 served as high sheriff of the county in 1901. 



A court-leet and view of frank-pledge is held twice 

 a year, in July and November. In 1805 a number 

 of by-laws were drawn up for the regulation of rights 

 of turbary and common of pasture and for the main- 

 tenance of the drains and sea-banks in an efficient 

 state.' An Act of Parliament was obtained in 1825 to 

 enable the joint lords of the manor to apportion the 

 undivided portions of their estates and to make ex- 

 changes for their mutual advantage. 



The modern town of SOUTH- 

 BOROUGH PORT' 1 is bounded by the sea on its 

 north - western edge. The country 

 is very level and the coast flat and sandy, immense 

 sandbanks stretching out into the estuary of the 

 Ribble. Where a broad band of sand-hills once 

 existed as a natural protection to the low-lying land, 

 the pleasant town, with its long promenade, winter 

 gardens and other places of amusement, now stands, at 

 any rate along one-third of the entire sea-frontage. 

 There are marine parks where concerts are given in 

 the summer, on each side of the pier, between the pro- 

 menade and the lake. There are a fine park and 

 botanic gardens, the mildness of the climate being 



conducive to the growth in the open air of many 

 sub-tropical plants. 



The fishing village of Crossens stands upon a slight 

 knoll of clay, otherwise all the country inland is very 

 flat and extensively cultivated, occupied by market 

 gardens, arable fields, and pasture. A deep drain or 

 ditch, called the New Pool, serves to drain the marshy 

 district east of the township, also forming the boundary 

 between Southport and the present North Meols 

 township. 



Towards the end of the eighteenth century visitors 

 began to frequent the North Meols district for bathing 

 in the summer, finding what accommodation they could 

 in the cottages near the shore. In 1792 William 

 Sutton, known as ' the Duke ' or ' the old Duke,' son 

 of a Churchtown innkeeper, erected from odds and 

 ends a rude lodging-house in South Hawes, where a 

 little brook ran down to the sea. This was used during 

 the summer only ; but in 1798 having constructed a 

 better house the Original Hotel, afterwards the ' Royal ' 

 he came to reside permanently, and at a house-warm- 

 ing banquet the place was named South Port by an 

 eccentric physician, Dr. Barton of Hoole.' Though 

 the house was called ' Duke's Folly ' and the builder 

 soon found himself in a debtor's prison, 4 a little town 

 sprang up around the spot he had chosen. A start 

 had already been made in 1797 by the erection of 

 Belle Vue Cottage. 5 In 1805 another hotel was 

 built, and two years later, a row of ' company houses ' 

 was erected in Lord Street. A Liverpool paper in 

 1 809 printed a list of ' fashionable arrivals ' ; and the 

 first guide-book to the district was published. 6 Inde- 

 pendents, Wesleyans, and Roman Catholics had op- 

 portunities of worship ; and the Strangers' Charity 

 had been established for the relief of the sick poor 

 who might be benefited by sea air and bathing. 



From 1820 the town increased rapidly the Direc- 

 tory of 1825 describing the 'village' as consisting of 

 one main street, 88 yards wide, with three large hotels 

 and many boarding-houses. 7 The amusements of the 

 place were ' those afforded by the theatre, the news- 

 rooms and libraries, the billiard rooms, the repositories, 

 and the assemblies.' 8 A plan was published in 1824.' 

 In 1836 the first newspaper was attempted, and in 

 1844 the Fisiter commenced to appear. 10 



