LIVERPOOL. 



The tower, which forms part of a prifon in Watir-flreet, is 

 the only buildinj^ of antiquity v.-hic!i Livt-riJO'il can now 

 bualt of poHffling. The original foinidcr of this tower 

 we arc as ignorant of as wc are of the founder of the caftle. 

 Seacombc, in his Meiiioirs of tiic Stanley /aniily, is the fivft 

 author who mentions it. He tells us, that it was the pro- 

 perty of lir Thomas Latham, in the reign of Edwaid III., 

 whole daughter and heircfs married fir John Stanley ; but 

 fays nothing of its erection. The croVs which formerly 

 flood at the corner of Pinfold lane, oppofite thq Flalhes, 

 has been long demohflied. This tradition reports to have 

 been placed there in commemoration of St. Patrick, who, 

 it is faid, rellvd m this neighbourhood on his way from Eng- 

 land to Ireland. 



Th? firll charter in favour of Liverpool, according to 

 Enfield, who publillied a hillory of Liverpool, was executed 

 in the reign of Henry L, but the accuracy of this ftatcment 

 is extremely doubtful. It is certain, however, that in the 

 charter granted by king .John in 120^, v<"i'"ly a century 

 afterwards, this town is called a borough by prefcription, 

 Henry III. confirmed the privileges of the corporation in 

 the year 1227. From this period to 1555, we are totally 

 in the dar'k as to its hiltory or condition ; nor is there any 

 thing worth remarking for the 16 years following, when 

 the inhabitants fent a memorial to queen F.lizabeth, praying 

 relief from a fubfidy which her minillers had impofed upon 

 them. In this petition they ftyle themlelves " her ma- 

 jefty's poor decayed town of Liverpool." How the town 

 became lo " decayed," it is now difficult to comprehend, 

 as, from the records feveral years previous, it does not feem 

 to have been any better than a fifhing hamlet, containing 

 about 13S houfeholders and cottagers, and poflefiing 12 

 barks, navigated by 75 men. Camden, however, who 

 wrote in 1586, confidered it in his time as more famous for 

 its beauty and populonlnefs than for its antiquities. To 

 reconcile thefe oppollte ilatements, it is only neceffary to 

 admit, that a very trifling village may arrive at confidcrable 

 opulence in the fliort period of 2[ years; and wlio will deny 

 the poflibility of fuch an event at the prefent day ? From 

 Camden's time nothing is recorded of Liverpool deferving of 

 notice till the year 1644; when the town and its caftle 

 ■were pofTeired by the parliamentary troops, under colonel 

 Moore. It was fortified and feeured on the land fide by a 

 high mud wall, and a ditch twelve yards wide and three deep. 

 Batteries were erefted at different points, and the ends of 

 the ftrects were defended by artillery. The garrifon was 

 numerous, and being well ftored with provillons, made a 

 molt vigorous defence for the fpace of a month. At Ia(t, 

 however, the king's army, under the ordtrs of prince Ru- 

 pert, fucceeded in taking the town, when the callle fur- 

 rendered without further refiUance. Some traces of this 

 iieg: can yet be difeovered at different points. When the 

 foundation of the prefent iidirmary v\'as funk, the marks of 

 trenches weredillinftly vifible, and many articles of modern 

 warfare were found within their fcope. A few years ago, 

 as fome workmen were removing the earth in a field where 

 Glouceilcr-llreet now ftands, they laid open the foundation 

 of a battery, and difeovered military utenfils of different 

 kinds. From the time of the fiege till 1680, we have a 

 tolerable account of the progrefs of the town in extent and 

 population. After this period, iiovvever, we are again left 

 in obfcurity, and receive no authentic information on that 

 head till the year 1765, when we find a plan of the town 

 made i)y Mr. Jolm Lyes. About this time, fays Enfield, 

 Liverpool contained about 4200 houfes, and 2j,coo inha- 

 bitants. It had, in the interval laft-meutioned, been con- 

 ftituted a diftintt parifli from that of Walton, to wliich its 



churdi had formerly been enly a dependent chapel. This 

 event took place in i6g8, when the inhabitants were like- 

 wife authorifed to build a fecond church. Thus emanci- 

 pated from parochial fubfervicncy, Liverpool began to dif- 

 play its energies. In the fliort ipace of little more than 

 half a century, this town, aided by a few favourable cir- 

 cumllances, has rifen to great commercial importance,/ and 

 may be confidered to be next to the metropolis itlelf She 

 firll rivalled, and latterly furjjafied, Briflol, which had long 

 been confidered as the weilern emporium of trade. 



The following table exhibits the progrelTive increafe of 

 the dock duties for feveral years, and ferves to difplay the 

 vail and rapid increafe of the commerce of the town. It 

 fliews the number of veflels that have been affefled in each 

 year, with the aggregate fum paid to the dock companies. 



7'eari. Ships. £. s. d. 



The boundaries of I.,iverpool extend confiderably beyond 

 the town in different direftions. Thefe are marked out by 

 flones called by the inhabitarrs meer-flones, and the ground 

 contained within them is denominated the liberties. The 

 extent of the liberties from eafl to well, is fomewhat more 

 than a mile and two furlongs, and from north to foutli con- 

 fiderably above two miles. This town exhibits, in general, 

 the appearance of opulence and refinement. The flreets 

 are well paved, and during winter tolerably furniflied with 

 lamps. Of late years it has received many great alterations 

 and improvements, which ilill continue to proceed notwith- 

 flanding the preflure of the times. In the year 1790, i*. 

 confided of 8865 houfes, but their number now is little 

 fhort of 13,000. 



Liverpool poU'efTes fifteen churches belonging to the e(la- 

 blifhment, fome of which are worthy the particular atten- 

 tion of the ilranger. Near the old church, which is dedi- 

 cated to our Lady and St. Nicholas, there formerly flood an 

 image of the hitter, to which the failors were accullomed to 

 make offerings on going to fea. This church has been 

 lately rebuilt. The tower of St. Peter's, which was eredled 

 in 1704, is a well-proportioned oClagon, each fide of the 

 angles having a candleltick and gilt vafe rtprefenting a flame. 

 This and St. Nicholas are the parifli churches, and have two 

 reftors over them. The church of St. George, built on 

 the feite of the ancient caftle already mentioned, is a fine edi- 

 fice of the Doric order, crowned vi'xih an attic wall, and 

 adorned with a variety of vafes. On each fide is a terrace 

 with recefles underneath. The interior is handfomely fitted 

 up, the fronts of the galleries being mahogany. This is 

 the mayor's chapel, where he attends every Sunday, and 

 where pews arc appropriated for the gentlemen, including 

 flrangers, who choofe to accompany him. St. Thomas's 

 church is of the Ionic order, and has a handfome appearance. 

 It was confecratcd in 1750. St. Paul's church was eredled 

 by the town in 1769. At the weft end is a portico with a 

 pediment, having i« the centre, on an octagonal bafe, a dome 

 5 with 



