Parrs Salt Meadow Widnes

[michaelcharles]

Attached an 1845 map of Widnes, showing the location of Widnes Moor. Parr House would have been located just off the bottom left corner of the map, so have attached a contemporary photo of that area, possibly the salt meadow to which you refer.
I have never heard of Two coals Brow before, but will ask around as I live in Widnes.
(Sorry, having trouble loading images. Will keep trying)

[michaelcharles]

map

[michaelcharles]

salt meadow

[dodger123]

Thank you so much michaelcharles, it is very much appreciated. I always find it interesting to know where ancestors lived or the place they owned or worked on.
Thank you.

[hoople]

Dodger, I have been researching Widnes land ownership for some decades now and have an extensive collection of deeds, sales notices, and wills etc. Be in no doubt that your Wright ancestors were in West Bank exclusively.
Certainly Mark Wright lived and farmed 65 acres of Croft's House, but before that the land had been included in William Hurst's land holdings.
 Part of the deeds (a very small part) includes the following,
    1795  - 'land  next to the River Mersey - which was purchased by William Wright from Thomas Hawarden of Liverpool which was the customary inheritance of Samuel Denton, then James Naylor, then Thos Parr (deceased) then Rev. John Parr, then John Parr (deceased) who sold to William Wright, who sold to William Hurst.'

The marriage settlement of Willam Hurst's son-in-law in 1852 includes Coal Brow, Salt Meadow and Moorside Farm (which became Gerrard's Fold).  These areas, as well as Croft's House can be seen on the Tithe Maps of c.1840.

The Parr's House of the earlier reply was in Ditton parish and not to be mistaken for land in West Bank. The accompanying photo is of Pickering's Pasture.

[BumbleB]

Sorry to be slightly off-topic, but the map of Widnes brought back such memories.   

I was employed, back in the days, by ICI and had lodgings in Runcorn, but had to attend the Technical College in Widnes - so travelling via the Transporter was the daily routine.  Problem was when the wind was too vicious and we had to walk across the railway bridge    And I watched the building of the road bridge, started from either end and meeting in the middle 

[michaelcharles]

hoople, a very interesting post. Any chance that you could identify the location of Coal Brow? Your mention of Moorside Farm was particularly interesting. My father lived there in the 1920's, but I have never heard of Gerrard's Fold. There is still a Gerrard Street in Widnes, not too far from the site of the farm. Cheer, Mike.

[hoople]

MichaelCharles,
 Coal Brow, according to the Tithe Map, stood between the canal and Waterloo Road on the first bend (from the river) of the canal. Gerrard's Fold Farm was named after the tenants from c.1820, the family of Joseph Gerrard. There were two Gerrard Streets. One by the farm off Waterloo Road and the other still runs from the Simms Cross pub which was built by William Gerrard (Joseph's son) in 1868.

If your father lived at Moorside Farm in the 1920's, it was the farm of that name in Milton Road, (previously - Dog Lane) which was demolished to make way for council houses in the 1930's. It stood just to the west of Cameron Road where the houses meet the path that goes to the Bowling Club.

[michaelcharles]

Cheers, Hoople. I can place Coal Brow now. Just never heard of it. Yes, my dad  (and grandparents and his siblings)  moved to Cuerdley Hall Farm c. 1930.