Solomon's Tomb, Aigburth

[ghughesarch]

This is marked on the 1840 1in. OS map at approx SJ 391 865. This is about 1km from both the Calderstones (which are shown on the same map), and Robin Hood's Stone (which isn't). Solomon's Tomb is not marked on larger-scale maps from the later 1840s, which do mark Robin Hood's Stone.

The map pre-dates the development of Aigburth and the area is otherwise shown as mostly fields and a few isolated houses.

The name (and the proximity to a group of ancient sites) seems suggestive of a monument of some sort, but it seems to be unrecorded and undiscussed in any of the learned papers on the Calderstones etc.

Of course, it could just be a field name, but does anyone have any info?

The site is now occupied more or less by Rockside Road.

[TonyS]

.

[ChrisGeorge]

The Tomb is discussed in Robert Griffiths History of the Royal and Ancient Park of Toxteth (1907), so it is more than a field name but was Dr. Solomon's actual burial vault. A number of years ago I looked a copy of Dr. Solomon's book on his Balm of Gilead in the library on the history of medicine at Hopkins which was a bit of a thrill.

Chris

[Ged]

Well done you three, very informative, you's obviously know your stuff.

[ghughesarch]

Hi,

You are referring to Solomon's Mausoleum, shown here on Bennison's 1835 Map of Liverpool.

http://www.leverpoole.co.uk/misc/aigburth,barkhill.jpg

Dr. Solomon died in 1819 and was interred here, alongside other family members. The land was purchased by the London and North Western Railway Company. The mausoleum was demolished and the remains of the doctor and his family were removed to the Necropolis on West Derby Road.

This is an extract from the burial register :


"Sophia Tobias, aged 21, died 2nd June 1813 ; Elizabeth Solomon, aged 50, died March 1815 ; Jane Solomon, aged 38, died December 13th 1818 ; Samuel Solomon, aged 16, died November 17th, 1824. All removed from Mossley Hill and re-interred in the Necropolis, September 11th, 1840. "

What "learned papers" have you read ?


See you,

Tony

The learned papers I've read are the usual antiquarian and more recent sources, such as:

Ecroyd Smith,H. 'An Ancient-British Cemetery At Wavertree' T.H.S.L.C. vol.20, new series vol.8, (1868)
Simpson,J.Y. 'On the Cup-Cuttings and Ring Cuttings on the Calderstones, near Liverpool' T.H.S.L.C. vol.17 (new series vol.5) (1866)
Romilly Allen,J. 'The Calderstones' Journal of Brit.Arch.Soc. vol.39 (1883) and vol.44 (1888)
Herdman,W.A. 'A Contribution to the History of the Calderstones, near Liverpool' Trans.Liverpool Biol.Soc. (1896) pp.132-146.
Hand,C.R. 'Captain William Lathom and the Calderstones' T.H.S.L.C. vol.31 (1915)
Forde-Johnson,J.L. 'Megalithic Art in the North West of Britain: The Calderstones, Liverpool' Proc.Prehist.Soc. vol.23 (1957)
Cowell,R.W. & Warhurst,M.The Calderstones Merseyside Arch. Soc. (1984)
Cowell,R.W. 'The Prehistory of Merseyside' J.M.A.S. vol.8 1987 (1991)

My mistake was to assume that the feature (being shown on a mid-nineteenth century map, before modern burial outside the confines of approved churchyards and secular cemeteries became more commonplace) was prehistoric rather than recent in date (after all, "Solomon's Tomb" has a certain folkloric quality about it, not unlike Robin Hood's Stone), especially given its location among some of Merseyside's very few significant early monumental sites.

Plus, I couldn't find anything about it beyond the single map appearance (though admittedly I've hardly spent the last decade searching diligently).

So thanks for the information. Any reason why he was buried in a private plot, unconnected to a cemetery?

[TonyS]

.

[Kev]

A fascinating thread cheers:PDT11

[DaisyChains]

Money, I'd guess.


Here is an extract from Picton :

Dr. Solomon was for many years one of the institutions of Liverpool. Long before Holloway's Pills were heard of, or Morrison had established his "British College of Health", Solomon's "Balm of Gilead" had penetrated to the utmost bounds of the habitable globe. The Doctor was a gentleman of the Hebrew nation, who commenced his medical career in a very modest way in Marybone, Tithebarn Street, some time before 1796. The precise period when the Balm of Gilead first diffused its soothing influences over the ills of humanity, I cannot accurately determine, but by the end of the century it had become very popular. From Marybone, Dr. Solomon removed to Brownlow Street about 1800.

In 1804, wealth and reputation increasing, he built himself a noble mansion at Kensington, and called it "Gilead House", where he resided until his decease. Gilead House, or Dr. Solomon's, as it was familiarly called, was for many years the first house in approaching Liverpool from the eastward, and attracted great attention from the beauty of the grounds, and the trim style in which they were kept.

The Doctor died about 1819, and was interred in a mausoleum he had erected for himself on an estate belonging to him in Garston. Many years after his decease the estate was sold by his representatives, his remains removed to one of the cemeteries, and the mausoleum pulled down.

The following books refer to Solomon. :

Picton - Memorials of Liverpool.
Stonehouse - The Streets of Liverpool.
Griffiths, R. - The History of the Royal and Ancient Park of Toxteth.



See you,

Tony

Mr Richard Whittington Egan also has written a chapter about Solomon (one of my fave Liverpool characters!)
I think it's in his dossier series book 'Liverpool Characters and Eccentrics'.

[skgogosfan]

Does anyone have any pictures/illustrations of Gilead House,or know where exactly it was?

Dave.

[eil78]

look on ebay there is a print of gilead house west derbyfor sale

[lindylou]

Dr. Solomon died in 1819 and was interred here, alongside other family members. The land was purchased by the London and North Western Railway Company. The mausoleum was demolished and the remains of the doctor and his family were removed to the Necropolis on West Derby Road.

This is an extract from the burial register :


"Sophia Tobias, aged 21, died 2nd June 1813 ; Elizabeth Solomon, aged 50, died March 1815 ; Jane Solomon, aged 38, died December 13th 1818 ; Samuel Solomon, aged 16, died November 17th, 1824. All removed from Mossley Hill and re-interred in the Necropolis, September 11th, 1840. "


Tony


and of course the West Derby rd Necropolis was eventually done away with. Wonder what happened to the remains then ??

[johnreppion]

Don't know how I missed this thread previously but it's fascinating. Well done folks; I continue to be amazed by the volume and scope of local knowledge here.

[marky]

Dr. Solomon history:
http://www.jhse.org/book/export/article/23424

[ChrisGeorge]

Dr. Solomon history:
http://www.jhse.org/book/export/article/23424

That's an interesting article. Before reading the article I had not suspected that the redoubtable Dr. Samuel Solomon was Jewish... very interesting to know. The article also puts him in perspective as to the nature of the "Cordial Balm of Gilead" for which he is famous. Not surprisingly, it seems to have been an intoxicating brew much like other nostrums marketed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Cheers

Chris http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2467/3592488146_458e76994f_o.gif

[marky]

Top picture: "The cover illustration is from a painting of Mossley Hill c1910 by Charles R. Wood" (map of Mossley Hill 1905, Godfrey Edition)
Bottom picture: Solomons Mausoleum (from The History of the Royal and Ancient Park Of Toxteth" Robert Griffiths, 1907)


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5161/5365455520_71a1bf6206.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/25632502@N00/5365455520/) Dr. Solomons, Vaults, Brook and Mausoleum, Liverpool (http://www.flickr.com/photos/25632502@N00/5365455520/) by south_liverpool (http://www.flickr.com/people/25632502@N00/), on Flickr

[SteH]

Whilst looking for something else entirely I came across an advert placed in Billinges Advertiser by Solomon in April 1796. He claimed that Balm of Gilead could cure:-

"for the relief of nervous disorders, female complaints, weaknesses, loss of appetite, impurity of blood, headaches, relaxation, bilious cases, debility, indigestion, ill-cured lues, seminal weaknesses, coughs and colds, consumptions, lowness of spirits, scorbutic diseases, pains in the limbs, gleets etc etc etc".

Price was half a guinea a bottle, with the cordial composed of pure essence of virgin gold and foam of balsams.

[grekko]

Whilst looking for something else entirely I came across an advert placed in Billinges Advertiser by Solomon in April 1796. He claimed that Balm of Gilead could cure:-

"for the relief of nervous disorders, female complaints, weaknesses, loss of appetite, impurity of blood, headaches, relaxation, bilious cases, debility, indigestion, ill-cured lues, seminal weaknesses, coughs and colds, consumptions, lowness of spirits, scorbutic diseases, pains in the limbs, gleets etc etc etc".

Price was half a guinea a bottle, with the cordial composed of pure essence of virgin gold and foam of balsams.

What a word...Gleets..... still I bet it was better than saying , I'll have some Balm of Gilead, please, I've got a dose of Gonorrhea

[az_gila]

....

Price was half a guinea a bottle, with the cordial composed of pure essence of virgin gold and foam of balsams.

That was a large fortune at the time, correct?

[GNASHER]

About £47 today.That was the same as a coppers salary in 1797.

[Ged]

Gilead street, Kensington named in commemoration.