Site of the Bowling Green, Mount Pleasant

Was this the birthplace of William Roscoe, poet?
[EDIT: see posts #11 & 12 for the birthplace of Roscoe.]

The map shows a house (or houses) with a Bowling Green attached to the rear of it. [EDIT] There is a possibility that this could be the later New Bowling Green Inn run by William Roscoe's father.

This is the site today. You can see that it is reasonably flat, and would of commanded great views of the town before the land was built up around it. The Inn was on (or very close to) the site of the Antram Hotel, Mount Pleasant.

[Use the blue slider bar below to view the whole map.]

http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/a...ingGreen1a.jpg
[EDIT: map updated following new information.]

Here's the bowling green site on a later 1848-64 OS map [LRO]

Notice that the lanes conform to the old boundaries of the Green. One is so named 'Green Lane', on the east. 'May Street' is the western boundary, and 'Pleasant Street' was the northern boundary, which was an extention of 'Lydia Anne Street' which dates from the time of the green [see 1795 map].

http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/a...gGreen1848.jpg

Hi Daz

A very interesting enquiry. It might appear to me though, going by the 1795 Palmer period map, the tavern was halfway between Rodney Street and the bend in the road that is still there, as shown on Google Maps, i.e., the bend in the road is around where May Street runs north toward Pleasant Street. I would therefore put the tavern and bowling green somewhat further west of the hotel, north of and opposite, quite appropriately, Roscoe Street. By the way, wouldn't it seem likely that Green Lane, running parallel to Mount Pleasant and behind the row of houses that included the hotel, got its name from the bowling green?

All the best

Chris

Hi Chris,

I would venture no more than one house block further west than shown, to agree with the Palmer map. Let me put some more information on the map and see if we concur?

Cheers,

Daz

Thanks, Daz. It occurs to me that the western boundary of the bowling green and of the tavern property might be present-day May Street, as you indicate on your schematic.

Chris

Hi Chris,

This is as accurate as I can make it, based on Palmer's engraving of 1795. It places the tavern between May Street and Roscoe Street [on the opposing side]. William Roscoe's father was a 'market gardener'. The land surrounding the green may have been under his care as well. There's little doubt that 'Green Lane' was named after the bowling green on the site, as you suggested earlier.

The [EDIT] houses, possible tavern was opposite where John and Cynthia married at 64 Mount Pleasant, and the neighbouring property [towards the city].

[use the blue slide bar below to see all the map]

Cheers,

Daz

http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/a...lingGreen3.jpg

Good work, Daz! :PDT11

Chris

---------- Post added at 04:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:36 PM ----------

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dazza

The tavern was opposite where John and Cynthia married at 64 Mount Pleasant, and the neighbouring property [towards the city].

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http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1173/...b9625903c2.jpg

Myself and my wife Donna at Mount Pleasant registry office, Liverpool, where John and Cynthia were married on August 23, 1962. Photograph by Gerard Fleming.

Thanks Chris,

You can see May Street on the images in the first post - showing Mount Pleasant looking down the hill. It's turning off to the right where the people are standing.

Daz

---------- Post added at 03:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:42 PM ----------

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChrisGeorge

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1173/...b9625903c2.jpg

Myself and my wife Donna at Mount Pleasant registry office, Liverpool, where John and Cynthia were married. Photograph by Gerard Fleming.

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Great photo Chris, :handclap:

Yes, thanks, Daz.

Chris

Fantastic CG and Daz. Pinning Liverpool together piece by piece.

The introduction to the 1848 map (re-print) of Mount Pleasant states:

"At the junction of Hope Street and Mount Pleasant stood a gabled tavern with a bowling green..."
"The Liverpool Medical Institution now stands close to the site of Roscoe's birthplace."

A print of his birthplace and a description appears on pages 153-154 "Bygone Liverpool" pub.1913. Readable online:
http://www.archive.org/stream/bygone...e/154/mode/2up

Hi marky,

Thanks for the links. You're right...Roscoe's birthplace was the 'Old Bowing Green Inn' which was at the end of Hope Street. Apparently, Mount Pleasant had two bowling greens.

Arline Wilson, author of William Roscoe, Commerce and Culture says the Old Bowling Green Inn was 'at the corner of St Mary's Lane and Mount Pleasant.'

I've put some details together of exactly where that was.

Also, the year after William Roscoe's birth the family moved to the neighbouring 'New Bowling Green Inn', which William Roscoe senior had been building at the time of his son's birth.

I can't help but wonder whether this was the lower bowling green site highlighted in the OP, as that also dates from at least 1765 [John Eyes map]. This would make some sense rather than building a new inn next to the old one, as the old inn was sited at the thin end of an awkward wedge-shaped plot. Subsequent maps only show a long narrow extension to the old inn [as shown in the later WG Herdman view] and would therefore support the suggestion of building on a different site.

The second bowling green on Mount Pleasant is in a favourable spot as there is an abundance of market gardens nearby - situated between Renshaw Street and Mount Pleasant. These may be the very same fields that William Roscoe and his father worked, cultivating potatoes for market and the like.

Daz

http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/a...birthplace.jpg

Attachment 17997

Thanks for this interesting thread.

Hi Marky and Daz

Thank you both. Fascinating stuff!!! :handclap:

Cheers

Chris :PDT_Aliboronz_24: