Dr. Livingstone,I presume.....

[wsteve55]

Wondered if anyone on Yo, could confirm,or not, if it's true that Dr.Henry Stanley, of "Dr.Livingstone,I presume" fame, lived in Portland place,which is near Great Homer st. I'm sure I read this somewhere,and that, at one time,there was a memorial plaque on one of the houses,to commemorate the fact! There are only 4 houses of the terrace left,and these have been converted into flats,or some sort of hostel,but they now appear vacant? I spoke with an agent, of the nearby housing development,who was under the impression that these houses would soon be demolished,even though they are probably the oldest houses left,in the area,all else having been demolished,sometimes more than once!

[Ged]

It was Roscommon street next to the farmers arms - now demolished.

[wsteve55]

Ta Ged, do you know anything about those houses then?

[Ged]

Just had a look, No. 22 Roscommon st it was, I used to run past it every week in the winter when doing P.E. in St. Gregs school.





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[George]

No he didn't his birth place was wales but resided in London after coming back to England from his explorations,he died in London in 1904 and his body was inturned in Pilbright/Surry's cemetary.

[George]

Just had a look, No. 22 Roscommon st it was, I used to run past it every week in the winter when doing P.E. in St. Gregs school.





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Thats funny he was in a workhouse in St Asaph around that time and when turned 18 went to the states.

He was born 1841 and was in the workhouse till 18 so work it out?

Ok might have to eat my hat here? although some sites say he was at the workhouse till 15 and some say 18? it would seem he stayed with his grandparents (Address unknown) it would seem he embarked on his journey to the states from Liverpool so he either stayed at that address for 2 years or he found that Liverpool was the nearest seaport to stowaway on a ship vound for the states?

I didn't know vut his last name was barsteward,take the r,e and w away

[Ged]

The houses where the mini is outside. The Rossy picture house is the building with the tower but had been turned into a furniture makers I think by the time I knew it, the cotton picker pub was on the opposite corner.






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[wsteve55]

How about the terrace in Portland place, any pic's of it,in it's heyday?

[Ged]

Not in Black and White but got this one of it back in 1990 when it was fully lived in. I don't see why they'd be knocking it down.

I can't believe that was 19 years ago.






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[wsteve55]

Great pic' Ged,a wonder how the original(?) railings survived,but those gables certainly look like modern alterations!

p.s. how's the hat taste,George?

[George]

p.s. how's the hat taste,George?

Dunno,I'm yet to be corrected with some firm evidence.

[Ged]

Well he left for the States in 1859, the year he left Rossy. Now where might you get a liner to the new world

[Ged]

Just googled Henry Morton Stanley in Liverpool.


SIR HENRY MORTON STANLEY (1840-1904), British explorer of Africa, discoverer of the course of the Congo, was born at Denbigh, Wales, on the 10th of June 1840.1 His parents were named Rowlands or Rollant, and his father, who died in 1843, was the son of a small farmer. John Rowlands, by which name Stanley was baptized, was brought up first by his maternal grandfather, and after his death was boarded out by his mother's brothers at half a crown a week. In 1847 he was taken to the St Asaph Union workhouse, where he was noted for his activity and intelligence. The schoolmaster at the workhouse, James Francis (who eventually died in a madhouse), was a tyrant of the S*****s type, and in May 1836, Rowlands, after giving Francis a thrashing, ran away from school. He sought out his paternal grandfather - a well-to-do farmer - who refused to help him. A cousin, however, who was master of a national school at Brynford, took him in as a pupil teacher. But within a year he was sent to Liverpool, where he lived with an uncle who was in straitened circumstances. The lad, after working at a haberdasher's and then at a butcher's shop, engaged himself as a cabin boy on a sailing ship bound for New Orleans, in which city he landed early in 1859. There he obtained a situation through the good offices of a merchant named Henry Morton Stanley, who subsequently adopted the lad as his son, designing for him a mercantile career.


There's a lot more but this is the relevant part.

[wsteve55]

Just googled Henry Morton Stanley in Liverpool.


SIR HENRY MORTON STANLEY (1840-1904), British explorer of Africa, discoverer of the course of the Congo, was born at Denbigh, Wales, on the 10th of June 1840.1 His parents were named Rowlands or Rollant, and his father, who died in 1843, was the son of a small farmer. John Rowlands, by which name Stanley was baptized, was brought up first by his maternal grandfather, and after his death was boarded out by his mother's brothers at half a crown a week. In 1847 he was taken to the St Asaph Union workhouse, where he was noted for his activity and intelligence. The schoolmaster at the workhouse, James Francis (who eventually died in a madhouse), was a tyrant of the S*****s type, and in May 1836, Rowlands, after giving Francis a thrashing, ran away from school. He sought out his paternal grandfather - a well-to-do farmer - who refused to help him. A cousin, however, who was master of a national school at Brynford, took him in as a pupil teacher. But within a year he was sent to Liverpool, where he lived with an uncle who was in straitened circumstances. The lad, after working at a haberdasher's and then at a butcher's shop, engaged himself as a cabin boy on a sailing ship bound for New Orleans, in which city he landed early in 1859. There he obtained a situation through the good offices of a merchant named Henry Morton Stanley, who subsequently adopted the lad as his son, designing for him a mercantile career.


There's a lot more but this is the relevant part.

There you go George,fried, or boiled, then?

[chasevans]

I remember the brass plaque near the Rossy cinema recalling the explorer Stanley. In the 1950's it was very well maintained (polished) and I couldn't be sure if it was a new item as the Echo did an article on Stanley at that time.
I also remember Portland Place as the Shrewsbury Boys Club was located there and the exterior looked exactly like the pictures shown. The rooftop contained a footy playing area which was enclosed by nets. This might explain the modern additions to the rooftops. I spent many happy hours after school there playing billiards, eventually learning snooker on the big tables. In the winter you could buy a hot buttered slice of toast for a penny and if you were lucky you got the crust...lovely, I can almost taste it now. At the time there were 240 pennies to the pound!
I have vague memories of a guy called Eddy Catwright who worked at the Shewsy in the 1970's. He had ginger hair, can anyone recollect him?
The Shrewsbury club is now located near the Netherfield road end of Roscommon Street and is the recent scene of the tragic death of a young cadet.
My first time on this site but I'd like to thank Ged for his regular contributions that are always interesting and accurate.
Cheers, Chas