Whitechapel, formerly called Frog-lane, was not then completely built, and on the eastward side, opposite Spitalfields, it was bounded for some distance by a thorn hedge, which separated it from an adjoining field." Both Whitechapel and Paradise-street were subject to great mischief and inconvenience from floods during heavy rains; the principal drain from the eastward part of the town, and from the fields to the eastward of it, passed through them. It may be here correct to remind the reader, that those streets extend over a portion of what was the bed or site of the old pool, from which Liverpool derives the termination of its name.

The mud and other vestiges of the bed of the Pool have frequently been exposed to view of late years, in various places, particularly in digging in the old Custom-house yard, to the eastward of the spot where Revenue-buildings now stand, at the east end of King-street, in Coopers-row, at the lowest end of Lord-street, and at the point of junction between that street, Whitechapel, Paradise-street, and Church-street. When the foundations were excavated a few years ago for the shop at the south side of Church-street, and the corner of that street and Paradise-street, formerly occupied by Mr. Taylor, the bookseller, some squared stones and a number of wooden piles, which had been driven into the mud, were exposed to view, and were calculated to convey the impression that a small pier or wharf had, at a remote period back, been formed there.(2)

(1) The field formed a portion of a tract of land, usually called Patten's Gardens, within the memory of the Author's father. In the map of Liverpool, published by Mr. R. Williamson, in 1766, the place is called Patten's late Garden; and Whitechapel is, as might be expected, called Frog-lane. In January, 1847, the Author was conversing with the late Mr. Samuel Staniforth respecting Whitechapel, when he mentioned that he recollected there being some cabbage gardens between Whitechapel and Williamson-square, before the land was built upon. He died in March, 1851, and the circumstance which he so mentioned existed when he was a little boy.

(2) See infra, in this chapter, the communication made to the Author by the late

The Pool, and the stream formerly called the Brook, which flowed into it, formed an important auxiliary to the batteries, mud wall, and fortifications, in the defence of Liverpool, when besieged by Prince Rupert, who took it by storm on the 26th of June, 1644, after a siege of about twenty-four days.")

When Edward Moore, of Bank-hall, wrote the Moore Rental, in 1667-8,(2) he little thought, that in a comparatively short time the Pool and Brook would cease to be. It would have been a great affliction to him, if he could have foreseen that the Brook which was so important in his eyes, and from which he foretold such great advantage to his family and to Liverpool, was so soon to be forgotten, that not one person in a hundred, of the present residents in Liverpool, ever heard of it. In mentioning the Brook as flowing from the Mosslake Fields, he proceeds thus :-" and then to supply these dams, so great a fresh from off the Moss Lake, that though my eyes may never see it, yet, I am confident that God Almighty, which makes nothing in vain, hath ordained this to be the greatest good for this town. Therefore, I hope the town will never lose the advantage of the water coming that way; for if they do, all they are worth cannot procure a stream to cleanse the Pool, as above said."(3)

At the north-west corner of Church-street and south-east corner of Whitechapel, there stood a low-built red brick house of small size, and ancient appearance, with a shop under it, which was afterwards used for many years as a

Mr. Samuel Staniforth, as to the discovery, in the last century, of an abutment of a bridge, in excavating the ground at the lowest end of Lord-street, for the foundation of Bates's Hotel.

(1) Most of the garrison, when taken prisoners, were confined in the Church of St. Nicholas, and in the old Tower, in Water-street.

(2) The Moor-Rental, published by the Cheetham Society.

(3) Ibid. page 71 and 72.

toy-shop on the site of which were the shop and museum recently occupied by Mr. Kind. It has been sometimes said. to have been a boat-house or ferry-house, where the person lived who had the charge of a ferry-boat, for conveying passengers over the pool, between the lowest end of Lordstreet and the end of Church-street,(2) and that at one period the boat was drawn over by means of a rope. Judging, however, from the appearance of the house, it is not probable that it could have been old enough to have been a ferry-house; but it is very likely that it had been erected on the site of an old house connected with a ferry. It is, however, certain that before the end of the 17th century, perhaps much earlier, a stone bridge stood there.(3)

In a part of the excavation made for the foundation of Bates's Hotel, which was erected on the north-east (the lowest) end of Lord-street and south-west corner of Whitechapel, on the site of which shops now stand; one of the abutments of the old bridge was discovered.(4) Besides

(1) The Author perfectly recollects its being used as a Toy-shop, at the end of the last or the commencement of the present century, and has been informed by the late Mr. Samuel Staniforth, that it was kept by a Miss Meadows, (he probably meant Miss Matthews, who once kept it,) and that it had previously been a Butcher's shop.

(2) It is stated in Troughton's Liverpool, page 20, that a Ferry-boat was kept there as lately as 1680; no authority, however, is quoted in support of the statement, nor does that date seem to carry much probability on the face of it.

(3) There are several instances of repairs recorded as done in the 17th century to a bridge or bridges connected with the Pool: they, however, seem not to be quite conclusive of the existence of a stone bridge at the spot in question, because there were then not only the bridge at the lowest end of Lord-street, relative to which we are now engaged, but also one at the lowest end of Dale-street, opposite Shaws-brow, (the place was called the Towns-end ;) and also one which could not, from circumstances, have been of any more substantial or durable materials than wood, at the south side of the town, which afforded a communication for foot passengers, from the bottom of the street afterwards called Pool-lane, (now South Castle-street,) over the Pool towards Toxteth-park.

(4) Communicated by the late Mr. Samuel Staniforth. The Hotel must have been erected prior to 1785, because it is laid down in Mr. Charles Eyes' Map of the Town of that date. The corner shop is one of the shops erected on its site.

which, in March, 1851, during the operations of the Gas Company, the workmen made an excavation very near that corner, and exposed to view the arch, or one of the arches of the bridge," (from the width of the Pool, it is probable that there had been more arches than one over it, even if it had been narrowed in some degree by a causeway leading towards the middle of it,) and also a considerable portion of an abutment at the end of the arch nearest to Church-street.

These remains were constructed of rather large squared stones. The crown of the arch was about three feet below the surface. The arch was obtuse, and in pretty good repair, except that the side or parapet walls, which had been above it, were gone. Its span was about 10 feet, and its breadth about 9 feet from side to side. Its westward end was about 10 or 12 feet from the corner of the shop now standing on part of the site of Bates's Hotel, at the point of junction of Lord-street and Whitechapel.(2) It is to be regretted that not any attempt was made by excavations to discover whether there was a corresponding abutment on both sides, or whether there was any other arch.

In Church-street, St. Peter's Church stood conspicuously as at present, on the south side. There was a row of trees in the church yard, on the south, and also on the west side, some of which were recently remaining.

(1) The Author examined those remains when they were exposed to view, in March, 1851, with considerable attention, and feels no doubt that they had been connected with the abutment mentioned by Mr. Samuel Staniforth.

(2) Some indications of a breast wall were also discovered extending at right angles with the bridge, on its east side, towards Whitechapel and Paradise-street, but it is very difficult to say whether it was coeval with the bridge or not. It has been suggested from that discovery, that when the Pool was in a great degree filled up, the brook or stream was allowed to remain flowing in an open channel, confined by a wall on each side, as was the case, until within the memory of man, with Fleet-ditch, in London; but there does not appear to be any reason to suppose that any remains of a corresponding breast wall, on the west side, were ever discovered in Whitechapel or Paradise-street; and certainly none such were exposed to view when the recent discovery of the arch of the bridge took place.

The north side of Church-street contained dwelling-houses, several of which were of a large size, and were occupied by families of the higher classes. In a row of houses on that side of the street, part of which now forms the site of Compton-house, a tea dealer's or grocer's shop was soon afterwards established, which remained the only shop in the row, until after the commencement of the present century. There was afterwards a confectioner's shop on the opposite side of the street, and at the corner of Church-alley, kept by Miss Furniss, a female of the Quaker persuasion, remarkable for her neatness and skill; this was one of the principal confectioners' shops in Liverpool, during many years both of the last and the commencement of the present centuries. Close to it, and on the same side of Church-street, and on part of the ground where Mr. Hausburg's bazaar now stands, was a house, afterwards a tavern, the sign of the White Dog; and on another part of the site of the bazaar, and at the corner, where Postoffice-place now is, were some old outbuildings which had apparently belonged to a farm; and further up the street, on the space of ground where the Atheneum and the adjoining house, (now shops) formerly belonging to Mr. George Case, stand, and where the Dispensary stood, was an orchard or garden, which was separated from Church-street by a low wall, and had a large oblong fishpond in it, sometimes used in winter for skaiting. On part of the bed of the pond the Atheneum is erected. The orchard or garden belonged to Mr. Joseph Brooks, the great uncle of the Venerable Archdeacon Brooks, one of the present Rectors of Liverpool. Mr. Joseph Brooks was one of those praiseworthy characters who delight in doing good, and he used cheerfully to devote a deal of valuable time to the affairs of the parish of Liverpool; and was indefatigable in his exertions and attention to the health and comforts of the parish poor, and to the good order