Recollections of a Busy Life: Being the Reminiscences of a Liverpool Merchant 1840-1910

Liverpool occupies the unique position of having filled two important places in the history of England. There was, firstly, the little town clustered round about its castle, and...

One of the most remarkable developments of modern times has been the increase in the facilities for foreign travel, with the consequence that travelling has become the pastime o...

A Great City--its people and its institutions, as seen by a contemporary presents incidents that do not specially appeal to the historian, who is more concerned with the larger...

The council chamber in the Town Hall has of late years undergone many alterations. In my early experience it occupied only part of the present site, and at the eastern end we ha...

Liverpool can justly lay claim to be the pioneer of free public libraries. William Ewart, one of the members for the borough, succeeded in 1850 in passing through Parliament the...

In my young days eloquent preachers were still much in the fashion, and attracted large congregations, but the building of churches and appointing to them preachers of eminence...

The Liverpool dock estate margins the Lancashire shore of the Mersey for six miles, and the offices of the shipowners and merchants, who have their business with the docks, are...

On my return home from Australia and South America I entered my father's office. It was noted for hard work and late hours. The principals seldom left for home before seven and...

Party politics have always been very prominent in Liverpool, partly no doubt due to the old Conservative associations, and partly to the presence in the city of so many Orangeme...

Some two years after the conclusion of my Mayoralty, in 1883, Mr. Gladstone, the Prime Minister, wrote to me stating that it would give him pleasure to submit my name to the Que...

I was placed on the Liverpool Borough Bench of Magistrates in 1873; on the Lancashire County Bench in 1882; on the Cheshire County Bench in 1900; and was made a Deputy-Lieutenan...

My public life began in 1867, when I was 27 years of age. I then joined the Council of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce. In the following year (1868) I was elected the Presiden...

Life viewed in retrospect down the vista of half a century of activity, presents many lessons which may be both interesting and instructive--lessons from one's own experience, l...

I was brought into such frequent contact with the late Lord Derby, in connection with my duties as chairman of Quarter Sessions, that I should like to add a few words of appreci...

It is a good thing to have a "hobby." Perhaps in these days we have too many, and pursue them with too much intensity, to the neglect of more important matters. To this I must,...

Having already described the pretty suburbs of Bootle, Seaforth and Litherland, lying to the north of Liverpool, and the little seaside resort, Waterloo, as they were in the 'fo...

Leaving school I entered the office of Salisbury, Turner and Earle, one of the oldest and leading brokerage houses in the town. The partners were Mr. Alderman John H. Turner (re...

My year of office as Mayor was made very anxious by the aggressive tactics of the Fenian agitators. A bomb was placed at the side door of the Town Hall, and exploded, breaking i...

In no department of Liverpool life has more distinct progress been made than in its social regeneration. Liverpool was always liberal and generous in her charities, but there wa...

On the death of Mr. Alfred Turner in 1896, I was made president of the Seamen's Orphanage. The detail work of the institution is carried on by the chairman of the committee. The...

1868--President Philomathic Society 78 Professor Huxley 78 1868--Elected to the TOWN COUNCIL: Early Experiences 79 CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: 1870--Elected Vice-President 80 1871-1874...

Party politics in Liverpool 141 Conservative Whip 142 1865--S. R. Graves, M.P. 143 1873--John Torr, M.P. 143 1868--Viscount Sandon, M.P. 144 1880--Edward Whitley, M.P. 144 Mr. R...

1873--Placed on Liverpool Bench 154 1882--Placed on Lancashire County Bench 154 1900--Placed on Cheshire County Bench 154 1890--Deputy-Chairman of Quarter Sessions, West Derby H...

The Town Hall--Its Hospitality 97 Work in the City Council 100 1868-1882--WATCH COMMITTEE 100 Burning of the Landing Stage 101 1870-1884--WATER COMMITTEE: The Vyrnwy Scheme 102...

1889--Chairman Overhead Railway 172 1893--Opening by the Marquis of Salisbury, Prime Minister 173 1898--Chairman of the Bank of Liverpool 176 1888--Director of the Cunard Compan...

Yachting 253 1874--Obtained Certificate from the Board of Trade as a Master Mariner 255 Windermere: Happy Days 256 History of the Royal Windermere Yacht Club 257 Yacht Racing As...

Improvements in Modern Travel 223 1871--Franco-Prussian Battlefields 225 1891--Costa Rica 225 Jamaica 228 1892--Mexico 228 Conversion of Mexican Southern Railway Bonds 229 Presi...

My Father 2 Edge Hill 4 Everton 5 Bootle 5 Seaforth 6 The "Great Britain," s.s. 7 Wrecks on the Seaforth shore 8 Walton 10 Aigburth 10 The Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone 12 His last...

Liverpool in 1860-1870 32 The Town 33 The Docks 35 The Dock Board 37 Election 38 Birkenhead 39 Bootle 41 The Exchange 42 Cotton Brokers 44 Commerce 47 Shipowners 48 Merchants 49...

1889--Chairman 114 1908--Extension of Free Libraries 114 Mr. Carnegie 115 The Museum Extended 116 The Art Galleries 117 Among the Studios 118 Lord Leighton 118 Mr. Greiffenhagen...

The Church, 1860-1870 188 Dr. McNeile 189 Dr. Ryle, first Bishop of Liverpool 190 Nonconformists 192 THE BUILDING OF A CATHEDRAL 194 Early History 194 Chairman of Executive Comm...