LIVERPOOL: MARITIME CITY - a walking tour of the 19th century commercial heart of the city - led by David Hearn
Eighteen people turned out for David Hearn’s tour, plus a latecomer who missed the walk but pronounced the Castle Street pubs to be still in fine fettle!
This was a rapid tour of the many fine buildings with a key role in the city’s former prosperity, with the twin themes of wealth and slavery emerging clearly. David amazed us with the depth of his knowledge, and, very generously, passed on his notes, which are reproduced here. In fact, these notes are so comprehensive that we have decided to split them into two parts.
The second part will appear in the next newsletter.
David started by quoting the citation of the now lost UNESCO World Heritage Site: Six areas in the historic centre and docklands of the maritime mercantile City of Liverpool bear witness to the development of one of the world’s major trading centres in the 18th and 19th centuries. Liverpool played an important role in the growth of the British Empire and became the major port for the mass movement of people, e.g. slaves and emigrants from northern Europe to America.
Liverpool was a pioneer in the development of modern dock technology, transport systems and port management. The listed sites feature a great number of significant commercial, civic and public buildings, including St George’s Plateau. The aim of the tour was to demonstrate that evidence of the importance of Liverpool as described above still exists and is, indeed, “set in stone” around the city. Town Hall The city’s third Town Hall – designed by John Wood of Bath (1704-1754) and built between 1749 and 1754 by John Brooks and his son, who were both engaged in the slave trade. Building severely damaged by fire in 1795. Rebuilt by James Wyatt (1746-1813) who added the dome and, with John Foster Snr, the portico.
The Exchange / Town Hall was the centre of trade from at least 1515 and, as such, the centre of Liverpool’s commercial development. A look around the bas/high relief frieze reveals evidence of the importance of international trade to Liverpool and introduces us to the Roman God, Mercury – God of shopkeepers and merchants, travellers and transporters of goods … he is also the God of thieves and tricksters! Mercury is seen with his caduceus or staff. The figure on the top of the dome of the Town Hall is the Roman God, Minerva – goddess of, among other things, wisdom and commerce as well as strategic warfare. A book of 1869, however, suggests that the statue is Britannia. Read more about Liverpool Town Hall here: https://www.liverpooltownhall.co.uk/aboutus/
During the 1793 financial crisis Liverpool was the first and, so far, only town or city in the UK to issue its own bank notes. The notes were issued between 1793 and 1796 and required a special Act of Parliament. They were secured against the value of the Liverpool dock estate and the income from the docks. The scheme was administered by six members of the Common Council, all of whom were involved in the slave trade. Exchange Buildings Third building on this site – first built by John Foster Snr (possibly assisted by James Wyatt) 1803-8. Replaced in 1860s in French Renaissance style by T H Wyatt and then again in the 1930s – 1950s by Gunton & Gunton. On the right hand “wing” there is a bas relief of the God Mercury and his two caduceus (staffs with serpents around them) while on the left “wing” there is a bas relief of Neptune. In the 1890s Liverpool was the fourth biggest exchange for financial transactions in Europe after London, Paris and Berlin. For more information about Exchange Building see here (yes … despite it saying “Manchester history”!): https://manchesterhistory.net/architecture/1930/exchange.html
The Albany Built in 1856 by Richard Christopher Naylor (1814-1899) – a partner in Leyland and Bullins Bank – the building was one of the earlier purpose built office buildings for a particular trade - built as offices and storage space for cotton merchants and brokers. In the 1850s, the majority of cotton coming into Liverpool was grown by enslaved people in the Southern States of America. Liverpool had commercial ties with the South and when the Civil War started they supported the South – more for commercial reasons than ideological ones – there is always money to be made in a war! For more information about The Albany follow this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albany_(Liverpool) For more information about Richard Naylor see: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Naylor-2128
The Cotton Exchange It was not until 1906 that a purpose-built Cotton Exchange was constructed in Liverpool, with the façade being completely rebuilt between 1967-69. Although cotton had been arriving in Liverpool in small quantities since 1700 the first recorded sale of cotton was in 1759 and by 1795 Liverpool had become the biggest cotton importing port in Britain – a status it would never lose. The Liverpool Cotton Brokers Association was formed in 1841. One of the members, John Rew, was to “invent” the ‘futures’ market in 1866. In 1882 the Liverpool Cotton Bank was founded. It worked in conjunction with the Bank of England to allow interbank transfer, cheque payments and credit vouchers because, previously, daily cash payments had been amounting to between £100,000 and £150,000. The two statues represent “Navigation” and “Commerce”. For more information about the Liverpool based International Cotton Association follow this link: https://ica-ltd.org/about-ica/
8 Rumford Place The offices of US based Fraser Trenholm and Co were in these buildings. The parent company was based in Charleston, South Carolina. Fraser Trenholm were cotton merchants and bankers. The Liverpool partner – Charles Kuhn Proileau (1827-1887) - was a naturalised British citizen and he lived in Abercromby Square. The company acted as a de facto Confederate Embassy during the American Civil War and were European bankers to the Confederate Government. During the war, Confederate naval agent James Dunwoody Bulloch worked out of these offices and master-minded the construction or purchase of several commerce raiders and, jointly with Fraser Trenholm arranged for much blockade running between Liverpool and the Southern ports – it is estimated that the firm made $9 million from blockade running during the Civil War. More on Fraser Trenholm can be found at: https://snaccooperative.org/ark:/99166/w6zd3w2f
Hargreaves Building This building was erected in 1859 to a design by Sir James Picton for William Brown, the merchant banker. Contrary to popular belief this was a speculative office investment and not the head office of William Brown’s company – Brown Shipley – whose offices were in another, similar, building also designed by Picton, at 26 Chapel Street. The heads which decorate the outside of the building all have connections with the European discovery/conquest of the Americas. The building is Listed Grade II, for details of the listing follow this link: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1068348
Mersey Chambers Built in the 1860s for the Liverpool shipping line T & J Harrison which was founded in 1853. The building has the “original” Liver Bird, those on the Liver Building post-date it. The building is listed Grade II and you can find more information about it here: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1363091 For more information about the Harrison Line follow this link: https://www.liverpoolpicturebook.com/2013/07/TJHarrisonShipowners.html
WATER STREET
West Africa House Built in 1920 by Briggs, Wolstenholme & Thornley as office space the building housed the Bank of British West Africa which was later taken over by Standard Chartered Bank. The Bank of British West Africa was founded in 1894 at 8 Castle Street. The bank was originally run by the African Banking Corporation and then taken over by Elder Dempster. The Crown Agents were not prepared to have a private bank import silver and act as government banker, so the bank became a limited liability company. You can read more about the Bank of British West Africa by following this link: https://search.lma.gov.uk/scripts/mwimain.dll/144/LMA_OPAC/web_detail/REFD+CLC~2FB ~2F207-02?SESSIONSEARCH
India Building – built between 1924 and 1932 to a design by Arnold Thornley (Port of Liverpool Building) and Herbert J Rowse (Martin’s Bank Building) as a speculative office building. The owners were Richard Durning Holt and Alfred Holt, owners of the Blue Funnel Line. The name comes from an earlier building on the same site built for George Holt in the 1830s and celebrates the end of the East India Company monopoly on trade with the Far East. For more on the India Building follow this link: http://www.indiabuilding.co.uk/
7 Water Street – was the site of the Talbot Inn and was where the first head office of the Bank of Liverpool was from 1831 until it moved across the road to Martin’s Bank Building in 1932, The premises were then taken over by National and Provincial Bank who rebuilt them by 1934. National Provincial Bank later became part of NatWest Group. For more on the Bank of Liverpool see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_Liverpool And for more on the National Provincial Bank see: https://www.natwestgroup.com/heritage/companies/national-provincial-bank-ltd.html
Martins Bank Building It is always difficult to say which of Herbert Rowse’s buildings is his “masterpiece” but Martin’s Bank Building is very high indeed on the list. The building is on the site of Brown’s Building which was bought for £220,000 in 1925. The picture shows mermaids carrying cornucopia full of notes, presumable bank notes etc. While in this image we see mermen carrying cornucopia with gold coins. (much heavier than paper money). In 1918 the Bank of Liverpool had merged with Martins Bank to become the Bank of Liverpool and Martins and this changed to Martins Bank in 1928. Martins Bank Building was opened in 1932 as the Head Office of the bank – the only national bank in England to have its head office outside London. The bank was temporarily merged with Barclays and Lloyds in 1965 and became part of Barclays Bank in 1969. The branch closed in 2009 and the fate of the building remains unclear although it has recently been sold and it is suggested that it may become offices. The building is listed Grade II* - for details of the listing follow: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1062580
3 Water Street – Manchester and Liverpool District Bank The formation of the Manchester and Liverpool District Bank in 1829 would lead directly to the formation of the Bank of Liverpool in 1831 because Liverpool’s merchants believed that if Manchester had its own bank, then so should Liverpool. The bank became District Bank in 1924 and part of National Provincial Bank in 1962 although it still traded as District Bank until it became part of National Westminster in 1969. Read more about the District Bank here: https://www.natwestgroup.com/heritage/companies/district-bank-ltd.html
DALE STREET
1 Dale Street – Liverpool London & Globe Insurance Company This building was constructed by father and son partnership C.R. and F.P. Cockerell in 1856-58 for the Liverpool London & Globe Insurance Company. It is listed Grade II. The history of insurance companies is not as readily available as it is for banks but the company dates from 1803 and operated around the world. The company was acquired by the Royal Insurance Company in 1919. For details of the documents held by The National Archives follow this link: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F176929
2 Dale Street – Midland Bank – originally the site of Roscoe’s Bank William Roscoe joined J & W Clarke’s Bank in 1799 to help in running it and avoid it failing. The bank became Clarkes and Roscoe until 1802 when Thomas Leyland joined the partnership, and the bank became Leyland, Clarkes and Roscoe. Thomas Leyland left the partnership in 1806 and started his own bank in 1807. The bank became Roscoe, Clarke and Roscoe in 1807 and failed in 1816. 11 Dale Street – Queen Insurance Company Equally the Queen Insurance Company is not easily researched other than to say that it was certainly in existence in 1830 and by the 1860s had assets of over £2m and was operating in many countries. Given that the building was used as the Head Office of The Royal Insurance it is, probably, safe to assume that the company is one of the component companies of Royal Insurance. The building is listed Grade II, for details of the listing see here: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1209028
Queen Insurance Building – originally the offices of The Royal Bank of Liverpool, 1837-8. The Royal Bank of Liverpool was founded in 1836 and ceased trading in 1867 due to a large and sophisticated fraud. One of the other “victims” of the fraud was the White Star Line with debts of over £500,000. 6-10 Dale Street was built in 1839 as the Head Office of the Royal Bank of Liverpool. For images of Royal Bank of Liverpool cheques follow this link: https://banking-history.org.uk/record/royal-bank-of-liverpool/
State House – Head office of the State Fire Insurance Company The State Fire Insurance Company was established in Liverpool in 1891 and traded in, amongst other places, the UK, the United States and Australia. It is now part of Guardian Royal Exchange. Corner of North John Street – Former head office of Royal Insurance. The Royal Insurance Company was founded in Liverpool in 1845 from the merger of several other insurance companies. The original head office was in Queen Avenue but it moved to this building in 1903. The friezes which face onto Dale Street represent to the left, the sciences, to the right, the fine arts, music and drama and in the centre, Mercury is depicted with his arms out to control the flow of water from urns held by the “powers of nature” to extinguish the fires of a burning world and to prepare the way of “Plenty” represented by putti bearing cornucopia. Imperial Chambers Built 1860s. The pediment carries a depiction of a woman holding a distaff while two putti stack bales of cotton and other trade goods at her feet. Sir Thomas Street Named after Sir Thomas Johnson 1664-1728. A sugar and tobacco merchant, as was his father before him. He was mayor of Liverpool 1695 and MP for Liverpool from 1701 to 1723. Responsible for splitting Liverpool into a separate parish from Walton-on-the-Hill. Driving force for the construction of what we now call the Old Dock. Johnson engaged in four slave voyages as well as transporting 639 Jacobite prisoners to Virginia. By 1717 Johnson owed the government £7,820 in unpaid duty on tobacco. After resigning his seat in Parliament, somewhat ironically Johnson became collector of customs in Virginia leaving his son-in-law, Richard Gildart, to clear his debts. To read more about Sir Thomas Johnson follow this link: https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1690-1715/member/johnson-thomas1664-1728
Victoria Street Bank of Liverpool Branch Opened in 1881, this building housed the first branch office of the Bank of Liverpool. For information about the branch when it was part of Martin’s Bank follow this link: http://www.martinsbank.co.uk/11-00- 90%20Liverpool%20Victoria%20Street.htm
Former General Post Office This building was built between 1894 and 1899 to replace the previous Post Office which had been within the Customs House. The two upper floors were removed following damage in the Liverpool Blitz. The sculptures around the main entrance are by Edward O. Griffith and represent Commerce and Navigation. Temple Court/Fruit Exchange The curved building on the corner housed the first Fruit Exchange although a purpose built Exchange was later converted from former railway premises. For photographs of the interior of the Fruit Exchange see this article in the Liverpool Echo: https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/haunting-pictures-inside-liverpoolsabandoned-16880666
Former Bank of Ireland Notice the bracket for holding support cables for tram lines – as pointed out to me by Rob Jones. Turtle Bay – Rum Bar - Former NatWest Fruit Exchange Branch Avenue Bar - Former branch of – Banco Espanol en Londres Opened because of the considerable business in fruit and wine carried on between Liverpool and Spain. Fowler’s Buildings Listed Grade II* built between 1865 and 1869 to a design by James (later Sir James) Picton for Fowler Brothers Limited, Liverpool and New York – Anglo American Provision Co Pork packers and lard refiners. For details of the listing follow this link: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1063294 To see a Fowler Brothers advertisement follow this link: https://www.loc.gov/resource/pga.02206/
COOK STREET
Union Court 7 Union Court – offices of W & J Brown – merchants and bankers William Brown came to Liverpool from Baltimore in 1810 open the Liverpool office of the linen merchants business which operated out of Baltimore, New York and Philadelphia. The firm became major cotton importers. After the 1837 banking crisis W & J Brown became Brown Shipley and acted as merchant bankers. The firm still exists and the partnership’s New York operation – Brown Brothers Harriman – claims to be the oldest bank in America. For more on Sir William Brown see here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_William_Brown,_1st_Baronet,_of_Richmond_Hill For information about Brown Shipley in 2021: https://brownshipley.com/en-gb
9 Union Court – offices of John Gladstone John Gladstone is, perhaps, best known as father of four times Prime Minister, William Ewart Gladstone and yet he ran a substantial business empire in Liverpool trading in sugar, corn and cotton. Gladstone owned plantations in Jamaica and Demerara (now Guyana). Gladstone received the largest of all payments made by the Slave Compensation Commission upon the abolition of slavery. For more about John Gladstone follow this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_John_Gladstone,_1st_Baronet
CASTLE STREET
Bank of England The Banking Acts, 1826, put an end to the Bank of England’s monopoly on joint stock banking and allowed the Bank to open branches anywhere in England or Wales. One of the first places was Liverpool, with premises in Mr Seel’s former home at the corner of Seel Street and Hanover Street. Between 1845 and 1848 a purpose-built building was designed and erected by Charles Robert Cockerell (1788-1863). The building is now Listed Grade I. For more details see: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1205904
North & South Wales Bank – 60/62 Castle Street 62 Castle Street was built in 1868 for the Alliance Bank. The Alliance Bank of London & Liverpool Ltd was founded in 1862 with a capital of £250,000. In 1864 the bank changed its name to Alliance Bank. Following a string of crises the Liverpool part of business was sold to the National Bank of Liverpool in 1871 and became part of Parrs Bank in 1893 and subsequently NatWest. The design was by Lucy and Littler with a subsequent extension by G. E. Grayson (1833-1912). The building later became the Head Office of the North and South Wales Bank which merged to be part of the Midland Bank in November 1908. The North and South Wales Bank was founded by two Liverpool people with involvement in the slave trade and is important as the only Liverpool based bank to issue notes – although only in Wales, not in Liverpool. The Midland Bank became part of HSBC in 1992. 60 and 62 Castle Street are Listed Grade II. The Alliance Bank eventually became part of the NatWest Group. More details may be found here: https://www.natwestgroup.com/heritage/companies/alliance-bank-ltd-london-andliverpool.html
48-50 Castle Street – Mercantile and Exchange Bank This building was designed by Sir James Picton in 1864 for the Mercantile and Exchange Bank. The bank only lasted about three years before being wound up. The four Gods depicted on the building are – left to right – Aphrodite (Goddess of love and beauty), Mercury (God of merchants), Demeter (Goddess of the harvest) and Hephaestus (God of fire). For more about this Grade II listed building follow this link: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1205963
Adelphi Bank – 38 Castle Street Built in 1892 for the Adelphi Bank. This amalgamated with the Bank of Liverpool in 1899 and eventually became part of Martins Bank. For more about the Adelphi Bank follow this link: http://www.martinsbank.co.uk/11-58- %20Liverpool%20Castle%20Street.htm For more about the sculpture on the building read here: http://www.speel.me.uk/sculptplaces/lpooladelphi.htm
BRUNSWICK ST Heywood’s Bank Heywood’s Bank was a very early Liverpool bank, being formed in Castle Street in 1773 by brothers Arthur and Benjamin Heywood who were both heavily involved in the slave trade. The Brunswick Street building was purpose built for the bank in 1800 and it remained trading from these premises until it was taken over by the Bank of Liverpool in 1883. Even after this merger the building remained a bank, trading as Martins Bank and Barclays Bank until it eventually closed in 1991. For more information about Heywood’s Bank read here: http://www.martinsbank.co.uk/11-00-30%20Liverpool%20Heywoods.htm
Liverpool Union Bank The Liverpool Union Bank was established in 1835, making it one of the earlier Liverpool banks. It traded until 1907 although it was taken over by Lloyds Bank in 1900. In the first 50 years of its establishment the bank dealt mainly with Liverpool merchants and brokers although later counted the Manchester Ship Canal and the Mersey Railway among its customers.
FENWICK STREET
Corn Exchange This is the third Corn Exchange building on the same site. The first was built in 1808 to a design by John Foster Snr. This was replaced in 1854-54 although this building was destroyed by enemy action in May 1941, to be replaced by the present structure in 1959. For some more information about the Corn Exchange follow this link: https://victorianweb.org/art/architecture/liverpool/23.html
Leyland and Bullins Bank – 36 Castle Street Leyland & Bullins Bank was founded by Thomas Leyland in 1807 as Leyland’s Bank until his nephew Richard Bullin was admitted as a partner in 1809. Both Thomas Leyland and his nephew acquired part of their substantial wealth from the slave trade. This building dates from 1899. In 1901 Leyland & Bullins became part of the North and South Wales Bank and then Midland Bank in 1908 before becoming part of HSBC in 1992. In 1975 the building was home to Midland Bank International Division and I, as a nasty spotty oik, started his career there as a “Trainee Bank Manager” on the princely sum of £800 per annum. To read more about Leyland & Bullins Bank follow this link: https://history.hsbc.com/collections/global-archives/leyland-and-bullins?
Parr’s Bank – 22 Castle Street Parr’s Bank started by Joseph Parr, a sugar boiler, in 1782 in Warrington. The Parr family also had a branch in Liverpool. Parr’s Bank bought the National Bank of Liverpool and the Alliance Bank – see 60/62 Castle Street. By 1914 Parr’s Bank had 400 branches and sub-branches and in the big bank amalgamation of 1918 it became part of London County and Westminster Bank and, ultimately, the NatWest Group. The architect of 22 Castle St was Richard Norman Shaw who also designed Scotland Yard in London and the White Star Building in Liverpool. For more on Parr’s Bank follow this link: https://www.natwestgroup.com/heritage/companies/parrs-bank-ltd.html
British & Foreign Marine Insurance Company Limited The company, whose records are in the Liverpool Record Office, was incorporated in 1867 and dissolved in 2018, although little information is available about the company in the public domain. There were apparently associated companies or offices in Belgium, Gibraltar, the USA, Hong Kong, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Australia and Denmark. The building was designed by Grayson & Ould 1888-90. For more about it follow this link: http://www.speel.me.uk/sculptplaces/lpoolcastlest3.htm
Barned’s Buildings Israel Barned – the son of a slave trader – established Israel Barned and Co as a bank in Liverpool. The bank became a joint stock Bank in 1865 as Barned Banking Co Ltd and suspended payments in 1866. “Suspended payments” is banking short-hand for collapsing – the Barneds were heavily into speculating in cotton during the American Civil War – once supplies normalised at the end of the war prices crashed which was probably where their “problems” started. The bank also suffered losses in a railway scheme they had funded fell into difficulties. The bank also traded as Exchange and Discount Bank. For more about Israel Barned follow this link: https://www.kingdavidprimary.co.uk/heritage/
Grateful thanks also go to Rob Jones for his help in compiling the tour and “bravely suffering” (DH) the extended version. (It was a pleasure helping David - Rob Jones.)
Eighteen people turned out for David Hearn’s tour, plus a latecomer who missed the walk but pronounced the Castle Street pubs to be still in fine fettle!
This was a rapid tour of the many fine buildings with a key role in the city’s former prosperity, with the twin themes of wealth and slavery emerging clearly. David amazed us with the depth of his knowledge, and, very generously, passed on his notes, which are reproduced here. In fact, these notes are so comprehensive that we have decided to split them into two parts.
The second part will appear in the next newsletter.
David started by quoting the citation of the now lost UNESCO World Heritage Site: Six areas in the historic centre and docklands of the maritime mercantile City of Liverpool bear witness to the development of one of the world’s major trading centres in the 18th and 19th centuries. Liverpool played an important role in the growth of the British Empire and became the major port for the mass movement of people, e.g. slaves and emigrants from northern Europe to America.
Liverpool was a pioneer in the development of modern dock technology, transport systems and port management. The listed sites feature a great number of significant commercial, civic and public buildings, including St George’s Plateau. The aim of the tour was to demonstrate that evidence of the importance of Liverpool as described above still exists and is, indeed, “set in stone” around the city. Town Hall The city’s third Town Hall – designed by John Wood of Bath (1704-1754) and built between 1749 and 1754 by John Brooks and his son, who were both engaged in the slave trade. Building severely damaged by fire in 1795. Rebuilt by James Wyatt (1746-1813) who added the dome and, with John Foster Snr, the portico.
The Exchange / Town Hall was the centre of trade from at least 1515 and, as such, the centre of Liverpool’s commercial development. A look around the bas/high relief frieze reveals evidence of the importance of international trade to Liverpool and introduces us to the Roman God, Mercury – God of shopkeepers and merchants, travellers and transporters of goods … he is also the God of thieves and tricksters! Mercury is seen with his caduceus or staff. The figure on the top of the dome of the Town Hall is the Roman God, Minerva – goddess of, among other things, wisdom and commerce as well as strategic warfare. A book of 1869, however, suggests that the statue is Britannia. Read more about Liverpool Town Hall here: https://www.liverpooltownhall.co.uk/aboutus/
During the 1793 financial crisis Liverpool was the first and, so far, only town or city in the UK to issue its own bank notes. The notes were issued between 1793 and 1796 and required a special Act of Parliament. They were secured against the value of the Liverpool dock estate and the income from the docks. The scheme was administered by six members of the Common Council, all of whom were involved in the slave trade. Exchange Buildings Third building on this site – first built by John Foster Snr (possibly assisted by James Wyatt) 1803-8. Replaced in 1860s in French Renaissance style by T H Wyatt and then again in the 1930s – 1950s by Gunton & Gunton. On the right hand “wing” there is a bas relief of the God Mercury and his two caduceus (staffs with serpents around them) while on the left “wing” there is a bas relief of Neptune. In the 1890s Liverpool was the fourth biggest exchange for financial transactions in Europe after London, Paris and Berlin. For more information about Exchange Building see here (yes … despite it saying “Manchester history”!): https://manchesterhistory.net/architecture/1930/exchange.html
The Albany Built in 1856 by Richard Christopher Naylor (1814-1899) – a partner in Leyland and Bullins Bank – the building was one of the earlier purpose built office buildings for a particular trade - built as offices and storage space for cotton merchants and brokers. In the 1850s, the majority of cotton coming into Liverpool was grown by enslaved people in the Southern States of America. Liverpool had commercial ties with the South and when the Civil War started they supported the South – more for commercial reasons than ideological ones – there is always money to be made in a war! For more information about The Albany follow this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albany_(Liverpool) For more information about Richard Naylor see: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Naylor-2128
The Cotton Exchange It was not until 1906 that a purpose-built Cotton Exchange was constructed in Liverpool, with the façade being completely rebuilt between 1967-69. Although cotton had been arriving in Liverpool in small quantities since 1700 the first recorded sale of cotton was in 1759 and by 1795 Liverpool had become the biggest cotton importing port in Britain – a status it would never lose. The Liverpool Cotton Brokers Association was formed in 1841. One of the members, John Rew, was to “invent” the ‘futures’ market in 1866. In 1882 the Liverpool Cotton Bank was founded. It worked in conjunction with the Bank of England to allow interbank transfer, cheque payments and credit vouchers because, previously, daily cash payments had been amounting to between £100,000 and £150,000. The two statues represent “Navigation” and “Commerce”. For more information about the Liverpool based International Cotton Association follow this link: https://ica-ltd.org/about-ica/
8 Rumford Place The offices of US based Fraser Trenholm and Co were in these buildings. The parent company was based in Charleston, South Carolina. Fraser Trenholm were cotton merchants and bankers. The Liverpool partner – Charles Kuhn Proileau (1827-1887) - was a naturalised British citizen and he lived in Abercromby Square. The company acted as a de facto Confederate Embassy during the American Civil War and were European bankers to the Confederate Government. During the war, Confederate naval agent James Dunwoody Bulloch worked out of these offices and master-minded the construction or purchase of several commerce raiders and, jointly with Fraser Trenholm arranged for much blockade running between Liverpool and the Southern ports – it is estimated that the firm made $9 million from blockade running during the Civil War. More on Fraser Trenholm can be found at: https://snaccooperative.org/ark:/99166/w6zd3w2f
Hargreaves Building This building was erected in 1859 to a design by Sir James Picton for William Brown, the merchant banker. Contrary to popular belief this was a speculative office investment and not the head office of William Brown’s company – Brown Shipley – whose offices were in another, similar, building also designed by Picton, at 26 Chapel Street. The heads which decorate the outside of the building all have connections with the European discovery/conquest of the Americas. The building is Listed Grade II, for details of the listing follow this link: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1068348
Mersey Chambers Built in the 1860s for the Liverpool shipping line T & J Harrison which was founded in 1853. The building has the “original” Liver Bird, those on the Liver Building post-date it. The building is listed Grade II and you can find more information about it here: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1363091 For more information about the Harrison Line follow this link: https://www.liverpoolpicturebook.com/2013/07/TJHarrisonShipowners.html
WATER STREET
West Africa House Built in 1920 by Briggs, Wolstenholme & Thornley as office space the building housed the Bank of British West Africa which was later taken over by Standard Chartered Bank. The Bank of British West Africa was founded in 1894 at 8 Castle Street. The bank was originally run by the African Banking Corporation and then taken over by Elder Dempster. The Crown Agents were not prepared to have a private bank import silver and act as government banker, so the bank became a limited liability company. You can read more about the Bank of British West Africa by following this link: https://search.lma.gov.uk/scripts/mwimain.dll/144/LMA_OPAC/web_detail/REFD+CLC~2FB ~2F207-02?SESSIONSEARCH
India Building – built between 1924 and 1932 to a design by Arnold Thornley (Port of Liverpool Building) and Herbert J Rowse (Martin’s Bank Building) as a speculative office building. The owners were Richard Durning Holt and Alfred Holt, owners of the Blue Funnel Line. The name comes from an earlier building on the same site built for George Holt in the 1830s and celebrates the end of the East India Company monopoly on trade with the Far East. For more on the India Building follow this link: http://www.indiabuilding.co.uk/
7 Water Street – was the site of the Talbot Inn and was where the first head office of the Bank of Liverpool was from 1831 until it moved across the road to Martin’s Bank Building in 1932, The premises were then taken over by National and Provincial Bank who rebuilt them by 1934. National Provincial Bank later became part of NatWest Group. For more on the Bank of Liverpool see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_Liverpool And for more on the National Provincial Bank see: https://www.natwestgroup.com/heritage/companies/national-provincial-bank-ltd.html
Martins Bank Building It is always difficult to say which of Herbert Rowse’s buildings is his “masterpiece” but Martin’s Bank Building is very high indeed on the list. The building is on the site of Brown’s Building which was bought for £220,000 in 1925. The picture shows mermaids carrying cornucopia full of notes, presumable bank notes etc. While in this image we see mermen carrying cornucopia with gold coins. (much heavier than paper money). In 1918 the Bank of Liverpool had merged with Martins Bank to become the Bank of Liverpool and Martins and this changed to Martins Bank in 1928. Martins Bank Building was opened in 1932 as the Head Office of the bank – the only national bank in England to have its head office outside London. The bank was temporarily merged with Barclays and Lloyds in 1965 and became part of Barclays Bank in 1969. The branch closed in 2009 and the fate of the building remains unclear although it has recently been sold and it is suggested that it may become offices. The building is listed Grade II* - for details of the listing follow: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1062580
3 Water Street – Manchester and Liverpool District Bank The formation of the Manchester and Liverpool District Bank in 1829 would lead directly to the formation of the Bank of Liverpool in 1831 because Liverpool’s merchants believed that if Manchester had its own bank, then so should Liverpool. The bank became District Bank in 1924 and part of National Provincial Bank in 1962 although it still traded as District Bank until it became part of National Westminster in 1969. Read more about the District Bank here: https://www.natwestgroup.com/heritage/companies/district-bank-ltd.html
DALE STREET
1 Dale Street – Liverpool London & Globe Insurance Company This building was constructed by father and son partnership C.R. and F.P. Cockerell in 1856-58 for the Liverpool London & Globe Insurance Company. It is listed Grade II. The history of insurance companies is not as readily available as it is for banks but the company dates from 1803 and operated around the world. The company was acquired by the Royal Insurance Company in 1919. For details of the documents held by The National Archives follow this link: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F176929
2 Dale Street – Midland Bank – originally the site of Roscoe’s Bank William Roscoe joined J & W Clarke’s Bank in 1799 to help in running it and avoid it failing. The bank became Clarkes and Roscoe until 1802 when Thomas Leyland joined the partnership, and the bank became Leyland, Clarkes and Roscoe. Thomas Leyland left the partnership in 1806 and started his own bank in 1807. The bank became Roscoe, Clarke and Roscoe in 1807 and failed in 1816. 11 Dale Street – Queen Insurance Company Equally the Queen Insurance Company is not easily researched other than to say that it was certainly in existence in 1830 and by the 1860s had assets of over £2m and was operating in many countries. Given that the building was used as the Head Office of The Royal Insurance it is, probably, safe to assume that the company is one of the component companies of Royal Insurance. The building is listed Grade II, for details of the listing see here: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1209028
Queen Insurance Building – originally the offices of The Royal Bank of Liverpool, 1837-8. The Royal Bank of Liverpool was founded in 1836 and ceased trading in 1867 due to a large and sophisticated fraud. One of the other “victims” of the fraud was the White Star Line with debts of over £500,000. 6-10 Dale Street was built in 1839 as the Head Office of the Royal Bank of Liverpool. For images of Royal Bank of Liverpool cheques follow this link: https://banking-history.org.uk/record/royal-bank-of-liverpool/
State House – Head office of the State Fire Insurance Company The State Fire Insurance Company was established in Liverpool in 1891 and traded in, amongst other places, the UK, the United States and Australia. It is now part of Guardian Royal Exchange. Corner of North John Street – Former head office of Royal Insurance. The Royal Insurance Company was founded in Liverpool in 1845 from the merger of several other insurance companies. The original head office was in Queen Avenue but it moved to this building in 1903. The friezes which face onto Dale Street represent to the left, the sciences, to the right, the fine arts, music and drama and in the centre, Mercury is depicted with his arms out to control the flow of water from urns held by the “powers of nature” to extinguish the fires of a burning world and to prepare the way of “Plenty” represented by putti bearing cornucopia. Imperial Chambers Built 1860s. The pediment carries a depiction of a woman holding a distaff while two putti stack bales of cotton and other trade goods at her feet. Sir Thomas Street Named after Sir Thomas Johnson 1664-1728. A sugar and tobacco merchant, as was his father before him. He was mayor of Liverpool 1695 and MP for Liverpool from 1701 to 1723. Responsible for splitting Liverpool into a separate parish from Walton-on-the-Hill. Driving force for the construction of what we now call the Old Dock. Johnson engaged in four slave voyages as well as transporting 639 Jacobite prisoners to Virginia. By 1717 Johnson owed the government £7,820 in unpaid duty on tobacco. After resigning his seat in Parliament, somewhat ironically Johnson became collector of customs in Virginia leaving his son-in-law, Richard Gildart, to clear his debts. To read more about Sir Thomas Johnson follow this link: https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1690-1715/member/johnson-thomas1664-1728
Victoria Street Bank of Liverpool Branch Opened in 1881, this building housed the first branch office of the Bank of Liverpool. For information about the branch when it was part of Martin’s Bank follow this link: http://www.martinsbank.co.uk/11-00- 90%20Liverpool%20Victoria%20Street.htm
Former General Post Office This building was built between 1894 and 1899 to replace the previous Post Office which had been within the Customs House. The two upper floors were removed following damage in the Liverpool Blitz. The sculptures around the main entrance are by Edward O. Griffith and represent Commerce and Navigation. Temple Court/Fruit Exchange The curved building on the corner housed the first Fruit Exchange although a purpose built Exchange was later converted from former railway premises. For photographs of the interior of the Fruit Exchange see this article in the Liverpool Echo: https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/haunting-pictures-inside-liverpoolsabandoned-16880666
Former Bank of Ireland Notice the bracket for holding support cables for tram lines – as pointed out to me by Rob Jones. Turtle Bay – Rum Bar - Former NatWest Fruit Exchange Branch Avenue Bar - Former branch of – Banco Espanol en Londres Opened because of the considerable business in fruit and wine carried on between Liverpool and Spain. Fowler’s Buildings Listed Grade II* built between 1865 and 1869 to a design by James (later Sir James) Picton for Fowler Brothers Limited, Liverpool and New York – Anglo American Provision Co Pork packers and lard refiners. For details of the listing follow this link: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1063294 To see a Fowler Brothers advertisement follow this link: https://www.loc.gov/resource/pga.02206/
COOK STREET
Union Court 7 Union Court – offices of W & J Brown – merchants and bankers William Brown came to Liverpool from Baltimore in 1810 open the Liverpool office of the linen merchants business which operated out of Baltimore, New York and Philadelphia. The firm became major cotton importers. After the 1837 banking crisis W & J Brown became Brown Shipley and acted as merchant bankers. The firm still exists and the partnership’s New York operation – Brown Brothers Harriman – claims to be the oldest bank in America. For more on Sir William Brown see here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_William_Brown,_1st_Baronet,_of_Richmond_Hill For information about Brown Shipley in 2021: https://brownshipley.com/en-gb
9 Union Court – offices of John Gladstone John Gladstone is, perhaps, best known as father of four times Prime Minister, William Ewart Gladstone and yet he ran a substantial business empire in Liverpool trading in sugar, corn and cotton. Gladstone owned plantations in Jamaica and Demerara (now Guyana). Gladstone received the largest of all payments made by the Slave Compensation Commission upon the abolition of slavery. For more about John Gladstone follow this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_John_Gladstone,_1st_Baronet
CASTLE STREET
Bank of England The Banking Acts, 1826, put an end to the Bank of England’s monopoly on joint stock banking and allowed the Bank to open branches anywhere in England or Wales. One of the first places was Liverpool, with premises in Mr Seel’s former home at the corner of Seel Street and Hanover Street. Between 1845 and 1848 a purpose-built building was designed and erected by Charles Robert Cockerell (1788-1863). The building is now Listed Grade I. For more details see: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1205904
North & South Wales Bank – 60/62 Castle Street 62 Castle Street was built in 1868 for the Alliance Bank. The Alliance Bank of London & Liverpool Ltd was founded in 1862 with a capital of £250,000. In 1864 the bank changed its name to Alliance Bank. Following a string of crises the Liverpool part of business was sold to the National Bank of Liverpool in 1871 and became part of Parrs Bank in 1893 and subsequently NatWest. The design was by Lucy and Littler with a subsequent extension by G. E. Grayson (1833-1912). The building later became the Head Office of the North and South Wales Bank which merged to be part of the Midland Bank in November 1908. The North and South Wales Bank was founded by two Liverpool people with involvement in the slave trade and is important as the only Liverpool based bank to issue notes – although only in Wales, not in Liverpool. The Midland Bank became part of HSBC in 1992. 60 and 62 Castle Street are Listed Grade II. The Alliance Bank eventually became part of the NatWest Group. More details may be found here: https://www.natwestgroup.com/heritage/companies/alliance-bank-ltd-london-andliverpool.html
48-50 Castle Street – Mercantile and Exchange Bank This building was designed by Sir James Picton in 1864 for the Mercantile and Exchange Bank. The bank only lasted about three years before being wound up. The four Gods depicted on the building are – left to right – Aphrodite (Goddess of love and beauty), Mercury (God of merchants), Demeter (Goddess of the harvest) and Hephaestus (God of fire). For more about this Grade II listed building follow this link: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1205963
Adelphi Bank – 38 Castle Street Built in 1892 for the Adelphi Bank. This amalgamated with the Bank of Liverpool in 1899 and eventually became part of Martins Bank. For more about the Adelphi Bank follow this link: http://www.martinsbank.co.uk/11-58- %20Liverpool%20Castle%20Street.htm For more about the sculpture on the building read here: http://www.speel.me.uk/sculptplaces/lpooladelphi.htm
BRUNSWICK ST Heywood’s Bank Heywood’s Bank was a very early Liverpool bank, being formed in Castle Street in 1773 by brothers Arthur and Benjamin Heywood who were both heavily involved in the slave trade. The Brunswick Street building was purpose built for the bank in 1800 and it remained trading from these premises until it was taken over by the Bank of Liverpool in 1883. Even after this merger the building remained a bank, trading as Martins Bank and Barclays Bank until it eventually closed in 1991. For more information about Heywood’s Bank read here: http://www.martinsbank.co.uk/11-00-30%20Liverpool%20Heywoods.htm
Liverpool Union Bank The Liverpool Union Bank was established in 1835, making it one of the earlier Liverpool banks. It traded until 1907 although it was taken over by Lloyds Bank in 1900. In the first 50 years of its establishment the bank dealt mainly with Liverpool merchants and brokers although later counted the Manchester Ship Canal and the Mersey Railway among its customers.
FENWICK STREET
Corn Exchange This is the third Corn Exchange building on the same site. The first was built in 1808 to a design by John Foster Snr. This was replaced in 1854-54 although this building was destroyed by enemy action in May 1941, to be replaced by the present structure in 1959. For some more information about the Corn Exchange follow this link: https://victorianweb.org/art/architecture/liverpool/23.html
Leyland and Bullins Bank – 36 Castle Street Leyland & Bullins Bank was founded by Thomas Leyland in 1807 as Leyland’s Bank until his nephew Richard Bullin was admitted as a partner in 1809. Both Thomas Leyland and his nephew acquired part of their substantial wealth from the slave trade. This building dates from 1899. In 1901 Leyland & Bullins became part of the North and South Wales Bank and then Midland Bank in 1908 before becoming part of HSBC in 1992. In 1975 the building was home to Midland Bank International Division and I, as a nasty spotty oik, started his career there as a “Trainee Bank Manager” on the princely sum of £800 per annum. To read more about Leyland & Bullins Bank follow this link: https://history.hsbc.com/collections/global-archives/leyland-and-bullins?
Parr’s Bank – 22 Castle Street Parr’s Bank started by Joseph Parr, a sugar boiler, in 1782 in Warrington. The Parr family also had a branch in Liverpool. Parr’s Bank bought the National Bank of Liverpool and the Alliance Bank – see 60/62 Castle Street. By 1914 Parr’s Bank had 400 branches and sub-branches and in the big bank amalgamation of 1918 it became part of London County and Westminster Bank and, ultimately, the NatWest Group. The architect of 22 Castle St was Richard Norman Shaw who also designed Scotland Yard in London and the White Star Building in Liverpool. For more on Parr’s Bank follow this link: https://www.natwestgroup.com/heritage/companies/parrs-bank-ltd.html
British & Foreign Marine Insurance Company Limited The company, whose records are in the Liverpool Record Office, was incorporated in 1867 and dissolved in 2018, although little information is available about the company in the public domain. There were apparently associated companies or offices in Belgium, Gibraltar, the USA, Hong Kong, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Australia and Denmark. The building was designed by Grayson & Ould 1888-90. For more about it follow this link: http://www.speel.me.uk/sculptplaces/lpoolcastlest3.htm
Barned’s Buildings Israel Barned – the son of a slave trader – established Israel Barned and Co as a bank in Liverpool. The bank became a joint stock Bank in 1865 as Barned Banking Co Ltd and suspended payments in 1866. “Suspended payments” is banking short-hand for collapsing – the Barneds were heavily into speculating in cotton during the American Civil War – once supplies normalised at the end of the war prices crashed which was probably where their “problems” started. The bank also suffered losses in a railway scheme they had funded fell into difficulties. The bank also traded as Exchange and Discount Bank. For more about Israel Barned follow this link: https://www.kingdavidprimary.co.uk/heritage/
Grateful thanks also go to Rob Jones for his help in compiling the tour and “bravely suffering” (DH) the extended version. (It was a pleasure helping David - Rob Jones.)
