Grove Cottage, Toxteth, Liverpool

At the time of its demolition, this was one of the oldest buildings left standing in toxteth. It stood close to the South End Mills, and the Victorian tower block of that building can be seen in the top left corner of this 1920s photo (from the John Roles collection, with permission). Older maps show that Grove Cottage used to be about twice as big as it appears in this photo. Roberts Griffiths's drawing (1907, below) shows this to be the case. The building has clearly been added to over the years, and looks like a simple cottage to which an extension has been added on the side, with both cellar and dormer windows, as well as a second extension on the far gable end. Philip Mayer (2) records that Grove Cottage was called 'The White House' when it was used as a farmhouse at the start of the 1800s and that it stood close to the South End Flour Mills. (again see Isaac's painting.

There is a suspicion that Grove Cottage could be the same as a farm, or farmhouse, labelled as 'Parrs' on the 1768 map of Yates and Perry. Robert Griffiths (1) states simply that the two are the same, although he offers no explanation or evidence, just this bare statement. It is in approximately the same place but the Y&P map is very sketchy. Unfortunately Parr's is only identified, as such, on two early maps (1768 & 1826), both of which are on too small a scale to be absolutely sure of its placement or identity.

A close examination of another map, the 1765 Sefton map of this area (which sadly does not label Parrs) clearly shows two clusters of properties, quite close together, in this approximate area. These appear to share the same access, from Park Road, as Mill Street was yet to be built. The two properties are on shown as different holdings, as fields on this map are numbered according to their tenancy but there is no convincing proof as to which might correspond to any named properties.

It may be noted that John Isaacs 1859 painting, shows two clusters of buildings, in the right places to correspond to the 1765 map. Even though the orientation and aspect is a little distorted on the painting (which was made from a balloon). One of these can most certainly be identified as the South End Mill with both New Park and Grove Cottage visible nearby. Similarly the second cluster of buildings, close to Grafton Street and Park Terrace, shows Lavrock Bank close to both Chapel Court and the (hidden) Herculaneum Chapel. The latter two are closely connected but there is nothing to suggest any link between them and Lavrock Bank, other than their proximity. There are again no clues as to the identity of 'Parrs' in this.

That houses and farms existed long before the major development and urbanisation of toxteth beginning in the 19th Century, is clear. Robert Griffiths (1) suggested that there were four farms in Toxteth in 1768 but was mistaken. It is true that, the Yates and Perry map suggests four named farms, but it is an unreliable and superficial map and one can hardly blame Griffiths for an apparently reasonable, if incorrect, assumption based on it. There is however firm evidence for a greater degree of settlement in Toxteth and at a much earlier date than this.

An agreement, by Lord Derby, to sell Toxteth Park, (Lancashire Record Office), dated 1604 has attached a draft listing '16 messuages, six cottages, two mills, twenty gardens, 600 acres of (arable) land, sixty acres of meadow, 300 acres of heath and 600 acres of moss' (2). This is at least 22 dwellings and based on the meaning of messuage (a dwelling house and its adjacent buildings and the adjacent land used by the household) this would be more than simply 22 buildings. The total acreage was 1, 560 (these were apparently 'big acres and this equates to 3,276 statute acres) (2). So there were substantially more than 4 farms in toxteth and this is 164 years before the Yates and Perry drew their map. A report of the 1604 commission actually names 23 tenants but states that only 13 of the farms had houses built on them. Paul Booth, who actually did this research, provides a fascinating list of these people and compares them to those in a 1596 document (2). Amongst names notable in the history of Toxteth (relating especially to the puritan community of this time and shortly after) one may note Edward Aspinwall, Edmond Smoot, Edward Hytchene, Robert Rosse, Wylliam Foxe, Mylles Mather and Alexander Molyneux (then the Rector of Walton).

Returning to Grove Cottage, Robert Griffiths writing about the dwelling (under its older name of 'The White House') says that 'as late as 1850 a well kept garden containing many trees flourished its north side and it is only recently (written 1907) that the old well, which was on the south side, near the present pavement in Mill Street, covered with an old millstone, was filled up'.* He reports that the house was 'said to be the birthplace of the late Colonel George McCorquodale the founder of the great firm of railway printer at Newton-le-Willows; Colonel of the old Liverpool Press Guards; Deputy Lieutenant of the County, and High Sherriff (1882).'

In an accompanying picture he says that the Colonel was born in 1821. To support this, Baines for 1825 does list: Hugh M'Corquodale, tailor & draper, 14 Bold Street. and Gore for 1834 records 'Hugh McCorquodale, gentleman, at Grove Cottage, Toxteth Park'. It can be noted that the surname does not then appear in the 1837 Liverpool Gore, seemingly the family had gone by then. It is known that as George McCorquodale moved his printing business to Newton-le-Willows in 1846 where he bought the Old Conservative Club and late the Old Legh Arms, which were converted for use as a railway printer's premises.(3)

Little is known of the history of the property in the late 19th and early 20th century, Directories and maps provide some data and locate Grove Cottage on the even-numbered side of Mill Street, between Grain Street and Harlow Street. The cottage itself seems not to be numbered but number 342 is clearly the corner property fronting Grain Street, then there is 342a, 342b before 344. So far, only in 1911 has the name Grove Cottage appeared and it is not numbered even then.

Data are as follows.

year	address	Notes
1881	not named
1894	not named	342 given as Thomas Evans, rigger - but see 1911
1911	Grove Cottage	named but un-numbered between 342 and 342a Mill Street, occupant is Thomas Evans, rigger
1934	not named
1936	not named
1938	not named
1946	not named
1954	Ye Old Grove Cottage
1955	not named	adjacent properties and numbering remain unchanged
1962	not named	adjacent properties and numbering remain unchanged
1966	not named	adjacent properties and numbering remain unchanged

Grove Cottage seems to have stood until around the 1960s. In 1966 it was said that Grove Cottage had been demolished "recently". One correspondent however puts it earlier than this "When I was a child in the early 50s I remember an old detached cottage being demolished in Mill Street. It is on your map 4b between Grain St. and Harlow St. It is quite distinctive on the map. I am now 65 and I also seem to remember that there was a lot of straw in between the walls". (Thanks Bob)

The tower block is the only building on the above photograph to survive and Spillers (as it was to become) have spread out over the years to occupy all this site.