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The origins of the Hamlet
The land occupied by St Michaels Hamlet was formerly owned by the Earl of Sefton
and was known as Dickenson's Dingle.
There is no evidence of any ecclesiastical
connotations before this time and there is no known connection with St Michael.
The land and hamlet came to be named after the Church of
St Michael in the Hamlet was built and that appears to be
as far as the name goes back. Prior to the construction of the church it was open fields and farmland.
When the land was put up for
auction, in 1803, it was described simply as "All that piece of land
known as Dickenson's Dingle, reaching from Park Lane, The High Road which runs from the ancient Park Chapel to Garston down the river".
After
its sale development began, around 1812, with the church being opened in 1815.
St Michael in the Hamlet was, initially, largely developed by John Cragg of the Mersey Iron Foundry (situated
in Tithebarn Street and seemingly not the Mersey Forge
with which it has been linked or confused).
Even
before the completion of St Michael's in the Hamlet, John Cragg began work on the building of five gentleman's houses around the church, including one,
Hollybank, for himself. It was Cragg himself who purchased the land, from the then
Earl of
Sefton. Robert Griffiths reports that it took
30 years to complete these deeds. Cragg must have become cynical, as Griffiths
also tells a story from 1854 when Cragg, who was a bachelor, was on his death bed.
His doctor is said to have told him to make sure that his affairs were in order, Cragg requested his will and then threw it on the fire, stating 'The law will settle it better than I can'.
The original five houses were as follows
There was more development both by Cragg and others. Other properties include
The Friars
(a property distinct from The Friary)
The Priory was added
in the 1830s
The Grange (originally called Dudley
House)
The Liverpool Mercury for 11th August 1820, carries and advert entitled "Sales by Auction" In
this Mr Winstanley offers for sale 52
acres of land, comprising two messuages held by Mr Brandreth and Mr Gordon.
The land is clearly part of Dikenson's Dingle. Two family pews and one small
pew in St Michaels Church are also offered for sale.
(with
thanks to Caryl Williams)
In 1881 the Gore for that year records the following properties
in St Michael's Road, though it omits listings for the distinct St Michael's Church
Road totally and thus misses several properties. Dudley House is here shown
under its original name, it later became The Grange
Other
related buildings in this area include :-
St Michaels Church
St Michaels Church rooms
and Sunday School
St Michaels Church Institute
St
Michaels Hall
St. Michael's Hamlet Conservation Area was designated on 12 December 1968.
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St Michael in the Hamlet
