Prime sites revealing so much about the great and good of Ormskirk life
PROPERTY in and around Ormskirk has constantly changed hands for many years.
Prime commercial sites at The Cross and along the four converging thoroughfares were valuable pieces of real estate with huge potential.
Further out from the centre of town, small areas of development created their own importance to the town.
One such iconic property was the large street fronted nine-room house known for many years as Dr Suffern’s house.
He had started his practice in Railway Road, which was situated at the corner of Burscough Street and Derby Street, where the police station is now.
There is an original indentured deed for this property dating back to 30th April 1821.
An indentured deed was a transfer of title written out twice by hand onto a large sheet of paper, the large page was then cut into two parts, a top part and a bottom part, with the indented cutting edge perfectly matching at the join, this was to avoid any attempt of forgery.
The property is described in the deed as being “at the west corner of Lydiate Lane and in part to the front of Burscough Street...”, Derby Street was originally known as Lydiate Lane right into the 20th Century.
The size of the building is recorded as “containing in front to the said street Twenty two feet five inches and to the said Lane Thirty Five Feet eight inches more or less..”. The picture of the house shows the side view of the property and this matches the dimensions given in the deed quite clearly.
The owner of the house had been James Moorcroft, he had died and his nephew, Robert Moorcroft had been left as a trustee of the estate.
Robert Moorcroft had however died before the estate could be settled and his own executors were left with the responsibility of disposing of the house.
The executors were Henry Sharples, gentleman and John Travis, butcher, who were signing over the deeds to Thomas Hancock, surgeon.
There was a tenant in the property, Mrs Sarah Astley.
The deed also covers a property across the lane, a dwelling house at the start of Butcher’s Row, which was in the tenancy of Edward Houghton.
The ownership of this property is recorded in the deed as the “inheritance of John Tatlock more late of Richard Tatlock afterwards of Richard Johnson in light of his wife afterwards of James Guest more late of Thomas Helsby...”
Thomas Helsby then sold the property to James Moorcroft who then owned both sides of the Lane at its junction with Burscough Street.
The property in Butcher’s Row was adjoining the dwelling house that was being used as a public dispensary, this was before the purpose-built dispensary building was founded by Dr Brandreth in 1830, (now the Farmer’s Club).
The large house was still standing into the early 1960s, the adjoining properties to the front of Burscough Street were three- storey houses but with no inside bathroom and they had become damp.
The families were moved into local authority housing and the whole block was demolished to make traffic flow easier at the junction and also to create a much needed car park.
This part of the town at one time saw some wonderful buildings incluidng Knowles House opposite – demolished to build the library, Waveney House at No 3 Derby Street, once the Miss Valentines School for Young Ladies.
The Valentines School was put under pressure by local doctor Owen Caregan of Burscough Street, who had bought Waveney House in 1919 with the school as sitting tenants.
Dr Caregan had offered the school 53 Burscough Street, where he ran his surgery, in straight exchange of tenancy.
After petitioning for repossession the case went before Judge Dowdall at Southport County Court to decide and the school won the right to stay.
Dr Caregan must have appealed though, as his address five years later when he died was 3 Derby
Street, which was Waveney House.
Waveney House was demolished in the late 20th century and No 53 Burscough Street was demolished along with Knowles House next door.
The Walter Brown building on the corner Burscough Street and Derby Street West still remains and is named after the youngest leader of the local council, (up to the 1960s).
ON Saturday, November 9, the deed, and other similar documents, will be on display at Costa Coffee in Burscough Street from 10am-4pm when Ormskirk Bygone Times will be holding a special heritage event.