Local History

local history by Stephen Guy, West Derby Society

Old Tuebrook

The Tue Brook meanders its way - mostly underground - through Liverpool suburbs before eventually joining the River Alt.

Tuebrook House on West Derby Road dates from 1615, one of the first brick-built houses in the Liverpool area. In Edwardian times, Tuebrook was a growing suburb named after the stream which was culverted as the district grew. Much of the area was still open countryside. A stone gateway stood next to a lodge at the end of Lisburn Lane. These gave access to a tree-lined drive leading to Lark Hill house, built in 1768. The drive later became Muirhead Avenue and trees were retained on the central reservation.

Lark Hill was a home of the Heywood banking family for generations. It became a popular library before being demolished in 1962.

One of Tuebrook’s most famous sons was philanthropist Charles Melly, member of another well-known family. Son of Andre Melly of Geneva who settled in Liverpool, Charles was born in relatively humble circumstances in 1829. His birthplace was a cottage on a site where Ivy Leigh joins West Derby Road. Charles is remembered today for the many drinking fountains he paid for around Liverpool, inspired by those in Geneva.

This was a time when there was a strong temperance movement focussing on the dangers of drink. Similar fountains soon sprang up around Britain. Gardner Road is pictured on a 1905 postcard in a view still recognisable today. Just visible on the other side of West Derby Road is a house later demolished for road improvements. Lizzie, who posted the card to Matlock in Derbyshire, presumably lived in Gardner Road as she wrote: “What do you think of this? Does it bring back sweet memories?” Eighty years ago, Gardner Road made national headlines when a resident budgerigar breeder made outlandish claims about his birds.

In 1941 Harold Edward Kershaw put a series of newspaper notices throughout Britain advertising for sale a budgie called Joey who could “talk, dance, mimic, whistle and sing like a canary”. In reality, there were many Joeys and numerous people bought them, only to find they had been duped. None of the birds had these talents.

Kershaw was found guilty of obtaining money under false pretences and was sentenced to six months’ hard labour. The court heard that in 1935 he was bound over for similar offences in relation to parrots.

Visit the West Derby Society website: westderbysociety.wixsite.com/westderbysociety

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