Starting our
journey at Liverpool and ending at Manchester, 17 members and
friends enjoyed a wonderful day out on the Manchester Ship
Canal. The forecasted rain didn't appear and the day turned out
quite favorable with blue skies and some sun. We had a constant
commentary throughout our 6 hour journey. Some interesting facts
emerged. A meeting was called in June 1882 by Daniel Adamson,
along with Hamilton Fullton and Edward Leader Williams . The
estimated cost of construction was over £5,000,000 and was
expected to take 4 years to complete. It was finally completely
filled with water in November 1893 and opened to its first
traffic in January 1894. Then on 21st May 1894 Queen Victoria
visited to perform the opening ceremony. The Manchester Ship
Canal is the eighth longest ship canal in the world
and it enabled Manchester to become Britain's third biggest
port. Joan Dickinson.
Thanks to David Wilding for providing many photos and a CD of
the trip for the Society records. The prints will be available
to view at future Society meetings.
While walking
along the A6 Preston Road, Chorley, near the Hospital I noticed
the long derelict house ‘Northolme’ now being demolished.
Neglect and vandalism meant that was the only remaining option.
The house has seen much better days and was originally built by
the Hibbert family and was the home of Chorley’s Sir Henry
Hibbert. He was responsible for many advances in Chorley.
Additionally he had a key role in the 1903 Education Act and was
knighted for his education work in the same year. As chairman of
the County Council Education Committee he pressed for Chorley to
be given a new secondary school. B.H.
It was previously documented that Sir
Henry Hibbert lived for a while at ‘Northolme’ on Preston Road
Chorley near the Hospital. The Society received an email in Feb
2022 to correct this information. Many thanks to Phileen
Tattersall (nee Mould) for the following corrections: Northolme did not belong to Sir Henry
Hibbert. The house he built was next door, on the north side. It
was built some time after its two 19th century neighbours.
Northolme was bought at auction by Edward Mould in 1950 from the
estate of Miss Cuff. He lived in the house for at least thirty
years, having moved in with his wife, six children and
mother-in-law in 1950. Edward Mould moved from 31, Southport
Road, Chorley which he bought from the Hibberts in about 1934.
O.S. Map of 1940.
Northolme on the left May 2009.
The following passage is reproduced from ‘A History of Chorley –
by Jim Heyes’
Relatively little is said nowadays about the part played in
education by Sir Henry F. Hibbert (1850-1927). He served on the
town council from 1891 and was MP for Chorley from 1913 to 1918.
Education was dear to his heart - and especially sport, for as a
boy he had been severely ill and regained his health partly
through rigorous sporting activity. He had a key role in the
1902 Education Act and was knighted for his education work in
1903.
Northolme almost gone
Sir Henry F. Hibbert (1850-1927)
All that remains of 'Northolme',
part of the terra-cotta datestone
from over the front door.
The contractor said the full date was 1868 Though it looks
more like 1878
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