Merton Grove

[Gortaphuill]

Hi Bob

I lived in the house in the first picture, number two. Mum, Dad (Cissie and Jimmy Morris) moved in with my gran Lily, after the death of my grandad Arthur in February 1960. I was married from there in 1965 at St Winnies, and my parents lived there until about 1982.

Barbara

[tonysmith]

Hi Barbara

My mum and dad bought your old house in 1984 when I was 18.
It was a very grand old house with all of the old fittings still present.
Fantastic wood and marble fire surrounds going up to the ceiling, gas lamps on the wall, wires down to the cellars to ring bells for the servants.

I remember the old many who lived there (Jimmy Morris) who I think was a butcher, he had been burgled and I think didnt feel safe anymore. It took a year to modernise and my parents still live there Matty and Teresa Smith.

It is a fantastic house will a bit of history. The man who built the house and also a lot of houses in Bootle named it 'Cora Lin' after a waterfall in Scotland that he was born by. He had lunch with Gladstone the Prime Minister a couple of times in the house.

It was also the home of Gabriel Coury VC who won the VC during the battle of the Somme.

It is still a great family home and we enjoy all meeting up there for sunday dinner.

Nice to hear from someone else who has lived there.

Tony

[Gortaphuill]

Hi Tony

What a lovely reply, thanks for that. I didn't know anything about the history of the house. As you say, it was a grand house and we moved there from a two bedroomed flat in Thackeray Gardens. I felt I had really gone up in the world.

Jimmy Morris was my Dad (and yes, they had been burgled several times) and the house was bought by his father Arthur Morris who was also a butcher, plus he was a bookmaker (in the days before betting shops) and had an office over the Imperial on Stanley Road. He had a great love for musical theatre and he wanted me to go into the profession (he paid for loads of dancing lessons) and he reckoned that my stage name would be Cora Linn. Obviously, nothing came of his ambition.

Regards
Barbara

[Gortaphuill]

Tony
As an afterthought, do you know the name of the builder who named the house. Cora Linn is a weir on the river Clyde the literal translation of the Gallic is "weir's pool". I also looked up Gabriel Goury VC and found that he was buried in St Peter and Paul's churchyard in Crosby.

Barbara

[lily8]

Lovely post Tony and Barbara about the history of the house, being interested I had a look through the census' from 1871 through 1911;
Merton Grove is not listed in 1871 so perhaps the house was built between 1871 and 1881.

In 1881 there were only 3 houses # 1.5.7. at #1 is James Leslie and family Mr Leslie was an Alderman and a building contractor (perhaps he had the house built?) Scotland is listed as her birthplace.

In 1891 the houses all even #s from 2 to 16, James Leslies widow Agnes and family lived at #2.

Ditto 1901

1911 the #s change again to 1.2.3.5.6.7.9.11.13 and 15, Agnes Leslie is still at #2 she lists her birthplace as Lenrick Glasgow.

James Leslie served as mayor of Bootle in the year 1884.

[lily8]

Just to add a bit more I looked for James Leslie and family in 1871 and found him in Bootle, listing above his says Braenose Road and his listing just the #2 ? He was at that stage a master mason employing 15 masons 10 apprentices and 9 labourers so obviously building on a fairly large scale. Hope it is of interest.

Cheers

[Thommos sister]

A very interesting reply Tony and thank you, Barbara you must be very pleased.
Lily, ditto for Mrs Leslie in 1894 Directory.


T.S

[BOBHAMO]

Great finds girls i was trying to find where he was born
gabriel coury
his father was armenian Raphael coury
and was a cotton merchant working in liverpool
who died 1903
the address for his wife was 33 canning street so seems he was born there
he jioned the 6th kings first
then 3rd south lancs
then the royal flying corps
i was trying to find what years at merton grove
as mr leslies family where there from the beginning
gabriel brother charles also a cotton broker lived in crosby area
and gabriel was buried there
http://www.urbexforums.co.uk/showthread ... raves-2009
bobhamo

[Gortaphuill]

Hi Folks

I think maybe it was James Leslie that built the house, considering the birthplace and the name of the house. If he built all the houses in Merton Grove then it makes sense that he lived in number two. This was the only house on that particular side and from the front it looks detached, although it was attached to number four at the back where it turned the corner. Plus number two was much bigger and grander than all the other properties in the Grove.

What do you genies think.
Barbara

[Mackenzie]

*Gabriel Coury was born 13 June 1896 at 16 Croxteth Grove, Sefton Park the home of his Grand father Basil. At the end of WW1 Gabriel Coury returned to work for Messrs Reynolds and Gibson, Cotton Merchants and Brokers. Liverpool he took up residence with his wife Katherine Mary (Lovell) at 2 Merton Grove, remaining until 1926 (Maybe he was lodging there!) then moving to 38 Brooke Road, Waterloo. Between this period and 1932 both he and his wife were based in Egypt at the companies offices in Alexandria. They had three daughters who were at boarding school on the Isle of Wight and then later at Ursuline Convent, Crosby..
In the 1901 census Gabriel Courys father, Raphael and mother Marie resided at 'The Mount' Waterloo Park along with his three brothers and two sisters.



* The Liverpool Heroes (VCs) Book1

[BOBHAMO]

Thanks mackensie some great info
bobhamo

[BOBHAMO]

Name: Gabriel Coury
Event: Census
Event Date: 1911
Gender: Male
Age: 14
Birthplace: Liverpool, Lancashire
Record Type: Institution
Registration District: Clitheroe
Sub-district: Chipping
Parish: Aighton, Barley And Chaigley
County: Lancashire
wonder what the institution taught???
bobhamo

[Mackenzie]

Name: Gabriel Coury
wonder what the institution taught???
bobhamo

Basically how to be a good catholic, it was Stoneyhurst College
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonyhurst_College
The school's alumni include three Saints, twelve Beati, seven archbishops, seven Victoria Cross winners, a Peruvian president and prime minister, a New Zealand Prime Minister, a signatory of the American Declaration of Independence and a number of writers, sportsmen, politicians and a Hollywood film actor.

[Ed Davies]

edit

[lily8]

Bob there is also a Tolkien connection to the College:

http://www.oldclitheroe.co.uk/page172.htm

On the Coury family the father Raphael was born in Alexandria Egypt and was listed in the 1901 census as a Turkish subject, the mother Marie was born in Beirut(Syria).

Gabriels wedding announcement from 'Flight' magazine:

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/ ... 00113.html

Later: Gabriel is listed in the telephone directories continuously from 1925 to 1928 at 38 Brooke Road Blundellsands, and from 1929 to at least 1948 at various addresses in Southport.

[Ed Davies]

[henry]

many a time coming home from St, winnies school and going home we used to go past the treacle works and there used to be a vat of of unused treacle and we use to put our arms in in it and lick it off going all the the way home DELICIOUS and all for free

[lily8]

Hi Folks

I think maybe it was James Leslie that built the house, considering the birthplace and the name of the house. If he built all the houses in Merton Grove then it makes sense that he lived in number two. This was the only house on that particular side and from the front it looks detached, although it was attached to number four at the back where it turned the corner. Plus number two was much bigger and grander than all the other properties in the Grove.

What do you genies think.
Barbara

I think that would be right Barbara I would have loved to see the house in it's original form I suppose it has been modernised over the years?? Mrs Agnes Leslie died in 1918 and from the probate records seems to have lived in the house until her death.



Thats a great pics Ed

[lily8]

Here you go Bob MIC for Gabriel Coury:



I could not find any records for Gabriel Coury leaving or re-entering the UK.

[BOBHAMO]

Another great post good photo edd
and lily thanks for the info bootle has an interesting
history for just a small town
bobhamo

[lily8]

Bob it's always a pleasure for us to find things that hopefully interest other posters, we learn so much about not only Bootle and Liverpool but a lot of places around the world on this great site.

[Ed Davies]

What a good thread great info folks love it makes you wonder what stories are yet to be found on an ordinary Street.
1914
Merton Grove
Spenso is at 14

Order Name/Number Surname
1 James. W Cockburn
2 Mrs. Agnes Leslie
3 Alfred. W Potter
3 John. K Potter
4 James. Barcroft Hudson
5 William. H Chorley
6 Miss Sarah Cook
7 Charles Merrick
8 John Garven
9 Charles Bird
10 T. Mayne Reid
11 Thomas. Taylor Stubbs
12 Mrs. Lucy Robin
13 George. W Colquhoun
14 Arthur. B Spencer
15 Mrs. Elizabeth Ellison
16 George Granston
18 Thomas Lea
20 James. L Owen
22 Joseph Holland
24 Richard Tilley
24 John Tilley
26 David. M Sheppley
28 Samuel Guild
30 Wheatley & Bates Ltd

[Mackenzie]

This firm was called Criddles until acquired by United Molasses in 1939 then later becoming part of the Tate & Lyle group. John Criddle was a remarkable benevolent, humanitarian employer who built homes for his workers on Gorsey Lane, Litherland, next to Ford Cemetery still referred as 'Criddle's estate'.
His obituary http://litherland-digital.co.uk/album_3 ... e_obit.htm
I can recall the Sentinel steam powered wagons, with the firebox below, used to transport the produce up the hill on Merton grove onto Stanley Road. One pictured on this link http://www.nsctec.co.uk/March%202009.pdf

[Ed Davies]

What a decent man great link Mackenzie
I remember going down stairs to a boxing club in Merton Grove
Bob any chance of listing 1949 for Merton Grove.

[Mackenzie]

Some interesting facts regarding Gabriel Coury his father was of Armenian (Turkish)descent born in Alexandria his mother of French descent born in Beirut, Lebanon. He attended SFX in Salisbury St, then enrolled at Stonyhurst in 1907 until 1913. At the outbreak of war he enlisted as a private in the 2/6th Kings Liverpool Regt. although he could have taken a commission, only after training did he apply for his commission. He was awarded his VC in 1916 during the Somme offensive at the age of 20. He became an observer then later a pilot in the Royal Flying corps. In 1917 whilst transferring an aircraft from England to France in atrocious weather his aircraft struck a flagpole and crashed setting fire to fuel he was dragged from the flames miraculously he survived with severe burns to his body, he continued to serve out the rest of the war. At the wars end he returned to his cotton broking in Liverpool until the outbreak of WW11 in 1939 again he enlisted this time in the RASC. He served as a captain and was involved in the Normandy landings and fought continually until the defeat of Germany. After the war there was a decline in the cotton trade so he decided to open a fish and chip shop in Brunswick Road, Liverpool, the business was a success and he branched out into catering mainly in the Liverpool parks.. He returned to his employment as a cotton broker in 1952 leaving his wife to run the chippy and the catering business. His health deteriorated and he died in Feb 1956 aged 59. His funeral was held at St Peter and St Paul Crosby, he was interred in the family grave at the church.

[BOBHAMO]

some more great info mackensie hope we get another thread on other houses. heres 1949 edd
hope daveowe has had a look at this as bootle V C holders are his pet subject

bobhamo

[Ed Davies]

Thanks Bob good Idea about other houses bet Bootle has lots of stories about people's lives.
A thread called "If walls could Talk"

[glossybonce]

What a lovely house, and a really interesting post.

[tonysmith]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

We were visited one day by a descendant of the Leslie family who left us with some very interesting info, i'm sure one of the brothers got drunk at an important political get-together and embarrassed the family so much he hwas forced to emigrate to Australia. I'll speak to my parents to see if they still have the letters which I will post on this thread.

I learnt about Gabriel Coury from 2 authors who visited the house one day to take pictures, they produced a book called "the 7 VC's of Stonyhurst College", well worth a read.

He won is VC at the Battle of the Somme, at Arrow Head Copse. In the morning he rallied his company after a flare landed on a pile of ammo in the trench and the company fled in panic, in the afternoon his Major lay injured in no mans land, and after another person had already been killed by a sniper he went out under continual fire and brought him back to the line ( the major died later in the day).

There was a major presentation to Gabriel at Liverpool Town Hall and he then attended a celebration dinner at the Cotton Exchange held by his colleagues.

A very brave man like so many others of the day.

[lily8]

Hi Tony glad to have helped it was an interesting post and fascinating to follow the history of the house-I will have a look for the 'black sheep' in Australia

[Dan]

Produced at the Criddle molasses refining plant in Merton Grove.

Criddle's Old Fashioned Black Treacle.

[Dan]

Financial Times January 14 1984.

Announcement of the closure of the T&L syrup and treacle plant in Merton Grove, on April 6 1984, with the loss of 90 jobs.