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Liverpool History Society Questions online

Liverpool Landscapes was a blog charting new discoveries, news and developments affecting Liverpool's historic environment. It was regularly updated between 2007 and 2016.

Liverpool Landscape has now been retired, and most of the less time-dependent articles moved to Historic Liverpool.

Some very interesting bits from the Net recently:

Liverpool History Society Questions is a blog I always watch – readers ask questions and (more often than not) Rob Ainsworth of Liverpool History Society comes up with an answer. Topics range from buildings to family history to maps, and two recent topics will be of interest to readers of this blog. From October 15th there is a great and detailed description of court houses in Liverpool. These cramped, airless and dim dwellings were thrown up around Liverpool in the 19th Century, and hundreds of families lived in them. I know that a number of my own ancestors lived in such conditions in Toxteth and around the Cathedral area (as it is now). The famous Dr. Duncan played a key role in their investigation, and there are only a couple left in the city (listed in September this year).

On October 19th a reader asks about the 1725 Chadwick Map, which should be familiar to anyone having researched Liverpool’s urban history for any length of time. The authenticity of a copy for sale in the US is in question, and Rob Ainsworth does a great job in describing the map’s history. Chadwick’s map is annotated with road names and landmarks in the margins, and can be seen in many Liverpool history publications, such as Aughton, and Liverpool 800. A decent reproduction can be found on the Mersey Gateway (though the labels are barely readable.) A paper copy can be bought from Scouse Press.

In a few other bits of news, the forever-delayed tram system may never see the light of day: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/8314734.stm

In a follow-up to my recent post on ShipAIS, you can keep track of the Queen Mary 2 while it stays in Liverpool: http://www.shipais.com//showship.php?mmsi=235762000

5 Comments
  1. Peter #

    I must agree with you about the content of LHS Questions blog, I find it such an interesting site that provides a large range of subjects and answers on Liverpool`s history

    October 22, 2009
  2. Absolutely – I’m glad you agree. The most recent post is about a former theatre in Williamson Square, and if anything their post just makes me want to know more!

    Thanks for reading!

    October 23, 2009
  3. Ron #

    I have to agree the LHS Blog fires my imagination. Some of the questions are so diverse and interesting, but I anyways enjoy Rob Ainsworth`s replies. He used to do a local history slot on Simon Obrien`s Saturday morning radio show on City Talk FM that I never missed. He always informs me about some aspect of the city` history I never knew. He must be a walking encyclopaedia of Liverpool`s history and is the first place I look on the internet when I need my local history fix.

    I hope to one day post a question on the LHS blog that Rob does not have an answer to.

    November 1, 2009
  4. Ha, yes that would be quite an acheivement considering his extensive knowledge! I didn’t realise it was Rob who did the radio show. I only caught it a couple of times but it was always brilliant. I seem to remember the DJ (Simon O’Brien I assume!) always sounded totally absorbed in it too, which was one of the best things about it!

    November 3, 2009
  5. John #

    I had been trying to glean any information on George Wise a Liverpool Pastor. For nearly two years I tried in vain, then I posted the question on Rob`s LHS Questions Blog. Within the hour back came a full reply to my enquiry. What a great service the Liverpool History Society provides.

    December 28, 2009

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