Historic Liverpool Dwellings - Lee Hall

 

John Okill was a pioneering and successful 18th century shipbuilder from Liverpool who at the age of 50 years was a leading citizen of the town, having undertaken the roles of timber merchant as well as ship builder at his yard on the south of Salthouse dock. By 1739 his reputation as an accomplished ship builder awarded him the first of many commissions by the Royal Navy for whom he built nine ships between 1740 and 1758. He was also a Liverpool member of the Company of Merchants formed in 1750 trading to Africa. Whilst other merchants traded in African slaves; Gomer states that Okill's firm was "the only African Merchants not engaged in the slave trade". However, he was personally involved in five slave-trading partnerships in the 1740s, carrying over 1,500 slaves to the West Indies as he traded in the wood and the ivory 'market' which depended on freshly-captured slaves compelled to carry the heavy tusks to the ports where both the tusks and their carriers were sold.

In 1773 he started work on a manor home in Woolton called Lee Hall designed by Robert Lugar. John died later that same year, with work on the building completed by his inheriting nephew, James Okill. Another resident was John Hays Wilson, a brassfounder who was also chairman of Liverpool town council's Water Committee. He died in 1881, having caught a chill at a horse racing meeting held in the grounds of his home, Lee Hall. The people of Gateacre paid for a picturesque memorial: the hexagonal sandstone structure (originally housing a drinking fountain) remains a well-known local landmark, with the Wilson Memorial Fountain standing on Gateacre Village Green on the corner of Grange Lane. John Hays Wilson was also involved in the plan to construct Lake Vyrnwy. He died in 1881, before the project began, and this memorial was erected on land donated by Andrew Barclay Walker. John Hays Wilson had opened the gardens and park of Lee Park to the public, and in 1881-83 the Tarbock Races, organised by the Toxteth Hunt Club, were run in Lee Park. Another owner was Dr. Richard Caton Esq., Lord Mayor of Liverpool in 1907-08 who was the last tenant of the Hall in 1911.

Lee Hall before demolition in 1956

Having stood derelict for over 60 years, some of the land at the Lee Hall estate, comprising two potato farms of 300 acres and the old Lee Hall, became available for purchase in 1950. At that time it was extremely difficult for Jewish golfers to obtain admission to a private golf club. In view of this situation, the Merseyside Jewish Golfing Society made efforts to find land and build their own course. It was in the Spring of 1950 when Sol Bennett spotted Lee Hall, a tumble-down mansion in Gateacre and knocked on the door of the nearby farmhouse. To his delight he discovered that the farm, comprising 225 acres, was for sale and his offer to buy 75 acres was subsequently accepted with the remaining land to be sold at auction. The estimated price was £30,000 including £5,000 to layout the course. There was a shortage of farmland in the post war period and planning permission for the proposed 300 acres was not granted. After protracted negotiations though, it was agreed that 90 acres could be utilised for the course.
It was the first golf course to be built in Britain since the end of the WW II and Lee Park Golf Club was eventually founded in 1954 and the course, designed by Frank Pennink of C. K. Cotton and Co., was progressively extended from 6 to 9 and then 18 holes. Whilst Lee Hall, in its day, would have been a splendid clubhouse its condition was so poor that it was demolished and all that remains is the coach house by the 10th tee. The old farmhouse served as the first clubhouse until replaced by a new purpose built one which has been extended and refurbished over the years.

Nigel Walley, a close friend of John Lennon and an original member of the Quarry Men, left school aged 15 and became an apprentice golf professional at the Lee Park Golf Club. Part of his job at Lee Park involved running a golf shop and so with the experience he was gaining from this it was obvious to John that Nige was the ideal person to become the group's manager. Also, living on Menlove Avenue close to John Lennon was Alan Sytner who was to buy and open The Cavern Club. His father Dr Sytner was a member of the Lee Park golf club so Nigel approached him to see if he would ask his son to book The Quarry Men at the Cavern Club. It was suggested that the group should play at the golf club first, so as to assess their talent, and the night turned out to be a huge success with Alan Sytner liking the group and booking them to play on the Cavern. 

see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2022/11/historic-liverpool-dwellings-may-place.html