Historic Liverpool Dwellings - Rosemount

Aigburth, in South Liverpool, is regarded as one of the affluent areas of Liverpool. It is home to beautiful Grade II listed buildings, where the city’s merchants took up residence back in the day. One of these houses was Rosemount, with large grounds, situated near Sudley school, which was well known for another reason. It was originally built by James Rose for his mother. His industry and wealth grew up on the back of developments enabled by enclosure (his quarries were in great demand, for example), and so local work and jobs increased.
Liverpool Records Office has a number of items under Liverpool Zoo all referring to Mossley Hill Zoo. There is a scrapbook that was kept by the proprietor of the zoo, Captain H. E. Rogers. It includes lots of interesting detail right from the moment Mr Rogers bought his large house and grounds in Mossley Hill called Rosemount (sometimes spelled Rosemont). This was in 1928 although the zoo didn't open until the 4th of May 1932. There were also the Zoological Gardens of Mr. Cross at Otterspool which closed in 1925, when Liverpool Corporation bought the Otterspool estate to convert it into the public parkland that is now known as 'Otterspool Park and Promenade'. However the transference of the Zoo to Mossley Hill met with strong opposition by the local residents, and, in fact, the project was vetoed under a Corporation town-planning scheme. Mr. Rogers, however, appealed to the Ministry of Health, and his appeal was allowed subject to certain restrictions for the safeguarding of the residential amenities of the district. One or two unsuccessful attempts had been made to develop on more ambitious lines the idea of a Liverpool zoological gardens. The Liverpool Zoological Society was launched in 1926 with the object of forming a civic zoological and botanical garden, and later fell into abeyance after the refusal of the Corporation to agree to its schemes. Later a limited company incorporating the name of the society was formed with a plan to establish an open air Whipsnade type of zoo on Merseyside. It was hoped to take over the Mossley Hill Zoo as a going concern, but negotiations fell through and the company, although not wound up, has remained virtually defunct.

Photo of Mickey lighting up a cigarette with his keeper.

 

According to the zoo's promotional posters, it was home to thousands of animals including lions, alligators, elephants, kangaroos, bears and over 600 monkeys. However the star attraction of the park was 14 year old Mickey, who was billed as 'the world's cleverest chimp'. Mickey was reported to enjoy lighting and smoking his cigarettes and was, in fact, 15 stone of rippling muscle with a penchant for breaking out of his cage. A number of dramatic, and even tragic incidents marked the Zoo's existence at Mossley Hill as the escapes of a monkey and a snake caused more amusement than damage but an attendant was fatally mauled by a leopard. It is said that Mickey escaped four times from the zoo before a final break out followed by a school rampage in 1938 ensured it would be his last. The Liverpool Echo on the 24th of March, 1938 recounted the dramatic events that led up to Mickey's death earlier in the day. Mickey was discovered to be on the loose after Mr J Wardle, the zoo's manager, found the chimp had broken an iron bar to his cage and made good his escape. Out of his cage, Mickey is said to have broken into the zoo manager's house, breaking through the door which 'smashed like matchwood'. In the house, he pushed over the zoo manager's wife before fleeing, but not before several zoo staff had armed themselves with revolvers and rifles. A shot was fired before Mickey left the zoo compound leaving him wounded, but he carried on and headed to Sudley Road School. A large group of children are said to have been in the playground as the wounded chimp arrived. A young teacher by the name of Mr A Gall is said to have heard a yell from a group of boys as Mickey ran towards them. The teacher tried to usher the children inside but Mickey had already grabbed one of the boys by his ankle. Bravely Mr Gill ran towards Mickey to save the boy, and recounts what happened next. The teacher said: "I know very little of what followed. I must have been just picked up and thrown about, to judge from the scratches on my shoes and my torn clothes. I lost consciousness, and when I came to a little later I was lying on the asphalt and heard someone shouting to me to run indoors. The chimpanzee was still only a few yards away from me. I picked myself up and made for the gate, slamming it behind me. I had a vague vision of the chimpanzee jumping over it after me, but I got indoors safely and here I am." Mickey then made his way to Lugard Road next to the school and climbed on a roof. Police officers from Aigburth, Allerton and Garston are said to have been at the scene as well as keepers. Following the rampage, where six people are said to have been hurt including three children, the decision was made to shoot Mickey. Several months later, Mickey was stuffed and put back on display at the zoo. There are also accounts that, following the zoo's closure, the stuffed chimp was put on display at Lewis's department store until it was bombed in the 1941 blitz, then later at Sudley House museum during the 1950s and 60s.

Photo of Mickey stuffed and put on display following his death.

 

The zoo ran for only six years between 1932 and 1938 and was situated where Rosemont Road housing estate now resides off where Woodlands Road and Elmswood Road meet. The scrapbook ends with some catalogues from the auction of the house Rosemount. Mr. Rogers retired in 1938 and wanted the zoo to continue but there was no interest. The local residents were opposed to the zoo and campaigned for the land to be used for mass housing. This was considered surprising at the time, as most of Mossley Hill was large houses, but they were very unhappy with the escapes. The house and grounds are remembered in the name of Rosemont Road that went through middle of the estate. On 14th October 1938 Liverpool Daily Post had an article explaining Mr. Rodgers reasons for retiring and ends with a history of Liverpool zoos.

see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2023/02/historic-liverpool-dwellings-abercromby.html