Historical Liverpool Dwellings - Elm House

Facing Aigburth Road, on the corner of Park Road and Ullet Lane once stood a group of very interesting properties, comprising of Elm House, Chapelville and confusingly another later property The Elms – nicknamed 'Cooper’s Folly' by Robert Griffiths in 1907.

Elm House, which can be seen on the Yates and Perry’s map of 1768. stood on Ullet Lane (now Ullet Road), facing Aigburth Road. The house and later the street next to it called 'The Elms' were named after the six ancient elm trees in the garden of the house. Here is how Griffith’s described Elm House in 1907: 'The old stucco-fronted house, next to the tramsheds where Roscoe is said to have once resided, was lastly in the possession of Mrs.Williston, who had lived there since 1848. It was formerly occupied by General Gascoigne, the commander of the district. General Gascoigne sat as M.P. for Liverpool for many years, being first elected in 1796; was defeated by Roscoe in 1806, and in 1812 was one of the three candidates in the memorable 'seven days' polling which resulted in a victory for Canning. The General’s stables, together with the old house called 'Chapelville', were pulled down to make room for the present tram-sheds. The Corporation, and representatives of several brewing and other firms, have endeavoured to induce Mrs.Williston to sell them the property, but the old lady remains true to a pledge given to her dying mother, and refuses to part with the old house for any consideration. In the garden of this old building may still be seen the remains of the six ancient elm trees which gave the name to 'The Elms', the street running through to Peel Street. This house was known originally as 'Elm House'. On the lawn is the dry bed of an ornamental fish pond. Another house, in the Gothic style, also called Elm House, stood on the opposite corner of the street. The Elms was built in the first half of the 19th century and survived for over a century, being demolished in the early 1960s.'

From 1848 Elms House was occupied by the Green family. Ann Green, a widow, and two of her children Thomas and May. Anne had another son, George, who died at sea in 1860 when he was a passenger onboard the ship 'Robert Kelly' that sank on its way to New York. Seven months after the 1851 census was taken May Green would marry John Sylvester Williston, and it is May Williston who Robert Griffiths refers to, proving that her family had owned the house since 1848. Elm House was demolished in the early 20th century when an extension to the Tram Terminus was required. Robert Griffiths wrote in 1907 that the owner, May Williston had often been asked to sell her house to the Corporation and to brewers but she had always refused. May died in 1908, a year after Griffiths’ book was published, and the house was put up for sale in 1910. Her years of battling with the tram corporation to prevent them building on the property was over and the fate of this old house was sealed, the tram shed extension was opened in 1938.

Elm House as painted by Fred Beattie in 1910. Next door can be seen the Tram Shed that was built on the site of Chapelville in 1898. The road sign for The Elms can be seen on the right.
Village Liverpool by Kay Parrott · Bluecoat Press.

 

Griffiths also tells us William Roscoe is said to have lived at Elm House when he wrote a poem about the area called 'The Dingle' in 1790. The biography of Roscoe mentions that his house was in 'the immediate vicinity of a small but beautiful dingle, leading to the shores of the Mersey'; Elm House stands right opposite to the entrance to The Dingle. Elms House was also just over the road from 'Ellerslie', the home of James Currie, Roscoe’s close friend and a fellow abolitionist.

see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2023/04/historical-liverpool-dwellings-broad.html