Description

Scarce expensively produced book, commissioned by a Liverpool insurance company, as an intended gift for selected attendees at the summer1925 meeting of the British Associaion for the Advancement of Science held in the city. It was intended to be mainly about the Mersey Ferry, which was associated with the Benedictine Birkenhead Priory until the “Dissolution of the Monasteries”, but during his research, the author, historian R. Stuart-Brown uncovered much hitherto unrecorded information about the Priory, and the tail began wagging the dog.

Although it became obvious that the work could not be completed by the time of the British Association meeting, the insurance company felt that the research should be completed, and published as the Priory history was so little known. The eminent architect, and expert restorer of historic buildings, including Bath Abbey and parts of Windsor Castle, (Sir) Harold Brakspear (1870-1934. KCVO, 1931) was enlisted to write about the architecture of the Priory buildings.

The ferry from Birkenhead to Liverpool existed long before the Priory was established. In fact it was part of a principal route between the cities of Chester and Lancaster. The rights were in the gift of the Crown to local landowners as a source of revenue. The Priory became involved, because of the obligation of religious houses to provide shelter and refreshment to travellers. Birkenhead Priory was not a wealthy foundation, and particularly in bad weather, could find its meager resources quite inadequate to meet the demands made upon them. Petitions were made to the Crown, and eventually the ferry rights were transferred to the Priory, so that the income could be used to defray  costs of hospitality.

The history of the Birkenhead Ferry, and other cross Mersey services after the abolition of the Priory is dealt with, up to the end of the 19^th century, including the introduction of steam vessels, and the eventual disappearance of Priory Ferryl landing place, under the Cammell Laird shipyard.