Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Wallasey library

This building is on Earlston road and is set in the grounds of earlston park.

Site of the former Liscard Hall, Earlston Park is one of the oldest parks in Wallasey. It also contains the cemetery containing the grave of the Captain of the SS Californian, Stanley Lord. The Californian was said to be positioned in a stationary position 5 miles from The Titanic on the night it sank.


Does anyone have any stories or info?

The following is a scan from a postcard showing Earlston Park. Clearly that is/ was somewhere around the library building. I will guarantee that whatever is left of Earlston Gardens no longer looks anything as nice as this

Snod

That postcard could be anywhere... but wallasey
if you get my meaning.

Thanks for sharing

I just dont know this area at all.

I know the area well and apart from the tall trees in the background Earlston Park is nothing like the postcard now.
Looks more like the gardens near the Arno or the ld rose gardens in central park about 5 years ago..

Earlston House was originally a Manor house belonging to John Penkett and his family. It was left to him by his father, William Penkett. He was A Liverpool merchant and used the house as a Summer retreat. Later he preferred to live near the river so the Manor House was renammed "Rose Mount" and a new Manor House was built called "Sea Bank".

When John Penkett died in 1838 the house was passed on to his daughter, Mary-Ann, who then married John Maddock. In the 1850's the house was renamed "Earlson House". Mary-Ann donated the land around Earlston House to the local board who turned the land into Rake Lane Cementary.

After her death in 1898 the House was bought by the local board.

In 1898 the Local Authority decided to have a Public Library under the Libraries Act. Four reading rooms were opened in 1899 in Poulton Hall, Earlston House, Brighton Street and in the Workmens Hall in Wallasey Village.

In the early 20th Century a Scottish-American millionaire, Andrew Carneige donated £9,000 for the building of a new library next to Earlston House. On 30th September 1911 the new Reference Library was opened.