As a young boy and an old man I have seen my native town under two very
diverse aspects.
As a boy, I have seen it ranked only as a third-rate seaport. Its
streets tortuous and narrow, with pavements in the middle, skirted by mud
or dirt as the season happened. The sidewalks rough with sharp-pointed
stones, that made it misery to walk upon them. I have seen houses, with
little low rooms, suffice for the dwelling of the merchant or well-to-do
trader--the first being content to live in Water-street or Old
Hall-street, while the latter had no idea of leaving his little shop,
with its bay or square window, to take care of itself at night. I have
seen Liverpool streets with scarcely a coach or vehicle in them, save
such as trade required, and the most enlightened of its inhabitants, at
that time, could not boast of much intelligence, while those who
constituted its lower orders were plunged in the deepest vice, ignorance,
and brutality.
But we should not judge too harshly of those who have gone before us. Of
the sea-savouring greatly were the friends and acquaintances of my youth.
Scarcely a town by the margin of the ocean could be more salt in its
people than the men of Liverpool of the last century: so barbarous were
they in their amusements, bull-baitings and cock and dog-fightings, and
pugilistic encounters. What could we expect when we opened no book to
the young, and employed no means of imparting knowledge to the
old?--deriving our prosperity from two great sources--the slave-trade and
privateering. What could we expect but the results we have witnessed?
Swarming with sailor men flushed with prize money, was it not likely that
the inhabitants generally would take a tone from what they daily beheld
and quietly countenanced? Have we not seen the father investing small
sums in some gallant ship fitting out for the West Indies or the Spanish
Main, in the names of each of his children, girls and boys? Was it not
natural that they should go down to the "Old Dock," or the "Salthouse,"
or the "New Dock," and there be gratified with a sight of a ship of which
they--little as they were--were still part-owners? We took them on deck
and showed them where a bloody battle had been fought--on the very deck
and spot on which their little feet pattered about. And did we not show
them the very guns, and the muskets, the pistols and the cutlasses, the
shot-lockers and magazines, and tell them how the lad, scrubbing a brass
kettle in the caboose, had been occupied as a powder-monkey and seen
blood shed in earnest? And did we not moreover tell them that if the
forthcoming voyage was only successful, and if the ships of the enemy
were taken--no matter about the streams of blood that might run through
the scuppers--how their little ventures would be raised in value many
hundredfold--would not young imaginations be excited and the greed for
gain be potent in their young hearts? No matter what woman might be
widowed--parent made childless, or child left without protector--if the
gallant privateer was successful that was all they were taught to look
for. And must not such teaching have had effect in after life? I have
seen these things, and know them to be true; but I have seen them, I am
glad to say, fade away, while other and better prospects have, step by
step, presented themselves to view.
As a man, I have seen the old narrow streets widening--the old houses
crumbling--and the salty savouring of society evaporate, and the sea
influence recede before improvement--education and enlightenment of all
sorts. Step by step has that sea-element in my townsmen declined. The
three-bottle and punch-drinking man is the exception now, and not the
rule of the table. The wide, open street and the ample window is now
everywhere to be found, while underneath that street the well-constructed
sewer carries off the germs of disease that in other times rose up
potently amongst us, and through that window comes streaming the sunlight
of heaven, cheering and gladdening every heart. Scarcely can the man of
old, who has outlived his generation, believe in the huge edifices that
now the merchant occupies, or credit his sight, when he looks at the
great shops that display their costly goods of all descriptions, with the
best of taste. Nor is there a less remarkable aspect presented in the
appearance of the people. Of old one scarcely met a well-dressed
man--now scores upon scores. In bye-gone times, we scarcely beheld a
carriage, lumbering and uneasy as those things were--now we see elegant
equipages of every make, shape, and build, suitable for every style of
locomotion. In all things have we progressed; nor are we yet standing
still.
We are doubling our trade. We are doubling our imports and exports; we
have been doubling them since 1749--about every 16 years. In that year
the total tonnage of vessels that entered the port of Liverpool was
28,250 tons. In 1764 it was 56,499 tons, in 1780 it was 112,000 tons, in
1796 it was 224,000 tons, in 1811 it was 611,190 tons, in 1827 it was
1,225,313 tons, in 1841 it was 2,425,461 tons, in 1857 it had reached
4,645,362 tons, so that by the same rule that doubled the tonnage of the
port, between 1749 and 1764, the tonnage doubled itself between 1841 and
1857. It occupied 134 years to produce an increase equal to that which
had taken place between 1841 and 1857. The value of exports in the whole
kingdom in 1857, amounted to 110,000,000 pounds sterling, out of which
55,000,000 pounds passed through Liverpool alone. One hundred and fifty
years ago there was not a dock in England. In Liverpool they now extend
over five miles in length. An hundred years hence?--and what then?
His tale being told the old man bids his readers farewell. He has
chronicled a few odd matters relating to his native town. He has spoken
of what it was, and of what it is. If it increase in wealth and extent
during the next century as it has done in that which is past, our
descendants may be so much in advance of us in wisdom and knowledge as to
look slightingly upon us. But if our sons' sons will only emulate our
good and graceful actions, and avoid that which in us is wicked and
ignoble, they will have better reason to be proud of their ancestors than
we have of ours, or even of ourselves.
FOOTNOTES.
{167} This bridge has lately been a subject of remark, it having been
laid bare in making some excavations for houses in Oxford-street. But
this bridge is not the one alluded to previously which was constructed of
wood, and was merely a foot-bridge, whence two paths diverged to
Edge-lane and Smithdown lane.
{197} By the way, checkers on ale-house doors originated, I have been
told, in a curious circumstance. They are the arms of the De Warrennes,
who, at one time, had a right to grant a license to all tipsters for a
certain fee. The De Warrennes arms on all house-doors indicated that the
house was duly licensed. This grant was given to the De Warrennes by
King John who is said to have bestowed it in recompense for breaking the
head of one of the family during a game of "check" in which the King was
conquered. He, in vexation, struck De Warrenne with the board. Touching
these said "checkers," I once heard a good story told of a Scotch lady
resident in this town. Checkers in Scotland are called "dam-boards."
The lady wanting to purchase some table-cloth with a "check pattern,"
went into a draper's shop and asked to be shown a few. The assistant
brought out several sorts, but none of them were large enough in the
pattern; the lady, at length, told the young man that she wanted some of
a "dam-board pattern." Not understanding the lady, but supposing she
meant a d---n broad pattern, he meekly replied that they had none so
broad as that!