MANCHESTER AND GENERAL INFORMATION

DID you, your parents, your grandparents or great grandparents live in the Manchester area? If so why not check out the Manchester Local Images Collection. It's a MUST see with more than 80,000 images of Manchester and the surrounding area. Images include mainly photographs with some prints, drawings, water-colours and post cards from the 1700s to recent times. And the great thing is that they reflect all aspects of the social and economic history of the area. Included in the collection is the Photographic Survey of 1892 to 1900.

http://www.images.manchester.gov.uk/

ROMAN CATHOLIC MARRIAGES

ARE you a Roman Catholic and do you have family members who prior to the early 1900s did not marry in the church? I have come upon this on several occasions and some people have been upset by this. However not many people are aware of the fact that until Easter 1908, to get married outside of the Catholic church did not go against the teachings of the church in this country. It was only after the decree Ne Temere was proposed in 1907 that it became a condition of having a valid marriage in the eyes of the Catholic Church.

For the details, take a look at a search engine, but before 1908 a (Catholic) marriage between a couple did not have to have any ceremony to be valid in the eyes of the church. All they needed to do was to consent to the marriage themselves. I have no idea how many people were aware of this prior to 1908. One thing for certain is that the clergy would possibly have not wanted this to be common knowledge as it would have had some affect on their earnings from marriage fees.

Even today under the present Catholic Marriage Legislation the blessing of a union by a priest, in certain circumstances, is not essential to the marriage sacrament. If a Catholic couple wish to marry in a place where, for a month, there will be no priest qualified to join them in marriage, they may simply express their mutual consent before a couple of witnesses, and thereby they are validly married in the eyes of the church. If a couple is in danger of death, they can also marry even when there is no delay in the arrival of a priest.

MANCHESTER'S FIRST ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS?

NOW here is a question for residents or former residents of Greater Manchester. Where were the first zoological gardens in Manchester located? Belle Vue Gardens I hear you cry. Well they were certainly extensive and in their time acted as a lung to the area, but they were not the first. There was collection of animals in Lower Broughton.

They opened on May 31^st 1838.They were run by a company who ventured a large sum of money in the enterprise. They occupied nearly all the land from Northumberland St to Broom Lane and went back a considerable distance from the road. In addition to the usual attraction of the tea gardens of the day they had a small collection of animals. About the time of Queen Victoria's coronation there was a serious mishap with one of the animals. The various places of amusement were open for free to all the people. At the Zoological Gardens a large crowd attended as the animals were something of a novelty. Many people gathered around the lion's cage and an unfortunate man was forced towards the bars after a crush in the crowd. Instantly the lion sprang upon the poor soul and mauled him. Sadly amputation of his arm was necessary. The owners tried to drum up business by advertising in The Manchester Guardian.

Zoological Gardens, Manchester. The Board of Directors of the above establishment, in order to give all classes of society an opportunity of viewing the gardens and splendid collection of animals have concluded to open them during the following week, from the 31^st of December 1838 to the 5^th of January 1839, at half price. For adults, 6d; Children, under twelve years of age, 3d. Officers will be stationed to prevent the intrusion of improper or disorderly persons.

The adverts did not work. Public interest in the gardens was not forthcoming and after about fours years they were closed. The gardens were sold by auction on November 23^rd 1842. Most of the animals were purchased by a certain Mr Jennison, who in 1836 had opened his tea gardens in Hyde Road.

However there was an even more humble version before that. In an advertisement in The Manchester Guardian a Mr Joseph Lodge invites one and all to visit his public house and gardens to see his menagerie. It appeared on July 28^th 1832 and it gives some idea what that part of Broughton was like at that time.

Broughton Grove Inn Zoological Gardens. The inhabitants of Manchester and its neighbourhood are respectfully informed that these interesting and rural gardens are now opened to the public. The proprietor Mr Joseph Lodge, begs leave to inform gentlemen, subscribers, and others that the bowling-green, billiard room and quoiting-ground are now in complete order, and will be set apart for their exclusive use every Wednesday and Friday; and to the public generally on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The ladies and younger branches of the family will find in these retired gardens everything that can contribute to their health and amusement. Tea, coffee, salad, fruit etc, will be provided on the most reasonable terms. J. Lodge hopes by unremitting attention to the comfort of his visitors, keeping only the choicest wines and spirits, together with his home brewed ale and London porter etc, to make this the most pleasant lounge in the neighbourhood, being only one mile from town on the Bury New Road.

I do not know as much as I would like about this chap as he had the temerity to die before the 1851 Census. I have him and his family living at The Grove in the 1841 Census which states that he was not born in the county. The public house and gardens are clearly showed on the 1848 Ordnance Survey map. I do have a trip planned to Lancashire Records Office to read his will and this may give some more information about him and his family.

The Grove Hotel and its gardens boarder Bury New Road and on the opposite side of the road was a nursery which can also be seen on the 1848 map. This nursery and another one a short distance away at Singleton Brook were owned by a William Lodge who hailed from Uley in Gloucestershire. It may be pure coincidence that these two men having the same surname, lived in properties only separated by the width of a road. I know that in 1841 William had a brother called Charles, also a nurseryman, who lived very close by.

The area was quite popular with people who wanted to get away from the grimy, smoke filled air of Manchester as illustrated in this next extract from Reminiscences of Manchester by Louis M Hayes.

In Manchester, about the 1840 and onwards, the middle classes began to realise that town life was not very desirable, and families began migrating and settling in the various suburbs. In the summer of 1845 we removed from Faulkner St to Teneriffe St, Broughton, and it was very pleasant to get away from town with all its dingy and uninviting surroundings, and to breathe the pure, fresh country air. The country began at that time around Sherbourne St, fields being on both sides of the road, and as you walked along and turned down Broughton Lane it was sweet and nice, and you realised that you had said good-bye to the town. The lane had its hedgerows thick with and wild flowers peeping out from beneath with gay profusion whilst the gardens about were gay with bloom. A few yards down the lane you came to Lodge’s Nursery Gardens, approached by a long, wide pathway, bordered by, a small running brook. Inside the Nurseries there was an extensive orchard of pear, apple and plum trees. Scattered about were summerhouses and arbours, where people could sit and have their tea, with water-cress. In the spring time it was quite a sight to stand on the higher ground on Bury New Road, and look across to Lodge's Gardens, at the wide expanse of fruit trees laden with bloom.

SANCTUARY

MANCHESTER Parish Church was one of only a very few selected churches that had the privilege of Sanctuary. In fact it was one of only eight that were bestowed by Henry VIII. This questionable distinction drew into the area many villains and thieves, which to a town with a growing trade, was not an ideal scenario. In early times yarns were exposed to the air to be bleached. Woollen cloths were also dried in the same way. This meant that valuable items were left out in the open day and night and therefore very tempting to light fingered people. In 1541 Manchester Parish Church "lost" this privilege to Chester after only a year.

LOST HEADSTONES

OVER recent times there has been controversy concerning the removal of headstones from cemeteries and their relocation. This is not something new and in the past the headstones have not always been treated with the reverence or respect they deserved. This is letter printed in one of the local newspapers at the latter end of the 19^th century.

Manchester City News May 5^th 1883. To the Editor

Sir, - In reflagging Rumford St, Chorlton on Medlock, a flag was turned over Tuesday morning May 1^st bearing the following inscription:- "Here resteth the bodies of Ellen daughter of William and Mary Gerrard who departed this life June 17^th 1787 aged 5 weeks; also their son William, who departed this life Dec 24^th 1792, aged 2 years; also John their son who departed this life 27^th June 1808 aged 14 years". This may be interesting to some of your readers. How came the stone to be claimed by the Corporation? Is it to be laid in the same place in front of the Welsh Chapel house, Rumford St? No one has ever been buried there.

S. ROBERTS, Lorne St, Moss Side

RETURN TO THE TOP OF THE PAGE

RETURN TO MENU

PLEASE CONTACT ME AT:

mail@manchester-family-history-research.co.uk

Do Not Reproduce Any Material Without The Prior Permission Of The Author

Last update: 2nd July 2008