0878: Litherland’s History Begins

In the years 876-878 the Vikings began to dominate the Kingdom of Mercia (see pic) and “parcelling up” of the lands had completed – so 878 is probably the year when the town’s name came into existence. The spelling then was Liderlant, meaning “sloping land” This was in Old Norse, the dominant language brought by Vikings when they invaded in the year 793. The main landowner at the time is listed as Uhtred (also translated over history as both Uchtred and Uhtræd). Uhtred was a descendent of the Kings of Northumbria. Anglo-Saxon Northern Merseyside was once part of this kingdom.

Litherland’s coastal history goes back further than 878. Its geological formation (at least the north-east half) consists of lower keuper sandstones (rock strata consisting of dolomite, shales or claystones and evaporites that were deposited during the Middle and Late Triassic epochs (about 220 million years ago). On top of those rock layers are alluvial deposits along the course of the Rimrose Brook, and by a broad stretch of blown sand adjoining the coast. Seaforth (1,205 acres) is carved out of Litherland.

Liderlant features in the Domesday Book (pic) – a manuscript record of the “Great Survey” that took in much of England and parts of Wales. The first edition was completed in 1086 by order of King William I (William the Conqueror).

The manuscript was originally known by the Latin name Liber de Wintonia, meaning “Book of Winchester” and was originally kept in the royal treasury. In 1085, records were made of the annual value of every piece of landed property to its lord. If populated, detail on the resources in land, manpower, and livestock from which the value derived were added.

The name “Domesday Book” came into use in the 12th century. The book was so called because its decisions were unalterable, like those of the Last Judgement, and its sentence could not be quashed. The manuscript is held at The National Archives at Kew, London. Domesday was first printed in full in 1783. In 2011 the Open Domesday site made the manuscript available online at https://www.domesdaybook.co.uk/.

In the rough translation of the Domesday Book page with Litherland on it (pic) the conditions set out by the king for the people to live by are listed, followed by various land valuations. Almær held Litherland. There is half a hide. It was worth 8s.

Liderlant as a place name pre-dates that of Liverpool by over 300 years (see map, from 1086). Liverpool was first recorded around 1190 as Liuerpul.

West Derby township covered the southwest of Lancashire, containing the ancient ecclesiastical parishes of Walton, Sefton, Childwall, Huyton, Halsall, Altcar, North Meols, Ormskirk, Aughton, Warrington, Prescot, Wigan, Leigh, Liverpool, and Winwick. It corresponded roughly to areas of Merseyside north of the River Mersey and also covered parts of modern West Lancashire Borough, Wigan borough, Warrington Borough and Halton Borough.

In Domesday, Down Litherland itself had no recorded population (note: this is sometimes the case for large towns, as well as abandoned settlements). Roger of Poitou (Litherland’s tenant-in-chief in 1086) was associated with another 287 places after the Norman conquest so had a fair land size to manage.

After the death of Edward the Confessor (1066) Elmaer held Litherland but within sixty years the whole had come into the possession of the Molyneux family, and eventually descended into Sefton. From these early times, Litherland was divided into a half and two quarters; and this is perhaps the origin of the modern division into Litherland, Orrell and Ford.

Much later at 1907 [1] Litherland was described as “dwelling-houses and warehouses, streets, and shops, as well as open spaces”. Lying on slightly higher level than its seaward neighbour, Seaforth, the soil was mostly sandy, with a subsoil of clay.

See other posts for photos of key developments of the town such as the match works, the tanneries, Litherland Park, St. Philip’s Church and English Martyrs School.

[1] ‘Townships: Litherland’, in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 95-98. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp95-98 [accessed 14 August 2022].

Liderlant features in the Domesday Book (pic) – a manuscript record of the “Great Survey” that took in much of England and parts of Wales. The first edition was completed in 1086 by order of King William I (William the Conqueror).

Liderlant as a place name pre-dates that of Liverpool by over 300 years (see map, from 1086). Liverpool was first recorded around 1190 as Liuerpul.

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