Local History 1 spent an interesting and informative morning, on a Marshside walk, with Dave Walshe, a local historian, finding out about the events and people who shaped the area of Marshside. From the 17th century onwards, drainage and embankment projects were used to reclaim marshland for farming in this area.
Located near the top end of Fleetwood Road on what is now part of Hesketh Golf Club was Little Ireland, a small hamlet established in the mid 19th century by Irish immigrants seeking work in the local fishing industries. A small cottage within Little Ireland served as a makeshift school and possibly a place of worship. This cottage still exists today as the green keeper’s lodge at Hesketh Golf Club.
We heard about street names which reflected the heritage of the area. Some of these are:
- Cockle Dick’s Lane, named after “Cockle Dick”, considered one of the best cockeler’s in the area, surviving to nearly a 100 years old.
- Marshside Road, a main road through the area lined with fisherman’s cottages.
- Bakers Lane, Shellfield Road and Fleetwood Road, reflecting family names and the area’s fishing legacy.
We also visited the Fog Bell where a volunteer, Tim, very kindly came to speak to us and reminded us of its deep connection to the local fishing community. On January 26 1869, seven shrimpers from Marshside lost their lives after being disorientated in dense fog, leaving behind grieving families. To support these families a “Calamity Fund” was established and the wooden fog bell was erected. In 1945, a local shrimper, Tom Wright, became lost in dense fog while returning from fishing. We heard how John Wright, a 15 year old, from Marshside took it upon himself to ring the fog bell continuously for eight hours, helping guide Tom back to safety. This showed how local people played life saving roles.
Our final visit was to ‘Southport Seafoods’, a family run seafood business in Shellfield Road. There, Christian Peet, a seasoned fisherman with a long standing presence in the local fishing industry, gave us a short ‘potted’ history of the shrimping industry in Marshside and we were able to purchase some of his local potted shrimps.
Our thanks go to Dave for sharing the wealth of knowledge he has of the local area with us in such an interesting and informative way.
