We will now traverse Moor Street proceeding along the north side .At the corner was Owen’s Tinker’s Shop and in passing let one say that the shops about this part of town had bay windows with small squares of glass, they also had their workshops underneath the shop whilst the shop doors were in two halves – top and bottom. We now come to the “Kings Arms Hotel”. This was nothing like the Kings Arms Hotel as we see it in these days, but was a building with a plastered or pebbledashed front and five or six steps which reached half way across the parapet. Across the yard leading to the back of the premises were two or three shops with cellars underneath similar to those already described, with the small bay windows and doors in two halves-top and bottom. If my memory serves me rightly one of these was a clogger’s shop there was also an ironmonger’s shop, for a time the Post Office was at the corner. Round the corner was Market Row which had some shops which were more modern, one of these was a barbers shop, another was a greengrocers, besides one or two others. Having passed Market Row there was a pawn shop at the corner which had a butchers shop next door occupied by Mr. T. Sharrock. There was also a baby linen shop next to the butchers shop, but I think this was only opened when the next tenant came to the butchers shop. After this came a seed shop owned by the father of Mr. A Clucas, the seedsman who now has premises where once stood the “Black Bear Hotel” higher up the street .There was also a music warehouse and near this part was a public house called the Legs-o Man. There does not seem to have been much change in a few shops about here except it be that the class of business has been changed until we pass Rimmers pork butchering establishment ,where the next was a beerhouse called the “Old Boat”. After this was a clothing shop in the possession of an old famous military gentleman Sergeant Nunnerly who had seen service in the Crimean war. Up the entry by this shop there was a Blacksmiths smithy owned by Mr. Ormesher who also had a small shop at the bottom of the entry with the usual four or five steps and small bay window. At the other side of the entry was a similar shop, with the stone steps ,but this was in the possession of Mr. John Prescott and was a grocers shop, this gentleman specialised in eccles cakes. This brings us to the well known “PescottsYard” which led to the back of his premises. Having crossed the bottom of this yard there was the pork shop of Mr.Pimblett, who was noted for his famous black puddings. There then came the” Black Bear Hotel”. There was next a watchmakers shop in the possession of Mr. Cammack whose business was afterwards removed to the opposite side of the street. We now come to the shop with railings around the front, a provender shop, which was owned by Mr. George Anderton, father of the late Dr. Anderton who was medical officer for the union. The came” The Golden Lion Hotel”. This Hotel has seen many changes since those early days, not only in its structural improvements, but in the limitation of access to the interior of the premises due chiefly to the closer vigilance of modern authorities. This brings us to the end of Railway Road which was formerly called “Coffin Row” of which a survey will be made later. We will now proceed to the end of Moor Street which terminates at the junction of Stanley Street and Knowsley Road. Having crossed over the railway bridge we are brought up to an old shop which was in the possession of the late Mr. Thomas Holbert, a pork butcher and cattle dealer, adjoining this are one or two dwelling houses, at the end of these being a larger dwelling with pebble dashed front, this was formerly a dairy and was kept by the late Mr. John Taylor of horse jumping fame. We now come to Catteralls beerhouse. It was upon this site that the Working Men’s Institute and was built and was opened in the year 1868. We next reach the premises of a stone mason and contractor Mr. Whittle an ancestor of Councilor Jos Whittle of this town. Adjoining the stone yard was the” Flag and Ribbon” a beerhouse with two or three cottages to the rear. Passing the beerhouse were two or three thatched cottages, at one lived old women who claimed to have the original recipes for the making of Ormskirk Gingerbreads, another tenant was an old chimney sweep named Dauber. At the end of the street was the toffee shop belonging to Mr.R. Nalcot who was a broker of the luscious confections.
We will now cross the road and return wending our way to the cross again. The first building we see is an old barn, this is at the corner in part of the yard of Mr. George Peet the joiner whose house and workshop are nearby. There was then an opening which led to the back of a few cottages. One of these was tenanted by an old woman who sold toffee and parched peas. There was also close a painters premises carried on by a Mr.Fyles. Then there was a big house, the front of which being in Chapel Street, this was the home of Dr Lax. We now cross the end of Chapel Lane, or Chapel Street, at the corner was the “Bridge Inn” beerhouse, then the offices of a West Lancashire Carrying Co. At this point there was an opening which led to a public bake house and was owned by a person named Singleton who daily baked bread for the public at a nominal charge per loaf. We next come to an office which adjoined Mr. Joseph Ormesher’s grocer’s shop, this gentleman being the father of the present owners. Journeying over the railway bridge we find a tobacconists shop which was also the General Post Office at that time. Then these premises were demolished for the construction of the Manchester and Liverpool District Bank, a robbery was committed during the building operations and a workman was taken to the Police Station in Derby Street, but made his escape by cutting his way out with an iron from his clog and who I believe was never recaptured. About this time the watchmakers shop was opened, Mr. Cammack leaving the shop across the road to take possession of this. The “Queens Head Hotel” comes next with its stone steps in front. An interesting character of these days was the man who looked after the yard and stables of the hostelry. He could be seen regularly in the streets with a goose following close upon his heels as if it were a dog. Having gone a little further we come to the “Anchor Inn” with its spacious piggery at the back of the premises. In front of this Inn the pig market was held every Thursday. There was a barber’s shop next door. This portion of the street now is Moorgate end. In those olden days there was an alley which led to old John Ormeshers smithy where nails and sparrow-bills were made for the use cobblers. There was also a bakehouse in this neighborhood. At the entrance to this alley was Mr. Bottomley’s drapery establishment with the basket shop next door and owned by Mr.Thos Roughley. We now come to an entry leading to the workshops of Mr.Roughley and Mr. Henry Bentham (the father of Mrs. May Bentham). There were a number of cottages up this court inhabited mostly by the Irish fraternity. Mr. John Banks the jeweller had the next shop with Mr. Martlews adjoining. You next come to a yard where a little distance up this yard was a saddler’s shop, and on walking past the end of this yard there could be seen Mr. Williams the saddler at work. We now come to the “Ship Inn” which was formerly kept by old Thomas .Mercer. This is the site on which Abbletts boot and she shop now stands. After leaving this part of Moor Street there has been little change in the appearance of the shops except it be that the windows have been altered especially is this the case of the premises of Adams Stores, this was formerly the shop of Mr.R. Collinson draper which was next to Mr. Gilbert another similar shop, whose window displays were chiefly curtains and materials of that decription. We next come to the grocery and provision stores of Mr. Brown (a descendant of the Brown family resident at the time of which I am writing). There next was a cabinet makers business conducted by the father of the late Mr. John Woods who was for many years at the Advertiser office. A boot and shoe shop was next door, this business was carried on by Mr. E. Ormesher .The workshops’ belonging to these two businesses was up the entry between the shops. The large private dwelling house of Mr. John Robinson brings us to the corner of Moor Street and Aughton Street.
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