Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for MEOLS (NORTH)

MEOLS (NORTH), a village, a township, a sub-district, and a parish in Ormskirk district, Lancashire. The village stands on a rivulet, 1 mile from the coast, and 2½ NE of Southport r. station; bears the name of Churchtown; and has a post office of that name under Southport, and a fair on the Monday and Tuesday after 20 Aug.-The township contains also the town of Southport, and the hamlets of Southaws, Hawside, Little London, Higher Blowick, Lower Blowick, Rowe-Lane, Marshside, Crossens, and Banks. Acres, 18,871; of which 10,805 are foreshore-water. Real property, £48,226. Pop. in 1851,8,694; in 1861,14,661. Houses, 2,585. The increase of pop. was chiefly in Southport; and arose, there and elsewhere, principally from house-building for mercantile men, and from the establishing of boarding-schools. The property is much subdivided. The manor belongs to the Rev. Charles Hesketh and the Trustees of the lateScarisbrick, Esq. North Meols Hall was formerly the seat of the Heskeths, and is now a farm-house. Hand-loom silk weaving is a principal employment.—The sub-district is conterminate with the township.—The parish contains also the township of Birkdale; and comprises 10,301 acres of land, and 14,240 acres of water. Real property, £53,178. Pop. in 1851,9,319; in 1861,15,947. Houses, 2,822. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Chester. Valne, £844.* Patron, the Rev.Hesketh. The church stands at Churchtown; consists of nave, aisles, and chancel, with tower and spire; and contains monuments to the Heskeths and the Fleetwoods. Three vicarages of Southport, and those of Crossens, Banks, and Birkdale are separate benefices. Chapels for Independents, Wesleyans, and Primitive Methodists, a national school, and charities £22 are in North Meols ecclesiastical section; and ten dissenting chapels, a Roman Catholic chapel, and three national schools are in Southport.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a village, a township, a sub-district, and a parish"   (ADL Feature Type: "populated places")
Administrative units: North Meols AP/CP       North Meols SubD       Ormskirk RegD/PLU       Lancashire AncC
Place names: CHURCHTOWN     |     MEOLS     |     MEOLS NORTH     |     NORTH MEOLS
Place: North Meols

Go to the linked place page for a location map, and for access to other historical writing about the place. Pages for linked administrative units may contain historical statistics and information on boundaries.