The History of Skemersdale
Skem Heritage Archives
The History of Skelmersdale
In the Beginning
The beginnings of “Old Skelmersdale” have been subject to a lot of debate and there are up to now three ideas on the origin of the name SKELMERSDALE, one of which I remember hearing when I was younger is that it means “Devils Dale” which makes you wonder has it had a history of Witchcraft! Another is that it is derived from the Old Scandanavian language “The Valley of a man named Skjalmar or Skjaldmarr (meaning ‘Shield Horse’)”, and a third is from it’s broken down form of “SKEL” from the Hills, “MERS” from mere (water as in Martin Mere) and of course “DALE” meaning Valley – so this sounds the nicest version until you consider the areas now of Ashurst Beacon, the River Tawd (not much water and filthy) and the valley it flows through and it doesn’t sound so nice now! but I bet it was really beautiful if you could see it as it was 500 or so years ago.
Not much is known about the origins of Skelmersdale and is subject to hearsay but an idea could be built in what it was like from history records and from events like the plague, the Reformation of the Churches and the Civil War (the Siege of Lathom House is well covered). There is no evidence of Roman occupation apart from the findings of some Roman coins near Ottersheads Farm by some children on July 18th 1949 which could indicate the possibility of them passing through or even occupation but who knows.
By the 7th century the West Lancashire area was under Anglo-Saxon rule (King Edwin) and in the 8th century by King Offah of Mercia, then during the 10th century hordes of Scandanavians settled in West Lancashire (whether after Conquest or peaceful integration is not known although the land was probably mostly barren and marshy – as Martin Mere was known to be so probably the Scandanavians were making use of the land whereas the locals had not) therefore the Scandanavian name origin is quite probable.
The first mention of Skelmersdale in History records appears in the Domesday Book in 1066 under the rule of Uctred as part of the West Derby Wapentake or Hundred in that it’s annual tax assessment amounted to 32 (old) pence and there was one carucate of land which supposed to amount to 100 acres but this has been doubted. Since then different areas of Skelmersdale and related Manors have been sold between various owners including the Gernet family and the Travers family (1200’s), the Dacre family, the Huyton family of Billinge, the Holand family of Upholland, the Lovel family, the Gerard family, the Eccleston family the Earl of Derby in the 1600’s, the Ashurst family of Dalton, then to Sir Thomas Bootle the Earl of Lathom (whose Great Grandfather on elevation to the Peerage had taken his title from it as Lord Skelmersdale), and since the land has descended with Lathom, the Earl of Lathom being now Lord of the Manor .
Skelmersdale really started growing with the coming of the Industrial Revolution and from the early 1800’s we see Coal Mines springing up around the area and also Skelmersdale got it’s own railway running from Ormskirk through to Rainford and St Helens (see relevant books), more and more Public Houses were springing up, various other Churches of various denominations, all due to the growth of the population seeking work, and also other industries started to take form (more so with the later demise of the Coal Industry and the closure of the Pits by about 1937) including a Cotton Mill ,a Shoe Factory, a Straw Rope Works and the Brickworks.
Conditions in Skelmersdale were probably as poor as most other Country villages but as the town grew towards the 1900’s conditions must have deteriorated considerably as a couple of reports show (see the next 2 chapters). Conditions in Skelmersdale must have been unimaginable compared to anything you might criticise nowadays! This was all to improve in the next Century by way of improved sanitation, water supplies and general improvements in living standards.
The 1900’s brought about the replacement of St Paul’s Church due to the old one being condemned as unsafe, the new one being built near to the old one. Other changes during the 1900’s were mainly the start of the Skelmersdale Fire Service, the demise of the Coal Mines, the building of the Stanley Coronation Park, the development of new industries as mentioned earlier, and of course the changes brought about by new technologies – gas and later, electricity being fed into homes, a bus service, cinemas etc. The biggest change to come to Skelmersdale was probably the decision to develop it into a New Town which would change the little country town forever, not least in the places that got razed to the ground like some historic farms nearer the Beacon and the flattening of Stormy Corner – now just a small stretch of Berry Street in the overgrowth, a few piles of bricks, and overgrown.
Now to recapture what Skelmersdale used to be like please select other books from the bookcase, recollect and imagine……..
Conditions
Extract taken from The Lancet, February 14th 1874.
A COLLIERY VILLAGE
Skelmersdale is a colliery village having a population of 4000, lying between Wigan and Ormskirk. An inquiry has been recently held there by the Local Government Board on a Memorial for the adoption of the Local Government Act in the place. The statements made in evidence as to the condition of the village show that, even among colliery villages, Skelmersdale must have a pre-eminence in filth.
The houses, many of the most miserable construction, almost buried amidst the filth of their inhabitants; the privies so foul as to repel even those most familiarised with them; the drainage accumulated in horrible puddles, fed also by the liquid abominations of pigstyes and middensteads. The approach to one group of houses is described as “very narrow and ankle-deep in mud,” and the reporter adds of this group:- “There are large accumulations of night-soil and manure from pigstyes, the drainage from which I saw running over the surface and lodging within a few feet of the back doors of the houses.
The tenants have great difficulty in getting rid of the night-soil, ashes, etc., as the farmers will only fetch them when it suits their convenience. There are four wells in connexion with this property. In all cases they are close to cesspools (one being within four feet), privies, pigstyes, or large heaps of ashes, etc.
The water, of course, is wholly unfit for use. I was told that during dry weather rain water was so precious that it has to be taken into the house to prevent it from being stolen.” An outbreak of diphtheria was in progress at the time of the inquiry.
Not a single one of the facts stated as to the horrible condition of the place appears to have been disputed, yet a report of the inspector of nuisances for the rural sanitary authority was referred to, in which that official said that “most of the nuisances in Skelmersdale had been abated to his satisfaction”!
Sanitary Conditions
The Local Government Board Inquiry at Skelmersdale, 29th January 1874
Extracts from the report of Mr. G.W. Goodison, a consultant from a Liverpool Engineering Partnership.
The Sanitary condition of Skelmersdale is so bad that it would be simply impossible to find anything worse in the kingdom
Spring View Terrace
The general condition of this property, although bad enough, is better than what is generally found in Skelmersdale. There is one well which is said to be one of the best in the district, for the use of a large number of houses. The water must be dreadfully impure because it is surrounded by large accumulations of night-soil, manure from pigstyes and pools of sewage. I was told when the water was low in summer it became almost red in colour, yet during dry seasons it is eagerly sought after by all the people in the neighbourhood. The other supply is drawn from rain water butts, and some people much prefer this to the well and will only use the latter when the former fails.
Some of the houses are built so low that they are flooded every time it rains. Ash pits are very full and offensive. No paving or flagging in any of the yards. Someone has commenced to build a new cottage adjoining this property, and to show how important it is to have some proper supervision over the erection of new buildings, I may mention that abutting on the back of this intended house are several privies and pigstyes, the drainage from which is actually running under the very footings of the walls.
Williams Yard (off Sandy Lane)
Mr. Robert Williams is the owner of four houses in this yard. They are, in every respect, in the most deplorable condition and are totally unfit for human habitation. The approach is through a passage four feet wide which is continued in front of the houses and forms the only yard or open space they possess. On one side of the passage and within four feet of the houses is a row of privies and ash pits belonging to the last mentioned property, the drainage from which finds its way through the wall and lodges immediately opposite the doors of the cottages.
The property on the other side (The Scholes), being also at a higher level, the drainage from several privies and pigstyes as well as the surface drainage, actually finds its way through the back wall of these miserable dwellings and into the very living rooms. In two of the houses I saw, small cesspools had been made just inside the wall in order to collect the water and thus prevent it from flooding them.
These cesspools are regularly emptied and the water smells abominably. One man told me he took 74 buckets of water out of one of the houses after a night’s rain. They have neither drainage nor water and the privies are in such a disgusting foul state that the people won’t use them. The result is the accumulation of faecal matter, ashes, etc., which is almost sickening to think of and is a perfect disgrace to any civilised society. Surely the Inspector of Nuisance can never have seen this place? Until now I had no idea that any human beings lived in such houses.
If any privy is kept clean the whole neighbourhood would use it. There are no private yards in Skelmersdale. All Yards are common to all.
One resident claimed her home had been in this state for four years. “If you ask the landlord to do anything you are told to go.” There are no empty houses in Skelmersdale.
In all my experience I have never seen anything to be at all compared with the present state of Skelmersdale and no words of mine can convey the impression it has made on my mind.