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The Inhabitants of Halewood

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Directories, Census, Tithe, Enclosure etc.
Certain records are on this site, but where others are held elsewhere this page gives research advice.

Photographic Archive - Villagers

Part of the Halewood Photographic Archive collection (see Image Archive link left for full collection). Pictures of villagers from the 19th/20th century.


Notable inhabitants


Notable Halewood inhabitants

A brief list of notable inhabitants of Halewood past and present


People / biographies


My Life in the Twentieth Century

by Harry Allen

Harry was a long term resident of Halewood, who began work on local farms in 1924, and lived in Leather's Lane with his wife Vera and family from 1947. This unpublished work, created primarily for his chidren and grandchildren, is a fascinating account of his life at work and with his family. A wonderful insight into Halewood and the locality through the century.


Matron Gertrude Riding OBE

Hospital matron Gertrude Riding, who was brought up in Halewood and lived in Bailey's Lane, worked at Mill Road Hospital from 1910 and appointed Matron in 1927. In 1941, she became Matron for Alder Hey until her retirement in 1948. She became well-known for her actions during the Blitz when the hospital was bombed and took the lives of many patients.

According to historian Mike Royden, in Merseyside at War, Gertrude was later awarded an OBE for her services, and despite injury which resulted in the loss of an eye, 'she was instrumental in releasing a nurse who was trapped and she endeavoured, before she finally collapsed, to help another injured member of staff.'

Her story has also been featured on Channel 5's The Blitz: Britain on Fire, which also featured Mike Royden. (Liverpool Echo)

John Hilton Grace - Mathematician

John Hilton Grace was a leading British mathematician. The Grace–Walsh–Szegő theorem is named in part after him. He was born in Halewood, and was brought up on Okell's Farm. He was educated at the village school and the Liverpool Institute, before studying Maths at Cambridge. He was later was made a Fellow of Peterhouse and became a Lecturer of Mathematics at Peterhouse and Pembroke colleges. His nephew (below), his younger sister's son, was the animal geneticist, Alan Robertson FRS.

Alan Robertson OBE FRS FRSE - Geneticist

Alan Robertson was an English population geneticist who grew up on Okell's Farm in Halewood and was educated at the local church primary school. He acquired an international reputation, receiving state and academic honours from Europe, America and Asia.


William Hilton 'Billy' Grace - Farmer

Brother of John and Hilton, and uncle of Alan Robertson above, Billy Grace was effectively the 'squire' of Halewood, such was his larger than life character, his landowning, and influence on village affairs. He was also known as the 'Crazy Farmer of Halewood', so unorthodox were his methods. His story - part of the wider tale of Court Farm, Okells Farm, the Brewery and those that lived there is told here.

Reverend Thomas Chambers - Incumbent of St Nicholas

Oxford educated Thomas Chambers, a native of Worcestershire, first came to Halewood Chapel as Curate in 1853-1854, and returned in 1864 as Perpetual Curate from Childwall Church and later became Rector.

He was so popular at that Church that many of the prosperous Childwall parishioners followed him to Halewood and the chapel was often full to overflowing, as it was common then for whole families along with their servants to attend.

Harold Brocklebank

Harold Brocklebank was the son of Thomas Brocklebank who created the shipping empire. Harold and his wife were the first residents of The Grange in Higher Road. In 1911 he was appointed Chairman of Brocklebank Line.


Edward Whitley M.P.

Edward Ewart Whitley, a resident of The Grange, Halewood, was an English solicitor and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1880 to 1892.

In 1866 he became a member of the Corporation of Liverpool, elected Mayor of Liverpool in 1868 and became a Justice of the Peace.


Captain Charles Claude Whitley MC

Charles Claude Whitley was born in The Grange, Halewood, on 9 October 1888, and baptised in St Nicholas on 11 February 1889. When war broke out he enlisted in the King's Royal Rifle Corps in September 1914. In 1915 he was made Second Lieutenant, and in October 1916 was awarded the Military Cross. He was promoted to Captain in 1917, before being killed in action on 11 April 1917. He was buried in Hibers Trench Cemetery, Wancourt in France and remembered on the Broughton War Memorial.


Daniel Montgomery McKechnie

Daniel McKechnie was the son of chemical manufacturer Duncan McKechnie, who lived with his family in The Grange until his passing. McKechnie Brothers was one of the most well known chemical companies in the country.


Edwin Darlington, Companion of the Indian Empire - Civil Servant

Edwin Darlington was a retired civil servant who spent most of his career working for the Indian Civil Service.

Before his retirement he was awarded the Companion of the Indian Empire in the Jubilee Honours List of June 1897 for services rendered.

He then came to live at The Grange during the first years of the twentieth century.
































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