![[Speke Hall Icon]](resources/images/homepage/speke.jpg)
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Liverpool c.1680 The earliest surviving view of the Liverpool waterfront - known as the 'Peters' painting of 1682 (The original may be seen in the Merseyside Maritime Museum)
I have been researching and writing about various aspects of the local history of the Liverpool, Merseyside, S.W.Lancs, Cheshire area for over 30 years. Several works have been published (see links) but there are several papers which remain unseen. Some of this surfaces from time to time as material in local history evening classes which I run at the University of Liverpool Centre for Continuing Education. |
However, this site makes the material immediately accessible. You are welcome to download, but please credit this source if you should use it. Thanks! I have always welcomed email correspondence in the past and I do try and reply where can, but the volume has become overwhelming, and I do not wish to offend when I cannot reply. For family tree enquires please see Family Tree Detective below. |
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Tales from the 'Pool by Mike Royden OUT NOW Click here to order signed copies
Signed copies available if ordered through eBay (link above). |
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Blackie the War Horse - Grave receives Grade II Listed Status In December 2017, the grave of 'Blackie' the war horse at Halewood Horse's Rest was granted Grade II Listed Status to protect the site. This came after a local campaign and application to Historic England after fears it may have been removed by developers. This is the only site of its kind in the country with such status. Read about how Blackie came to be in Halewood and the story of his master Lieutenant Leonard Comer Wall. |
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FAMILY TREE DETECTIVE
If you have always wanted to find out more about your ancestry and to bring to life your own personal 'Who Do You Think You Are?' record, we offer a professional, comprehensive and friendly service.
We have several fixed price packages where you will be able to select one to fit your needs. For example, you may wish to have a single one name family line traced, or two or more of your grandparents lines reearched - whatever your requirements, we aim to provide you with a record to treasure as a family heirloom. Do you have a particular ancestor who took part in the First World War that you have always wanted to discover more about? We have the expertise to provide you with a record of your relative's war experience. If your ancestors are from near to our base in the Merseyside / West Cheshire area, we can also offer guided tours where you can visit the former homes, sites and locations frequented by your family members. Please visit the website for full details. |
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'In years to come, Liverpool genealogists will be saying: if it isn't in Royden, it isn't worth knowing about'! Family History Monthly (June 2010)
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Tracing Your Liverpool Ancestors: by Mike Royden Fully revised second edition - OUT NOW Click here to order signed copies According to Pen & Sword;
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Village at War by Mike Royden Foreword by the Duke of Westminster Click here to order signed copies With a foreword by the late Duke of Westminster, Village at War gives a fascinating insight into everyday life during the First World War. Mike Royden's highly readable account introduces readers to the both the national context and the local picture as the effects of the war began to take hold. In a series of short, information-packed chapters he describes, in vivid detail, what it was like for those living through those increasingly dark years of the war; the call for duty, the hardship of families left at home, attitudes towards 'aliens', rationing, the Defence of the Realm Act, conscientious objectors, prisoners of war, and, surprisingly, air raids. Throughout, he concentrates on the lives of the local people - on their experience as the war dragged on over four years. The second half of the book details the individual stories of all the men who lost their lives from the local communities in the Farndon area of West Cheshire. This book is a useful tool for anyone researching the effects of the First World War on local communities at home, as well as the stories of the men who left them to fight abroad. Mike Royden has taught History for over 30 years, and has also lectured on numerous courses in local history in the Centre for Continuing Education at the University of Liverpool. He has written several books, and has made regular appearances on radio and television including Radio 4's Making History and BBC TV's Who Do You Think You Are? and Heirhunters.
See eBay link for discounted price. |
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Liverpool Then and Now by Mike Royden According to publishers Batsford Books; Liverpool Then and Now takes the reader on a journey through a city once considered the 'second city of empire'. So great was the volume of commerce flowing through the port of Liverpool in the nineteenth century that it sometimes eclipsed London. This wealth produced many fine buildings, giving rise to a second Bank of England building, the classical architecture of St George's Hall- today the Walker Art Gallery-and Liverpool's 'three graces'; the Liver, the Cunard and the Port of Liverpool buildings. Some 70 historic photographs of Liverpool's past are paired with specially commissioned contemporary views taken from the same vantage point. You can see the same streets and buildings as they were 'then' and as they are 'now'. It includes Lord Street, Albert Dock, Speke Airport, Goodison, Aintree, Lime Street Station, the Mersey Tunnel, plus the ferry across the Mersey and the place where it was famously celebrated in song, The Cavern. There are also some of Liverpool's closest neighbours, Birkenhead, New Brighton, Port Sunlight and the glorious Victorian promenades of Southport. Part of the bestselling 'Then and Now' series, this charming contrast of old and new photographs highlights the stunning changes - and the equally amazing similarities - of one of the most loved cities in Britain, its well-known places but also some of its hidden gems. |
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Who Do You Think You are? Series 12 - featuring Gareth Malone Choirmaster Gareth Malone's search for his threatrical roots brought him to Liverpool where Mike Royden revealed to him his ancestor was also a singer as well as running a music hall, before a stab at local politics in the late nineteenth century. click here for more information and photographs. |
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Meet the Researcher - Interview for Who Do You Think You Are? website In an amazing Who Do You Think You Are? episode, BAFTA-winning choirmaster Gareth Malone discovered the story of his 4x great grandfather Dan Lowery, assisted by historian Mike Royden. We spoke to Mike about his experiences of starring in the programme, which revealed how Lowery went from dyer to publican, singer, election candidate and – eventually – theatre owner. |
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Blitz Cities - Liverpool - Presented by Ricky Tomlinson To mark the 75th anniversary of the beginning of the Blitz, various celebrities explored the Blitz history of their home cities, which included Norwich, Cardiff, Leeds, London, Birmingham and Liverpool. Ricky Tomlinson talked to survivors, family members and old friends before Mike Royden took him to a couple of sites on the docks to get a more detailed understanding of what happened to the port during that week in May 1941.click here for more information and photographs. |
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Ellesmere Port War Memorial Project If you have an interest in the History of the First World War, this website, fully upgraded and revised for the centenary, is well worth a visit. Dedicated to the memory of Ellesmere Port men who have given their lives during confict, this site is an ongoing project attempting to piece together a little more background about the men who fought and died. It also ties in with tours of the Battlefields where we are trying to visit the graves or memorials of as many soldiers recorded on the Ellesmere Port War Memorial as we can. This website reports the results of those efforts and shows where future researches may lie. Downloads are also available about the Home Front, and useful illustrated guide for those thinking of visiting the battlefields. |
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Mike Royden on Who Do You Think You are? Series 7 - featuring Kim Cattrall Kim Cattrall, star of Sex in the City, is in the BBC series Who Do You Think You Are? trying to trace her Toxteth roots. Mike Royden guides her through a few difficult and painful revelations about her Liverpool ancestors. Filmed in the Liverpool Athenaeum under tight security, click here for more information and photographs. |
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Mike Royden on BBC's Heir Hunters This is a BBC series dedicated to finding the heirs of people who have died without leaving a will. In this programme Celtic Research looked into the case of Ivy Sherry who died in April 2009. She was born in Liverpool and research revealed a surprising link with Bessie Braddock, the famous Liverpool M.P. |
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Book Reviews Excellent new book out - Liverpool: Forgotten Landscapes, Forgotten Lives by John Hussey. The author takes us through a vivid description of the early growth of the town in the eighteenth century, before revealing a wonderful plethora of forgotten tales and histories of the city, including ninteenth century poverty, ship wrecks, local notables, parklands, orphanages and much more, all described in fascinating detail. Click here for a review and how to purchase a copy. |
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New local publisher Formerley of Countyvise, Suzanne Lau has struck out on her own and formed Creative Dreams offering a service for local authors to see their work into print. Click here for more details. |
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Great British Cities: Liverpool (1840 -1947)
(Historical Notes on the Historical Map of Liverpool 1850-51 by Mike Royden) Map makers Cassini have produced an excellent boxed set of Liverpool historical maps covering; Old Series (1840-43), Revised New Series (1902-03), Popular Edition (1923-24), New Popular Edition (1947) and the County Series 1:10,000 (1850-51). I acted as consultant on the coverage and selection of the maps and wrote the historical notes for the County Series 1:10,000 (1850-51). This map covers Liverpool from Bootle Castle in the north to Otterspool in the south, detailed enough to have all street names recorded throughout. Cassini Historical Maps are created from Ordnance Survey’s definitive mapping series, surveyed and printed from the early 19th century onwards, which they have enhanced and enlarged to bring them into line with modern scales and print standards. |
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Downloads resources for historians
New section - from this page you can access various downloads such as publications and documents. This will be added to gradually to help provide a free resource for historians. It may save a visit to the local record office - and help to preserve the original. You will need Adobe Reader (free) installed on your computer to read the pdf files (link on the page). |
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Otterspool
The story of Otterspool was featured in a lecture given by Mike Royden at The Big History Show at St.Georges Hall in September 2007 as part of the 800th Anniversary celebrations. Click here for a copy of the article and illustrations. |
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Hitler in Liverpool?
Is there any truth in the story that Hitler visited Liverpool c.1912/13 or is it just an urban myth? |
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Mike Royden's Local History Pages in the Media
Full Listings - Some of the articles within this site have been featured on Radio 4's Making History presented by Sue Cook, while others have been covered on local radio on Radio Merseyside's Norman Thomas Show on Sundays at 1.30pm. |
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University of Liverpool
Local History Classes
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Charles Royden R.F.A. (1881-1918) Charles Royden was in the Royal Field Artillery in the First World War and was killed in 1918. It has taken many years of research to compile enough material for this modest biography. To ensure that even this was not forgotten visit these pages for a more detailed account of Charles Royden at the Somme and his war record. |