Liverpool's Past

When King John signed Liverpool's charter, on 28 August 1207, he created a 13th century 'new town' and a medieval enterprise zone. Liverpool was then a small fishing hamlet on the banks of a muddy 'pool', an inlet from the River Mersey. It would become one of the world's most important ports and trading centres. For a long time the town and its port developed slowly. For over 400 years there were only seven short streets: Castle Street, Juggler Street, Bank Street (now Water Street), Moor Street (now Tithebarn Street), Dale Street, Chapel Street and Mylne Street (now Old Hall Street). Its population was 500 to 800 and the main occupations were fishing and farming.

In the late 17th Century Liverpool benefited from the French blockade of southern English ports and was able to develop trade with Spain, Denmark and Hamburg. Liverpool's greatest period of commercial prosperity and growth began in the 18th century. They were able to bring new cargoes from further away. Trade expanded from the European, Baltic and Mediterranean ports to North and South America, the West Indies and Africa and, eventually, Liverpool became England's largest slaving port. Liverpool's population grew as improved agricultural productivity brought people into towns and cities looking for new work. Significant numbers of people came from the rural areas of Wales and Scotland. The biggest numbers came in the 1840s following the failure of the potato crops in Ireland. Between 1830 and 1930 about 9 million migrants came through Liverpool on their way to America. Some stayed, together with foreign sailors they added to Liverpool's cosmopolitan make-up and outlook. Liverpool's Black and Chinese communities are both long established in the city.

In 1900 the population was 685,000, but the depression in world trade in the 1930s hit Liverpool's trade, and unemployment rose to twice the national average. Liverpool began to lose population and jobs. In 1936 it pioneered the building of new industrial estates at Aintree and Speke. These attracted new industries including light engineering, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. In the 1960s Government incentives brought car production to Liverpool and manufacturing became a growth industry for a short time, but employment in the port and its associated industries was still in decline. Thousands of jobs were lost when containerisation was introduced; also Britain's membership of the EU left Liverpool once again on the 'wrong' side of the country, away from the main European markets. But, over the past decade Liverpool has been building a new future for itself. The city's riverfront and old docks have been opened up for visitors and for business use. Major regeneration strategies are being applied all around the city and especially in the city centre. The port has declined as a major employer but has restored its level of trade to that of forty years ago. Tourism and the service sector are increasingly important to the economy. Liverpool, already world famous as the birthplace of the Beatles, is now attracting film and television companies who use its unspoilt streets and buildings for location filming. The city's past has left it with a valuable legacy. Fine docks and buildings echo the past but will also help to build Liverpool's future. Public and private bodies are working in partnership to regenerate the city and its buildings and to attract new employment.

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