Burton was first documented in the Domesday Book and historically was on the route which travellers would take from London to Birkenhead. Owing to its location on trade routes, it is thought to have developed at a faster rate than neighbouring communities. Indeed, during the fourteenth century, trade and travel allowed Burton to flourish, standing as it did near the site of embarcation for the ferry to North Wales and on the main route to the city of Chester. However, the build up of silt in the River Dee led to a decrease in shipping trade and Burton's prosperity took a downturn when the river course was diverted in the eighteenth century. In 1298 the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield commissioned a survey of his estate, which recorded 47 tenants in the manor of Burton. In the same year Burton was valued at 2s 4d for the purposes of the 'Peter’s Pence' ecclesiastical tax. This tax was charged at 1d per household, with only the poorest members of society exempt, and in Burton this accounted for 36% of the population. At this time approximately half of the total area of the manor (760 acres) was used as arable land but fishing was no doubt also an important aspect of the local economy as it is documented that the inhabitants of Burton held rights of fishing the River Dee. In the 14th century Burton appears to have possessed two quay/port areas during the medieval period, one potentially located at Denhall at the site of the medieval hospital of St Andrew's, and the other at Burton Point. In 1373 Thomas Hopwell was convicted of stealing a sail from a ship anchored at Burton. Also in 1371 Sir William of Windsor sailed from Burton in order to commence his position as Governor of Ireland; and during the 14th century, John Hawk a resident of Burton, was Master of 'The Trinity', a vessel engaged in trade with Ireland. Burton also provided a ferry service to North Wales, as part of a communications network which linked South Lancashire with the above, via a ferry across the River Mersey. Also Burton Parish Church is dedicated to St Nicholas, a patron saint of sailors.
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| St Nicholas & 1 handed clock |
The location and extent of early medieval Burton is unknown but it was recorded at Domesday as including a priest, which is an indication that Burton was a parochial centre for the surrounding area.The present church of St Nicholas has architectural features dating from the 12th century in the porch and beneath the tower, and Norman capitals are said to have been recovered from the graveyard during the 18th century. With the exception of the Massey Chapel at the east end of the north aisle, which was built in 1380 and survived the restoration of 1554, the rest of the church was reconstructed in 1721 and the clock is unusual in that it has only one hand. The Cheshire and Chester Record Office has records of baptisms, marriages and burials at the parish church dating from 1538. Behind the church in the woods are the Quaker graves which date from 1663. Among the interesting buildings in the village are the thatched cottage, Barn End, St Nicholas house with a date stone of 1711, Church House dating from about 1470 and. opposite the Manor entrance, Bishop Wilson’s cottage, which was built in the 16th century. In 1806, the manor of Burton was purchased from the Bishop of Lichfield, by Richard Congreve who began the construction of Burton Hall in an area that had formerly comprised fields and cottage gardens. The manor had previously been held (since 1755) under lease by his great grandfather Rev Richard Congreve. Henry Neville Gladstone bought it in 1902 and the house was greatly extended. The Gladstones sold the manor in 1924 and in 1948 it became an adult education college. In 2014 it was closed, and offered for sale by the owners, Liverpool City Council.
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| Burton Manor |
In 1561 Burton possessed five licensed houses, a figure which had risen to 15 in 1607 but had declined to eight by 1615. Two inns were recorded at Burton during the 19th century, The Stanley Arms in 1843 and the Royal Oak in 1851, with a victualler listed amongst the trades practised in 1850.
There was potentially a school at Burton in 1665 when Edward Steel was documented as being a licensed schoolmaster, although where he taught is unrecorded. During the following century Thomas Wilson, the Bishop of Sodor and Man, returned to his birthplace of Burton. Hew was born in Burton in 1663 and became bishop of Sodor and
Man. He founded a free school in the parish in 1724 which was built on common land at the western end of Burton, with a master's house added in 1732. The local primary school
is named after him and continued to serve the community until 1963. Much of Burton’s historic street pattern survives to the present day and retains a good building stock, dating from at least the 17th century onwards. Most of the village is included in Conservation Area and to the west of the settlement there are three Scheduled Ancient Monuments: Burton Point Iron Age Promontory Fort, St Andrew’s medieval hospital at Denhall and Burton Hall ice house. To the south of Burton are the gardens of Burton Hall, which are listed Grade II in English Heritage's Register of Parks and Gardens. The village population was recorded at 288 in 1801, 291 in 1851, 222 in 1901 and 667 in 1951. Burton did have an operational railway station from 1889 until 1955 with services to Wrexham and Seacombe. Situated some distance from village though this led to a decline in usage as cars became common in the 1950s. The site is still almost entirely intact and the station buildings currently form part of a garden centre
The popular BBC radio broadcaster John Peel grew up in the village, having been born in nearby Heswall.
see also:- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2021/06/a-history-of-upton.html
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