A History of Upton

Upton Village 1940

The name Upton is from the Old English 'upp', meaning up, high or a hill, and 'tūn', meaning a farmstead or settlement and sits on a low-lying hill, in a wide and shallow glacial U-shaped valley between Thurstaston Hill and Bidston Hill, formed during the Ice Age. It was originally a township, as it had a weekly market, situated in the ancient parish of Overchurch. The name Overchurch may translate as 'shore church', from the Old English 'ofer' meaning a shore and 'cirice', a church implying that during Anglo Saxon times the shoreline of the Irish Sea could have been closer to the centre of the village. At the time Upton was a farming community and in 1086 was listed in the Domesday Book as 'Optone' with the Manor of Upton recorded as being held by William Mallbank. The title then passed from Mallbank to the Praers and Orreby's, one of whom in 1230 gave it, and the Manor of Willaston, to his mother. It descended through female heirs to Sir John Arderne and was given as a wedding present when his daughter married Baldwin Bold in 1310. The title remained with the Bold family through six generations until 1614 when it, and Upton Hall, were sold to Robert Davies who himself subsequently sold the title to Charles, and the Hall to William, both successive Earls of Derby. It was then sold to the Cunliffe family and Sir Foster Cunliffe sold the title on to Thomas Clarke in 1795 or 1796, who sold it a few years later to John Webster of Seacombe. William Webster, the son of John Webster, sold the title, but not the Hall, to William Inman who retained the title until his death in 1881. The Hall had been sold to the Society of the Faithful Companions of Jesus who turned it into a school, currently Upton Hall School (FCJ).
Upton was formerly considered the metropolis of the lower mediety of Wirral, and had two annual fairs of considerable importance, plus a weekly market that was discontinued in 1620. It was the primary economic centre of northern Wirral until the industrial development of Birkenhead during the mid-19th century, being second on the whole peninsula only beaten by Neston. With five important local roads converging on the village, its early importance was due to the fact that it was at the junction of roads from the five neighbouring villages, Woodchurch, Greasby, Saughall Massie, Moreton and Claughton. This main thoroughfare was the place of the weekly market which is recorded as being held from 1662 with these fairs, the largest and best stocked in the whole of the Hundred, drawing crowds from all over the peninsula during the 17th and 18th century. Additional large fairs were also held in the village centre at Michaelmas and Easter.
 

St. Mary's Church & a block of three shops built in 1904
Source: Upton in the Hundred of Wirral

There is evidence of a church building at Overchurch from about 600AD. The original Norman church was a steepled church, of decorative design, understood to have been built on the site of at least one previous Saxon church and was situated opposite at Upton Manor on Moreton Road. The earliest reference to the church is in 1347. The steeple was damaged by a storm in 1709 and, by 1813, the church was in such poor condition that it was petitioned to be demolished. Greenbank Church was built in 1813 and was situated closer to the centre of the village, next to Greasby Road. This church reused material from the former Norman church, but was of a much simpler design and was used until the construction of St. Mary's and then later demolished. When it was pulled down a Runic Stone attributed to the 7th or 8th centuries, was discovered in the ruins inviting people to pray for Æthelmund, perhaps a local leader or missionary. The stone is now kept in Chester at the Grosvenor Museum. The 1837 tithe map of the area indicates a half-circle of standing stones, around a wooded hollow which was situated next to the church, at a diameter of 350 metres (380 yards).

Upton Hall

 

It was William Inman, the owner of the Inman Line, who donated money for the construction of St. Mary's Church. By the time he was 21 he was managing the Richardson ships trading between Liverpool and Philadelphia
Source: Upton in the Hundred of Wirraland came to Upton in 1854 renting Upton Hall from the Websters while he had a house built on land on Moreton Road between Upton and Moreton. The House was called Harefield House after the Inman's family seat in Harrogate and it was ready by 1860. When William  bought the lordship of the manor of Upton from Thomas Webster he renamed the house Upton Manor and resided there within the grounds of Upton Park. In 1875 he had the house extended, including the viewing tower which enabled him to look out over the Mersey to see when one of his ships was coming in. William lived in the Manor House until his death on 3rd July 1881.
Source: Upton in the Hundred of Wirral Both Upton Manor and St. Mary's Church were designed by John Cunningham who also designed Lime Street Station, the sailor's Home and original Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool. Few buildings remain in Upton from before the mid-19th Century with two notable examples being the Stone House at the top of the village, on Ford Road, and the Old Smithy on Rake Lane. These buildings are both built of local red sandstone, hewn into large blocks.

see also:- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2021/07/a-history-of-heswall.html