The Roles of William and John Henry Royle in the Development of ...

26
Apportionment Book of 1842 and Treeley Meadow, according to Lawson (1898 p.122)
The old bridge crossed the River Mersey close to the junction of Flixton Road and
Carrington Lane/Manchester Road, where there are now a set of traffic lights. Today
this is a busy junction, with traffic heading to and from both the M60 and M6
motorways. It was the increase in motor traffic in this vicinity which ultimately led to
the opening of the new bridge in 1907 and the necessity to widen the road around the
Pool Plat area, with the first applications beginning in 1908.
The Quarter Session document of 1722 shows us how seriously the upkeep of this
stretch of highway was taken. It was obviously a strategic link across the river between
Flixton and Carrington and its proximity to the borders of Lancashire, on the north
bank and Cheshire, on the south bank, of the River Mersey, meant that the Parish
Overseers would take a particular interest in foot traffic in this area. In earlier times,
when it was not uncommon to be ‘whipped’ through the parish for being merely a
stranger and travelling without prior written permission, or placed in the stocks for
their pains, suspicion would naturally fall upon cross - border locations such as these.
At times the old Carrington footbridge between the two villages would be busy,
particularly when there were church services, local markets, or fairs and those who
owned land in the immediate vicinity, I suspect, would have been astutely aware of the
strategic importance and financial value of their property. In this respect, the likes of
William and John Henry Royle and those members of the Bent family who had
previously owned Pool Plat , were well placed to negotiate the purchase and sale of
their land, with these conveyances and legal dealings now being detailed in ‘Part Five’
of this article. William and John Henry Royle’s role as property developers will also be
examined and analysed, as part of their overall contribution to the economic
development of Flixton Village, upon which their dealings had a lasting impact.
Bibliography.
Census of Lancashire, 1881 (RG11 3889/84 No.11) (RG11 3889/88 No.20) (RG11
3945/99 No.12)
Census of Lancashire, 1901 (RG13 3715/9 No.9)
Census of Lancashire, 1911 (RG14 23955/24)
Dickens, Steven., The Booths of Flixton. The Development of Ancient Origins. 1332 -
2009. The Manchester Genealogist. Vol. 45. No. 4. 2009 pp. 303 - 310.
Dickens, Steven., Royle, Booth and Walkden Connections in 19 th and Early 20 th
Century Flixton. Part One, Irlam Road, Flixton and its related inhabitants. The
Manchester Genealogist. Vol. 46. No. 2. 2010 pp. 112 - 116.
Dickens, Steven., Royle, Booth and Walkden Connections in 19 th and Early 20 th
Century Flixton. Part Two, Irlam Road, Flixton and its related inhabitants: William
Royle’s Statutory Declaration. The Manchester Genealogist. Vol. 46. No. 4. 2010 pp.
329 - 333.
Greater Manchester County Record Office, 56 Marshall Street, Newcross, Manchester.
M4 5FU. Catalogue of Archives of the Harper, Fielden and Royle Families of Flixton
(E/18/1 - E/18/63)