Liverpool cowkeepers from westmorland

18/3/2017

Did my first talk in Cumbria last week, for the Bateman Club in Ings. I included information from the 1881 and 1911 census records about the Liverpool cowkeepers who had originated from Westmorland. Family names included: Barnes, Beck, Berk, Bowman, Brownrigg, Coward, Crag, Fallowfield, Gaddas, Heslop, Kidd, Mason, Richardson, Sowerby, Stickland, Tennant, Whitwell and Woof. Afterwards, I had a fascinating exchange of information with a descendant of the Gilpin family - including a lovely account of cows being herded along the country roads from Crook to Kendal railway station, there to be loaded onto cattle wagons bound for the family's cowhouses in Bootle. Looking forward to future bookings in Cumbria.

2 Comments

Maureen Hatton

6/6/2017 11:47:44 am

I lived in Beckenham avenue, on the bottom end of Penny Lane. Dairy 33on the corner of Briardale road was owned by Coulthwaites from at least 1950 to 1960s.They delivered our milk every day. You could also buy milk from the dairy. They had Friesian cows which were walked over Penny Lane railway bridge every morning and evening . They went down to Greenbank road entering the fields directly opposite the bottom of Penny Lane to graze during the day. They closed when the University bought the land and built Dale Hall , hall of residence for the students of Liverpool University.

Dave Joy

16/7/2017 10:12:12 am

Hello Maureen. That's very interesting. A branch of the Joy family kept cows at Calton Dairy (Calton Avenue, at the top end of Penny Lane) and I have often wondered what grazing would have been available in the Penny Lane area.
From the railway bridge you can still see the yard/building to the rear of Briardale Road where the cows used to be kept/milked. It must have been a lovely sight, seeing them being herded to and from pasture for milking twice a day. In my book there is a photo of cows being herded along Aigburth Road to Dugdale's Farm in Grassendale Road - it was taken in the 1950s. It is fascinating to know that this activity was being practised within living memory.
If you have any other information or memories I'd love to hear more. Thanks. Dave.

﻿Liverpool cowkeepers from westmorland