Former Political Figures in Southport

By British Government - This photograph Q 42037 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3884698

This is a short blog looking at some former political figures and their time in Southport. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it does include a Secret Sand Land exclusive, with special thanks to the research of Mr. Roger Kilshaw of St. Helens and the expert knowledge of political & local sports historian, Mr. Michael Braham.

So, let’s begin with some flying visitors of note; William Gladstone when MP for Southwest Lancashire spoke three times in Southport. The first time was on 19th December 1867 at a meeting at the Royal Music Hall, Portland Street. This Grade II listed building stands near to the corner of Part Street and has an interesting history of its own, beginning life in May 1863 as ‘The Royal Museum’, then under the ownership of William Newby. Gladstone came again in October 1868 when he addressed 1,200 people and finally on 23rd October 1889 when he spoke at the Cambridge Hall, known as The Atkinson, today.

Prime Minister H.H. Asquith visited Southport in July 1909 when the National Liberal Federation met at the Empire Hall. He had previously visited the Town in 1904 before he became Prime Minister.

There were TUC conferences held in Southport in 1935 and 1947. It’s highly likely that Ramsey McDonald attended in 1935 and also Clement Atlee in 1947. On a Pathe News reel showing a TUC conference at the Gaumont Theatre during the early/mid 1950s, Harold Wilson can be seen puffing on his pipe on St George’s Place. The Gaumont, primarily known as The Palladium and then later The Odeon, stood on the site where the soon to be ‘old’ Sainsburys stands today.

The following people mentioned either stayed or lived in Southport.

Winston Churchill stayed at Rosefield Hall as a guest of Baron de Forest in December 1909 when Churchill was touring Lancashire to speak about Free Trade. Baron de Forest was a hereditary baron of the Austrian Empire, standing as a Liberal candidate for Southport during the 1910 general election. The large mock Tudor mansion, then known as Hermon’s Hill, has now been converted into apartments, after being spared an application for demolition in 2000. The Southport Visiter gave an insight of his time here in 1909 on May 11th, 1940, upon Churchill becoming Prime Minister the previous day:

Mr. Winston Churchill, the new Prime Minister, paid a week’s visit to Southport in the Autumn of 1909, when he was a member of the Liberal Government and addressed a series of meetings throughout Lancashire on the question of Free Trade. The meetings were held in Manchester, Preston, Bolton and other places.

He was the guest in Southport of Baron de Forest who then resided at a house in Hesketh Road and in support of Baron de Forest’s candidature for the Southport Division. He addressed a meeting in the Albert Hall, now the Scala Theatre and he also spoke at Waterloo, which was then in the Southport Division.

It was during his Southport meeting that he was interrupted by Miss Dora Marsden, a suffragette, who succeeded in getting into the loft of the roof and the stewards, in removing her, had to take her over the roof.

It was also this visit to Southport that gave rise to the story about Mr. Churchill’s hats. He himself has told the story in a popular magazine, relating how he was hurriedly leaving the house in Hesketh Road on one occasion and took the first hat he could find. It turned out to be a very small one and a waiting press photographer took a photograph of him wearing it.

Mr. Churchill had another more intimate encounter with a suffragette, during a railway journey from Southport to Manchester. She travelled on the same train, which was a corridor train and succeeded in bearding him in compartment. As a result, they came to a mutual arrangement that she should be admitted to the meeting he was addressing and that he would undertake to answer her question and that she would not interrupt his speech. Both held to their bargain.

But what about Churchills predecessor, Neville Chamberlain? Well, it has now been brought to light that he attended a school in Southport as a boy during the late 1870s. But where was this school and what was it called? In April of this year, I was contacted by Roger Kilshaw, who told me that Chamberlain had attended a school at 10 Albert Road. For those of you that are acquainted with the numerous street name changes within Southport, will be aware that there was of course two Albert Roads, one in Southport and one in Birkdale, the latter eventually becoming Saxon Road (named after Saxenholme School).

The earliest record that I found of a school at the site of 10 Albert Road, Southport, comes in Robertson’s guide to Southport of 1864/65, with a Frank Millson the original proprietor. This directory entry suggests to me that the building (thankfully still standing today) was likely built c1863. Mannex’s directory of 1866 (surveyed in 1865) lists Frank E. Millson as the proprietor of a boarding school on Albert Road. Johnson & Green's 1868 directory confirms this as being a 'Gents Boarding College', but this is where the plot thickens; originally, the present No.10 Albert Road, was No.9. The odd numbers were on the east side and the even numbers on the west; the building names, many still discernible today via inscription stones, (Sea View is now on the east, Ash Villas are now on the west) clarifies this to be the case when referenced against the local directories and OS maps.

Frank England Millson, (England being his mother’s maiden name, and confirmed as his name on the 1871 census), can be found lodging on Lord Street in Southport as early as 1851, as a teacher of classics. He was the son of the Independent Minister (Chapel Street), John Edgar Millson, who was appointed to Southport in 1847, and who was living on Manchester Road. By 1854, Frank Millson was now residing in Southport and was teaching from Manchester Road. In 1856 he was advertising his own school in regional newspapers and in 1861, he was teaching from East Bank House on East Bank Street. I believe it is highly likely he moved from East Bank Street to form his new school on Albert Road.

The original Bingfield School, 10 Albert Road. Neville Chamberlain attended school here between 1877 & c1880

By the 1871 census, Millson had left Albert Road and was teaching at nearby Hoghton Street. No.9 Albert Rd, as it still was numbered then, was uninhabited in this census return. In December 1872, The Reading Mercury mentions an Arthur George Lawford residing at ‘Bingfield’, Albert Rd, Southport. In January 1873, a Miss Lawford was advertising her new school for boys called ‘Bingfield’, which was to be opened on February 3rd. By 1881 the numbers had changed, and at No.10 Albert Road is a Miss Frances Lewin, ‘Principal of School’, with her sister Harriet. They were both born in Seacombe on the Wirral. Living with them on this return they had fifteen pupils, a cook, a nurse, a housemaid and one domestic servant. Research shows that a dissolvement took place between Miss Lewin and Miss Lawford during this year. Miss Lucy Alice Lawford continued to reside at ‘Bingfield’, 10 Albert Rd as is shown in the 1882/83 directory, looking like she continued here for a year or two whilst her ex-partner, Frances Lewin had set up a school of the same name on Waterloo Rd, Birkdale.

Bingfield opposite to Regent Road 1889/90. Reproduced with kind permission of The National Library of Scotland. Georeferenced Maps - Map images - National Library of Scotland (nls.uk)

It was at this new school, under the same name in developing Birkdale that another prominent figure went to school as a child. William Beveridge who masterminded the NHS said that between the ages of 4 and 7 he and his sisters were at a small school in Southport whilst his parents were in India. This is confirmed by letters held at The British Library from Miss Lewin to Annette Beveridge (in India) in 1885 & 1886, the address given as Waterloo Road, Birkdale, Southport.

Bingfield on Waterloo Road, Birkdale, where William Beveridge attended school as a boy.

To conclude this short blog, I will add that Olga Kerensky, the ex-wife of the former Russian Prime Minister, Alexander Kerensky lived in Grosvenor Road, Birkdale. Her son Gleb also settled in Southport. It’s therefore possible that Alexander may have visited the town prior to his death in 1970.

Interesting stuff heh?

David Walshe ©2023

With special thanks to;

Roger Kilshaw

Michael Braham

Martin Perry (Southport Civic Society)