OXTON COMMUNITY HISTORY ARCHIVE
Oxton at the turn of the 19th century was an inhospitable place, a sandstone hill with poor soil, covered in bracken. We can read the descriptions of early chroniclers revealing that it was indeed a place of solitude and desolation. Of course there are no photographs to prove this but by the 1850s the recording of images using cameras had established and grew as a hobby and as a business over the next decades. And as it happened this was the time when Oxton turned from an agricultural area into a prosperous, bustling, interesting and beautiful place, with inns, churches, parks, mansions, businesses, shops and people. Happily many images of the Oxton area as it was are still available for us to enjoy in the photographs and post cards of the time.
On this site we have a small part of our collection of photographs. There are more kept in the Oxton History Group Archive held at the Oxton Bookshop in the Williamson Art Gallery and Museum. The Archive is a collection of historical materials, written articles, pictures, postcards and maps of Oxton. See the Williamson’s website for opening times if you would like to look at the Archive collection.
We are of course always grateful to receive new photographs. If you have any images, pictures or photos of Oxton or the people from Oxton in times past, we will gladly copy them and return them to you. They don’t have to be old, things have even changed in Oxton over the last 10 years! Contact us on history@theoxtonsociety.org.uk
ONLINE OXTON HISTORY
The contents of the Oxton Community History Archive are gradually being transferred online and will be available through this website. Items that have been downloaded so far can be viewed below.
The Life of William Potter, by Bob Knowles
Oxton’s Pekingese Connection, by Bob Knowles
Road Names of Oxton, by Bob Knowles
Peter Ellams, Oxton’s Blacksmith, by Bob Knowles
Salem View, by Ray Johnson
The story of Annie Price of Claughton Firs, by Bob Knowles
A brief history of Oxton, by John Green
A history of Oxton: a compilation outlining the events of two millennia by John Green.
19th-century Oxton: a history by Ray Johnson.
Anecdotes of Poplar Road by Peter Urquhart.
Shops and shopkeepers: reminiscences of Oxton shops and their owners.
Slow and quiet: a view of the Village by David Charters.
Henderson’s Nursery: a former Village business by Ray Johnson.
The Oxton Society has a History Group which meets regularly to discuss local history and plan a range of activities, including Heritage Walks of the Oxton area.
Oxton History Books
Oxton History Publications, produced by the Oxton History Group, are now available to purchase online. Our publications tell the stories of prominent and interesting Oxton people from the past. Much of what we write is based on our original research.
The latest addition is a celebration of Captain George Edward Schultz, a stalwart of the Birkenhead Bantams, compiled by his grandson John Schultz and Bob Knowles of the History Group. This 16 page, fully-illustrated booklet is £3.00. See below for how to get copies of all our publications.
These publications are all available at the Oxton Bookshop in the Williamson Art Gallery and Museum.
Laura and Jane Willmer, Suffragists and Newspaper Pioneers £3 (8 pages)
Edith Smith Britain’s First Warranted Policewoman £3 (8 pages)
Cyril Scott Composer, Writer and Poet £3 (8 pages)
The Story of Oxton Women’s Struggle for the Vote 1872-1928 £4.50 (16 pages)
Captain George Schultz of the Birkenhead Bantams £3 (12 pages)
The bound hardback collection of the first 25 History Periodicals containing dozens of articles about Oxton people, events and places is just £15
All five Booklets can be purchased together at the special price of £12
As a package all five Booklets together with the Periodicals Book can be purchased for just £25
These publications would be of interest to anyone who wants to know about Oxton’s rich history and would make an ideal gift.
BIRKENHEAD 2020
This site is an archive of photos of Birkenhead, including Oxton, taken during 2020. It is intended to act as a useful record for future generations.