HILLCROFT Owners and Occupiers (continued):

The 1881 census shows 2 families living here: William Pennington 60, domestic coachman, born in Woolton and his wife Sarah 59 born in Speke, and Charles Pennington 23, a plumber born in Tunbridge Wells (their son ?) with his wife Elizabeth 20, born Halewood and their baby Charles of 9 months. From 1882 to 1885 Wm Pennington was the occupier of house, garden and land and the Trustees of J. Gore the owners. For the next 2 years it appears to be empty until it is let to Charles George in 1888 R.V. £17. In the same year Mary Jane Cross took over the 2½ acres of land as occupier (R.V. £9). By 1898 Thomas Richardson was the tenant of the house but only stayed for 2 years when in 1901 William T. Peover took his place remaining until 1904.

In 1905-6 the house was again empty with Mary L. Needham occupying the land. From 1907 until 1920 the tenant of Hillcroft R.V. £51 was Holbrook Gaskell, born in Aigburth Hall Road c.1879, son of Holbrook Gaskell alkali manufacturer (born in Patricroft) and grandson of Holbrook Gaskell senior, J.P. of Woolton Wood who was born in Liverpool in 1813 and educated privately. He started business in partnership with James Nasmyth (1808-90) inventor of the steam hammer; retiring in 1850. After some years he went into the alkali & chemical business (Gaskell, Deacon & Co) in Widnes (later United Alkali Co., in its time the largest industrial undertaking in the U.K). He was sole proprietor of the Liverpool Daily and Weekly Post & Echo and died 1909. A Unitarian, he was the last person to be interred in the graveyard of Cairo Street Chapel, Warrington. Our Holbrook Gaskell was the Chief Engineer at the United Alkali Co., and was in the birthday Honours in 1918.

From 1920 to 1922 John Ryder Ritchie, a timber merchant, lived at Hillcroft followed in 1923-36 by Philip Hodson.

continued . . .