RIFFEL LODGE (continued):

Owners and Occupiers:

Lodges are difficult as their occupants are not noted in early Directories and they rarely appear by name in early Rates Books - their owners paying the Rates. We find occupants tend to come and go with the owners of their attached houses, but not always.

At the time of the 1861 census this lodge is shown as unoccupied; in the 1871 census we find William Grindley, 56 a coachman born in Ellesmere, Salop living here with his wife Jane 48 born in Ireland and their son Charles age 12, a scholar born in Aigburth - this family are still there in 1874. The 1881 census shows the occupiers to be Thomas Clare a gardener, age 40 born in L.W. (Little Woolton), his wife Elizabeth 45, two daughters Margaret and Teresa aged 18 & 9 and a son Thomas age 5 all born in L.W. Living with them is James Clare age 60, described as a 'relative' and labourer born in Roby, also Eliza Williams age 19, a boarder and dressmaker, born in L.W. Hereafter we are on firmer ground as Clare appears in the Rates Books living here until 1885.

From 1886-1905 George Gregg-Rowberry, gardener was living here, and for the next 2 years Arthur Mandell seems to have been the occupier. In 1908 the Directory shows the occupier as George Hodnett, gardener, but by 1917 he had gone and the tenant of The Riffel had left too. During 1920-22 Trevor Lewis, a metal worker was here, but the next year it was George R. Macfarlane, a chauffeur - ? to Mrs Hemelryk at The Riffel.

James Cross (James Gore's grandson), in 1882 living in Woolton Mount, then at Tedstone, Herefordshire died 11.8.1921, He was the owner of Gore's property in Woolton Park and now Mrs Hemelryk (Caroline Bertha) was able to buy both The Riffel and its lodge from his estate. She died 1.10.1930 and the next owner was Joseph Harold Jones of Knotty Ash, a retired Lt Colonel whose gardener Henry Ashcroft was at the lodge in 1932. The last owner we take note of was Reginald Stockdale, banker, previously living at Higher Lee, Beaconsfield Road who bought both properties in 1936, and Henry Ashcroft was still at the lodge.

Between the lodge and Church Road is one castellated and rusticated stone gate-pier surviving to remind us that once there were four - 2 freestanding ones between the pedestrian entrances and the carriageway - complete with gates to close off the Park at night.

continued . . .