ACREFIELD COTTAGE Owners and Occupiers (continued):

1878-1885
William Croft (1847-?1885) in 1878 became the occupier of both house and garden, R.V. £50 and from the 1881 census we see that he was 34, the secretary of a safe deposit company and a Liverpool organist and choir master. He was married to Sarah Jane aged 27, the eldest daughter of Joseph Stubbs who died in 1885, and they had 5 children (the one year old Arthur Patrick was buried in 1888 at St Peters Woolton.) They had 2 servants, one of whom was a nurse. From 1881 William Croft appears as owner and occupier until 1885 when the owner is recorded as the "trustees of William Croft".

1885-1890
But another William Croft - a relative ? - stock and share broker was the occupier by 1885 (and that there were two William Crofts living here in 1885 is confirmed by the Liverpool Directory). In 1890 William Croft II is down as the owner occupier but he shortly moved to Allerton where he died on 26th February 1892 leaving estate of £1,065 which included Acrefield Cottage.

1891-1905
Thomas Driver (c.1817-1905) became the occupant in 1891 until 1905, when he is described in the Directory as a gentleman. He was the Preston born Chemist & Druggist who came to Much Woolton c.1847 to open a shop at 14 Woolton St. he took many of our early photographs and by 1891 must have retired at the age of about 74. He died 18th July 1905, left £1,137 and was buried at St. Peters. His son John George Driver was also a chemist.

In 1892 after the death of Wm. Croft II the owner became William Henry Tate.

1908-1913
Miss Emily J. Brown and Miss Grace Gillie became the occupiers followed by

1914-1923
John Sutton Remer, timber merchant (Cunard Buildings) and his wife Mary lived here. Mr, Remer died 26.4.1916 leaving effects of £9,681, he was 63 and buried at St. Peters and his widow continued living here until c.1923

The house was then empty for many years and the last occupier we record was Frank W. Hunt in the Liverpool Directory of 1940.

Illustration: The double-pile vernacular house of 2½ storeys as met with locally, but found all over the country.

continued . . .