BEACONSFIELD (continued)

Owners and Occupiers - In 1833 the deed, by which Joshua Lace (1762-1841) founder of the Liverpool Law Society, gave the site of just under 5 acres for 5/-d., to his son Ambrose Lace (1793-1870), an attorney like his father, reveals that the house was in course of erection, Ambrose, the last of the bailiffs of Liverpool in 1835, bought the adjoining site of 2¼ acres in 1847 for £1,900 from the executors of Henry Molyneux, file maker of L.W. (died 1830) and Bennison's map of 1835 shows that the block, now two houses, Nos, 35 & 37 Beaconsfield Road were already erected at that time. Moreover the Tithe Map of 1848 shows that the site had not yet been absorbed into Ambrose's estate which is described as "house, outbuildings, gardens and pleasure grounds" while "Molyneux's meadow" and "Molyneux's cottage, outbuildings, yards etc" was still separate. At this time the carriage drive to Beaconsfield ran from between 39 and 41 Beaconsfield Rd directly to the house, it was later moved so that the Molyneux cottages became the Lodge & gardeners cottage. The Coachman's house at the Eastern end of the site was mapped in 1835. The 1851 census shows Ambrose Lace aged 58 living with Margaret his wife 45 and 6 orphaned nephews and nieces, children of his brother Joshua who had died the week before, (Ambrose and his wife had no children of their own), and 9 servants - probably including a butler. In 1853 Ambrose bought 11½ acres from the Marquess of Salisbury for £3,852.

In Feb. 1861 Ambrose, now 68, sold the estate to Charles Mozley J.P., b.1799, a banker with I. Barnard & Co. for £7,000. From the 1861 census we see that Mozley was born in Liverpool, was a widower aged 62 with 4 sons (ages ranging from 14 to 21), a daughter and 6 servants, including a housekeeper and a butler, but there is an unoccupied lodge as if his staffing was not complete by 7th April. In 1863 Mozley was elected Mayor of Liverpool and during his year of office the Rev. James Kelly preached a violent anti-Jewish sermon in the church of St George (roughly where Queen Victoria now stands) thereafter the Council worshipped at St Peter's Church.

Charles Mozley went bankrupt in 1866, possibly due to the American Civil War, and on 19.5.1867 the estate was sold to Daniel James for £11,862.10.0.

continued . . .