Pall Mall, Liverpool L3
Picture taken on 21st August 2007, donated by Ron Formby
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LITTLE
WALES PLAQUE
Liverpool’s Welsh community is planning to celebrate
Capital of Culture with an ambitious year-long programme
of events in 2008. The highlight of the year is a major
concert at the Philharmonic Hall featuring the Welsh
Choral Union and Aled Jones. The concert on St David’s Day,
March 1st will be just one of a series of festivities in 2008,
which will also see members of the Welsh Patagonia
community visiting the city. Readers of the Scottie Press
will be aware that the paper has been promoting the Welsh
history associated to the Vauxhall area of Liverpool.
In the June 2007 issue of the community newspaper we
published an article about plans to site a plaque
recognising that Pall Mall (Liverpool 3) was once termed
‘Little Wales’. Historically, Welsh-speaking communities
helped build the city of Liverpool and its world-famous docks.
Most came to Liverpool from northwest Wales as the
city was beginning to grow in the late 18th century.
They came usually from Anglesey and Caernarvonshire
because it was easier for them to come by small boats.
A lot of people also came to work on the Liverpool-Leeds
canal, to set Liverpool on its great growth of the 19th century.
By 1813, around 10% of Liverpool's residents were Welsh.
The first Welsh chapel was built in Pall Mall in 1787;
the Welsh population grew so large that Pall Mall became
known as Little Wales, and in 1788 there was even a
Liverpool Welsh penny minted. With thanks to Jimmy Thompson
of Thompson’s Office Furniture, 78 Pall Mall, Liverpool 3,
a Plaque (made from Welsh Slate) was sited on the Pall Mall
premises (Tuesday 21st August 2007), which will recognise
the Welsh History of this area of Liverpool. The plaque
(see pictured) was designed by artist and sculptor Terry McGunigle.
Jimmy and Terry are pictured (on 21st August) with
Rev Dr D Ben Rees and Dewi Davies
(Regional Director Tourism Partnership North Wales).
Jimmy told the Scottie Press that since making contact
with him about the Little Wales Plaque he has received
a great deal of interest in and encouragement for the
plaque from other businesses in the Pall Mall area.
The Scottie Press is also booked to speak about recognising
the Welsh History of the Vauxhall area at a Liverpool Rotary
Club meeting in January 2008.
(Published with the permission of the Scottie Press)