On this day in history : 28th August 1207 – Liverpool is granted a Royal Charter by King John – officially making it a Borough of England….
Liuerpul (as it was known then – coming from the Old English ‘liver’, meaning thick or muddy and ‘pol’ for pool or creek) – literally meant a pool with muddy water…. Originally it started as a tiny fishing village on the banks of the Mersey – at the time of the Domesday Book in 1086 it was not even big enough to warrant a mention….
By the time the Royal Charter was issued the village had just seven streets formed in the shape of a letter ‘H’…. King John needed to establish a port in northwest England to defend English interests and trade in Ireland…. Liverpool quickly grew into a busy port, helped by a weekly market that attracted visitors from a far…. A small castle was even built to help defend it (later to be demolished in 1726)….
A further charter was granted to the townsfolk in 1229, giving the merchants of Liverpool permission to form a guild – enabling the town to become self-governing…. The first mayor was elected in 1351 and the Borough of Liverpool continued to flourish…. In 1715 Liverpool became home to the World’s first-ever wet dock….and was given city status in 1880….
Cottage Capers 