Original Start for Courtfield House
Constructed in 1897 by Town Freeman and former Mayor Robert Mather JP, Courtfield was widely regarded as one of the finest residences in the borough. The Mather family remained in occupation until the property was sold by auction in 1945. Its name had been suggested by a family acquaintance, Reverend Father Bernard Vaughan, whose ancestral home in Gloucestershire, held by his family since 1570, bore the same title. The estate, comprising both buildings and land, was purchased for £14,750 with an additional £396 in associated costs. The acquisition provoked considerable public debate, largely due to concerns about expenditure and perceived...
Victoria Monks Appears at the Empire Theatre
Victoria Annie Monks, born in Blackpool on 1 November 1882, was a prominent music hall singer in the early 20th century. During the Edwardian era and the First World War, she gained recognition for performing and recording popular songs such as Take Me Back to London Town and Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home? The daughter of optician Andrew Thomas Monks, she was educated in both England and Belgium. Her early performances were recorded in the Blackpool Gazette & Herald on 13 August 1897, where she was billed as “Little Victoria” at the Empire, Blackpool. She made her London debut... Read more »
HMS Foudroyant Shipwreck
HMS Foudroyant, once Admiral Nelson’s flagship between 6 June 1799 and June 1801, ended her illustrious career in a dramatic wreck off the Blackpool coast in 1897. After years of distinguished service, the ship had retired and embarked on a fundraising voyage around Britain to promote her preservation. Her journey, however, came to an abrupt and tragic conclusion. The Foudroyant arrived in Blackpool on 4 June 1897, anchoring two miles offshore between Central and North Piers. On the morning of 16 June, a hurricane-strength storm swept through the area, and the ferocious winds caused the ship to break anchor. Buffeted... Read more »