History.—During the 8th century colonies of Norsemen settled on both sides of the Mersey. After the Conquest the site of Liver pool formed part of the fief granted by the Conqueror to Roger de Poictou. Although Liverpool is not named in Domesday it is believed to have been one of the six berewicks, or subordinate manors, dependent on the manor of West Derby therein men tioned, and cultivated by 53 villeins, 62 bordarii or day-labourers, 3 ploughmen, 6 herdsmen, a horseman, 2 bondmen and 3 bond women. After various forfeitures and regrants from the crown, it was handed over by Henry II. to his falconer Warine. In a deed executed about 1191 by John, earl of Morton, afterwards King John, who was then Lord of the Honour of Lancaster, in which he confirms Henry Fitzwarine in the possession of Liver pool, the name of the town first occurs. Probably its most plausible derivation is from the Norse Hlithar-pollr, "the pool of the slopes." Another possible derivation is from the Prov. E. lever, the yellow flag or rush, O.E. laefer, any rush-like or sword bladed plant. (See the New English Dict., s.v. LEVERS.) Owing to the decline of Chester as a port, due to the silting up of the river Dee, another site for a port for Ireland had to be found. Into the tidal waters of the Mersey a small stream ran, forming an open pool or sea lake at its mouth, and this was chosen as the site for the new port. The pool was admirably adapted as a harbour for vessels, being well protected, and the tide rising from 15 to 21 ft. King John repurchased the manor from Henry Fitzwarine, giving him other lands in exchange. Here he founded a borough, and by letters patent dated 1207 granted Liverpool the same status as any other free borough upon the sea and invited his subjects to take up "burgages," or allotments, in the new town, which was built along the brow of the hill on which Castle street and the Town Hall are erected. The High Cross stood near the present Town Hall, and here the main line of street was intersected by another line extending from the riverside to the Townsend bridge, which crossed the pool where the end of Dale street now is. Considerable use was made of Liverpool in the 13th century for shipping stores and reinforcements to Ireland and Wales. In 1229 a charter was granted by Henry III. confirm ing in detail that previously granted by his father, making Liver pool a free borough for ever, and authorizing the formation of a merchants' gild. Several charters were granted until the reign of William and Mary, whose charter was that under which the town was governed until the Municipal Reform Act of 1835. In 188o when the diocese of Liverpool was created, the borough was transformed into a city by royal charter, and in 1892 the style and dignity of "Lord Mayor" was conferred on its chief magis trate.
The crown revenues from rents and the royal customs were leased from time to time, sometimes to the corporation, at other times to private persons. The first lease was from Henry III., in 1229, and in the same year the borough, with all its appurtenances, was bestowed with other lands on Ranulf, earl of Chester, from whom it passed to the earl of Derby, who seems to have built Liverpool castle between 1232 and 1237. The lands of his grand son, Robert de Ferrers were confiscated in 1266 when Liverpool passed into the hands of Edmund, earl of Lancaster. Liverpool again became the property of the crown, when Henry IV. inher ited it from his father John of Gaunt. In 1628 Charles I. sold Liverpool to certain merchants of London, who, in 1635, recon veyed the crown rights, including the fee-farm rent of f14, 6s. 8d., to Sir Richard Molyneux, then Viscount Molyneux of Mary borough, for the sum of £450. In 1672 all these rights and inter ests were acquired by the corporation.
Liverpool's trade developed slowly. From iio per annum, in the beginning of the 13th century, the crown revenues had in creased towards the end of the 14th century to 138; but then they underwent a decline. The black death, about 1360, carried
off a large part of the population. The Wars of the Roses in the I5th century retarded progress for at least a century, during which period the crown revenues diminished from £38 and were finally leased at £14, 6s. 8d., at which they continued until the sale by Charles I. It is, however, not safe to conclude that the reduced fee-farm rent represents an equivalent decline in prosperity ; the privileges conferred by the various leases differed widely and may account for much of the apparent discrepancy.
Liverpool sent no representatives to parliament in 1264, but in 1296 the borough sent two members, and again in 1307. The next time it sent members was in 1547. In 1588 the borough was represented by Francis Bacon. During the Civil War the town was fortified and garrisoned by the parliament. It sustained three sieges, and in 1644 fell to Prince Rupert.
The true rise of the commerce of Liverpool dates from the Restoration. Down to that period its population probably never exceeded about i,o0o. Its trade was chiefly with Ireland, France and Spain, exporting fish and wool to the continent, and importing wines, iron and other commodities. The rise of the manufactur ing industry of south Lancashire, and the opening of the American and West Indian trade, gave the first impulse to the progress which has since continued. By the end of the century the popula tion had increased to 5,000. In 1699 the borough was constituted a parish distinct from Walton. In 1709, the small existing harbour was found insufficient to accommodate the shipping, so a wet dock was constructed with flood-gates impounding the water, so as to keep the vessels floating during the recess of the tide. This dock was the first of its kind. The name of the engineer was Thomas Steers.
About now the Liw:rpool merchants entered on the slave trade, into which they were led by their connection with the West Indies. In 1709 a vessel of 3o tons carried 15 slaves across the Atlantic from Liverpool ; in 1730, encouraged by parliament, Liverpool went heartily into the new trade. In 1751, 53 ships sailed from Liverpool for Africa—first to the west coast, where they shipped the slaves, and thence to the West Indies, where the slaves were sold and the proceeds exchanged for sugar and rum. In 1765 the Liverpool slavers had increased to 86, carrying 24,20o slaves. By the end of the century five-sixths of the African trade centred in Liverpool. Just before its abolition in 1807 there were 185 Liver pool ships engaged in the traffic, carrying 49,213 slaves in the year.
Another branch of maritime enterprise which during the latter half of the 18th century attracted the attention of Liverpool was privateering. After the outbreak of the Seven Years' War with France and Spain, in 1756, the commerce of Liverpool suffered severely, the French having overrun the narrow seas with privateers, and the premiums for insurance against sea risks rose excessively. The Liverpool merchants took a lesson from the enemy, and armed and sent out their ships as privateers. Early success caused almost the whole community to rush into the business, with results of a very chequered character. During the War of Independence American privateers swarmed about the West Indies and intercepted British commerce in the narrow seas ; the Liverpool merchants again retaliated, and between August 1778 and April 1779, 120 privateers were fitted out in Liverpool, carrying 1,986 guns and 8,745 men.