Inspired by an old Venetian custom, Liverpool was 'married to the sea' in September 1928. Liverpool was also home to a large Welsh population, and was sometimes referred to as the Capital of North Wales.
Historically, Liverpool was known as the Capital of North Wales, due to its geographical position and the number of Welsh people who lived there. Back in the 1870s the city had a Welsh population of 50,000 - that's more than the current population of Welsh towns like Bridgend, Llanelli and Merthyr.
For a long period from 1473 to 1689 Ludlow in Shropshire (England) was the capital of Wales! Centuries before Ludlow, Strata Florida Abbey, where Llywelyn the Great held council in 1238 was the capital. In 1404, Owain Glyndŵr formed a Senedd (parliament) in Machynlleth.
Indeed one could say that in the period between 1880 and 1914 Liverpool had a larger Welsh speaking population within its city than any other town and city in Wales or anywhere else in Wales, including Cardiff.
The city is also historically known for its large Irish and Welsh populations. The Liverpool accent (Scouse) is thought to have been influenced by the arrival of Irish and Welsh immigrants.
Liverpool had (and still does have to some extent) a large Welsh population, and a big Welsh influence is seen in Liverpool. It was referred to as the capital of north Wales in the past, and has even hosted a number of Eisteddfodau. There are no big cities in north Wales, the nearest ones are Liverpool and Manchester.
It has been traditionally claimed that Everton FC is 'the Catholic team' of Merseyside, whereas Liverpool FC is 'the Protestant team'. From a historical perspective, the proposition has a potential plausibility.
The history of Liverpool can be traced back to 1190 when the place was known as 'Liuerpul', possibly meaning a pool or creek with muddy water, though other origins of the name have been suggested.
Until c. 1560, the word was spelt Kymry or Cymry, regardless of whether it referred to the people or the country; Cymru for the country evolved later. The Latinised form Cambria emerged in the Middle Ages, first attested in, and perhaps coined by, Geoffrey of Monmouth.
The first reference that England has to a capital city is Colchester. It is recorded by the Romans as a centre of power and the home of Catus Decianus, the governor of Britannia. As such, Colchester was named the first capital of Roman Britain.
The Welsh Streets in Toxteth Park, Liverpool contained Victorian homes built by Welsh workers for their families; the streets were named after villages and valleys in Wales.
Merseyside was created in 1974 from areas previously part of the administrative counties of Lancashire and Cheshire, along with the county boroughs of Birkenhead, Bootle, Liverpool, St Helens, Southport, and Wallasey. Merseyside had been designated a "Special Review" area in the Local Government Act 1958.
A third study, published in 2020 and based on Viking era data from across Europe, suggested that the Welsh trace, on average, 58% of their ancestry to the Brittonic people, up to 22% from a Danish-like source interpreted as largely representing the Anglo-Saxons, 3% from Norwegian Vikings, and 13% from further south in ...
Liverpool is widely known for having the strongest Irish heritage of any UK city - perhaps alongside Glasgow. This originates from the city's port being close to Ireland, which made it easy to reach for all those escaping the Great Famine between 1845 and 1849. More than 20% of Liverpool's population was Irish by 1851.
Wales has a long history of welcoming migrants to our communities. Our economic and cultural heritage is heavily influenced by contributions made by migrants who became neighbours and friends. Each successive wave of migration has created opportunities and connections between and within Welsh communities.
The term scouse refers to Liverpool English. An inhabitant of Liverpool is a Liverpudlian or Scouse(r) The Scouse accent is well-know throughout Britain and the world mainly due to the Beatles and other Liverool pop groups and singers from the 60s.
The Scouse accent is highly distinctive, as it was heavily influenced by Irish and Welsh immigrants who arrived via the Liverpool docks, as well as Scandinavian sailors who also used the docks.
Scouse (lobskause) was brought to the city by sailors from Scandinavia. People outside of Liverpool when visiting sampled and enjoyed the dish that it was vary popular in and outside of Liverpool so much so that outsiders nicknamed the people of Liverpool scousers after the dish.
We can follow the Vikings into Liverpool and at Toxteth the Danish Viking Toki had a staithe or landing place – “Toki's stath”. Croc had his landing place at Croxteth and Aigburth was a hill with oak trees - “eiki berg”. The Vikings didn't keep to the coast and settled inland too.
It also tells the story of each of the seven streets that he ordered to be laid out ~ these still exist today, and in exactly the same positions as when they were first named: High Street; Water Street; Chapel Street; Old Hall Street; Tithebarn Street; Dale Street; and Castle Street.
