Following the success of their last series, Hidden Oswestry now brings you another two-parter, telling the story of Charlotte Lloyd, nee Thomas.

Charlotte was friends with the owners of Cunard Line and one of 101 influential women with links to Oswestry, whose biographies were displayed in the Memorial Hall during the Heritage Open Days in September.

Charlotte Thomas was born in 1907, in the Cheshire village of Upton, on the Wirral. Charlotte and her younger brother, William, were cared for her their nanny due to their parents’ busy working lives. Charlotte and William became very ill from a young age, resulting in both spending many years in the care of a “pioneering surgeon from Liverpool”. Charlotte contracted meningitis and William developed a tumour on his neck in a time with no penicillin. To aid in their recovery, the children were given 20 first-edition Beatrix Potter books from the Pilkington Glass family of St. Helen’s, who were friends of their parents.

When Charlotte was a little girl, she and William would raise money and write many letters of encouragement to soldiers serving overseas and in France, during the Great War. This was part of a national campaign to boost military morale and allow children to learn of what conditions the servicemen served in during their bit for King and Country. One notable correspondence was in 1917, where a series of letters were exchanged between Charlotte and one Private Tom Burgess, of an unknown regiment. Another was the gift of an active service Testament dated 1914 from No10223 J Brookes of the 1st Cheshire Regt detailing the battles he had fought, others included postcards from friends and relatives travelling on board ships like the Lusitania.

As Charlotte grew up, she developed a keen interest for motorcycling. There is a rather amusing story of her applying to ride for the Liverpool Motor Club just after the Great War ended, but because the Club turned her application for membership down because it was a male-only environment, she re-applied, this time, dressing as a boy (see the photograph) and going under an assumed name which is not disclosed. This trick worked and went on to partake in races either on the motorcycles or in sidecars in the 1920s. Charlotte was a very outgoing strong and compassionate character, who loved travel, meeting people and life.

During the Great War, Charlotte’s family became close friends with the Royden family, also of the Wirral. The head of the family, Sir. Thomas Royden, was Conservative M.P. for Liverpool West Toxteth from 1885 to 1892, High Sheriff of Cheshire in 1903, and 1st Baronet of the Royden Peerage from 1905 to his death in 1917. The son and heir, Thomas Royden Jr., 1st Baron, went on to become Chairman of the Cunard Line and Coalition Conservative M.P. for Bootle from 1918 to 1922.

The Roydens moved into Bidston Court in 1901, in the village of Noctorum, just a few miles from Birkenhead. This is a black and white, half-timbered, mock-Elizabethan mansion, modelled on Little Moreton Hall and was designed and built in 1891 by Robert Hudson, head of the Hudson soap family. One famous and somewhat ironic guest of Bidston Court was none other than Kaiser Wilhelm II himself, who stayed at the property in 1912; in fact, he loved this house so much, he returned to Germany and ordered a similar house to be built in Potsdam – the Cicilienhof.

Lady Royden inherited Hillbark House in Royden Park from her mother, following her death in 1929, and made the decision to move the family from Bidston Court back to the Park. One member of the family, Sir. Thomas’ younger brother, Sir. Ernest Royden, grew rather attached to the property and did not wish to leave. Therefore, for that reason and coupled with Liverpool Corporation’s expansion of social housing into neighbouring districts, Sir. Ernest ordered Bidston Court to be completely dismantled and re-built on the site of Hillbark, 20 miles away, having had Hillbark House demolished to make way for the rebuilding. This project took two years to complete.

Next week we will find out about Charlotte and her soon to be husband, Arthur.

Sources:

Mr. James Lloyd, The Pentre, Bronygarth

Oswestry Town Museum

Royden History www.roydenhistory.co.uk/roydenfhp/frankby/roydensoffrankby/roydensoffrankby.htm