e Necropolis
Cemetery sprung as it were from it, where dissenters of all denominations
could be buried. The Baptists, increasing in numbers, quitted Low-hill,
and built a chapel in Byrom-street, which is now St. Matthew's church.
When this chapel was built it was thought to be too far out of town to be
well attended.

There once lived a curious person at Low-hill who had peculiar tastes.
He built a place which was called "Rat's Castle." It stood on the brink
of a delf, the site of which is now occupied by the Prescot-street
Bridewell. This person used to try experiments with food, such as
cooking spiders, blackbeetles, rats, cats, mice, and other things not in
common use; and, it is said, was wont to play off tricks upon
unsuspecting strangers by placing banquets before them that were quite
unexpected and unprecedented in the nature and condition of the food.

While lingering over my "Recollections" of Everton, I ought not to forget
mentioning that, as time went on and Liverpool became prosperous, and its
merchants desired to get away from the dull town-houses and imbibe
healthy, fresh air, this same Everton became quite the fashionable suburb
and court-end of Liverpool. Noble mansions sprung up, surrounded by
well-kept gardens. Gradually the gorse-bush and the heather disappeared,
and the best sites on the hill became occupied. The Everton gentry for
their wealth and their pride were called "Nobles," and highly and proudly
did they hold up their heads, and great state did many of the merchants
who dwelt there keep up. The first mansion erected was on the Pilgrim
Estate; the next was St. Domingo House. A brief history of these estates
may not be uninteresting. In 1790 the whole of Everton hereabouts was
owned by two proprietors. When Everton was all open, waste, and
uncultivated land, one portion of it was enclosed by a shoemaker who
called his acquisition "Cobbler's Close." This property was bought by
Mr. Barton, who realized upwards of 190,000 pounds through the capture of
a French vessel called _La Liberte_, by a vessel owned by Joseph Birch,
Esq., M.P., called _The Pilgrim_. The estate of Cobblers' Close was then
re-named "Pilgrim." The property next passed into the hands of Sir
William Barton, who sold it to Mr. Atherton. It was this gentleman who
gave the land on which Everton Church is built, with this stipulation
only--that no funerals should enter by the West Gate. The reason
assigned for this w