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Coordinates: 53°29'06?N 3°02'06?W? / ?53.485, -3.035
Crosby is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, on Merseyside, England. The name Crosby is used to cover a string of settlements along the Irish Sea coast north of Liverpool between Seaforth and Hightown. Although politically separate, its close proximity to Liverpool effectively makes it a suburb of the city, and is approximately 6 miles (10 km) north of the city centre.
History
The town has Viking roots in common with the other -by ending settlements of Formby to the north and Kirkby to the east. Crosby was known as Krossabyr[1] in Old Norse, meaning "village with the cross".[2] The settlement was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Crosebi, and by the year 1212 had become Crosseby.[2]
The opening of the Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway in 1848 resulted in the growth of Crosby as suburb of Liverpool.
Governance
Crosby was formed as a Municipal Borough in 1937 by the merger of the urban districts of Great Crosby, Little Crosby and Waterloo with Seaforth from the administrative county of Lancashire. It became part of the new Metropolitan Borough of Sefton on 1 April 1974.
Crosby forms part of the appropriately named Crosby parliamentary constituency in its own right. The MP for Crosby since 1997 has been Claire Curtis-Thomas, a member of the Labour Party. However, as a result of boundary revisions, due to come into force at the next UK General Election, Crosby will be divided, with the bulk of the town being absorbed into the Bootle constituency, the remnants (Blundellsands and Manor wards) forming part of the new Sefton Central constituency.
Education
There are two popular independent schools in the area, Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby and St Mary's College. There are also several Comprehensive schools, including Chesterfield High School, Holy Family Catholic High School, St. Michael's Church of England High School (formerly Manor High Secondary School) and Sacred Heart Catholic College (formerly Sacred Heart Catholic High School).
Places of interest
Crosby Beach is home to the world-renowed art installation Another Place which stretches to nearby Waterloo. Crosby's environs include several miles of beach, a marina, a number of parks and a large area of woodland known as Ince Woods. Crosby is home to the Carnegie Library built with donations from the American steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. Distinctive buildings in Crosby Village include Central Buildings (currently demolished and being rebuilt), Crown Buildings and the two pubs, Yates's and The Village.
Sport
The football Club Marine AFC and Rugby Football Club Waterloo RFC are both based in the area. Crosby is also home to Crosby Swimming Club, a member of the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA).
Set in Moor Park, one of the most picturesque parts of Crosby, is the Northern Club, a multi-sport club featuring cricket, hockey, bowls, squash and snooker.
Crosby Marina is the home of Crosby Sailing Club and is open to all dinghy sailors of any ability or experience. The marina is also a venue for the Crosby Scout and Guide Marina Club, who offer dinghy and kayak sailing to local youngsters.
Blundellsands Bridge Club [2], affiliated to the English Bridge Union, is based in the area and provides facilities for both learning and playing Rubber Bridge and Duplicate Bridge, an intellectual sport recognised by the International Mind Sports Association.
Notable residents
Seafarers and Shipowners
[] Titanic
- Crosby has been home to some of the main protagonists of one of the most infamous maritime disasters of all time; the loss of the RMS Titanic:
Other Ships
- William Turner - Captain of the Lusitania
- Charles Bartlett - Captain of HMHS Britannic
- Henry Kendall - Captain of the Empress of Ireland
- Commander Daniel Dow RD, RNR - Commodore of the Cunard Line and Master of both RMS "Lusitania" and RMS "Mauretania". Retired in 1919 and became Councillor for Crosby and its Chairman 1924-25.
- Sir Bertram Hayes KCMG, CMG, DSO - Commodore of the White Star Line
- Sir John Esplen KBE - ship-builder and government advisor
- John Young, boatswain of the Eleanora, who lived in Hawaii from 1790 to 1835 and was an advisor to the Hawaiian royal family
Writers
- Nigel Rees - lexicographer and television and radio panellist
Clergy
Builders and Architects
Commerce
Arts and Music
TV and radio personalities
Scientists
Politics and the Law
Sports
Crime
See also
References
- ^ "Wirral & West Lancashire 1100th Viking Anniversary". University of Nottingham. Retrieved 14 February 2008
- ^ a b "Formby Civic Society: Vikings In Lancashire". Stephen Harding. Retrieved 14 February 2008
- ^ [1] Telegraph obituary, 2000
External links
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