St. Peter’s ward is a defunct Liverpool ward. Established in 1835 when Liverpool was first divided into wards under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, it was abolished in 1953 as part of reordering of Liverpool's electoral wards. It elected three councillors to Liverpool City Council.https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/catalog/477923
It was named after St. Peter’s Church, which stood in Church Street. The church was demolished in 1922. The ward was in the city centre area, covering part of what is now Central Liverpool around Church Street, Seel Street, Concert Square, and nearby districts, with St Peter’s Church and Church Street at the core of the shopping district.
Overview St Peter's was one of the original sixteen wards established under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, each sending three councillors to the newly reformed Liverpool City Council. It took its name from the prominent St Peter’s Church on Church Street, Liverpool’s first post-Reformation parish church, built in 1700, consecrated on 29 June 1704, and designated a pro-cathedral upon the establishment of the Diocese in 1880.
The church was widely considered architecturally unattractive: its doorways were each in a different design. It featured an octagonal tower rising to 108 ft with a peal of eight to ten bells, an admired oak altar, stained-glass east window depicting St Peter, and a grand organ. St Peter’s hosted Liverpool’s first oratorio (Handel’s Messiah) and served as pro-cathedral until Liverpool Cathedral took over .
By 1919, services had ceased; the church was demolished by 1922 to widen Church Street and to free up land for retail development, most notably a Woolworths store, later part of Liverpool ONE. The site is now marked by a brass Maltese cross embedded in the pavement.
Politically, following its abolition in the 1953 boundary reorganisation, much of St Peter’s became part of newly created central wards such as Church Ward.
History and Boundaries
1835: Created as one of the sixteen municipal wards; elected three councillors. It initially covered the area around Church Street and the city centre WikipediaPenkett. Late 19th century to early 20th century: Boundaries gradually evolved, sometimes reflecting divisions such as “St Peter’s plus Pitt Street,” with numbering shifting (e.g., No. 19, No. 16, No. 8 in different years based on census and reorganisation). 1953: Formal abolition alongside many other wards, replaced by new electoral divisions under the Local Government Act
Elections
1835
Polling place : At the two windows of the Horse and Jockey public-house fronting Seel-street
1836
1837
1838
Time John Woollright Wilfred Troutbeck Votes % Votes % 10:00 34 60% 23 40% 11:00 74 59% 51 41% 12:00 106 59% 73 41% 13:00 130 58% 96 42% 14:00 146 57% 108 43% 15:00 170 58% 121 42% 16:00 208 60% 137 40%
1839
1840
Time John Priestley Ebenezer Rae Votes % Votes % 10:00 41 47% 47 53% 11:00 70 49% 73 51% 12:00 97 53% 86 47% 13:00 108 53% 97 47% 14:00 127 53% 113 47% 15:00 146 55% 121 45% 16:00 156 53% 137 47%
1841
1842
Time Samuel Holme Adam Cliff Votes % Votes % 10:00 64 70% 28 30% 11:00 108 67% 53 33% 12:00 145 63% 85 37% 13:00 173 63% 103 37% 14:00 195 63% 117 38% 15:00 214 63% 126 37% 16:00 252 65% 137 35%
1843
Polling Place : The Horse and Jockey, in Seel-street.
1844
1845
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1848
Polling Place : The Public-house, sign of "The Horse and Jockey" in Seel-street'
John Ferguson, a determined pro-rater and chairman of the National Federation.
1849
John Charles Fernihough and Thomas Clarke were both opposed to the Rivington Pike water scheme.
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Time David Rae John Charles Fernihough Votes % Votes % 10:00 60 55% 50 45% 11:00 111 55% 91 45% 12:00 166 54% 140 46% 13:00 199 55% 165 45% 14:00 226 56% 176 44% 15:00 252 58% 186 42% 16:00 269 58% 191 42%
Polling Place : The Public House, sign of "The Ring of Bells" in School Lane, occupied by Mr. John Bennion. 1859
Time Henry Christie Beloe James Holme Votes % Votes % 10:00 90 59% 63 41% 11:00 168 55% 135 45% 12:00 228 56% 174 44% 13:00 261 55% 216 45% 14:00 280 55% 226 45% 15:00 297 54% 251 46% 16:00 331 54% 283 46%
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1895 Parish ward. Formerly St. Peters plus Pitt Street wards.
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1952
1952 was the last time elections were held under revised boundaries.
The following wards were abolished: Brunswick, Castle Street, Edge Hill, Exchange, Garston, Great George, Kirkdale, Little Woolton, Much Woolton, North Scotland, St. Anne’s, St. Peter’s, Sefton Park East, Sefton Park West, South Scotland, Walton, Wavertree, Wavertree West, and West Derby. The newly created wards were: Arundel, Broadgreen, Central, Church, Clubmoor, County, Gillmoss, Melrose, Picton, Pirrie, St. James’, St. Mary’s, St. Michael’s, Smithdown, Speke, Tuebrook, Westminster, and Woolton.
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