Maritime Archive and Library
Archive reference DX/1477
Henry Stripe was born in London in 1813 and came to Liverpool in 1832. He was employed as a clerk at the shipowning firm of J Bibby & Sons (now Bibby Line Ltd) for 46 years from 1840-1886, retiring aged 73. His memoirs provide a vivid picture of Liverpool and its business life. This page provides details of his 26-hour journey to Liverpool on the top of a stagecoach, including a nasty encounter with a maggot-infested pie, and a revealing contemporary view of Liverpool's Irish population.
'While the snow and rain continued the water accumulated in the hollows of the tarpaulin, was shot up into my neck with every lurch of the vehicle, travelled down my back and came out of my boots and I unable to prevent it and not protected by a top coat.
I became completely numbed with the cold and had to be assisted down when the coach stopped for supper and the same next morning at breakfast. I paid for both meals, but could eat nothing, but was only too glad to get near a fire to cure the numbness and to dry me. When we reached Knutsford a boy came alongside with some meat pies. I purchased one thinking I could eat it, having eaten nothing since leaving London, but on lifting the top off I found the interior was maggoty and I threw it away. The coach was off before I could expostulate with the vendor.
The stagecoach was 26 hours on the journey which was considered remarkably quick travelling. It required at least 100 horses to bring the coach to Liverpool - there was a relay of horses about every 8 miles - the horses were much distressed by the heavy and rapid travelling. The guards horse was blown with great gusto when approaching the places for changing - as many men being engaged in the operation as could work to save time for the coach had to be off without the least delay - about 2 minutes was the longest time allowed for changing.
I was thankful when the coach arrived at Saracens Head in Dale St without accident for I fully expected the coach would have been blown over by the furious gale.
We started from London on Friday afternoon at one o'clock and arrived in Liverpool at three o'clock on Saturday afternoon - the 17th March St Patrick's day.
Paddy in those days kept up his Saints day with great glee, by tremendous processions and drunkenness.
The processions were over on my arrival, but the drinking had begun in earnest. What with the terrific gale and the drunkenness every third person nearly you passed being in liquor, I got perfectly disgusted with Liverpool at first sight, and greatly regretted that ever I came to it to try my fortune.
I begun to feel I had lost another chance of prospering, that I had done wrong in leaving London. My first thoughts were to return to the favourite great city soon as ever I had taken survey of Liverpool.
I know I could readily obtain a situation in London - several wholesale houses occurring to my mind as - Leaf, Son and Coles.'