This is Marie Louise Gardens, often described as “the gem” and a place I still have yet to visit.
The tragic story of how it came to be is fairly well known, suffice to say that it commemorates the premature death of Marie Louise Silkens who died aged just 26 in 1891, but for those who want more, just follow the link to an excellent account of the parks history by The Friends of Marie Louise Gardens.*
For now, I am more interested in the postcard which carried the picture of the gardens, and the elusive Miss. Benson who sent the card from Heaton Mersey in the evening of September 16th 1905, which was a Saturday.
The message refers to a photo, hopes all is well with the family and that they are “looking out for the surprise you requested”.
And that pretty much is that.
A trawl of the records in both Heaton Mersey and Wigan has got me no nearer finding either Miss Benson or her family, and while I have come close they stubbornly refuse to come out of the shadows.
More so because there is doubt about the Wigan address, which has been crossed through.
I read it as Park Road, and there is a number 88 Park Road, close to Mesnes Park.
But on closer inspection it looks like Pearl Road, and sadly there is only a Pearl Street, whose houses look like they postdate 1905.
Which just leaves me with the picture from the postcard.
Now, given that the park was opened in 1903 and our card was sent in 1905, the scene in front of us will be one of the earliest images of the Gardens.
And that will have to do.
Location; Didsbury
Picture; Marie Louise Gardens, circa 1903-1905, from the collection of David Harrop
*The Friends of Marie Louise Gardens, https://www.marielouisegardens.org.uk/?page_id=47
For now, I am more interested in the postcard which carried the picture of the gardens, and the elusive Miss. Benson who sent the card from Heaton Mersey in the evening of September 16th 1905, which was a Saturday.
And that pretty much is that.
A trawl of the records in both Heaton Mersey and Wigan has got me no nearer finding either Miss Benson or her family, and while I have come close they stubbornly refuse to come out of the shadows.
More so because there is doubt about the Wigan address, which has been crossed through.
I read it as Park Road, and there is a number 88 Park Road, close to Mesnes Park.
But on closer inspection it looks like Pearl Road, and sadly there is only a Pearl Street, whose houses look like they postdate 1905.
Now, given that the park was opened in 1903 and our card was sent in 1905, the scene in front of us will be one of the earliest images of the Gardens.
And that will have to do.
Location; Didsbury
Picture; Marie Louise Gardens, circa 1903-1905, from the collection of David Harrop
*The Friends of Marie Louise Gardens, https://www.marielouisegardens.org.uk/?page_id=47
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