The Mersey Conservancy Commission

The Mersey Conservancy Commission was established in 1842 to protect the tidal regime of the Mersey estuary for navigation. Its printed reports are in the Upper Mersey Navigation Commission Archives and the MDHB Collection, section P/2. Much of the MDHB Marine Surveyor's department's correspondence is concerned with the work of the Commission. There are also references in the MDHB's Legal, Worked-Up papers and other managerial papers.

Reference

Mountfield, S. Western Gateway. Liverpool, 1965.

The Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, Its Antecedents and Successor

The MDHB, its antecedent's and successor's collection is the Maritime Museum's largest and most important Archives. It covers the history of the port of Liverpool from the eighteenth to the late twentieth century. The Liverpool Town Council was the original port authority. In 1709, it was involved in the promotion of an Act to build the first enclosed dock on the site of the original “Pool” and acted as trustee of the dock estate until 1858. As the port expanded and its management became more complex its affairs were delegated to a committee. This was first mentioned in 1761 and made permanent in 1793, which is the starting date of the minute books. Its powers were enhanced in 1811, but it remained under the control of the Liverpool Corporation. Dock users were first represented on the Committee in 1825. Between 1845 and 1847, permanent sub-committees were set up to cope with the major aspects of port business such as finance, harbour administration and building works.

From about 1850 the Liverpool Corporation came under increasing outside pressure from Parliament, Manchester interests and dock users to relinquish control of the port to a separate public body. This resulted in the establishment of the MDHB in 1858. The Board became the overall port authority for the lower Mersey. It took over the incomplete docks at Birkenhead but not the London and North Western Railway Co.'s dock at Garston.