24 Moor Street
Small independent businesses have been the backbone of Ormskirk for generations. Some of them remained successful over many years. Essential products in 19th century rural towns like Ormskirk relied on steady reliable crafts and the skilled townspeople who quietly and efficiently carried on their trade whilst training apprentices. Lathom born Thomas Roughley opened his basket making workshop on Scarth Hill Lane initially but moved to a prime spot at 22 Moor Street in the late 1860s. He carried on his trade there, raising his family and affording to send his eldest son to school and see him become a schoolteacher. Thomas worked into his 70s. His neighbour, Scarisbrick Farmer’s son Evan Rimmer became an apprentice Baker and then ran his own grocery and provision dealers at number 24 Moor Street but he didn’t have the same luck as his neighbour Thomas. Evan Rimmer died in his 30s leaving a young family and a wife to cope. After his death number 24 was left empty when his widow remarried. The two properties were then acquired by a newcomer to the town who had big plans for the prime corner site, even before the demolition of the Anchor Inn.
John Wild Bottomley
John Wild Bottomley took over the premises on the corner of Moor Street and Moorgate in the late 19th century at a time when the department store model was fast becoming the sought after shopping experience. After his wife died he married his widowed sister in law Sarah Evans. John was a governor of the Grammar School, a trustee of the Savings Bank and a steward at the Emmanuel Methodist Church. He brought his family up at Chapel House, Chapel Street but lost his second wife Sarah, marrying for a third time in 1889 Catherine Gregson Grayson. After his death in 1924 the Evans family rebuilt the corner department store as Evans Drapery. Next door the Broadbent sisters of Southport (not the same family as dept store owner Conway Stidston Broadbent)opened a millinery shop. Evans became the largest department store in Ormskirk.
Occupying prime retail premises at 24 Moor Street after Bottomley’s soft furnishings and carpet store closed was Poole’s Household Stores of Central Warehouse Wigan. They traded there throughout WW 11 and in the late 1950’s sold Televisions. Their store became the target for a gang of smash and grab thieves in 1957, the plate glass window was smashed one Friday night and two lads pulled a TV through the window. They escaped by car but were caught shortly afterwards. They had underestimated how many local people had been leaving the pubs who weren’t too intoxicated to later give the police a full account of the incident.