7 Moor Street
In November 1870 the Misses Murphy advertised their new general drapery business at 7 Moor Street (the corner of Market Row). The premises had been lately occupied by Mr. Wignall, tea dealer. Amongst the many items of clothing offered for sale were wool shawls, crinolines, stays; funerals and family mourning were completely catered for.
9 Moor Street - Swift's Cafe
Let’s go East from Market Row, starting at the property which was Swift’s Cafe, 9 Moor Street.
Swifts bakery and confectioners was originally started by Liverpool-born Mary Swift in the 1890s. Mary was widowed in December 1886 when her husband, Bickerstaffe farmer Robert Swift, did aged 55. Mary left the family farm at Clock House and took a small house on Wigan Road, opposite what was the Ropers Arms.
When her husband’s estate was settled, Mary was left a considerable sum, £3,488. With this money Mary took the property at 9 Moor Street and opened a restaurant and confectionery business, her two youngest daughters, Margaret and Ada, helped her in the business along with several apprentice bakers and confectioners.
Swifts was later taken over by Henry, Nora and Phyllis White; the Swift name was retained by the business. The White siblings came to Ormskirk around WWI, their father having been a baker and confectioner in Leeds. Phyllis was the youngest of seven children born to Frank Stewart White and his wife Francis.
In 1927, Swifts bakers of Moor Street, Ormskirk, made a huge model of the Parish Church. The cake weighed 7cwt and a prize draw took place to guess how many eggs were used for the baking. At 1d a go, £9 10 shillings was raised, the winning guess being 1,083, which was just one egg out! The cake contained 1,082 eggs.
11 Moor Street
Miss A.L. Haskayne, dressmaker and costumier, was in business at 11 Moor Street between the First World War and mid 1920s. Previous to this, "Critchley's" had operated from the premises. Miss Haskayne advertised her "high class dressmaking and ladies' tailoring" skills.
In July 1921 a Mr. A Winston "qualified optometrist" advertised his services as being temporarily available from Miss Haskayne's shop, it was promised that "Mr. Winston will make no charge whatever for advice or testing the eyes. Where glasses are needed, they can be supplied, at very moderate prices".