Real Liverpool History,- Charles Melly

Charles Pierre Melly and his Drinking Fountains

By Patrick Neill

    Charles Pierre Melly was the eldest son of Andre Melly of Geneva and Ellen Maria Greg, the youngest daughter of Samuel Greg of Quarry Bank, Wilmslow, Cheshire. He was born in Tuebrook, Liverpool on 25th May 1829. His birth place was regarded then as a country residence. The exact site of the cottage can be described as 100 yards to the north of St. John the Baptist’s church and at the west corner of Ivy Lea Street. He married Louise Forget in Geneva, Switzerland on 9th October 1854. They had eight children:

Charles Henry Melly, born 10th April 1856 in Geneva, Switzerland
Edward Ferdinand Melly, born 7th July 1857, Liverpool, England
Ernest Louise Melly, born 27th June 1859, Liverpool, England
Fanny Bertha Melly, born 12th October 1860, Liverpool, England
Andrew Leonard Melly, born 22nd November 1862, Liverpool, England
Augustus George Melly, born 3rd November 1864
Albert Melly, born 4th April 1866
Henry Greg Melly, born 11th October 1869, Liverpool, England

He got the idea for Drinking Fountains during a visit to Geneva in 1852. He later wrote “Observing the beautiful stone water Fountains which are so abundant in that city and elsewhere on the Continent”. At that time in Geneva, the water was the property of the town authorities and was distributed by them to the citizens through the means of large public fountains. Free of cost, every household would take water from the public fountain and put it in their private cistern, or pay someone to do it for them.

In Liverpool at that time with the exception of two troughs at the docks, water was supplied into people’s homes by pipes, only if they paid a ‘water rate’. Melly who spent a lot of time at the docks, noticed the working man could not quench his thirst without going into a public house “where they were expected to pay for a stronger and less refreshing drink than they required”.  He was advised by policemen and others, that there was a great need for drinking water by the working man and the emigrants from Ireland and the Continent on their way to America, Australia and elsewhere. Many of these people were accustomed to public fountains in every town and village of their own country. Some were in such distress, they were glad enough to drink at the horse trough.

In 1853 the supply of water was limited, and it was not without great difficulty that two small drinking taps were put up at Prince’s Dock. The numbers who made use of were such, that the ball tap affixed to one of them, and the spring tap by which other was worked, were both worn out in the course of a few months, and it was necessary to devise some more durable way of giving water in the street. So it was decided the fountains should be supplied by a continuous flow of water day and night. This may seem to be a useless expense. But experience had shown this is the best way to provide water at the time, as even the best tap mechanisms were liable to fail due to the use put upon them.

In March 1854, the first granite Fountain was erected at the south end of Prince’s Dock. And three months later the numbers drinking there in the course of a twelve hours period, were carefully counted, and found to be 2336. 

 The Melly Fountain is made of polished red Granite, consisting of three pieces; 

1.     A Basin projecting from the wall by sixteen inches (The basin is fixed with it lip about three foot eight inches from the ground)

2.     A Slab, about two foot square, fixed in the wall above it, and resting on it a bronze head, through which the water flows into the basin

3.     A simple Pediment as a finish on the top which is usual dated

To drink the water from the fountain, two drinking cups were provided, one either side of the basin. The cups had long handles which resembled soup ladles; they were secured to the wall by small lengths of chain.

Charles Melly commented “Subsequent experience has proved that these small wall fountains are, both as a pattern and material, perfectly well suited to the object for which they are intended. No Material is equal in durability and cleanliness to polished granite; and fountains inserted in walls are more useful…”

Melly spent £500 of his own money providing Drinking Fountains, so it says in Andrew F. Richards book "Well I Never Noticed That!" part one. 

Most of this information has come from ‘A Paper on Drinking Fountains’ by Charles P. Melly, held at the Liverpool Record Office (ref. H 711.68 MEL). Pages 5-8 and the annexed illustration of a Granite Fountain and Cattle Trough are missing. With the paper is a list of 43 Liverpool Drinking Fountains but it is not possible to read numbers 19, 20 & 21, due to the way the paper has been rebound.

The nine surviving wall Fountains are of great socio-historic importance, they were an everyday necessity for people at a time when pure drinking water was almost unavailable, a condition almost forgotten now. They are a unique group for the national heritage, predating London, they are extraordinary pieces of street furniture, adding destination to the sites they occupy. Further more they will become valuable teaching tools for the future. We propose they should be Listed to ensure their proper conservation and maintenance.  

Charles P. Melly died on Saturday 10th November 1888, aged 59 years. A quote of George Melly, the writer, wit and Jazz player (a relative to Charles P. Melly); "He was a melancholy philanthropist who committed suicide". I think Charles Melly was a lot more; he was a man of vision and ideas, who saw a problem and came up with a solution.  Liverpool’s workingmen and the citizens of the city owe a lot to this man. I hope that a fitting way to honour this great man can be found.  

Charles Pierre Melly other achievements in Liverpool:

• Introduced wayside benches
• Opened playgrounds
• Started the first gymnasium in Myrtle Street
• Organised the purchase of the land for Sefton Park and had a lot to do the the layout
• Founder of the North East Mission
• Founded the first night school in Beaufort Street in 1852
• Introduced  a system of lighting gas lamps in the street, having brought the idea of a long pole from Geneva, which superseded the
            step ladder apparatus
  
  
  http://www.liverpoolmonuments.co.uk/drinking/mellycharles02.html
  
  
  
  
  see also;
  
  
  http://www.liverpoolmonuments.co.uk/drinking/drinking.html 
  
  
  
  
  for some Photographs, 'Simpson Fountain', etc etc..