Folly Fair

Folly Fair

From Memorials of Liverpool....second edition, revised, with additions.

The origin of this merrymaking was something as follows:- A short distance up what is now called Islington, but then simply the road to West Derby, very near the site of the present Christian Street, a house of entertainmentand strawberry or tea-garden was kept about the middle of the last century by Mr. Gibson, who was also the lessee and manager of the Theatre Royal. Here he erected a square tower, eight storeys in height (1. Aview of this will be found in Herdman's Ancient Liverpool, vol.1. pl. 37.), most probably for a look out or Belvedere, the situation commanding an extensive view. Here, as in many other parts of England, any erection of a peculiar character is attributed to the "folly" of the builder, and designated by the name.The structure in question thus acquired the appellation of "Gibson's Folly," by which name it was commonly known. The road which led up to the establishment was called Folly Lane, by which name it is designated in the maps of 1785 and 1796.

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