Birthplace of Roscoe. Corner of St Mary's Lane and Mount Pleasant, Liverpool.William Roscoe has been described as “Liverpool’s greatest citizen” and “founder of Liverpool culture”. He was a man of many talents: a champion of freedom and liberty, a poet, writer, scholar, patron of the arts, bibliophile and botanist.
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Roscoe was born on 8 March 1753 at the Old Bowling Green House, a tavern on Mount Pleasant near what is now the corner of Hope Street, the only son of William and Elizabeth Roscoe. He was sent to school at six years old where he was taught reading and arithmetic. His mother played an important role in his early education, encouraging him to read poetry and literature. He left school at the age of twelve and started working in his father’s market-garden near Mount Pleasant. This part of Liverpool in the late eighteenth century was still open countryside and Roscoe was very much a countryman who enjoyed walking and fishing.
Roscoe develops an interest in Italy
During these early years Roscoe developed a friendship with Francis Holden, a young schoolmaster in Liverpool, who taught him French and Latin. He also introduced Roscoe to Italian poetry and encouraged him to study Italian. His interest in Italy and the arts was further stimulated by his friendship with Henry Fuseli, the Swiss born artist, whom he met in London in 1782. Roscoe was also a member of the Unitarian Chapel [IMAGE - chapel] at Benn’s Garden in Liverpool, the forerunner of the Renshaw Street Chapel. He was greatly influenced by the Rev. Dr. William Enfield, whose sermons were those of a “moral preacher”, and later by the Rev. William Shepherd.
In 1769 Roscoe was articled to the solicitor, John Eyes, and by 1774 was admitted as an attorney of the Court of the King’s Bench. He practiced law in Liverpool until 1796 when he took up a new career as a banker.