Originally a Viking settlement, the village of Formby was owned and ruled by two families, the Blundells of Ince and the Formbys of Formby until the end of the 19th centry.

During the nineteenth centry it was the home of a local brewer by the name of Thomas Dickenson of Dickenson and Rimmer Brewers in Formby and the beer they made there, called ‘Jacky Water’, is still remembered by the older inhabitants of the village.

Records show that the markets were something of an ancient institution in Formby, licensed from 1325, perhaps even sooner. In 1700s, the main items for sale were pewter, brass, ginerbread and cloth, and on one famous occasion in 1799, a Formby man sold his wife Mary Johnson to my 4xGreat Grandfather Jacob Wright at the Cross Green Market for 15s and a crown jug of punch. See the actual account of this under Parish Records for John Wright.

I have now been able to uncover the full story:-

I have found that James Wright (My 4xGreat Grandfather) , married Margaret Rice in 1765 in St Peter’s Church (C of E) in Formby, they had 6 children, but unfortunately Margaret died in 1781, leaving James with some very young children to look after. I think it is probably about this time and not 1799, that he bought Mary Johnston to look after his children, they lived together and had 5 children, including John (My 3xGreat Grandfather) in 1799, who was christened in St Peter’s and also baptised in Our Lady’s on the same day, 10th April 1799, and it was only then in Apr 1801 that James Wright & Mary Johnston got married in St Peter’s Church, Formby, after Mr Johnston had died, as Mary is described as a widow on the register.

What I have also found out, from the first marriage to Margaret Rice they had a son Peter b1771 who had a daughter Jane b1795, she married Arthur Lamb 1817 in Our Lady of Compassion, Formby and my mother Mary Lamb is descendent from him, so my Father & Mother were Half Cousins 4 x removed. James Wright b1748 is my 4xGreat Grandfather on the Wharton/Harrison side and my 5xGreat Grandfather on the Wright/Lamb side.