The Parkgate Society

celebrity Visitors

During the time of the port a number of famous people are known to have passed through and/or stayed at Parkgate on their way to or from Ireland, including the satirist Jonathan Swift, Dean of Dublin cathedral, the essayist Thomas de Quincey, and the preacher John Wesley, who was a frequent visitor over many years. Mrs Maria Fitzherbert, the estranged wife of the Prince Regent, stayed at the former Talbot Inn in 1798, when troops were camping on the shore en route to Ireland. They were on their way to put down the rebellion of ‘the United Irishmen’ and, observing their dejected condition, she generously provided them with extra rations. The composer, George Frederick Handel, travelled to Dublin for the premiere of ‘Messiah’ but because of the adverse weather conditions his outward journey was via Holyhead. He finally landed here at Parkgate on his return in April 1742. The artist JMW Turner was another notable visitor, leaving in his ‘View of Flint from Parkgate 1797’ a tangible reminder of his time here.

Last Updated April 2022