All the years I lived in Manchester, all the times I have revisited, I have never been to The Mark Addy the famous riverside pub: it was named after a local publican and boatman who was well-known in the area in the nineteenth century who rescued over fifty people from the River Irwell which was at that time a disgusting and polluted virtual sewer. He married Jane Lovecock and they lived on Regent Road in Salford and had several children, including Mary Jane, Joseph, Elizabeth, Ada and Mark Junior. He received the Albert Medal, at that time the highest award for civilian bravery and other awards for his heroism; he is commemorated by having a pub named after him – what greater honour? Sadly, but perhaps not unexpectedly, Mark Addy died in 1891 at the age of fifty-two after diving into the foul waters and swimming through raw sewage to successfully rescue a little boy.
Lois Elsden 