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HIS week I will look at the history behind a Winsford Street that was named after one of the area's richest and well travelled families.

Delamere Street is named after the Delamere family who have lived in the area since Lady Cholmondeley bought the hall in the early 17th century.

One of the Delamere family's many guests was King James I, who they welcomed into their home during a hunting trip to Delamere Forest.

A member of the family was created the first Baron Delamere in 1812 but it is Hugh Cholmondeley, the third Lord Delamere, who is perhaps the most well known person in the family history.

Mr Cholmondeley was born in 1870 and became fascinated by Africa after taking part in a 2,000 mile camel drive from Somalia.

On his trip he came across the Kenya Highlands and from then on had a love affair with the continent, which is still going strong within the family today.

Mr Cholmondeley returned to Africa in 1901 as a pioneering settler and was the first to be allowed to buy land in 1903 at Njoro.

He was an extremely rich man having inherited the family estate, including farms and buildings in Over and a great deal in Delamere Street.

He became a God-like creature to the Masai warriors as an eccentric person wearing dresses with shoulder length hair.

Disaster soon struck however after his experimenting in crop and farming methods failed and by 1909 he was broke.

I was given a sale catalogue by local historian Colin Lynch a few years ago showing where Lord Delamere sold off most of his land and houses including 35 farms, houses, cottages and smallholdings in Delamere Street alone.

He also sold many properties in Over to fund his lifestyle in Africa at a place called Elmenteita where he eventually began to prosper.

The first photo was taken around 1910 and shows the Wheatsheaf pub on the right.

The first licensee of this ancient coaching inn was Elizabeth Mather in 1810 before it was taken over by the Wilson's Brewery in 1897 but records show that it was selling ale much earlier.

To the right there is a John Baker cab proprietors and the cart is by Hetherington's tailor shop, who was also a photographer.

The second photograph shows Delamere Street today with the Saxons pub, once the Wheatsheaf, and the tailors is now Popes funeral directors.

The cottage across the road is now Dickenson's car showrooms.

The old Peartree house and cottage is in the distance and is one of the buildings involved in the Delamere sale of 1912 with all the buildings and two acres of land being sold for £610.