During the
medieval period the manor of Allerton was held by the Lathom family. During her long widowhood, Elizabeth Lathom, the wife of Richard Lathom (1563–1602), occupied Allerton Hall. She gave her son, Edward Lathom, the occupation and profit of "this my hall in Allerton". Her other son, Richard Lathom, a
Royalist, fought alongside his uncles in the
English Civil War. Richard survived the war but his Estate was "forfeited in the name of treason" by
Cromwell's parliament in 1652 and the commissioners of parliament subsequently confiscated the estate. Allerton was then purchased by the Percivals who held the house until 1736 and married into the Hardman family. When assessments were made for the
hearth tax in 1666, Allerton Hall was one of the larger houses in the parish of
Childwall with eight hearths; this was exceeded only by
Speke Hall with twenty-one hearths and Brettargh Holt with nine. The estate was bought for £7,700 in 1736 by James Hardman, Esq. and his brother
John Hardman, and it is likely that the present house on the site, built in the
Palladian style, originates from this time. Hardman was a
West Indies merchant and slave trader originally from
Rochdale. The Hardman family continued to live at Allerton until 1795 when the house was bought from them by the
abolitionist, lawyer and philanthropist,
William Roscoe. Roscoe completed the building of the house, but in turn had to sell it himself in 1816 when he became
bankrupt. in 1824 Roscoe sold his share to Pattison Ellames: Roscoe's ally who purchased his share of the house, his son John aged 9 is shown as Head of family in Allerton Hall in the 1851 census. Living with his Grandmother and family. Pattison's Wife Margaret Ellames nee Bradish died there in 1837 she was a descendent of the Sadlier Family. During the
American Civil War, the mansion was rented by
Charles Kuhn Prioleau, an American landowner and slaver from
South Carolina who financially supported the
Confederate States, and who married Mary Elizabeth Hardman, known as the "Belle of Liverpool". In 1927 the building was donated to
Liverpool City Council. It was
Grade II* listed in 1975. The hall was damaged by two fires, in 1994 and in 1995. ==Architecture==