<P> The history of Liverpool can be traced back to 1190 when the place was known as' Liuerpul', possibly meaning a pool or creek with muddy water, though other origins of the name have been suggested . The borough was founded by royal charter in 1207, but Liverpool remained a small settlement until its trade with Ireland and coastal parts of England and Wales was overtaken by trade with Africa and the West Indies, which included the slave trade . The town's first wet dock was opened in 1715 and Liverpool's expansion to become a major city continued over the next two centuries . </P> <P> By the start of the nineteenth century, a large volume of trade was passing through Liverpool . In 1830, the Liverpool and Manchester Railway was opened . The population grew rapidly, especially with Irish migrants; by 1851, one quarter of the city's population was Irish - born . As growth continued, the city became known as "the second city of the Empire", and was also called "the New York of Europe". During the Second World War, the city was the centre for planning the crucial Battle of the Atlantic, and suffered a blitz second only to London's . </P>

Did liverpool used to be part of wales