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Crofters Arms

Name: The Crofters Arms

Address: Knowley Brow, Botany, Chorley


The Crofters Arms (or Jolly Crofters) was situated on at the bottom of Knowley Brow at the junction with Bagganley Lane, Chorley on some census records being recorded as No.1 Bagganley Lane, on others, No.2 Knowley Brow.  On the above picture taken from the bottom of Botany Brow looking past the Roebuck (right) and Railway aka Lock & Quay (left) c.1900 you can see horses entering Botany Bay out of Knowley Brow and the Crofters Arms was out of view to the right of the junction.


Census records date the pub back to at least 1824 with the landlords listed as Margaret Bretherton (1824), Hannah Bretherton (1841), John Tootell (1851), Ann Jolly (1861), James Marsden (1871), Margaret Stewart (1874-82), George Shaw (1889-1901), Richard Atherton (1901), Joseph Saxon (1911) and Samuel henry Ratcliffe (1921).

1824 History, Directory and Gazeteer of the Palatine of Lancaster Hotels Inns & Taverns

1841 Census

1889 Map of Knowley Brow

1851 Census

Preston Chronicle 19th September 1857

1861 Census

Preston Chronicle 16th April 1864
1871 Census

Preston Chronicle 7th December 1878

1881 Census

1891 Census

1901 Census

1909 Map

1911 Census

The Saxon Family c.1913
1921 Census Samuel Henry Ratcliffe
The below pictures taken in 2015 show the site of the Crofters' Arms today.





7 comments:

  1. I found this very interesting as Hannah Saxon who was running the Crofters Arms with her husband, Joseph, in 1911, was my great great grandfather's sister.

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  2. I'm really pleased the blog has been of use to you.
    Regards,
    Richard

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  3. Found the place where my dad lived for a while the long roe in botany the house's are no longer there.

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  4. Are there any photos of the crofters Knowley brow

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  5. Richard Langford13 July 2023 at 11:22

    I think it's on the photo far middle right of the horse coming out the junction. I've not found another photo.

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  6. No that's not it that's the end of the Rd. The crofters was next door to my nans house so wouldn't be seen from there. My dad's remembers it when they moved from heapey Rd 1949. Wagon ran in it in the early 50s coming from whitters just missed my dad. And that was the end of that

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    Replies
    1. Sounds like he had a lucky escape! Thanks for the additional history.

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