Chorley's Inns and Taverns: Cuerden

Name: The Parker's Arms Inn

Address: Wigan Road, Cuerden

Towneley Coat of Arms

The Parker's Arms Inn was located on Wigan Road at the most northerly point of the Cuerden Hall estate, which was the home of the Towneley Parker family from the early 1700s and from whom the Inn took its name. The earliest reference I can find to the Inn was in the 1824 Baines Directory, which records a Jas. Holden as the landlord, but I suspect it dated back to the 1700s. It no longer stands today, having been demolished in the 1890s and is now the location of a visitor car park for accessing Cuerden Valley Park.

THE COUNTRY
About a fortnight since, Mr. Green the landlord of the Parker's Arms, Cuerden, purchased a small quantity of oil of vitriol, for the purpose of mixing with blacking, and placed it in a cupboard ...
Published: Sunday 23 October 1825
Newspaper: Fleming's Weekly Express

1844 OS Map

It was located at the northern access gates to the estate and was originally the Toll Gates, and was referred to as such on the 1841 and 1851 censuses (see below).

A bit of background history...the current hall was built in 1717 by Banastre Parker, son of Robert Parker, High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1710, who relocated the Parker family from Extwistle Hall near Burnley. Following Banastre’s death in 1738, the estate passed to his son Robert Parker (1727–1779), then to his grandchildren Banastre Parker (1758–1788) and Thomas Towneley Parker (1760–1794). Between 1816 and 1819, Robert Townley Parker (1793–1879) inherited the estate from his father. He was an MP of Preston in the first parliament of Queen Victoria at the age of 24.

Robert Townley Parker (1793–1879)

1835 Poll Books - Thomas Silvester

Thomas Silvester was landlord in 1835, marrying local lass, Anne Clissold later that year.

1835 Marriage of Thomas Silvester & Anne Clissold at Cuerden

1837 Poll Books - Thomas Silvester

Two years later they were still running the Inn but by 1841 had moved on, Robert Brown being the new landlord. The following press cutting confirms that Thomas Silvester did not experience the best of times as a landlord in various establishments during this period.

Preston Chronicle - Saturday 20 June 1840

1841 Census - John Brown 'Toll Gates'

Ten years later, and another change of landlord, Thomas Bowling replacing John Brown behind the bar.

1851 Census - Thomas Bowling 'Toll Gates'

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE

Yesterday, Mr. M. Myres held an inquest at the Parker's Arms, Cuerden, on the body of a child, named Sarah Jane Rigby, fifteen months old, the daughter of a tailor, residing at Cuerden.

Published: Saturday 27 August 1859

Newspaper: Preston Chronicle

County: Lancashire, England

1860 Electoral Register - James Worden

1861 Census - James Worden 'Parker's Arms'

Farms to be Let, by ticket, at the Parker’s Arms Inn, in Cuerden, in the county of Lancaster, on Wednesday, the 9th day of September, 1863, at two o'clock in the afternoon, (unless previously disposed of) the following desirable farms in Cuerden and Walton-le-Dale...
Published: Saturday 05 September 1863
Newspaper: Preston Pilot

Boy Killed at Cuerden
— inquest was held at the Parker’s Arms Inn, Cuerden, on Monday, before Mr. Myres, coroner, on the body of a youth named William Livesey, who died in consequence of injuries. The first witness examined was William Battersby, who said that he was a spinner at Messrs. Dewhurst's mill, in Cuerden, and that the deceased was employed there.....
Published: Saturday 07 January 1865
Newspaper: Preston Herald
County: Lancashire, England

On Monday last, M. Myres, Esq., held an inquest at the Parkers Arms, Cuerden, upon the body of Ann Higham, who met with her death under the following circumstances. Elizabeth Turner, of Cuerden, said she was playing with the deceased and another girl...
Published: Friday 05 June 1868
Newspaper: Wigan Observer and District Advertiser

By 1871, James Worden and his wife Ellen had moved to nearby Chorley, where he was working as a labourer in a local brewery, probably John Lancaster's Swan Brewery on Hollinshead Street. They they went on to run the Swan Hotel on Water Street in the years that followed, a pub owned by John Lancaster and remained in the town for their remaining years.

1915 Probate James Worden

1871 James Worden - Halliwell Street, Chorley

CHORLEY UNION. PUBLIC VACCINATION

On the first three Mondays in January, April, July, and October, 1.30 p.m. at the house of Henry Blackburn, near the late Parker's Arms Inn, in Cuerden, on the third and fourth Thursdays April and October, and the following Thursday at 3.30pm...

Published: Saturday 16 May 1874

Newspaper: Chorley Guardian

County: Lancashire, England

There is no trace of the Parker's Arms on census or directory records after James Worden's departure in the late 1860s, and the press cutting above confirms that by 1874 it was already closed, but the building remained standing all the way through to the 1890s, as shown on the OS map below. However, by the time of the 1909 OS map, both buildings on the east side of Wigan Road, opposite Cuerden Gates Farm had been demolished.

1891 OS Map

The 1891 census below shows Cuerden Gates Farm with Chain Lodge and Hall Gates Cottages next on the enumerator's route. It seems likely that the Inn had been converted to residential use by this time, and likely made up the Hall Gates Cottages.