Chorley's Inns and Taverns: Longridge

Name: Spencer's Arms

Address: 6, Longton Row (previously known as Longton's Folly), Dilworth, Longridge

Spencer's Arms c.2021 (now a residential property)

The Spencer family owned and ran one of the main quarries in Longridge and Thomas Spencer, like his father James before him was a Quarry Master at the Tootal Heights quarry in the early to mid-1800s.

This Inn carried the family's coat of arms and was likely to have been owned by the family in the early days and was also a working farm in the 19th century.

Listed landlords at the Spencer's Arms were James Banks (1848-), Ellen Dewhurst (1851), John Banks (1861),William Banks (1858-81), Joseph Bamber (1882-85) and Abel Kay (1901).

Stone quarrying was one of Longridge’s major industries. The sandstone was of excellent quality and there was a ready market for it for municipal and other large buildings in Lancaster, Preston and as far away as Liverpool (Smith 1888, 43). The stone quarries at Tootle Heights, which were working by 1837 (LRO DRB 1/63), were of major importance to the early development of the town. The need to transport the stone to Preston for working and redistribution was the prime motivation behind the opening of the railway in 1840, and this accelerated its development from a village into a town. Stone was being supplied for Liverpool Docks as early as 1821 (Till 1993, 54). The stone was also used for the building expansion on Berry Lane and for many local churches as well as for municipal buildings and churches throughout Lancashire (British Geological Survey 1992, 95).

By the late nineteenth century, in addition to Tootle Height Quarry, there was also Spencer’s Quarry, Lord’s Quarry and Nook Fold and Green Banks Quarries, as well as an old quarry shown by Seven Acre Farm (OS 1893 1:2500). The quarries prospered until about the 1880s, when competition from brick and concrete caused a decline in the industry (Till 1993, 48).

(Longridge Historic Town Survey 2006)

1930 Map showing Spencer's Quarry

Baptism: 10 Sep 1848 St Lawrence, Longridge, Lancs
Alice Elizabeth Banks - [Child] of James Banks & Mary Ann
Abode: Hothersall
Occupation: Inn Keeper
Baptised by: W. C. Bache Incumbent
Register: Baptisms 1840 - 1874, Page 39, Entry 307
Source: LDS Film 1657578

1851 Census - Ellen Dewhurst

Preston Chronicle - Saturday 10 May 1851

Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Saturday 15 September 1855

Preston Chronicle - Saturday 10 November 1855

Baptism: 28 Mar 1858 St Lawrence, Longridge, Lancs.

Elizabeth Banks - [Child] of William Banks & Margaret

Abode: Hothersall

Occupation: Inn Keeper

Baptised by: W. C. Bache

Source: LDS Film 1657578

Preston Chronicle - Saturday 24 September 1859

Preston Chronicle - Saturday 01 October 1859

Preston Chronicle - Saturday 20 October 1860

1861 Census - John Banks

Preston Chronicle - Saturday 20 July 1861

Baptism: 29 Dec 1861 St Lawrence, Longridge, Lancs.

William Banks - [Child] of William Banks & Margaret

Abode: Hothersall

Occupation: Inn Keeper

Baptised by: W. C. Bache

Source: LDS Film 1657578

Marriage: 19 Nov 1863 St Lawrence, Longridge, Lancs.

John Banks - 30, Auctioneer, Bachelor, Dilworth

Jane Norcross - 29, Spinster, Dilworth

Groom's Father: William Banks, Inn Keeper

Bride's Father: William Norcross, Farmer

Witness: George Banks; Alice Pickup

Married by Licence by: William C. Bache

Source: LDS Film 1657578

Photograph showing the farmhouse and outbuildings

Baptism: 3 Jan 1864 St Lawrence, Longridge, Lancs.

Margaret Banks - [Child] of William Banks & Margaret

Abode: Hothersall

Occupation: Inn Keeper

Notes: [The year is written as 1863. Margaret Banks was registered Q4 1863. Buried at

Goosnargh 5th Jan 1868 age 4]

Baptised by: W. C. Bache

Source: LDS Film 1657578

Preston Chronicle - Saturday 21 December 1867

Baptism: 25 Oct 1868 St Lawrence, Longridge, Lancs.

Agnes Banks - [Child] of William Banks & Margaret

Abode: Dilworth

Occupation: Inn Keeper

Baptised by: W. C. Bache

Source: LDS Film 1657578

1869 Polling Lists

1871 Census - William Banks

Blackburn Standard - Saturday 19 February 1876

Blackburn Standard - Saturday 04 March 1876

1881 Census - William Banks

Blackburn Standard - Saturday 11 February 1882

Preston Herald - Saturday 10 March 1883

Preston Herald - Saturday 21 February 1885

1891 Census - James Waring - Quarryman

In 1891 the occupant of the Spencer's Arms (Farmhouse) was a quarryman, James Waring. Next door on the census was a Lodging House at No.7, which by the 1901 census 10 years later seems to have and incorporated Nos 6 & 7 occupied and run by Abel Kay.