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Miners' Arms

Name: The Miners' Arms

Name: 108, Market Street, Chorley

The Miner's Arms 2015
The Miners' Arms has not been a pub for many years now, however the building on Market Street remains and adjoins the Godfather takeaway (pictured just on the left of the above photo), which was also once a town centre pub; the Brown Cow. Somewhere to the rear of these buildings there was a mine in the 1800's which undoubtedly provided inspiration for the pub's name.

George Birtill's article on the pubs of Chorley records the fact that this pub was once called the Bull & Butcher but changed its name to the Miners', as it was owned by a local mining company whose miners provided the regular custom.

The very first recorded entry for this pub was on the 1861 census and at this time it was actually called the Peacock Tavern (see below); records thereafter refer to the Miners' Arms. Listed landlords and tenants were William Cunliffe (1861), George Whalley (1871), John Lyons (1876), John Higgans (1881), Hugh Commons (1891), Richard Holding (1901), Harold Baxendale (1911-) and Michael Cowling (1921).

1861 Census

1871 Census
The tenant on the occasion of the 1871 census was a man called George Whalley who is listed as a builder and contractor employing 32 men and 5 boys; whether or not beer was being sold from the premises is not clear however it certainly was five years later when this article was written: -

Preston Chronicle 11 November 1876

1881 Census

1891 Census

Blackburn Standard 26 August 1893
1901 Census
1911 Census
The tenant at the time of the 1911 was Harold Baxendale who is shown as a saddler. There is no mention of it being a licensed premises post-1911. 

1921 Census Michael Cowling (Collier)

Kindly provided by his Great Grandson, Adrian Beaumont
It appears that following closure as a licensed premises the property continued to be used for the treatment of skin, animal or human, on and off for the next 100 years.

July 2017

2 comments:

  1. Some of the details are wrong. George Whalley and family lived at 108, Market Street, the Peacock Tavern, also known as a “Beer House” on other census records, was at 112.

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    Replies
    1. The numbering did change on Market Street in the mid-1800s as more properties were built and it appeared alongside the Brow Cow, so I have assumed it was one and the same building, just changed its name, which was not unusual. Thanks for your interest in the blog.

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