Penwortham - Farington Arms

Name: The Farington Arms Inn

Address: Liverpool Road, Penwortham

Farington Coat of ArmsArgent a cheveron gules between three leopards' faces sable.

This pub was demolished some time in the 1870s but dated back to the mid-1700s and was named after the local landowner Sir William Far(r)ington and would have displayed the family arms. The Farringtons were an family of significant influence and wealth and several were members of Parliament. A fuller history can be found on the following link.

www.historyofparliamentonline.org

1842 Map

There were very few houses on Liverpool Road itself in the 1840s, but nowhere was there any sizeable group of buildings. It was an area rather than a place: a few cottages scattered amid the fields and along the lanes, a tollgate and two public houses on the main Road (The Fleece Inn and the Farington Arms), and nothing more. The land either side of Liverpool Road west of the crossroads had once been Crookings Moor, an area of common grazing land extending northwards from the edge of the moss, in the vicinity of Rawstorne Road, where on the Tithe Map there are several fields called Crookens Great Field and Further Crookens Field, indicating the former extent of the moor. The Water Tower and the Fleece Inn are situated at the junction of Liverpool Road and Cop Lane, which is at a major crossroads along the A69 from Preston to Liverpool and Southport. The Water Tower, and to a lesser extent, the Fleece Inn, are significant landmarks, which represent the local centre of Penwortham.

(Courtesy of South Ribble Conservation Area report 2013)

Date: 15 July, 1779
Will of Sir William Farrington of Shaw Hall within Leyland -- the manors of Penwortham, Leyland and Ulnes-Walton, Whittle-le-woods, Walton-in-le-dale, Euxton and Howick, charged with payment of his debts and £200 annuity to his brother Richard F., £100 to his brother James F., and if Richard dies in James' lifetime without issue male, a further £100, £10 annuity to Mary, widow of his late uncle Henry Farrington, £200 to his sister Margaret wife of Mr. Joseph Prior Clayton, £200 to his sister Elizabeth F. £200 to be divided equally amongst the children of his late sister Barbara Mallory, £200 to his sister Isabella, wife of Gill Slater, if dead, to her children, £200 to the children of his late sister Mary Hammon to be equally divided, £100 to his kinswoman Mrs. Dolly Barry, and various annuities and bequests to his servants, etc., then in trust to Rev. Henry Offley Wright of Motram Saint Andrew, co. Chester, clerk, William Goodwin of Norris Green, esq., Lawrence Rawstorne of Preston, esq, Gill Slater of Liverpool, merchant and Thomas Addison of Shaw Hall, his servant, for 500 years for the use of the first son of his brother Richard and his heirs male with remainder to various stated members of the family.


The following record either relates to the landlord of this Inn or the Fleece in the late 1700s.

Marriage: 1 Jun 1795 St Mary, Penwortham, Lancashire, England

William Martin - Innkeeper of this Parish

Jane Whalley - Spinster of Standish

    Witness: Jane Tovey; Samuel Moss

    Married by Licence by: Jas. Barton Minr.

    Register: Marriages 1794 - 1805 from the Bishop's Transcripts, Page 3, Entry 8

    Source: LDS Film 1502346

1824 Baine's Directory - Richard Platt

Listed Landlords at the Inn were Richard Platt (1824), Richard Breakell (1841), William Harrison (1851), Hugh Breakell (1854-61), Henry Bradshaw (1869) and John Baybut (1871-).

1841 Census - Richard Breakell

The Breakell family continued to be heavily involved in the pub trade in this area after Richard moved from the Farington Arms in the 1840s; Hannah Breakell was running the Plough Inn in the 1850-60s and two brothers from Longton, Hugh and Richard Breakell were running the Farrington Arms and the Blue Anchor, Hutton respectively around this time.

1851 Census - William Harrison

1854 Mannex Directory Hugh Breakell

Advertisements & Notices

PENWORTHAM - TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION at the Farington's Arms Inn, Penwortham
On Monday, the 1st day of December at six o'clock in the evening, subject to conditions.
29 November 1856 - Preston Chronicle - Preston, Lancashire, England

Baptism: 31 Jul 1858 St Mary, Penwortham, Lancashire, England
Hugh Breakell - Son of Hugh Breakell & Jane
    Abode: Penwortham
    Occupation: Innkeeper
    Baptised by: Edw. F. Cave Curate
    Register: Baptisms 1857 - 1900, Page 9, Entry 66
    Source: LDS Film 1526058

Baptism: 28 Jun 1860 St Mary, Penwortham, Lancashire, England
Catherine Breakell - Dau of Hugh Breakell & Jinney
    Abode: Penwortham
    Occupation: Innkeeper
    Baptised by: R. E. Roy Offg. Minr.
    Register: Baptisms 1857 - 1900, Page 18, Entry 138
    Source: LDS Film 1526058

Baptism: 16 Feb 1862 St Mary, Penwortham, Lancashire, England
Alice Breakell - Dau of Hugh Breakell & Jenny
    Abode: Penwortham
    Occupation: Innkeeper
    Baptised by: J. B. Bolton
    Register: Baptisms 1857 - 1900, Page 25, Entry 200
    Source: LDS Film 1526058

1861 Census - Hugh Breakell

 A CHILD SCALDED TO DEATH
On Monday an inquest was held by Mr. Myres, at the Farington Arms inn, Penwortham, Preston, on the death of Adelaide Wilson, 16 months old, daughter of John Wilson, labourer, of that village.
01 November 1862 - Ulverston Mirror and Furness Reflector

PRESTON.
...found in a field on the north side of Penwortham Church. They were at once removed to the Farington Arms public-house, Penwortham, where inquest was held by Mr Myres,
coroner, on Monday. A labouring man, who found the bodies, said...
22 November 1866 - Hull and Eastern Counties Herald - Hull, Yorkshire, England

1869 Slater's Directory

1871 Census - Hugh Breakell Dog & Partridge, Friargate, Preston

As can be seen, Hugh Breakell remained in the trade but was running the Dog & Partridge Inn on Friargate in Preston town centre in 1871. 

Henry Bradshaw was a Blacksmith and Farmer by profession and was the last listed landlord of the Farington Arms on the 1869 directory above. Two years later he is recorded on the 1871 census living and working a farm on Liverpool Road but at the west end of Penwortham near Blashaw Farm.

1871 Census - John Baybut

The final possible landlord before the pub's demolition is a John Baybut, recorded on the census above as living on the corner of Cop Lane and Liverpool Road, the exact position of the Farington Arms and listed as a Blacksmith and Farmer. By 1890 there was no trace of the building and I can only assume it was demolished for reasons unknown. By 1881 John Baybut was farming land further down Cop Lane at the junction with Pope Lane.

1890 Map - no trace of the Farington Arms