Name: The Victoria Inn aka "The Red House"
Address: 26 (60), Lyons Lane, Chorley
Located on the junction of Lyons Lane and Brooke Street the Victoria Inn was known locally as the Red House. At the opposite end of Brooke Street at its junction with Eaves Lane stood the Brooke's Arms, which was known as the White House; the two names are believed to be related to the Brooke family whose lands they were built upon.
It was demolished to make way for the building of the Clifford Street bypass in the mid-late 1980's. Listed landlords at the Victoria, which was first listed on the 1871 census were Henry Armriding (1871), Michael Durkin (1881-91), Margaret Commons (1901-15), Bernard Gilgun (1921), Albert Fishwick (1936) and James Tarpey (1941).
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| 1871 Census |
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| 1881 Census |
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| c.1950 Lyons Lane - Victoria Inn pictured top right courtesy of Historic Chorley FB |
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| 1891 Census |
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| 1901 Census |
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| Lancashire Evening Post 18 July 1906 |
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| Lancashire Evening Post 21 May 1908 |
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| 1911 Census |
Living at the Victoria in 1911 were the Commons family and the following few years were ones of hardship after the death of son Edward at Festubert and a court appearance the following year for selling out of hours.
The following image were taken from the Chorley Guardian dated 6th February 1915: -
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The Victoria appears a bit earlier. On the 1861 census (RG9/3120 folio52 page42), John Gent is the Beerseller. It's called "Victoria Buildings" on the sheet, but with a position adjoining Whittle Street, it's got to be the right place. John was new to the licensed trade; his son said he was a shoemaker at his marriage in 1860.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, Whittle Street is shown as having a "Stable, Brewhouse and Coach House" a couple of sheets earlier.
I believe John Gent was the landlord at the Victoria Arms on the corner of New Market and Chapel Street, a block of buildings known as the Victoria Buildings rather than the Victoria Inn.
DeleteI've checked again and am convinced you are right. The enumeration district covered both places, but there weren't as many buildings then. The 1840s 6-inch map has Victoria Buildings very clearly marked.
ReplyDeleteWhy was it knocked down? Was it not listed?
ReplyDeleteNot that I'm aware of. Knocked down to make way for the new bypass Road along with a lot of terraced housing along Lyons Lane.
ReplyDeleteOn the first picture, the higher front section the Victoria was a later addition to the pub. A map of 1889 shows that piece of the pub "missing" and there was a gap between the lower section of the front and the first house. Some of the rear windows of the Victoria were smashed in August 1915 when lightning hit the 50 foot high chimney of the tallow works behind the pub, knocking a large section of bricks out of the upper part of the chimney.
ReplyDeleteHi! I’m so made up to come across this article of my great aunty Janey Nightingale! Thanks so much 😁
ReplyDelete