Chorley's Inns and Taverns: Walton-le-Dale

Name: White Bull Inn

Address: Victoria Road, Walton-le-Dale

c.1910 courtesy of Mrs S Roach Preston Digital Archive

One of Walton-le-Dale's oldest inns, the White Bull dates back to the 1700s, and records I've found begin from 1824.

Listed landlords at the pub were Thomas Briggs (-1831), Tabitha Briggs (1834-37), Hannah Briggs (1837-), Richard Barton (1848), Thomas Fazackly (1851), Sarah Snape (1854), Margaret Snape, (1861-), Frances Pickering (1871), James Marsland (1881), James Green (1891), Joseph Western (1901) and John Vincent Kelly (1911-).

1824 Baine's Directory Thomas Briggs

The early days saw the Briggs family running the pub with Thomas and his wife Tabitha at the helm before their daughter Sarah took over in the late 1830s following their deaths, assisted by her brothers, Thomas and John. Thomas and Tabitha are buried at St Leonard's in the village.

1831 Burial Thomas Briggs

1909 OS Map

1834 Pigot's Directory Tabitha Briggs

1837 Burial Tabitha Briggs

1841 Census Richard Barton

1848 Slater's Directory Richard Barton

1851 Census Thomas Fazackly

The Snape family were next to take over the White Bull . They had been living in Moon's Hill, Higher Walton, where Thomas worked as a joiner, but following his death in 1850, Margaret and children moved into the village and in 1851 were running the Yew Tree, just down the road. By 1854, their eldest daughter Sarah was running the White Bull and was joined there by the rest of the family, where they remained until the late 1860s when Margaret retired.

1854 Mannex Directory Sarah Snape

Around the same time as the directory above, Sarah's younger sister, Alice was marrying a local lad, James Pearson, whose family ran the Unicorn Inn. By 1861 Alice was widowed, but continued to run the Unicorn and remarried, to Kenyon Howard with whom they ran the pub. Details of the family links can be seen on Margaret's headstone in St Leonard's.

1855 Slater's Directory Margaret Snape

1861 Census Margaret Snape

Margaraet Snape Headstone

1869 Slater's Directory Margaret Snape

Margaret Snape's maiden name was Pickering, and they were a well-known family in the village, her relatives running the Gardener's Arm around this time, so the next landlady, Frances Pickering is highly likely to be another family member.

Saturday last, the Lodge Brotherhood of the IUO of Mechanics, which is held at the White Bull Inn, Walton Village, held their anniversary. The members mastered three o’clock, and the procession started about a quarter to four.

Published: Saturday 13 August 1870

Newspaper: Preston Herald

County: Lancashire, England

1871 Census Frances Pickering

1881 Census James Marsland

1891 Census James Green

1901 Census Joseph Western

The next landlord, John Vincent Kelly took over in the early 1900s and ran the pub until the late 1940s with his wife Margaret.

CYCLISTS COLLIDE

Her son had met with an accident. She went to the White Bull Inn, Walton Village, and saw dim laid on a form unconscious, Witness ordered a cab and deceased was taken home accompanied by Dr. Ghose, of Walton, and PC Winstanley.

Published: Saturday 08 July 1905

Newspaper: Preston Herald

County: Lancashire, England