Chorley's Inns and Taverns: Bamber Bridge - Lancashire & Yorkshire Hotel

Name: The Lancashire & Yorkshire Hotel

Address: 249, Station Road, Bamber Bridge

c.1900 the Lancs & Yorks is right of picture

The Lancashire and Yorkshire Hotel first opened for business in the 1850s, no doubt benefitting from the trade provided by the railway station across the road. I took its name from the company that ran the lines and station at that time. The following is an excerpt from the company society's website.

The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway was formed in 1847 from an amalgamation of the Manchester & Leeds Railway and a number of smaller companies. Amalgamation with the East Lancashire Railway followed in 1859. It survived and thrived as an independent company for 75 years and no other major line was so in tune with the community it served. The L&YR was a great railway and at its peak the statistics were impressive. The figures for 1920 were...

601 route miles of track of which 557 were double track or better. Total track mileage, including sidings, was 2,217. Only 24 miles were level track, whilst 134 were on gradients steeper than 1 in 100.

Along the route miles were 291 passenger stations and slightly more goods stations as well as several large marshalling yards. There were 91 tunnels and 2,478 bridges and viaducts. Train movements were controlled by 733 signal boxes and ground frames.

http://www.lyrs.org.uk/the-railway

Listed landlords were John Eccles (1861-70), Mary Eccles (1870-71), Thomas Eccles (1872-81), Ishmael Turner Barlow (1891), John Hartley (1901-11) and Elizabeth Turner (1917).

1845 Map

The 1845 map above shows the presence of a building alongside the railway where the Lancs and Yorks stands but at this time records don't confirm the hotel was open for business and the railway was still being run by the East Lancashire Railway. Directory records in 1854 also don't record the business but the earliest landlord, John Eccles is recorded as a blacksmith in the town and was almost certainly working for the railways in some way given its rapid expansion during this period.

1854 Mannex Directory of 1854

The Eccles family were no strangers to Innkeeping, Thomas Eccles having run the Queen's Arms on Church Road in the 1840s and John along with his son Thomas after him continued in the family trade.

1861 Census

1869 Slater's Directory

Burial Record for John Eccles 7th October 1870

Probate record for John Eccles 1870

1871 Census

Marriage: 7 Oct 1871 St Saviour, Bamber Bridge, Lancashire, England

Richard Eccles - 19 Weaver Bachelor of Bamber Bridge

Catherine Rylance - (X), 19 Weaver Spinster of Bamber Bridge

Groom's Father: John Eccles, (deceased), Publican

Bride's Father: William Rylance, Farmer

Witness: John Walmsley; Ann Rylance, (X)

Married by Certificate by: Jas. Taylor Vicar

Register: Marriages 1839 - 1887, Page 121, Entry 242

Source: LDS Film No 1471151

The Lancashire & Yorkshire Bus transporting passengers from Bamber Bridge to Chorley(behind the bus is the Lancs & Yorks the lines visible on the level crossing behind)

Marriage: 11 Apr 1872 St Saviour, Bamber Bridge, Lancashire, England

Thomas Eccles - 26 Publican Bachelor of Bamber Bridge

Alice Ainsworth - (X), 24 Spinster of Bamber Bridge

Groom's Father: John Eccles, deceased, Publican

Bride's Father: Thomas Ainsworth, Taper

Witness: Jas. Riley; Elizabeth Ratcliffe, (X)

Married by Certificate by: Jas. Taylor Vicar

Register: Marriages 1839 - 1887, Page 127, Entry 254

Source: LDS Film No 1471151

Thomas Eccles married in 1872 and took over the business from his mother Mary but by the time of the 1881 census was widowed, shown living with his two children and mother-in-law Esther Ainsworth at the hotel.