Horwich - Black Bull

Name: The Black Bull Inn

Address: 69, Church Street, Horwich

c.1910

The Black Bull is one of Horwich's oldest Inns and dates back to around 1775. Situated on Church Street it played a key role in the community as an Inn, meeting place, auction house and venue for coroner's inquests throughout the 19th century and was originally built on church land making it one of the town's most important hostelries and was owned by William Longworth Esquire, an influential local land-owner.

03 December 1822 - Manchester Mercury 

Horwich Building Club ceased to exist.  Auction at Black Bull 

of property held by the Club.

1825 History Directory and Gazateer of the County Pallatine of Lancaster

Listed landlord were Mr William Makin (1800), William Pass (1810-29), Yates Bilsborrow (1836-41), Thomas Eglen (1841-48), John Scott (1848-56), Mr. Thomas Tyrer (1857-73), Joseph Hampson (1877-), Andrew Hampson (1879-81), D Smith (1886), James Martin (1891-95), Betsy Martin (1901), Mathew Hamer (1901-05), Evan Jones (1911) and Dorothy Bromiley (1917-24).

1829 Pigot's Directory

1836 Horwich Poll Books

Bolton Chronicle - Saturday 26 May 1838 - THE REAL OLD ENGLISH GENTLEMAN - 
On Monday last, William Longworth, Esq. of Land Heaton, and his sister held their rent day, at the house of Mr. Yates Bilsborrow, Black Bull Inn, Horwich, on which occasion upwards of seventy of their tenants sat down to a plentiful and substantial supper, got up in Mr. and Mrs. Bilsborrow's usual good taste.  After supper the tenants were treated to plenty of good English ale and punch and they "tripp'd it on the light fantastic tow" until daylight.  Mr. Longworth and his sister in their accustomed and affable manner, remaining with them during the whole time and defraying the expenses, which has always been their practice on every rent day.

1841 Census Thomas Eglin

Bolton Chronicle - 19th June 1847 - Public House to Let.  Black Bull in Horwich.  Present tenant Thomas Eglin.  Applications to Mr. William Longworth of Horwich.

1848 Slater's Directory

1851 Census John Scott

1854 Directory of the Parish of Dean

1861 Census Thomas Tyrer

1869 Slater's Directory

1871 Census Thomas Tyrer

1877 Post Office Directory of Bolton

Black Bull Hotel, 8 Church St Hampson Joseph, beerseller

1881 Census Andrew Hampson

c.1905

1891 Census James Martin

1895 Slater's Directory

1901 Census Betsy Martin

1905 Kelly's Directory

1911 Census Evan Jones

The following 1921 census information has been provided by Andrew Dalton, who stumbled across his family links to the Black Bull whilst researching his family history.

Around the start of WW1 Dorothy Bromiley moved into the Black Bull with her daughter and family.

1921 Census - Dorothy Bromiley

Dorothy's daughter, Mary married Hugh Dalton, who was Andrew's 2nd Great Uncle and was also a Chorley Pal in WW1. His Chorley Pal's record below confirms he was discharged from hospital to the Black Bull. They married in 1920 at Holy Trinity Church, Horwich although at that time Hugh was back living in his home village of Croston, where he'd been brought up and worked as a domestic coachman before enlisting. He and Mary almost certainly met there before the outbreak of war, when the Bromiley's were living at the De Trafford Arms public house in Croston.

1905 Kelly's Directory of Croston - Dorothy Bromiley

Banns: St Michael and All Angels, Croston, Lancashire, England

Hugh Dalton - Bachelor, This Parish

Mary Bromiley - Spinster, Parish of Horwich

First Reading: 1 Feb 1920; Read By: A. G. Whalley

Second Reading: 8 Feb 1920; Read By: C. David

Third Reading: 15 Feb 1920; Read By: A. G. Whalley

Register: Banns 1829 - 1929

1924 Kelly's Directory

I'm not sure of the exact date the family moved on from the Black Bull, but by 1939 they were all living at Waggon Farm, Ripponden, Yorkshire, Hugh working as a poultry farmer and his mother-in-law, Dorothy supporting them in the home.

Morris Dancers at the Black Bull

Bolton News 7th March 2008

Il Toro, Church Street, Horwich

by Andrew Mosley   

The Black Bull pub's reincarnation as classy Mediterranean restaurant Il Toro is just about as far away from real ale and chicken in a basket as Horwich is from Milan. Following in the footsteps of the San Marino restaurant in Belmont, the owners pride themselves on Il Toro's "elegant ambience" revealed in the fresh, bright décor, with plain white walls showcasing modern artwork from local artists, all of which can be purchased from local design store Casa Home.

 

Il Toro has since given way to another restaurant, "The Rivington Bar & Grill".