In the directory for 1828 and 1829 John Cowman is the
licensee of this establishment.
From 1848 to 1851 it is John Pierpoint who holds the licence.
John Speakman was a Hop Dealer, who moved into Warrington from Ashton before
1836. His older children Alice and Thomas Ward Speakman were born in Ashton,
as he was himself. His daughter Winifred was born in Warrington. He
continued as a Hop Dealer, so had contact with most of the licenced premises
that brewed their own beer, as many did.
When Alice Speakman married John Lythgoe in 1852, her father was still a Hop
merchant living in Winwick Street. However, by the time Thomas Ward married
Clara Lythgoe, John’s sister, in 1857 his father John is now down as a
Gentleman, and the address TW gives is Buttermarket Street. No number given.
Were they in the Wagon and Horses, or somewhere else in Buttermarket Street?
John’s daughter Winifred was married in 1859 to Joseph Newton, brother of
Mary Newton, John Dolan’s wife.
John Speakman died in 1859.
At some point John Lythgoe, Alice’s husband, became the innkeeper at the
Wagon and Horses. He kept his job as Clerk to Mr Geddes, who was responsible
for administering the Board of Guardians of the Poor Law and the Workhouse.
Alice died in September 1860, when their son Thomas Joseph Lythgoe was 5
years old. John gave up his job as clerk, and got into a mess with gambling,
while trying to run the Inn. His difficulties and fraud was discovered in
November 1860 and he ran off to Liverpool, from where he contacted his
lawyer and made a settlement with his creditors. Thomas Joseph age 5 was
apparently left with his grandparents in Foundry Street.
Part of settling the debts involved selling everything in the Wagon and
Horses, so from the notice of the Auction we get a picture of the Inn.
To Spirit Merchants, Brewers, Hotel Keepers and Others.
Mr D. Hodgkins will sell by Auction, by order of the Trustees under a deed
of assignment made by Mr John Lythgoe, of the "Wagon and Horses" Butter
Market Street, Warrington, on Thursday December 13th 1860, at eleven o'clock
precisely, on the above named premises, the STOCK_IN_TRADE, comprising Wine
and Spirits of every description, of the first class quality, 14 Pockets of
superior Hops of the growth of 1859, Brewing Utensils, Coppers etc. Also the
whole of the excellent HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE, comprising camp, French, and
other bedsteads, feather beds, hair mattresses, and good bedding, mahogany
and birch sets of chairs, carpets, druggets, hearth rugs, culinary and
kitchen utensils. Also the Good Will of the premises, with the fast and
loose fixtures, billiard table, with cues, balls, marking boards, &c.
complete.
The whole may be viewed on the morning of the sale, and catalogues had on
the premises, and from the Auctioneer.
For further particulars, apply to E.S.Bent, Esq. Solicitor; Mr James Jolley,
Wine and Spirit Merchant, Warrington; or to Messrs. Roberts and Nisbett,
Accountants, Commerce Court, Lord Street, Liverpool.
A few months later, in March 1861 at the census, Peter
Lythgoe, (John’s father) along with two Molyneux nieces, is in Buttermarket
Street, while his wife and the rest of the family are in the Provision shop
in Foundry Street, including TJ age 5 and John’s sister Clara with her
husband and their daughter Winifred. Peter is down as ‘Licenced Victualler’
He is down as living at ‘Wagon yard Buttermarket Street’
Bennett Lythgoe, John and Clara’s older brother, died in 1866 in St Pancras.
I haven’t got the details of this.
By 1871 Peter Lythgoe is recorded as the Licensee of the Wagon and Horses in
the Directory, and there the census finds them all together. They must have
refurnished it, unless Peter Lythgoe had successfully bid for the Fast and
loose fittings and kept it all along. Ellen his wife is not recorded and may
have died. Two of Bennett’s sons are there. One is John, who is a ‘mechanic’
while his father and grandfather were ‘engineers’; another is Thomas Lythgoe,
born the same year as Thomas Joseph (1855), also a ‘mechanic’ while Thomas
Joseph Lythgoe now 16 is ‘coach painter’ although these may be the other way
round as the second name Joseph is not recorded.
There is a record of a Peter Lythgoe died in 1873.
Thomas Ward Speakman died in the early 1870’s after which Clara remarried to
Thomas Maskell in 1875
By 1881 the family are still sharing the pub. Clara and her new husband,
Clara’s two children Winifred and Peter Lythgoe Speakman and Thomas Joseph
who is now a clerk to the Coal Merchant, a job which he held until his early
death.
He married Agnes Dolan in January 1886, and his cousin Winifred married a
John Eccles in the same year. Peter Lythgoe Speakman married her sister in
June 1887. After this Clara and Thomas Maskell gave up the Licence of the
Wagon and Horses. This was the last time the family were connected with it,
although they must have seen it frequently a their church was just down the
road from it, and they were good Catholics, attending church regularly.
From 1891 – 95 the Licence was held by Mrs Hannah Jones. By 1924 the Inn no
longer existed, although there was a shop on the premises later. The site is
now swallowed up under an ugly concrete block of offices belonging to
Warrington Council.
So this old Inn was central to the family fortunes, good and bad, for thirty
years; from at least 1857 until 1887.
There are more Directories in the Archives in Preston to explore.
Above is a aap of Buttermarket Street when the Wagon and Horses still stood. |
