inn 4 The Greyhound Inn – its history from the 14th century.

This old established Inn has proved the most difficult to research its early history.  I was always of the belief that the original Inn would date from the medieval period on the basis that Penkhull was situated on the main highway from the south to the north of Stoke-on-Trent before the current London Road, Stoke was laid. Here in Penkhull,  an Inn was listed in the 15th century under the sign of Lord Wagstaff. The court rolls list a Thomas Bagnall, victualler of Penkhull in 1587. A Thomas Tittensor was licensed to sell spirits in 1606; James Bourne was named a victualler of Penkhull in 1775. Sadly, none of these identify the Inn by name.

In 1861, Charles Simpson, aged 34, and his wife Mary, aged 36, both from Hanley were running the Inn and by 1891 George Salt, aged 45, and Sarah his wife, aged 42, were in charge. They had two children, Florence, aged 15, and Eleanor, age 7. Apart from Charles’ mother and his sister-in-law living there, they had two male servants John Harris, aged 29, and Alfred Thomas, aged 23.

Throughout the decades, the Marquis had rather a fast number of landlords.

The property remained in the hands of Mary Ann Lees, until her death at Southport. She was buried at Hanford on the 19^th of November 1894. By the terms of her Will dated, the 16th of May 1873, The Marquis of Granby was left in trust to her daughter Annie Crewe Lees and Mr William Challinor of Leek, earthenware manufacturer, until it should be deemed advisable to convert it into cash but should not be sold during the lives of her three daughters unless a major part of them should consent to such a sale. After her death it remained in the hands of the trustees.

On the 17th of May 1886, the trustees entered into an agreement to lease out the premises to Mr Henry Elshaw for a period of ten years at an annual rent of £82.  It was recorded that the property had been in the occupation of Mr George Furnival for some time. The same document refers for the first time to the addition of a bowling green adjacent to the pub. On the same date Mr Elshaw assigned the lease by way of mortgage for security of £306 from Mr John Robinson.

The name The Marquis of Granby is interesting so many pubs of that name. John Manners, the eldest son of the 3rd Duke of Rutland, and known by his father’s subsidiary title of the Marquis of Granby, was a highly distinguished soldier and later a politician. He was known by his generosity as when his soldiers retired, John Manners helped many of his soldiers financially to set up public houses who all subsequently called new Inns or re-named existing Inns – The Marquis of Granby, out of respect and admiration of the former Major General. When he died in 1771 the Marquis left £60,000 of debts with assets of around £23,000 which could imply that he was most generous during his lifetime.

Here in Penkhull,  an Inn was listed in the 15th century under the sign of Lord Wagstaff. The court rolls list a Thomas Bagnall, victualler of Penkhull in 1587. A Thomas Tittensor was licensed to sell spirits in 1606; James Bourne was named a victualler of Penkhull in 1775. Sadly, none of these identify the Inn by name.

The property remained in the hands of Mary Ann Lees, until her death at Southport. She was buried at Hanford on the 19^th of November 1894. By the terms of her Will dated, the 16th of May 1873, The Marquis of Granby was left in trust to her daughter Annie Crewe Lees and Mr William Challinor of Leek, earthenware manufacturer, until it should be deemed advisable to convert it into cash but should not be sold during the lives of her three daughters unless a major part of them should consent to such a sale. After her death it remained in the hands of the trustees.

On the 17th of May 1886, the trustees entered into an agreement to lease out the premises to Mr Henry Elshaw for a period of ten years at an annual rent of £82.  It was recorded that the property had been in the occupation of Mr George Furnival for some time. The same document refers for the first time to the addition of a bowling green adjacent to the pub. On the same date Mr Elshaw assigned the lease by way of mortgage for security of £306 from Mr John Robinson.

The Beehive was formed out of three old cottages set in a row of back-to-back working class terraced houses which In all probability a row of workers cottages built by Josiah Spode at the end of the 18^th or early 19^th century for his workers. The location is shown on Hargreaves’ map of 1832.

Viewing the census of 1841 provides little to indicate there being any Inn at the site.  By 1851 the census however does list a Thomas Howell as a greengrocer and beer seller. In simple terms, he would have had a little greengrocer’s shop, and at the same time, probably had a couple of hand pumps, one for Mild and the other for Bitter beers, both for consumption off the premises. It is from here that the residents of the nearby houses would fetch the beer in a jug after a day’s work to have with their evening meal. The owner would be unable to sell spirits only beer or ale. Thomas was born in Eccleshall, and was married to Hannah, who was recorded in 1851, aged 62, and came from Oldham. They both probably came to Stoke to find work and met locally. They employed a servant, Elizabeth Cook, a local girl, aged 21.