FLOOKBURGHAwindowintotheFlookburghareathroughthenewspaperarticlesthatrefertotheCrownInnon

MarketStreetinthe19thcentury.

TheCrownInninFlookburghwassoldbyauctioninFebruary2017.ItwasdescribedinthecatalogueasasubstantialGradeIIListedearly18thCenturyformerpublichousewithextensiveaccommodationarrangedoverthreefloorstogetherwithanattachedbarn,largecarpark,courtyardareas,agarageandagarden.Inallaround0.38acres.

ThisarticlewilllookattheparttheCrownInnplayedintheFlookburghcommunityinthe19thcentury.TheCrownissituatedontheoldoversandsroutefromLancastertoUlverstonandwastypicalofinnsthatgrewupbesidemajorhighwaysinthecoachingera.ItwouldhavebeenusedbyvisitorsusingthepopularCartmelspaatHumphreyHead.

TheInnwasusedformanyyearsasthevenueforland,farmandbuildingsauctions.AfewexamplesbelowgivefairlycomprehensivedescriptionsofbuildingsandlandforsaleinFlookburghandthesurroundingarea.

InAugust1808theCrownwasthevenuefortheLettingbyTicketoftheEstateorFarmofWilliamWilkinson,deceasedinFlookburgh.WilliamwasthebrotherofJohnWilkinson,ironmaster.JamesStockdalestates“ThelateMr.WilliamWilkinson,brotherofJohnWilkinson,…purchasedin1798,aconsiderablequantityofthecommonlandonWinderMoor,andfortheaccommodationofthisandotherland,erectedtheverylargefarmbuildingsnowstandinginFlookburgh.”AnnalsofCartmel,JasStockdale1872IsthisMiresideFarmonWinderLaneorFlookburghFarmjustoffFlookburghSquare?

LancasterGazette13August1808

TheinnkeeperisnowJohnRobertsandthe3estatesorfarmstoletaresituatedatCartlane,BirkbyandFlookburgh.Noticethat2ofthefarmsaretithe-free–oneobjectoftheEnclosureActswastogetridoftheobligationtopaytithes.

LancasterGazette15August1818

LancasterGazette23September1815

ThefreeholdlandatWestPlainistobesoldorletandincludesthefarm,land,2thrashingmachines,partoftheseaembankment,saltmarshandonesixthofthespaatHumphreyHead,hereknownasCartmelSpa.

TheWykefarmistobesoldwithayoungwood,limestonequarry,beautifulsurroundingcountryandfineviews.ItisclosetoCartmelSpaandincludes2furtherfieldsinFlookburgh,aturfmossandoneshareintheLancastercanal.Atthistimeitisfreeholdandtithefree.

LancasterGazette4November1820

LancasterGazette26May1827

TheabovepropertyisnowknownasJeremyHillinthecentreofAllithwaite.JohnRobertsisstilltheinnkeeperattheCrownInn.On17October1829thealmostexactnoticewaspublishedintheLancasterGazetteagain.Wasitsoldagain2yearslaterorwasitnotsoldin1827?

LancasterGazette10April1841

TheinnkeeperattheCrownInnisnowJamesJohnson.ItisnotclearisLot1andLot2areinFlookburghorHestBankasthepreviousowner,deceased,livedinHestBank.AsthemainroadtoFlookburghwasacrossthesandsHestBankwouldhavebeenseentobeinclosevicinitytoFlookburgh.

AuctionsandsalesattheCrownInnwerenotlimitedonlytofarmsandestatesbutwoodswerealsosoldasshownbelow.

LancasterGazette17October1835

TheCoppiceWoodisbeingsoldbyJamesStockdale,theowner,andisoverseverallotsintheareaofHowbarrow,Burns’sandSpeelbankestates.

InquestswerealsoheldattheCrownInn,usuallyforvictimswhohaddrownedintheFlookburghsandsarea.

LancasterGazette16June1827

Itappearsthat3peoplehaddrownedinthebay,onlyonebodyhadbeenwashedup.TheywerecrossingtheSandsroutebuthadmisjudgedthetideasithadnotgoneoutcompletely.

WestmorlandGazette30January1841

TheabovetwoinquestswereheldbeforeoneoftheLancashirecoroners,JohnGardner.JohnGardnerlivedinGarstangandwasacoronerfrom1803to1852(almost50years)whenhedied,aged72years,stillworkingasacoroner.HewascoronerfortheLonsdaleHundredandhetravelledfromLancastertotheCartmelpeninsulaonaregularbasis,crossingthesandsregularly.

TheCrownwasfirstandforemostadrinkinghouseandthenewspaperswouldonlyprintanythingoutoftheordinarywhichhappenedattheCrownin1855.

LancasterGazette29December1855

Theguiltymanandthehusbandofthevictimwereanavvyandagangerontherailwayrespectively.TheUlverstoneandLancasterRailwaywasbeingbuiltatthistimeandtherewouldhavebeenmanynavviesinthearea.

TheCrownInnwasalsoaregistrationpointforlocalcompetitions,includingPloughingcompetitionswhichwereadvertisedin1856and1857.

WestmorlandGazette28February1857

Itisinterestingtonotethatthewinnershavetopayapartoftheirprizetowardsthesecondprizeandalsothattheboyshavetoproduceacertificatetoshowtheyareunder18yearsofage.

Thefinaltwonewspaperclippingsaredated1940.

LancashireEveningPost24May1940

In1940SarahMackerethwas80yearsold

LancashireEveningPost21December1940

EmmaRepton,innkeeperwasfined£1forfailingtoobscurelightsintheCrownInnduringtheblackoutinWorldWarTwo

Fromcenuses,newspaperarticlesandGrangeRedbooksIhavetriedtolisttheinnkeepersattheCrownInnfromthe1800s,althoughitwasbuiltintheearly1700s.Therearegapsinthelist.

1808-JohnWhittle1818-1829-JohnRoberts1841-JamesJohnson,describedaspublican,aged55with3daughtersand4sons.1851-JaneTodd,publicanwithher3childrenandalodger.(ThomasButlerlivesnextdoor,accordingtothecensus,acarrieroversandswithhisfamilyandaservant.Ishethepublicanwhentheassaulttookplacein1855)1855–ThomasButler

1856–1861JohnButler,Innkeeperandblacksmith,aged45,withhiswifeand7children,ason-in-law,alodgerand2servants.1871–JohnButler,aged26,sonoftheaboveJohnwhodiedin1869.Johnliveswithhis4brothers,brother’swife,2nephewsandaservant.Johnisdescribedonlyasablacksmith,notapublican.1881–JosephPage,innkeeper,aged36withhiswife,her2sons,andtheirsonandavisitor1891–JosephPageisnowanagriculturallabourerandhiswife,Sarahistheinnkeeperwiththeir2sons.1901–JosephPage,now53,isahotelkeeper,hiswifeSarahisagrocerandtheyhaveonesonandaservant1911–JamesMackereth,age49andhiswifeSarah,age48whoisthepublican.Theyhave6sonsand4daughtersin9rooms.1939Thenextcensusisthe1939register.SarahMackerethisawidowandinnkeeper.1940EmmaReptontakesoverthetenancyfromSarahMackereth.1948–1954TerenceO’Neill1957-1963EandIWard1965–E.Williams1966–1969–GordonRawlins1969–1976–EileenRawlins(Gordon’swife)FollowedbyRobNixon,RobinMitchellandTheCrownInnwasaHartley’spublichouse.HartleysBrewerywasfoundedabout1755.1896theOldBrewerywasconveyedfromthetrusteesofJohnBoothtoRobertandPeterHartleyandin1919Hartleys(Ulverston)Limitedwasincorporated.InJuly1982thecompanywasacquiredbyFredericRobinsonLimitedofStockportwhosoldtheCrownInnin2017.

BarbaraCopeland