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The hunt for the mysterious Garden Gate Inn pub...


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Screenshot 2020-05-08 at 09.12.21.jpg


Here is a real Sheffield History teaser for you.

In this photo is the Old Harrow pub which was at number 34 Harvest Lane, and we're looking towards Bridgehouses and the junction with Mowbray Street.

That's not what we're here for however.

Instead look at the building left of centre with the writing 'Garden Gate Inn' on the end gable. 

Question here is was there actually a Garden Gate Inn pub in Sheffield?

I've been told there's no record of it at all?

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Whites 1911 directory has:

24 & 26 Harvest Lane: Ashley Charles, beerhouse (the Old Harrow is listed as 34 Harvest Lane )

There are a few mentions on here:

But I can't find it in the A-Z index

 

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And the building is not marked as an inn or public house on any of the maps I can easily access online.

Curious.

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In 1893 the pub was the headquarters of Nottingham boxer Loll Hunt (21 years, 5 foot 6, 8 stone 9 pounds). His manager was Frank Howson a well known local publican, so possibly the Garden Gate was in Frank's hands at that point. On 13th March at the Edmund Road Drill Hall, Hunt beat William Clarke of Sheffield to the £25 prize after 20 rounds with 4 oz. gloves under Queensberry Rules.

 Charles Ashley had the beer house at 24/26 Harvest Lane in 1901 - complete with 8 boarders, he died in March 1911. By 1914 it was on the Compensation List ready for closure. The owners' solicitor pleaded that "if it was only to retain an old and pleasing title, the Garden Gate, Harvest lane, should remain". The owners were Messrs. A.H. Smith and the landlady Mrs Malvina Ashley.  The owners rejected a compensation offer of £400 (though had accepted by December) but Mrs Ashley had immediately accepted £110.

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12 minutes ago, Edmund said:

In 1893 the pub was the headquarters of Nottingham boxer Loll Hunt (21 years, 5 foot 6, 8 stone 9 pounds). His manager was Frank Howson a well known local publican, so possibly the Garden Gate was in Frank's hands at that point. On 13th March at the Edmund Road Drill Hall, Hunt beat William Clarke of Sheffield to the £25 prize after 20 rounds with 4 oz. gloves under Queensberry Rules.

 Charles Ashley had the beer house at 24/26 Harvest Lane in 1901 - complete with 8 boarders, he died in March 1911. By 1914 it was on the Compensation List ready for closure. The owners' solicitor pleaded that "if it was only to retain an old and pleasing title, the Garden Gate, Harvest lane, should remain". The owners were Messrs. A.H. Smith and the landlady Mrs Malvina Ashley.  The owners rejected a compensation offer of £400 (though had accepted by December) but Mrs Ashley had immediately accepted £110.

In the 1893 Directory it reads 24 - 26 Walter Cooke Beer retailer

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It's mentioned here in 1914, owned by AH Smith's Don Brewery. 

 

 

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Screenshot_20200518-191513.jpg

 

From 1888.

 

Screenshot_20200518-191959.jpg

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1911 Malvina Ashley 57 widow, 24 Harvest Lane Beerhouse Keeper Licenced Victualler own account.

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Guest leksand
On 08/05/2020 at 10:14, madannie77 said:

And the building is not marked as an inn or public house on any of the maps I can easily access online.

Curious.

It is irregular for beerhouses (and this was a beerhouse throughout the era discussed) to be noted on Ordnance Survey mapping prior to the post WWII surveys. In the Sheffield surveys of the 50's (1:1250 & 1:2500) they were, though the designation of PH and BH was often done incorrectly and is not a reliable indicator of the type of licence held. Before that you may get some beerhouses noted in areas devoid of fully licensed premises, generally rural, and where there is enough space for required lettering. In built up areas not all Public Houses were noted on the 25 inch series maps. A handful of beerhouses were marked on the 1850's 6-inch maps, but only by house name with no specific indication that they were licensed premises.

The premises (24 & 26 Harvest Lane), as noted above, was a Smith's Don Brewery house. I have a suggested date of aquisition of April 1891 (possibly an aquired by date). It was put on the compensation list of 1914, having it's licence provisionally renewed in February (to Malvina Ashley) before being refused in June having failed to put up a convincing case for it's preservation. The compensation offered was not very much, particularly the share to Smith's as registered owners. That they accepted it without appeal suggests the trade of the house was not great. As it had a very clean record in terms of recent conduct it is very likely that it was put on the compensation list because it was in a poor state and seen as not fit for purpose. It's licence expired on the 31st of December 1914.

In terms of licensees, Charles Ashley took over in 1898, to be succeeded by his wife Malvina (then noted as a widow) to whom the licence was transferred, or granted, on Apr, 5th, 1911.

There was a conviction noted against the house on Feb. 9th. 1881 which should appear in the press and hence identify another licensee. This could be Joseph Stancer who was noted as a grocer & provision dealer at the premises in White's of 1879 (and is probably the same licensee known by initial from around 10 years earlier). It was not uncommon for general grocers who stocked beer and being primarily engaged in selling off, to be on-licensed in this period, though was a relic of earlier licensing law and greadually became less prominent. The right to legally sell on the premises would not necessarily have been greatly utilised and as such, the premises may not have had a sign at that point.

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Guest leksand

SDT-18810210.jpg.dc5c84372f343fb9ac7b578f4a49a20e.jpg

The conviction mentioned previously. The piece indicates the premises was probably not named at this time (1881) and, obviously, shows that Stancer had moved on. It was not irregular for the kitchen to be utilised for drinking "on" at this kind of premises.

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Guest John R. Wood

Hello,

Whilst researching my family history I came across your post "the hunt for the mysterious Garden Gate Inn Pub".

By chance, I have an original legal contract dated 26th January 1898 which lists the contents of this pub when it was sold by Jas Short to Harry Longthorne for £55-17.3  This contract was drawn up by J.R. Lockwood, 10 & 12 Bow St, Sheffield.

Harry Longthorne (1870-1959) was the father of my step-grandfather John Robert Longthorne (1896-1956).  Harry was born in Lincolnshire, where he was living in 1896.  In 1901 he and his family lived at 56 Gregory Road, Heeley, Sheffield.  Two of Harry's children were born in Sheffield in 1901 and 1907.  By 1911 Harry and his family had returned to live in Lincolnshire where the census lists his occupation as 'shopkeeper'.

In 1945 Harry and his wife Mary Margaret Longthorne (1872-1951) moved to Leeds and lived at a shop at 24 Roundhay Road (Sheepscar) where he worked repairing sewing machines.

In 1951 tragedy befell the family when Mary died in a domestic fire.  An article (8th February 1951) in the Yorkshire Evening Post entitled "Woman 79 Dies in House Blaze" documents the incident.  A month later Harry sold the fire-damaged shop to my parents for £250 and he returned to live in Lincolnshire.  During my early years during the period 1951-59 my parents, brother and I lived at this shop.

If you would like images of this original contract to display on your website please feel free to contact me directly on my email below.

Additionally, any information your Society may have on Harry and his family in Sheffield would be of particular interest to me.  My contact email is:  drjrwood@btinternet.com

 

 

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