Individual Inns & Pubs in Beeston - D-J

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The Durham Ox Inn - As is the case for most of the beer houses that have existed in Beeston since relatively ancient times, little is known about the origins of The Durham Ox Inn as a building - although the image on the right gives a glimpse of it in the opening of the 20th century when it was still largely in its early form, with yellow tinted signage, standing to the left of The Greyhound pub, between narrow accesses on either side, leading to Providence Row - a group of poor housing. So, in that absence of other evidence, we are left with telling the story of the licensees who served the public over the years. Our story, then covers a period of some 120 years up to the Second World War, during which time, as appears typical for beer houses in this era, close to 20 different landlords came and went.

The public house itself is known to have been present on what was then the Nottingham to Sawley Turnpike (now the High Road), in Beeston by no later than 1821 as It was then and from there that a ‘Mr Surplice’ offered details of property for sale elsewhere in Beeston – although there is no evidence that he was the landlord. Two years later, it was itself to be offered for sale – although, again, no details of any actual sale have been found. It was, it seems, occupied by John Hartshorn for the next two or three years before again being offered for sale by auction in July 1826 as a ‘peremptory sale’.

Although we have no details of the result of the 1826 sale, we do know that it was about that time that the tenancy was taken over by Richard Payling, his wife Elizabeth and their two daughters, Sarah & Charlotte. Richard was born in 1876 in South Collingham, Nottinghamshire, a son of William & Anne (née Aslin) Payling. Little has been found about his early life other than his marriage to Elizabeth Watkin in 1804, in Cottesmore, Rutland, where Elizabeth had been born in about 1776. Sadly, his time as a publican was to be short-lived as he died in January 1827, aged 51. About two months later, their elder daughter Sarah married the local shoemaker, William Harwood, a widower, and they went on to live out their lives in Beeston. Charlotte, William and Sarah's younger daughter was aged only eight when her father died went on to marry Isaiah Start, a tailor, in 1845, and went on to have two daughters before her early death, aged 34, in Beeston, in 1853. Although Elizabeth was able to take over the Durham Ox licence and was to carry on bravely for a few years, despite the obvious difficulties. But, by about 1829, she had moved on and was to live out her life in Beeston, latterly with her daughter Charlotte’s family up to her death in 1852, aged 75.

Between 1830 and about 1834, the licencee was one Edward Smith of whom no other details have been found.

By 1839, the premises were in the hands of Robert Tebbutt who, as we can see from this advertisement, was making good use of the premises’ facilities as an inn and had recently extended the beer licence to offer wine to his customers. Robert was born in Nottingham in about 1791, a son of John & Sarah Tebbutt and, in 1817, in Nottingham, he married Mary Goodson from Sleaford in Lincolnshire. Their son, John, was born in 1818 but, sadly, in 1819, Mary died. In May 1823, Edward married his first wife’s cousin, Millicent Goodson, a daughter of William & Mary Goodson, at St Leodigarius Church in Basford, Nottingham. Their daughter Sally (also known as Sarah) was born in 1824. The family were to continue to live at the pub and to operate it until about 1849 when Robert returned to trading as a grocer in premises on the High Road, adjacent to the Durham Ox, convenient to the residents of Providence Row and Greyhound Yard that were nearby.

The next licensee, from about 1849, was Isaac Jackson who was born in Beeston in 1819, the son of James and Jane Jackson. Previously, Isaac had followed his father as a shoemaker and had lived in Lenton where his first wife, Ann Ball, was born and where they had married in October 1840. Now, they set about establishing themselves at the Durham Ox but, sadly, in October 1851, Ann died, aged only 32 and was buried in Beeston Churchyard where her memorial survives. However, in January 1853, Isaac married Sally Tebbutt, the 29-year-old daughter of Robert, the former landlord who had continued with his grocers shop adjacent to the pub. It seems likely that she had already helped Isaac with the pub after Ann’s death and now they were able to continue to work together there. By 1855, however, they had moved on – now with their son, Robert Henry, born in 1854 – to take up the tenancy of The Sir John Borlace Warren pub in what was then Zion (or Sion) Hill in Radford, Nottingham, now known as Canning Circus. By 1871 he had moved on and was working as a wine and spirit agent with his widowed mother-in-law living with them. They want on to live out their lives using what private means they had until Isaac’s death in 1892.

For about three years from 1855, the landlord was an otherwise unidentified William Barker who, by about 1857, had unfortunately developed financial difficulties. Although for a year or two his son John Barker took over, it seems that he was not able to rise above his father’s reputation and had soon moved on.

Next to take on the tenancy, in about 1858, was Samuel Streets, supported by his wife Hannah (née Stevenson). Samuel was born in Shipley, Derbyshire in about 1806 and came to Nottingham to join in the surge in lace making and married Hannah, who was born in Codnor, Derbyshire in about 1806, in August 1830 at St Marys Church, Nottingham. By 1841, they had moved to live on Broadgate, Beeston and later moved to Market Street (now the western end of Middle street), while Samuel continued in the lace industry until deciding to take another direction, running the Durham Ox. Sadly however, tragedy came very soon in this venture when, in January 1859, Hannah died. Somehow, Samuel was able to continue there for over three years, until his own death in October 1862. They were each buried in Beeston Churchyard where their memorial survives.

The next tenant was John Henshaw – who it has not been able to otherwise identify - had taken over by 1863 but was to have his share of problems during his time there. In January 1864, a celebration for Plough Monday – a traditional occasion which welcomed the start of the farming year on the first Monday after Epiphany - was held at the pub when two policeman arrived, looking to arrest one of those present. There was a furore, during which Henshaw sided with the man and, subsequently he appeared before the magistrates for allowing disorderly conduct, was found guilty and was fined the, then relatively large, maximum fine of £5. Even more significantly, he was referred to the Licencing Justices and it appears that his licence was revoked as an application for a new licence in the following September was refused. Sometime later, however, it appears it was granted as, in July 1866, it was finally taken away after he was fined £12 10s for being in possession of a quart of whisky in the pub which was licenced as a beer house only.

James Bretnall, who was the next to take over, was born in Horsley Woodhouse in Derbyshire in 1831, the son of John Brentnall, who worked as a nail maker, a then popular trade in the Belper area, and his wife Sarah. At first, he had worked as a shoemaker and, in 1854, he married Mary Moreton in Belper. The couple had two children before Mary’s tragic early death in 1857. It must have been a very difficult time but, somehow, he and his sons able to get through the next ten years and, by 1866, he had moved to Nottingham and was working as a boilermaker. In May 1866, he married Harriett Antcliffe and, shortly afterwards, they took on the challenge of running the Durham Ox, bringing with them James’ two sons. But, by about 1872, when their daughter was born, they had moved on to Newbold in Derbyshire where James had taken on perhaps less stressful work as a grocer.

The next tenancy, which began in about 1873 when William Smith and his second wife, Hannah (née; Haywood) took over, soon after their marriage in June 1872, was to end in disaster when the licensee, William Smith, committed suicide in 1877. The story of that sad episode can be seen here.

The next occupant, from about 1880, probably brought stability after a particularly rocky period at the pub. George Wilkinson - the brother of Francis who was then changing the face of lace making in Beeston and was, in his day, the largest manufacturer of lace curtains, probably in the world - and as such he would have been keen to match that success, bringing with him an abundance of ambition and business sense. In the event, George was soon to move on to concentrate on farming and building houses for workers in Beeston. Later he was to play a key part in helping his brother to save the remnants of his lace business after it had suffered two major fires and the effects of American competition. He died in 1919, leaving about £45,000 - then a fortune, worth over £2.5 million in today's values. He was buried in Beeston Cemetery, where his memorial survives

By 1885 the tenancy was held by one Thomas Onions about whom little has been found.

For a short while, around 1901, the landlord was Sam Green (born in about 1858 in Kirkby, Notts, the son of Joseph and Sarah (née Street) Green ) with his wife Mary, born in Codnor, Derbyshire in about 1853, the daughter of Joseph and Sarah (née Brightmore) Cresswell. Sam had previously worked, as did both fathers. It is not clear what happened to Sam although Mary appears to have reverted to using her maiden name and their children were then raised by her parents and others.

By 1900, however, stability was re-established when the tenancy was taken up by Benjamin Kirk (born in Ilkeston in August 1865, the son of Joseph, a miner, and Elizabeth (née Flint). Kirk who moved to Beeston from Ilkeston, where he had worked in the hosiery and lace trades, with his wife Eliza and their six children. Another child was born shortly after, in August 1900 and two more were to follow. Among his many local interests, Benjamin was a keen gardener and a member of Beeston Garden Holders Association and a bowls player as a member of Manchester Unity Bowling Club. He and his wife were to remain at the Durham Ox for 25 years during which there were two major changes to the form and status of the house:

• In 1914, the land to the west, involving what had been Providence Row, became the site of The Palladium Cinema which, as can be seen above, improved the street-scene and must surely have increased the clientele at the Durham Ox next door!
  
  
• In 1925, coinciding with the Kirks’ retirement, the building was rebuilt to replace its then ancient form with a more design – shown right in its new form but in the 1960s, after the Palladium had been demolished and replaced with shops - proudly displaying its owner’s name – Home Brewery, which had acquired it at some point. Then, or at some point, the premises had been granted a full licence, which allowed the full range of drinks to be served. replacing the beer house licence that had essentially limited it to selling beer, during its early life.

They retired to live on Cromwell Road, Beeston where they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1937. Eliza died in September 1942, aged 75, followed in August 1943, by Benjamin, aged 78. They are buried, together with several of their children in Beeston Cemetery.

The first tenant in the rebuilt Durham Ox was William Henry Stevenson who took over in June 1925 after fourteen years’ experience assisting at a Nottingham pub. William was born in April 1896 and had married Florence Boss (b. November 1898) in 1924. Unfortunately, in 1928, he was found guilty of supplying drinks after hours and in January 1929, his licence was revoked.

Taking over in January 1929, was George Cudworth who had been born in Beeston in 1893. The son of Samuel Cudworth, a lace maker, and his wife Mary Ann (née Mather) but had moved to Radford with his parents as a child. In 1922, when working as a mechanic, he had married Mary Gladys Roe in Lenton, Notts. Now, the couple had decided to take on the tenancy of the Durham Ox which, perhaps incidentally, brought George back to Beeston, his birthplace. As they appear to have stayed there for upwards of ten years, it appears to have been a successful move for both them and the pub. However, by 1939, they had taken the opportunity that arose to move to the Boat Inn in Beeston, Rylands but, sadly, George died in 1940, predeceasing his widowed mother who was then living with them.

The next tenant was Henry Britton, an ex-miner who was born in Hucknall in February 1883. He had married to Liliam (née Reynolds, born January 1889) in 1908 and together they were to take the Durham Ox through the difficult years of the Second Year War.

In the years following the War, the pub continued as usual but, in 1986, The Home Brewery at Daybrook together with its over 400 pubs - which, of course, included The Durham Ox - was taken over by Scottish & Newcastle and things began to subtely change as intergration proceeded. Then, in 2008, The company and its pubs was acquired by Heineken and change inevitably continued. Indeed, for the Durham Ox, it was the end of the line as it closed permanently in January 2009 and its faithful followers had sadly lost their 'local'.

The premises now (2025) operate as a restaurant.

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Jolly Angler - this pub, now a relatively modern building on Meadow Road in Beeston Rylands, was originally situated on the northern bank of Beeston Canal. As the picture shows, it was somewhat incongruously situated next to a Mission Hall and, at the time of a photograph, an outing from that Mission is shown departing in the foreground. Judging by its architectural features, even this building is clearly not the original which was opened by John Wilkinson, probably making use of existing farm buildings, to provide lodging and ale for passing boatmen and their families, with the benefit of the informality of the 1830 Beerhouse Act. Evidence from the Nottingham Review of June 21 1839 - just after the railway had opened and day trippers were bringing new business to the inn - confirms its origins as being of that date and also shows how that competition from the new neighbour - The Boat - was something not to be ignored :

But, in November 1839 - just a few months later - there is evidence that the pub does appear to have held its own and retained sufficient business to attract a new owner, An entry which appears in the Harwood diary in November 1839, Elizabeth of the Boat Inn mentions calling on her new neighbour "Mrs Bradshaw at the other Public House". This would be Elizabeth, the wife of the new publican, Samuel Bradshaw. Elizabeth was the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Marshall who appear to have been considerable farmers in the area of Trent Lock on the outskirts of Long Eaton, just over the nearby Derbyshire border. Taking over at Beeston Rylands clearly represented the establishment of their home and first business venture together following their marriage less than a year earlier, in December 1838,

Although the Bradshaws stayed in Beeston Rylands and appear to have prospered, they soon left the running of the pub to others to concentrate on farming their adjacent 40 or so acres. In the 1850s, Elizabeth Turner and then her daughter Elizabeth Dickinson ran the inn but, by 1861, a local boatman and farm labourer, Thomas Palethorpe, had taken over and was to operate there for over ten years, during which time the inn would have come under the control of the Licencing Act of 1864. William Cooper then operated the pub for another decade or more followed by stints by Harry Tyler and a Mrs Armstrong (possibly the widow of Richard who had previously operated the Cricketers Arms for upwards of two decades). In 1907, Frederick Reavill took over and was to stay there for almost 40 years until his death in 1946. From its earliest days, the Inn had became a convenient venue for the all-too-frequent need to hold an inquest for those who drowned in the River Trent or the canal - one was mentioned by Elizabeth Harwood in her diary in July 1842. During Reavill's time however, being a strong swimmer, he was able redress the balance by saving many people as well as animals from the nearby waters and received awards from both the Royal Life Saving Society and the Royal Humane Society. Click for details of one such incident.

In 1937, after about 100 years of service to passing trade on the canal bank, the Jolly Anglers was rebuilt on Meadow Road where it continues to this day.

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