Blue Bell Pub, Scarborough

[soulsister]

Lots and lots of old Scarborough photos here  http://www.commanet.org/reflect.aspx?action=searchRequest&view=thumb&language=english&freetext=scarborough

including the areas around Cross Street before the clearances.


Emma

[madam]

my ancesters had this pub in 1871/2 ish, this is the first time i have ever seen it!
many thanks for adding it on here.
(by the way they were james fryirs and his wife matilda nee howe. they had several pubs around scarborough town during their lifetime)

just one thing, where it says blue bell, i am sure that it also says 1896, can anyone throw any light on this? am i seeing this correctly?
if so this may not be the original blue bell pub........
tina

[lesleyhannah]

it's strange to think Tina's ancestors and mine both lived in this pub. I love the picture of it (thanks again appleby) - I've got it on my desktop as a screensaver. Tina, I don't know what your family history is, but going on Smith Darling's story I think this pub could have told some amazing stories. Smith is one of my ancestors that I'd really have loved to meet - I may not have any famous ancestors, but I certainly have a whole load of rebels and eccentrics.

[madam]

hi lesley,
i am born and bred in scarborough going back at least 10 generations and counting. (my daughter and grandaughter were also born here).
if you were born in scarborough around 1800's then you are probably related to everyone. i am ceratinly related to myself at least once! (have not worked out what cousin i am to my self, might be interesting.  lol!)
until the railways came to scarborough and brought new blood into the town, alot of 'cousins' married 'cousins' i always say THATS the reason i am so nutty!  lol! (well you have to be to do this hobby which can be sooooo frustrating and exciting at the same time!)
happy hunting
tina

[la]

My great great grandfather Thomas Bell was the publican in 1861 so it is great to see the old photo and discussion about the pub

[la]

I've just realised that in the 1861 census it is called the Blue Ball and is at 22/23 Cross Street.

[lesleyhannah]

Smith seemed to make enough money out of the Blue Bell to apply for a divorce in 1883 (very expensive in those days, and not a normal thing for ordinary working people). He accused his wife Margaret Ann (nee Hansom) of adultery and got a decree nisi. Unfortunately it came to the attention of the judge that Smith had produced a son with a Scottish teenager - and this adultery on his part led to his application for divorce being denied. He had apparently used all his savings in pursuing this legal route, and died soon after, aged 47, in Clifton Lunatic Asylum (via the workhouse).

Margaret Ann disappeared - I never found any trace of her after this.

So, as I say, I reckon the Blue Bell walls could have told some fine tales over the years.

Lesley

[quay scarborough]

This is the bluebell, junction of cross street and longwestgate