Pub in Hanley / Shelton 1900

[yelkcub]

An ancestor of mine JAMES THORLEY listed in 1901 census as Publican, living Broad Street (?). Does anyone have any information - especially the name of the pub?

[potteries]

Do you have a house number?  I have a list of 22 pubs once in Broad Street, and it isn't  a very long street, and some have house numbers.  It was one of those streets where if you tried to have a half pint in every pub only the dedicated drinker would reach the end.

[yelkcub]

Just looked again at the 1901 census, and it looks like  number 5
Many thanks for your reply IAN

[Zen rabbit]

If google is right in putting 5 Broad st by the Museum then it is possible that it was the Swan which has been demolished for many years now. The Black Lion also on Broad st has been demolished but others such as the Unicorn are still standing. A licensee called Thorley rings a bell some how but I can't quite place it

[yelkcub]

Many thanks for these responses. So far I have been unable to find James Thorley and his wife Alice in the 1911 census. Two of their children have returned to Stockport where the family lived before taking on the Hanley pub. IAN (long past the stage in life when I could attempt the Broad Street drinking challenge!)

[potteries]

No 5 was the Blue Bell Inn which was named after the Blue Bell Pottery at the rear - now the site of the museum.  The pottery closed and was demolished in the 1950's and the pub went the same way in the early 1960's.  A licensee in the early 1950's was Neil Franklin who played football for Stoke City and England who later moved to the Bell & Bear on Snowhill at Shelton.
Broad Street was a continuation of Piccadilly and my number of 22 pubs is for both of these.

[yelkcub]

Thanks for your last piece of information, which certainly helps me greatly in getting to know this branch of my ancestry. Best wishes IAN