George Smailes, White-le- Head

[Elliven]

I have come across a brick wall in my efforts to trace this man.  He was an innkeeper at White-le-Head from well before 1847 until at least 1849.  There were only ever two public houses in that village, The Waggon (note the double g in the spelling) and The other was variously known as The Highlander and The Bird Inn (the name changed several times over the years but it was always one of these two)

In 1849 he advertised the pub for sale because he wished to retire.  Sadly the advert did not give the name of the pub and, annoyingly, I have not been able to find the owners names for either pub before 1856.

The advert claimed that it was within a few yards of the railway station but there has never been a railway station within 2 miles of the village.  There was a mineral (coal) railway line that passed within yards of both pubs but no station and not even a halt.  I believe it terminated at the coal mine that was within a few yards of both pubs

Can anyone please help with any information on either pub in the time period stated, or on the man himself.  Dates of birth, marriage or death.  Maiden name of his wife or names of his children.  Absolutely anything!  Many thanks.

[rosie99]

     

Whitly Head, Chester le Street

George   Smails   40   
Elizabeth   Smails      20   
Elizabeth   Greaves   15   all born in County   

HO107
Piece 300
Book 13
Folio 46
Page 12

[Elliven]

Thank you rosie99

Can you please give me the date of this item.  This will allow me to establish George Smail(e)s approximate year of birth and that will help a lot in other areas.  There is some considerable confusion as White-le-Head, at the time, was known as Whitely Head and could be described as Tanfield parish or Stanley but Chester-le-Street was about 8 miles away and that could be the cause of the confusion.

[JenB]

Chester-le-Street was about 8 miles away and that could be the cause of the confusion.

Chester le Street was the name of the Registration District.

I think this is the right place. The previous place-name is Tantobie and the following one is Bushblades.

Added - sorry I was wrong about Chester le Street being the R D. It was in Durham and Lanchester RD and Tanfield sub-district.

[Elliven]

Thank you Jen B

The villages of White-le-Head and Tantobie have gradually grown to join each other and much of the former has been demolished.  Both the pubs have gone: The Bird/Highlander has been demolished and built over and The Waggon has been converted to a house.  Bushblades is a hamlet with very few houses and is separated from both Tantobie and White-le-Head by fields although the distance is very small.

Both of the pubs are in what was the original village of White-le-Head, which was a much bigger place in 1849 and even The Story (which is the County Records Office) has few records of the place and their licensing records only go back to about 1901 so I am getting more frustrated in my efforts to trace George Smailes.

Elliven

[JenB]

Here is the advert.

As you say, White le Head is nowhere near the east Coast Main Line.

Do you think there are actually two separate items in this auction?

One is the Public House, location unknown but near a colliery and very close to the main north-south railway line, and the other is the garden at White le Head occupied by George Smailes?

[AlanBoyd]

The tithe map for the area—from July 1844—has a triangular plot marked corresponding to the position of the Bird Inn on later maps:

owner: George Smiles
occupier: George Smith ‘In Hand’

with the description 'Premises at Whitely Head'

Added: occupier was taken from an incorrect transcription

[AllanUK]

Image from https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2863544

[Elliven]

To JenB

No, it is very confusing but both pubs had very large gardens, both of which contained stables.  The Waggon still has the garden today and The Bird/Highlander's  stable was still there at the time of demolition whilst the garden had been put to use as a beer garden.  The latter was demolished and three houses were built over the area of the original pub and garden.  AllanUK has posted a photograph of the two pubs which were only a few yards apart.  The large white building is the Waggon the cream coloured building to its right is the Bird/Highlander which looks smaller but was actually bigger.

To AllanUK

Thanks for that photograph

To AlanBoyd

I think that's a bullseye!  The building was definitely there in 1844 and the plot was triangular and with the name George Smiles being so similar to George Smailes, I think that this is just too big a coincidence not to be right.  Looking again at the photo supplied by AllanUK the "six rooms and attics" mentioned in the advert certainly seems to fit.

Thanks to all of you