 Early morning call starts landlord George rummaging
into past
The Observer (Accrington) Saturday 13th July 1985
page 7
Accrington landlord George Thomas got a rude awakening
in the early hours of the morning recently when he received a telephone
call from a complete stranger in Canada.
The caller, Steven Bickerstaffe - who had forgotten
to check the time difference between Central Canada and England - quickly
explained that his great grandmother's sister Sarah Hornby, owned the
Swan Hotel in Accrington around the turn of the century.
He was now trying to find out as much as possible
about Sarah Hornby, the Swan Hotel and its history following her time
there.
In a letter which followed his call, Mr Bickerstaffe
included a photograph taken around 1900, which had been taken to Canada
by his great grandmother, Malinda Hornby Bickerstaffe, when she went
there in 1901.
Mr Thomas has already set to work on the Abbey Street
pub's history and has uncovered the names of the previous landlords.
But he would be grateful if anyone who knows of the
pub's past could contact him, so that he can pass information on to
Mr Bickerstaffe.
Meanwhile, another Accrington landlord has been able
to complete the history of his pub after making an appeal through our
'Innside Information' column.
Grey Horse landlord Peter Isherwood was trying to
establish the names of all previous landlords after discovering the
headstone of the first ever landlord in a disused graveyard in Altham.
He made his appeal for help in the 'Observer' three
weeks ago and received a number of calls from interested readers. Eventually
he was able to get most of the information needed from an elderly lady
in Oswaldtwistle.
He was interested to note that he is only the ninth
tenant in the pub since it opened in 1874 and wonders if the Grey Horse
holds the record for fewest number of tenants.
However he is now planning to collate the information
and have it framed on the pub wall, next to a photograph of the pub,
where he is sure it will create a lot of interest and revive some memories.
Our old photograph of the Swan Hotel, sent by Mr
Bickerstaffe, withthe name of his great grandmother's sister above the
door of the pub.
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