Hotels, Inns, Public Houses, and Beershops, in the Parish — Their Signs, &c.
Signboards are scarcely so significant or important now as formerly: yet an interest attaches to them still, and there is some pleasure in pondering over their designs, as significant of olden times and manners—the old ones especially. One easily imagines too the jovial tenants of taverns in former years, the noisy chafferings, the political discussions carried on by those who sought recreation and enjoyment in them.
The Three Horse Shoes is the oldest Sign in Madeley; it swings over the door of one of the oldest houses in Madeley, the walls being of rubble, mud, and plaster: and the Sign itself, no doubt, is one of the oldest in the kingdom. A horse shoe, when found and nailed over the door was supposed to bring good luck—hence the single shoe, which is uppermost. The Horse Shoes is kept by Mr. J. H. Robinson.
The Hammer, in Park Lane, kept by Mrs. Lloyd, is the next in point of age. It was a trade emblem when the house was much more used than at present by ironworkers, particularly by forgemen.
The Royal Oak was the first newly-licensed house for many years in Madeley. The license for it was very adroitly obtained by Mr. Charles Dyas. The Sign is a universal favourite, as emblematic of our old ships and seamen. The house is kept by Mrs. Shingler.
The Heart of Oak, in Court Street, kept by Mr. Joseph Currier, is another popular Sign, indicative of character, and illustrative of old national songs.
The Barley Mow, in Court Street, is kept by Mr. Pitchford.
The Crown, Court Street, now void, is one of the oldest English signs.
All Nations, kept by Mrs. Baguley, is the only Sign of its name we know of.
The Six Bells, kept by Mr. Ward, near the Church, is a Sign significant of the number of bells in the Church tower.
The Royal Exchange, kept by Mr. Goodwin, is a modern house, with an ancient Sign; whilst the Railway Inn, kept by Mr. Taylor, is modern in both respects.
The Coopers’ Arms is now down, but another house has been built, which has not yet been christened.
The Prince of Wales’s Feathers, Lower Madeley, kept by Mr. Daniel Adams, as the name implies, is a royal badge.
The Miners’ Arms, kept by Mr. Kearsley, is so sufficiently significant, as not to need comment. Also The Turners’ Arms, kept by Mr. John Brown; and the Three Furnaces, kept by Mr. Biddulph.
The Tweedale is kept by Mr. G. Ray.
The Cuckoo-oak Inn, by Mr. H. Wilkes, takes its name from the place.
The Britannia, kept by Mr. E. Hopley, Aqueduct, and the Anchor, by Mr. Evans, Court Street, are modern houses with ancient signs.
There are also the Commercial Inn, kept by Mrs. Heighway, and a Beershop in Church Street, kept by Mr. Durnall.
Then there is the Chestnuts, formerly the Red Lion, which fakes it name from the tree in front, and is kept by Mr. James Hancock.
The Park Inn, by Mr. Reynolds, and the New Inn kept by Mr. Jones, Park Lane, with the Pheasant, kept by Mr. Francis, complete the list of houses at Madeley, where, within our recollection, there were formerly but two.
At Coalport we have the Shakespeare, kept by Mr. Beard, and the Jug, we presume of Toby Philpot fame, of whom it is said,
His body, when long in the ground it had lain,
And time into clay had resolved it again,
A potter found out, in his covert so snug,
And with part of old Toby he made this brown jug.
There is also the Brewery Inn, kept by Mr. George Gough.
The Pit’s Head, formerly a noted house for old beer, kept by Barnabas Spruce, has long since disappeared; also the Turk’s Head. Then there is the Robin Hood, by Mr. J. Roe; the Block House, by Mr. Dunbar, come next; and near to these is the Bird in Hand, the motto of which (more truthful than grammatical) is—
A bird in the hand far better ’tis
Than two that in the bushes is.
The Lake Head, by G. Barrat, takes its name from a small reach of the Severn.
In Madeley Wood we get the Unicorn, kept by Mr. Fiddler; The Old House by Astbury, and the Golden Ball (formerly a silk mercer’s sign) by Mr. T. Bailey.
The Horse and Jockey, by Mrs. Davies, and the Fox, by Mr. Curzon, come next, to remind us of old English sports.
The George & Dragon also, by Mr. Granger, reminding us of still more ancient times.
Hodge Bower, by Mr. Wilson, is a sign which lakes its name from the place.
The White Horse, kept by Mrs. Edwards, at Lincoln Hill is a very old Sign.
The Crown, the Queen’s Head (by Mr. Nevitt), the Oak by Ketley, the Severn Brewery and the Tontine (erected by the Bridge Company), and Three Tuns are all well-known Inns,
The Bath Tavern, the Setters’ Inn, the Roebuck, and Belle Vue, are extinct.
The Wheat Sheaf by Aaron Lloyd, the White Hart, by Woolstein; the Talbot, by Toddington; the Swan by Bailey; the Rodney, by Griffiths; the Meadow and the Commercial Inn, Coalbrookdale, complete the list of Houses of Refreshment for the parish.