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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Durham => Topic started by: Elliven on Tuesday 22 August 17 21:49 BST (UK)
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In March 1948 the Station Hotel in Ebchester was totally destroyed by fire, killing the publican. I have tried all normal resources to find out his identity with absolutely no success. Can anyone suggest how I might find this information. I have drawn a blank in press reports and burials in local grave yards and also in enquiries around the village. Can anybody suggest how I might find his name
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If you don't know his name - what is your interest in him?
If there are no reports - how do you know the publican died in the fire?
https://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12333
https://lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&p=123839
https://en-gb.facebook.com/NewcastleChronicle/posts/1497247177034550
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I am researching the history of the building and the one that replaced it after the devastating fire. I have a more or less complete record now but I am missing the detail of his name to complete my story. I have spoken to the owner of a business on the opposite side of the road and he remembers the story of the fire and the publican being killed but was too young to remember his name. The businessman's father was a customer of the pub and had told him the story. Others in the village confirmed the event but nobody can remember his name.
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Hi again
You probably know that the hotel was put up for sale in Nov 1943. It might narrow things down a little. Nothing in any of the newspapers that I've looked at for 1948 - not even a report of the fire, which is odd. The Raven Hotel was for sale later that year.
Gadget
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Two destroyed hotels!
I have found several auction notices for the sale of the hotel in 1943 but no results of the sale. I have even contacted the agents who sold it but no response! The businessman who lives opposite said William Nicholson was licensee for many years but he filed for bankruptcy in September 1957. Assuming he took over the rebuilt hotel, that gives my unnamed landlord a 5 year period in which he could be there. Actually less; auction was November 1943 and fire was March 1948 so 4 years and 4 months. It is maddening - all I want is his name.
The Raven, which was close by, was a shabby little pub for many years but then was sold comparatively recently and developed into a really nice residential hotel and vastly increased in size. After a few years it was sold to a property developer who wanted to build houses on its extensive grounds. He failed to get planning permission and the land is a mess now because he demolished the hotel and nothing came of his plans.
Elliven
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Whilst I can accept the fire may not have been reported - I find it strange that there is no report if somebody died.
I have spoken to the owner of a business on the opposite side of the road and he remembers the story of the fire and the publican being killed but was too young to remember his name. The businessman's father was a customer of the pub and had told him the story.
I wonder if it was just that - an embellished story told to a little boy
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Try the site below. It gives a name to the building which caught fire but again no name of the victim.
https://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12333
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I might have agreed with you but the same story crops up in too many places to be that. In addition, "the landlord died in the fire" is hardly embellished - it could be an outright lie but it has been told too many times in too many places for that. Sadly, the people who witnessed it are either dead or no longer capable of remembering. In any event there is no doubt that the building was totally destroyed and it was a very substantial building (see picture) so I see no reason to doubt that someone died in the fire.
Elliven
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Thanks barryd but that is my post!
I have tried everywhere to find this man's name. As you probably know, Ebchester is a small village and this was one of its biggest buildings - totally destroyed and one man dead and, like you, I have been unable to find a reference to it in the press. The pub was auctioned at the end of November 1943 and the fire occurred in March 1948 so there was only a short time span for this landlord to be there. I have tried the County Records Office to see who was licensee but no luck. I think I will have to go back and concentrate my efforts. I have even contacted the auctioneers from 1943 to see who bought it but they have not responded.
Elliven
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Delightful place Ebchester. Have stood on the hallowed ground where Railway Station was. My expertise is normally in the Chester-le-Street and Lanchester areas. However what I would do is find out which Electoral Rolls are for the Ebchester area and look up the Landlord on them. I would imagine that the Landlord would be living on his own premises. Possibly not in 2017 but probably at the time of the fire. Be careful to check pre-estimated fire Electoral Roll and post-estimated fire Electoral Roll to see if the Landlord is missing from the latter. If lucky you can go to Free BMD to check on the death. Durham Record Office should have the films.
Was he buried out of the Parish Church? Could be in the Durham Records Office or if very few are buried still in the Church.
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Thank you barryd
My expertise is in researching the buildings, not the people. It seems to me that this is a very simple solution (that I should have worked out for myself!) and it will save me a lot of grief in the long run. I could write up the story without this detail but it will be so much more complete with that little extra effort
Elliven
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How strange. I've located a phone book for 1947 which includes Co. Durham, Newcastle and Northumberland and, although other Station Hotels are listed, there's no entry for the one in Ebchester. Although it wouldn't list his name, it might have given some clues.
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Just before you put up your first request for Margaret Bell the other week, we'd driven though Ebchester on our way to Derwentwater - only go that way a few times a year!
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The Margaret Bell request went cold at first, then I managed to get all of her details except when she was in the pub - but that one is slowly working itself out too!
I am not surprised that there was no phone listed for the hotel because there were very few people in the area who had phones and there was probably little need for one. Of course, it could have been listed in the publican's name. Maybe when I get an appointment to visit the County Records Office all will be revealed!
Elliven
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Perhaps a nearby library has annual Trade and/or Street Directories available for the years in question. At least one of these should list the name of the proprietor or occupier.
Colin
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Thank you, I had not realised these were available in the 1940s. I have requested copies of the electoral roll and if that is unsuccessful, I will give your idea a try.
Elliven
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Another angle, was the pub owned by a Brewery and the person who died was the tenant? If so and the Brewery is still working they may have a record of who the tenant was in 1948.
Just a thought.
Ian
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The pub was privately owned but was tied to North Eastern Breweries for the supply of beer only. This company became Vaux Breweries in 1927 but they gave up brewing altogether in the late 1990s. The company still exists as a hotel chain but its records have been spread across archives in Co Durham, Tyne & Wear and West Yorkshire. I am currently trying to locate anything of theirs that might help'
Elliven
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The 1947 Electoral Roll reveals that the occupants of the Station Hotel were John N Temple and his wife Martha Temple. The fire occurred before the 1948 lists were published.
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I have just received a copy of the death certificate of George Thomas Temple who died in the fire. He was not the publican but was the publican's father! He died on 4th February 1948. So it's back to searching for press reports!
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Well I suppose it's good to get an answer of sorts....your search goes on. Hope you find your answer.
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DEATH - George T Temple, age 85, Mar Qtr 1948, Reg Dist. Durham North Western. In the same quarter, same Reg Dist is Joseph Temple, age 70.
The tenant in 1943, on a quarterly basis, was a John James.
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Wills (on line)
TEMPLE - George Thomas of the Station Hotel, Ebchester, County Durham, deceased 4th Feb 1948.Probate Newcastle on Tyne 12 March to George Furness Temple, sales manager and John Norman Temple, licensed victualler.
Perhaps the reports got it wrong. The landlord himself didn't die - it was his father.
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Have you been chasing on line newspapers or have you checked out those at the Archives?
http://www.durhamrecordoffice.org.uk/article/10622/Newspapers
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hanes teulu,
Due to a lot of "nearly correct" information, I have been hampered! You are right in saying that the victim was the landlord's father and various sources told me that the fire happened in March 1948 - just before the fire service was organised in its present form. Actually it was February 1948! Other information suggested that the records of the previous fire service were passed on to the current service but their official historian denies this.
What I need to do now is find where he was buried because it does not seem to have been locally. His wife died shortly before him and her probate address was given as Whitley Bay - which is a coastal town 20 odd miles away and in what was then Northumberland - all very confusing!
What I don't understand is that the 1943 licensee was "on a quarterly basis" but this may have been because the pub was in receivership and was auctioned off in about 1943/1945.
Elliven
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You may have already tried this but Gateshead library have tomes of old Gateshead area newspapers. Have you looked at these for reports and his name?
Perhaps this could be able avenue to try if you haven't already?
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Thank you River Tyne Lass,
I am just waiting for my appointment at Durham County Record Office which has all the local papers on microfilm.
Elliven