Desford, Blacksmith's arms, mid 1800s

[Annie65115]

Hello folks,

According to FindMyPast, my Desford ancestors lived in the Blacksmith's Arms, Desford, in 1851 (though they were FWKs so perhaps it wasn't a pub? though it sounds like one!)

Can anyone help identify the site of the Blacksmith's Arms?

[diddymiller]

if you google it , the map comes up as the Blacksmiths Arms in Barwell which is close but don't know if same pub 

another entry has Harrods directory for Desford 1870 and there is an entry for the publican of the Blacksmiths Arms so guess its the same place.

Diddy

[diddymiller]

the Leics villages site has directory info for vaious years. is this your ancester by any chance in 1849?

Thomas BATES Victualler Blacksmiths Arms, Blacksmith & Machinist

note the 'Machinist'. perhaps they don't drink enough in desford and he had to have another job!! 

1854 dirsctory:
Elizabeth BATES Machinist & Smith, Blacksmiths Arms

1855
Mrs Elizabeth Bates  BlueBell


Diddy

[diddymiller]

the family history group in Desford have put together some family trees using info from the PRs 1600 -1730. these are listed on the site (but not available as downloads -you have to contact htem). IF bates is your family -they are listed.

http://www.leicestershirevillages.com/desford/familyhistory.html

Diddy

[Annie65115]

The Bates weren't my family and I'm struggling to work out why FindMyPast lists my bunch as being at the Blacksmith's Arms - but looking again at the images, I think it might be because there were no other addresses or house number given between the pub and my family's house, so they've sort-of "carried" the pub name along to each of the other houses.

Whoops!

but that would explain why my lot seem to be erroneously living in a pub as a one-off!

The Desford village website is very good and in fact there is a photo of the Blascksmith's Arms on there, I've discovered -- just in case anyone else wants to know!

Thanks for looking