1841 Inn in Calvo

[AsH62]

Hi. My 5x Great grandmother Elizabeth (Betty) Bell nee Harden was transcribed twice in 1841. Once with her son in Skinburness and once 2 miles down the road in Calvo. The hamlet of Calvo is where I expect to find her but she was listed as a publican. The family seemed to do all sorts of jobs from this groups of buildings including having a private school, shoemakers, blacksmiths etc. As far as I can see it is a very small group of properties and I have no other references to a pub or Inn. Please does anyone know where I could find out about this, I assume that she must have had a reason to call herself that but I don't know where to look for a list of pubs or if she would have had to be licensed to call herself a publican.

Thanks
Alison

[MaxD]

Could you recheck ages?  I find Elizabeth Bell in Calvo 1841 age 70 publican with Elizabeth Bell age 20 and in Skinburness Elizabeth Bell age 30 with son age 2 schoolmistress?  There is as far as I can seen no inn in Calvo and the only one in Skinburness I see has Foster Prentice as the landlord. However, the Pub History Society web site suggests that from 1830 with a payment of 2gns you could retail beer etc so perhaps that activity also took place at the buildings at Calvo without it being called a pub?

maxD

[AsH62]

Hi Max. Thanks for your reply. In 1841 in Skinburness Elizabeth aka Betty was recorded as living with her son Thomas age 50 and his wife Rebecca and children. Thomas was a shoemaker and at the bottom of that entry is Betty Bell age 70. I hadn't noticed that there was a pub next to them with Foster Prentice, that's exciting. I can't think why Elizabeth would have been in Skinburness other than visiting, it doesn't fit.

In Calvo in 1841 there is Elizabeth Bell age 70 Publican with her daughter Jane and son William (Schoolmaster). There is also Elizabeth age 20 who is her niece.

10 years later Elizabeth Bell is 30 with a two year old illegitimate daughter.  It looks as if William and then Elizabeth were school teachers at the private school set up by Betty's husband William Bell. He died in 1837 leaving 'his' school to his son William but in fact the will wasn't 'proved' until 1868 and so I suspect that they didn't know about it.

I haven't heard of the Pub History Society, thank you that's another place to look at.
Alison

[Geoff-E]

The 1830 Beerhouse Act http://www.historyhouse.co.uk/articles/beerhouse.html

[MaxD]

Possibly tangential to your quest.  The earliest map I can find for the area is for 1866 and shows the pub in Skinburness called the Dukes Head Inn.  Landlord in 1871 is Foster Penrice, son of the Foster Penrice of the 1841 (I spelled it wrongly earlier).http://maps.nls.uk/view/102340749

maxD

Love the Lord of the Rings type place names.  "In Skinburness rule the lords of Silloth while Calvo bides his time"

[AsH62]

I'm a bit fond of the place names as well, if I ever get up there for a visit it will either be magical or a severe let down!
Thank you for the map ref, I am beginning to think that Betty was involved with the pub next to her son's house in Skinburness even if she still lived in Calvo. If only I could go back in time and ask her ...

Thank you
A

[hanes teulu]

Historical Directories (on line)
History, Gazetteer & Directory of Cumberland 1847

HOLME LOW TOWNSHIP

Marked 1 reside at Blackdyke; 2 at Blitterlees; 3 at Calvo; 4 at Seaville; 5 at Selloth; 6 at Skinburness; 7 at Wolsty; 8 at Causeway Head; and the rest where specified

.........................
3 Bell, Eliz. Beer house
6 Bell, Thomas. Shoe maker

Check out significance of "beer house" versus "pub"

[AsH62]

Wow, that's fantastic!
Thank you.
I will have a look at the Beer house/pub thing.
I am so grateful to everyone for their help, I started by knowing nothing and now I have real facts.
Thank you
Alison

[AsH62]

Me again, sorry to be a pain. I have found the directory and a whole new world of research is opening up. I have already found all sorts of other members of the family and I have located 6 Bell, Thomas, shoe maker but not 3 Eliz Beer House. Please can you tell me where she is and then I promise to stop bothering you!
A