Michael McNally, The Fountain Hotel, Consett

[AllanUK]

The Durham County Advertiser newspaper dated 8 July 1892 carried a small advert which started with 'To Builders desirous of tendering for building the Fountain Hotel, Consett'

To me, the wording 'tendering for building' suggests that the Fountain Hotel was built as a new building.

[AlanBoyd]

It seems that the McNally family was rendered destitute.

29 April 1892 Consett Guardian

A SUBSCRIPTION OPENED.
As the result of a preliminary gathering Monday evening, a well-attended meeting of the friends and sympathisers of Mr Michael McNally, the occupier of the Fountain Hotel, Consett, took place at the Mount Pleasant Hotel, on Tuesday night, to consider the best means of raising a fund to assist Mr McNally and family in the sad misfortune which has befallen them, on having lost everything they possessed by fire. Mr McNally is an old resident of Consett, The chair was occupied by Mr Thomas Milner, chemist. Those present were constituted a committee to carry out the project, Mr Nathan Elsdon being appointed chairman, Mr Patrick Coyle treasurer and Messrs James Daly and W. Elliott secretaries. Canvassers would visit the more influential residents. Subscriptions amounting to over £20, were forthcoming. Councillor: R. Murray heading the list with £5 – Mr Daly announced that a similar collection would be made in Newcastle, and a sum of £15 had been already guaranteed to him that day.

[AlanBoyd]

I've looked for clues as to the history of the Fountain. Looking at OS maps reveals that the area where it stands on Medomsley Road was developed after about 1870.

The first relevant reference that I have found is to an Elizabeth Linsley applying for a license for a Fountain Inn in Consett. This reads as if it is the first establishment of a licensed premises, but the address is Harvey Street. I haven't found a Harvey Street in Consett.

Later in the 1870s there are two instances of applications for a full license (i.e. upgrading from a beerhouse) being turned down, and these relate to the premises in Medomsley Road. Licensees names are McGurk and Meehan. John Meehan sold up in 1876.

The next proprietor that I have found evidence for is Thomas Watson Dobson:

23 August 1878: Consett Guardian

Lanchester Brewster Sessions
[extract]
Thomas Watson Dobson was the next applicant. He was represented by Mr. H. J. Marshall, Durham, who said Dobson occupied the Fountain Hotel, in Medomsley Road, Consett. The house contained cellar, kitchen, tap-room, bar, front and back parlours, commercial room, and six bed-rooms, and there were also a three-stalled stable, coach-house, and yard. The premises belonged to Mr. Johnson, of Durham, who was willing if the bench granted a full license, to close the beerhouse in the same street known as the "Crown and Thistle." The Chairman: How far are these two houses apart?–Mr. Marshall: A hundred and fifty yards. They are both in the same street. He thought it was preferable to have one house with a full license than two beerhouses. – The applicant, in answer to a question, said the Fountain Hotel was rated at £25.

The last mention of Dobson is in August 1885 when there is an auction at the Fountain Hotel. In December 1885 it is to let.

The next licensee is Elizabeth Forster, first mention in 1886, and last mention in 1888.

That points to Michael McNally having taken over the license not long before the fire.

[AllanUK]

Can't find anything in the newspapers to say when the Fountain Hotel re-opened but there was an article in the Newcastle Daily Chronicle, 15 August 1893, which reported on a Licensing Case at Consett where Michael McNally, landlord of the Fountain Hotel was charged with permitting drunkenness on Wednesday 2nd inst. -- i.e. Wednesday the 2nd August 1893 so this suggests that the hotel was rebuilt and re-opened sometime in 1893.

[AlanBoyd]

Michael McNally before the Fountain Hotel:

18 February 1887 Consett Guardian
a sale at the Victoria Hotel, Consett:

[extract]
All that FREEHOLD BEERHOUSE known as the Bath Hotel, with the three SHOPS and PREMISES underneath and adjoinging the same, situate at the corner of Victoria Street and Church Street, Consett, having a frontage of 61 feet in Victoria Street and 55 feet in Church Street, and now in the occupation of Mr Michael McNally and Mr R J Brodie, tailor and draper, and Messrs Coyle and Rogers his tenants.

[Elliven]

AllanUK,

I totally agree this means it must have been rebuilt from scratch - but on the same site.  There is also evidence that the second building was a fair bit bigger than th original

Neville

[Elliven]

AlanBoyd,

Thank you for your very helpful posts!  I have never heard of the Bath Hotel but your description of its location places it exactly on the site of The Burton Hotel on the corner of Victoria Street and Church street with shops adjoining and below.

The Fountain was first opened  in a fairly new (perhaps even purpose built) building and was first licensed as a beerhouse by Elizabeth Linsley in 1873 - which tallies nicely with your dating of the redevelopment.  Harvey Street no longer exists in name but it was originally roughly from the Fountain to the Commercial Hotel (later known as the Braes) on the Crossroads where Delves Lane, Sherburn Terrace, Front Street and Medomsley Road all meet.  It is now known as Medomsley Road.

The McNally family (and their four lodgers) were all lucky to escape with enough clothes to dress themselves so they were all destitute.  Michael McNally was a very popular man and very well respected so all the local business community rallied round and supported him.  The chaiman of the committee to raise funds was a local chemist but all the others named in your article were brewers, bottlers or publicans - so even his rivals pitched in to support him.

Neville

[AlanBoyd]

So, I guess that the pubs of Consett is your speciality?

It’s been interesting looking at articles about Michael McNally in the Consett Guardian. He was fined for a gaming offence (dominos for beer) but the story is quite complicated. Also his son died due to the use of chloroform as anesthetic in a medical procedure.

I just looked at my copy of the Whellan directory and I see that he is listed for the Fountain Hotel – I think the directory is dated 1892. I also noticed that the licensee of the Alexandra Hotel had the magnificent name of Phoebe Medici.

[Elliven]

My Speciality is the pubs of Dewentside, so you can add Stanley and Lanchester to Consett!

I didn't know he had a son, I only knew of his 3 daughters.

He seems to have been quite a man; he revived the Fountain - which was failing.  He revived it again after the fire but he didn't stay very long.  I wonder why.