Female beer house keeper in the 1870s/80s

[KitHannay]

Hi all,

My 3x great aunt Ellen Holme, born in 1828, never married and ran a beer house (and grocer) on Field Lane, Litherland. She died in December 1885. I was just wondering how common was it for a single woman to run a beer house on her own in the 1870s/80s in England? Can anyone point me in the direction of reading on the subject? I'd love to get a better sense of her life

[AlanBoyd]

24 March 1862 Liverpool Albion
mentioned in an advertisement for a land sale

All those Five several MESSUAGES or DWELLING HOUSES, situate on the east side of Field-lane in Litherland, now in the occupation of Ellen Holme, Margaret Taylor, John Files, Thomas Barker, and Thomas Harrison as tenants thereof...

If you go to this large scale map from 1893 (no earlier large-scale maps are available at National Library of Scotland)

https://maps.nls.uk/view/126522086

and look in the north-east corner to find Litherland Tannery and Greenfield Lane labels, Field lane runs north-south at that position. Zoom into the group of buildings just above the Greenfield Lane label, you should see the annotation B.H. – a beerhouse. This is on the east side of Field lane as stated in the newspaper article, and I haven't found any other candidates for her premises. Judging by a later map, the lane running west-east through that group of buildings is actually Greenfield Lane – not sure why it merits such a large typeface, but anyway, Greenfield Lane is still there today.

[AlanBoyd]

other mentions:

24 October 1868, Liverpool Daily Post

KIRKDALE PETTY SESSIONS
BEERSELLERS' CASES – The following cases were disposed of:– Ellen Holms, Litherland, for selling on Sunday during prohibited hours was fined 20s and costs...

10 April 1869 Liverpool Weekly Courier

KIRKDALE
...
INFORMATIONS AGAINST BEERSELLERS
...
Ellen Holmes, beerhouse-keeper, Litherland, was charged with having her house open for the sale of beer on Sunday. The charge was proved, and the defendant, who had been previously convicted, was fined 20s and costs.

[KitHannay]

Oh wow - this is all very helpful thank you! Bit of rule breaker it seems!

[ShaunJ]

I knew that area very well 50 years ago. The stench from the tannery was horrible.

The 1871 census confirms the location of the beerhouse as on the corner of Field Lane and Greenfield Lane. Right next to the Leeds-Liverpool canal - a good place for a beerhouse.

Close up of that area on the 1893 map: https://maps.nls.uk/view/126522086#zoom=6&lat=8008&lon=12999&layers=BT

1873 Directory entry below: was Edward Holme a relative?

[KitHannay]

Oh amazing! Edward was her younger brother.

It seems she housed a lot of nieces and nephews with her throughout the years - I'm sure it was a busy place

[ShaunJ]

Still looking at the 1871 census. Edward Holme and his family and another family are at Holmes Yard, not far from Ellen's place.

[AlanBoyd]

In the 1841 census Ellen is 12 and in the house of her father William Holme, publican. However the address given is simply Litherland. (I'm sure that you have this information.)

On the 1843 tithe map, Greenfield Lane and many of those buildings shown on the later OS map are there. Unfortunately I can't post a link or an image because I am using a subscription site (The Genealogist). The building on the corner at the junction of Greenfield Lane and Field Lane, on the north side of Greenfield Lane is recorded as:

House Licensed As a Beer Shop and Garden Cottage
Landowner: William Holme
Occupier: William Holme
plus George Evans and John Webster & William Williams occupying cottages on the same site.

Perhaps Ellen Holme inherited the beerhouse. Do you know when her father died and if he left a will?

The tithe map also mentions, at other sites, a James Holme owner and occupier of another beerhouse; and Catherine Holme who appears to be a farmer occupying land owned by "James Holme (Executors of)".

Clearly the Holme family were local landowners at that time. Perhaps Ellen Holme inherited the beerhouse. Do you know who her father was and did he leave a will?

[KitHannay]

Thank you so much for that info!

Yes, Ellen's father was William Holme. He died on 29 August 1859 of 'chronic disease of the brain.' His wife Elizabeth died two years later in 1861. On his death cert, he's recorded as a gardener, so it's very interesting that you mention he lived at a 'beer shop and garden cottage.' What even is a garden cottage?

So yes, he must have passed the beer house on to his daughter, although that's a little strange considering he had EIGHT sons (four of whom were older than Ellen). I haven't been able to find a Will for him.

The other names you mention are interesting. Ellen's eldest sibling was a James Holme but I don't know much about him other than that he married a Mary Webster (daughter of the Webster man you mentioned perhaps??) and the William Williams was a husband of Ellen's sister Mary (my direct ancestors).