Last updated 13:35, Thursday, 13 March 2008

From a number of sources it is possible to trace the history of the Bird in Hand Inn at Stanwix.

Last orders: The Bird in Hand, seen from Church Street, came down in 1924 when the road was widened. By 1931, the whole triangle was cleared to allowed a better approach to the newly widened Eden Bridges

The pub stood in front of the present shops opposite the entrance into Church Street, but has long disappeared.

It was Robert Hewitt who was first listed at the pub in 1829, but his wife who was the landlady when in February 1844 the Carlisle Journal announced the death of Robert aged 40.

An 1847 directory gives Jim Kilpatrick as the patron and by 1861 it was William Swallow who appears on the census as being born at Dalston.

Adulterated spirits had been sold at the inn for which Swallow was prosecuted in January 1880 and in March he advertised for a man “to take charge of a small garden and pony and make himself generally useful.”

There was a bowling green nearby but nothing has been found to link it with the pub and it does not appear on maps, only in a photograph.

We next meet with the landlord in 1881 when S Cartmell, the solicitor, stood in court to say “it seemed that a person named William Swallow, who kept the Bird in Hand at Stanwix, died a few months ago, and was interred at Carlisle Cemetery.”

He explained that a tombstone was erected to his memory and carved on were the words ‘in affectionate remembrance of William Swallow’.

But Catherine Swallow, an old woman who lived at Tarraby, had on July 21, “defaced the word ‘affectionate’ with one of the iron markers which divided the grave spaces,” said Mr Cartmell.

As Mrs Swallow had expressed sorrow for what she had done and pleaded guilty, the Burial Board did not press charges and other relatives paid the cost of repair.

With her husband dead, Isabella Swallow took over as landlady, until in April 1890, she transferred the licence to her son John, formerly of the Malt Shovel in Carlisle.

He did not remain long because he was bankrupt in 1891 and in June the licence was again transferred, this time to Thomas Harding Harris, the manager of the Denton Holme Conservative Club.

From the death of Henry Thompson, cabinet maker and joiner, reported in the Journal in March 1892, we know the landlord had not changed because this was “at the house of his son-in-law, TH Harris, the Bird in Hand, Stanwix.”

This explains the transfer to “Isabella Loosley, wife of GA Loosley, fifth daughter of Henry Thompson, cabinet maker”, at Petty Sessions in September 1894.

However, TH Harris was back as landlord in March 1897 when he was declared bankrupt and the licence was transferred by the Official Receiver to William Rees, formerly of the Golden Fleece Inn.

There is a spirit bottle in Tullie House Museum with Rees’s name impressed on it with the pub name and he obviously bottled spirits for retail off-sales.

That an open piece of land existed nearby is again confirmed by the Journal in May 1898 when a public hall was discussed; “the site desired is adjoining the Bird in Hand and belongs partly to the Duke of Devonshire and partly to Mr Littler QC”.

But before a decision was made, the parish council reported the piece of land had been disposed of.

In 1906 the licence passed from Mr Rees to William Donald Ferguson “who had been employed by Mr Bell, butcher, Botchergate, stated the newspaper.

An ornamental public convenience was suggested in 1908 “near the Bird in Hand,” but it was pointed out this “could not be erected without the landowner’s consent, Sir Ralph Littler.

The whole of the Petteril Bank estate of Sir Ralph was offered for sale in September 1909 and this included, as lot 10, the Bird in Hand.

From then on Cedric Hope Bowman was listed at the pub.

Nothing further was given until the Central Control Board were purchasing all of the pubs in the Carlisle area and it seems agreement was reached with Mr Wallis on July 24, 1916. But the pub remained open until April 14, 1919.

The city wanted the property for road improvements and purchased in 1918 paying the Control Board £1,750 which included £550 compensation for the value of the licence.

City council minutes show that in June 1924 T Oliphant offered to buy the pub site.

Tenders to demolish the building were advertised in July and once Mr Oliphant’s building plans were agreed the conveyance to him completed in October.

Road widening allowed a better flow of traffic where trams and motor vehicles were restricted by the projecting pub.

It took until 1931 before all of the property on the triangle opposite was cleared to make a wider approach to the newly widened Eden Bridges.