Photo credit above: M McIntosh.
Circa 1866- 1905. ‘Jolly Tar’ was a nickname for sailor or seamen.
The earliest directory entry I can find so far is Thomas Gilbert 1865, 1867 Henry Whitwell was landlord, who in 1871 was fined for allowing drunkenness in the Jolly Tar, he was followed by William Lenton, 1874, John Brown (who died and whose licence was taken on by his widow). 1877, Jacob Clitheroe, 1879. John Tacey or Tracey, 1881. William Collins, 1890. Joseph Yates, 1899-1905.
At the rear of the Jolly Tar was a slaughterhouse, which came to the authorities’ notice on more than one occasion for storing putrid meat that was meant for human consumption. On one occasion, when a health inspector pieced a carcass, a foul smelling watery matter ran out. The butcher, Mr Stafford, was fined £10.
John Castledene, butcher at no. 119 Wharf Street next door but one to the Jolly Tar, was also visited. The inspector found liver that was rotting cut up into pennyworths. Whilst the inspector was there a woman came in for a penny piece of liver, but he stopped the butcher selling to her. Castledene was fined £5.
Again in 1883, the Slaughterhouse was inspected. Frederick Smith, butcher, who had a beast killed there, was found to have meat with a contagious disease, unfit for human consumption. The court refused to listen to any excuses from Smith, sentencing him to two months in prison.
The Jolly Tar was an LBM house and closed circa 1905.
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