The southern end of Watling Street about 1890 showing The Peacock next to the shop with horse drawn traders cart outside. This was before the public house had been rebuilt. In 1881 the publican, Bennett Sharp decided to leave and auction off his goods comprising household furniture, public house utensils, four-pull beer engine and piping, liquor jars, pewter measures, a large quantity of old ale, three 60-gallon casks, six porkets, 50 bushels of potatoes, turnip cutter, iron pig trough, large corn bin, salting leads, ironing stove, boards and trestles, forms.The boards and trestles and forms were probably the seating in the bar. I would think that porkets were piglets as the pig tough and slating leads indicates he was producing his own pork. He was probably supplementing the porkets diet with waste food from the pub and stale beer - there was no rubbish collections then., Bennett was recorded in the census as a farmer and licensed victualler and had only had the premises 6 years before he left. The following publican John Walker only lasted a year and he was replaced by Henry Marlow, a carrier as well as a publican. (Sources Northampton Mercury.1st October 1881 and the Towcester Families website).
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 08:34:23 +0000