From ‘Walsall Pubs – A History’ by John Cockayne, spotted by reader Greame Clarke.
I had the above clip in from reader Greame Clarke this morning, and seeing as there’s such debate around the Freemasons Arms, I thought I’d post it up. The English seems a bit odd, and I can’t vouch for the accuracy, but it’s something to add to the melee.
Cheers, Greame!
Transcribed below for Google to find:
At 24 Park Street on the opposire side from the ‘New Inn‘ was the ‘Freemasons Arms‘, the owner in 1834 was Harry Smith and 1909 it was in the possession of Lichfield Brewery Co. Thar Brewery was in SL John’s Street Lichfield and registered in 1869 and was acquired by Samuel Allsopp & Sons in 1930 when it had 182 houses, brewing ceased in 1935 and the Brewery has since been demolished. By 1910 the owner of the ‘Freemasons’ was Thomas Watson and the manager in 1916 was Alfred Williams, a retired Police Inspector receiving £2.10s.0d p.w. The premises had passed into the hands of the Lichfield Brewery again with William Lea as tenant by 1925 when it has stabling for four horses and it was described as an ‘old property in a good state of repair’. The Public Bar was 19’7 x 16’ x 9’4 with a lobby. Smoke room, Snug and a Billiards room, ‘used as a sitting room‘, there were 5 bedrooms. The ‘Freemasons’ was closed in March 1933 and the full license transferred to the new ‘Red House’ in the Sutton Road.