Alnwick (Canongate) - Black Horse

Name: Black Horse

Address: Canongate, Alnwick

Site of the Black Horse c.2026

1864 Town Plan

Listed landlords at the Stag were George Edgell (1834-), Isaac Staig (-1844) and Dorothy Staig (1844-78).

1834 Pigot's Directory Retailers of Beer - George Edgell

1841 Census - George Edgell

Living next door on the 1841 census were future landlords, Isaac and Dorothy Staig. Isaac's parents were Abram and Margaret Staig who founded and ran the Stag Inn up the road, so being an innkeeper was in the blood. George Edgell and his family moved out in the 1840s and the Staigs moved in.

Sadly, Isaac was to die in 1844 whilst still in his 40s and Dorothy was left to run the pub, which she did for around the next 30 years.

1851 Census - Dorothy Staig

1855 Whellan's Directory - Dorothy Staig

ALNWICK PETTY SESSIONS
April 5th, 1856.— Joseph Gray, of Dunstan, beer-house keeper, was fined 155., including costs, for keeping his house open after 10 o'clock at night, which is the hour fixed for places where the population does not exceed 2500 George Mordie and George Kennilly, both of Longdyke, hinds, were each fined 20s. including costs, Murdie for lying drunk in his cart, and Kennilly for being at a considerable distance behind his whilst passing along the south turnpike road, Alnwick. Dorothy Staig, of Canongate, publican, was fined £3 including costs, for selling ale and spirits after 12 o'clock on the Saturday night. Henry Geggie and Edward Forster, both of Longhoughton, were each fined £\ 35., including damage and costs, for wilfully damaging a tin can, the property of Jane Suddes, of Lesbury.

1858 Post Office Directory (Canongate) Dorothy Staig

It's interesting to see the below press release where the pub is referred to as the 'Flying Horse Inn', rather than 'Black Horse'. Dorothy Staig was the landlord still, so there's no suggestion it was not the same Inn, and may just have been an interpretation of the pub's sign.

STEALING RUM

William Richardson (20), Labourer, and Robert Vint (25), labourer, were charged with stealing one bottle, one basket, and four gallons of rum the property of Dorothy Staig, at the parish of Alnwick, on the 2nd March. Mr Fowler prosecuted, and Mr Blackwell appeared for the prisoners. The prosecutrix keeps the Flying Horse Inn. Canongate, Alnwick. On the 1st March last she received four gallons of rum 3 in a "grey hen" from Mr Purvis, spirit merchant, Alnwick, and placed it in an out-house, in the yard adjoining the Flying Horse. On the 3rd March she discovered it was gone. Information was given to the police, and it was ascertained that, on the night of the 2nd March, the prisoners had gone to the gas works at Alnwick, which are not far from Staig's house, with a grey hen containing rum. They there gave to a man named Turnbull. who is employed in the gas works, two glass bottles (which he had bought) full of rum out of the "grey hen" was then buried in some sand, in the valve or lime-house in the gas works, where it was afterwards found by a policeman. It was urged for the defence that there was no evidence to shew that the prisoners had stolen the bottle, and the only evidence of their being at the gas works at all, was that of Turnbull, who had got a portion of the rum. Neither was there any evidence to show that the prisoners had drank any of the rum at the gas works. The chairman having summoned up the evidence, the jury retired for a few minutes, and returned with a verdict of not guilty. The prisoners were consequently discharged.

Thursday,  Apr. 17, 1862

Publication: Shields Daily Gazette

Dorothy Staig died in 1878 in Alnwick and there is no reference to the Black Horse after that date. The press article below confirms that all three public houses in Canongate closed in the 20 years prior to 1891, which was to make way for redevelopment of the area.

The Licensed Victuallers in The Publicans Alnwick and district have of Alnwick. recently formed themselves into an association for the better protection as well as promotion of their interests as a trading community. Perhaps the time has arrived when they feel it necessary they should do so, for it is apparent that the publicans' business in the ducal town is not near so lucrative as it was formerly. There are many causes to account for this; but one point is obvious, people nowadays have not so much idle time to while away in a public-house, nor have they as much money at command. A retrospect of the last quarter of a century shows that more than half of the public-houses in Alnwick existing during this period have been closed, and are now the private residences of respectable townspeople. As it may be interesting to some of our readers, we will commemorate those fully-licensed inns which have been closed during the past twenty years. Canongate Street: Black Horse, Stag Inn, Crown and Globe. Bailiffgate Street: Red Lion. Narrowgate Street: Alnwick Castle Inn, Half Moon Inn. Pottergate Street: Ship Inn. Paike Street: Shakespeare Tavern. Bondgate Street (North Side): Northumberland Arms, Post Boy. Bondgate Street (South Side —from the Tower): Masons' Arms, Cattle Market Tavern, Cross Keys, King's Arms. Corn Market: George and Dragon. Clayport Street (South Side): William IV., Pack Horse. Clayport Street (North Side): Clayport Tower Inn, Anchor Inn. Green Batt: Queen's Head Hotel (now the site of the police barracks.) South Road: Royal Oak, Willow Tree.
There have also been several beer shops closed. Thirty-one public-houses are still licensed in Alnwick (including the Bee Hive in the Market Place, which has been shut up for several years, and the Pickwick Inn —formerly a brewery —in Roxburgh Place, which has been wanting a tenant since November last.) It, however, cannot be said that temperance has made any great incur upon the publicans' trade in Alnwick, if we take a similar retrospective view. Sixteen and seventeen years ago, Good Templarism flourished in Alnwick—like all novelties—there being three distinct lodges of the brotherhood, and upwards of 600 members. Now there only exists one lodge, the youngest of the three, which has had a very fitful life, but is now, we understand, in more improved circumstances than it has been for several years. There is a mighty lot can be said, for and against the liquor traffic. In our opinion prohibitory measures have a far more demoralising effect than a free unlimited sale.

Saturday, Mar. 21, 1891 Morpeth Herald