Alnwick (Canongate) - Crown & Glove

Name: Crown & Glove Inn

Address: Canongate, Alnwick

The pub dated back to at least 1778, the name Crown and Glove being firmly established before 1817. When the main road from Alnwick to Haggerston via Canongate was turnpiked between 1824 and 1826, it brought an influx of new traffic to the area, which was great news for the three inns on Canongate.

Wood's Map of 1827

It was during this boom, that a landlord named Thomas Boyd took over and briefly changed the establishment's name to the Merry Tippler (as recorded on Wood's map of 1827 above and directories from 1829 below).

Listed landlords at this public house were therefore Thomas Boyd (1827-), Robert Straffen (1834), John Ramsay Nesbitt (1841-), James Marshall (1866), William Tate (1858-) and Thomas Chrisp (-1870).

1827 History, Directory & Gazetteer - Thomas Boyd Merry Tippler

1864 Town Map

Historic England

1834 Pigot's Alnwick - Robert Straffen Crown & Glove

By 1834, under the management of Robert Straffen, the name had reverted to the Crown and Glove, and over the next few decades, the pub regularly appeared in local trade directories, as well as newspaper police blots regarding instances of theft and drunkenness.

1841 Census John Ramsay Nesbitt

1851 Census John Ramsay Nesbitt (Grocer)

1855 Whellan's Directory - Jas Marshall

1858 Post Office Directory (Canongate)

1861 Census - William Tate

ALLEGED ROBBERY FROM THE PERSON

Henry Schofield (25), labourer, was indicted for stealing four sovereigns, and four half-sovereigns, and a piece of cloth, from the person of Thomas Young, at Alnwick, on the 27th of July last. Mr. Fowler appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Blackwell for the defence. The prosecutor is a labourer, residing in Alnwick, and, on the night in question, went into a public house, called the Crown and Glove, in Canongate, Alnwick. He had at that time £6 in gold, wrapped in a piece of cloth, in his pocket. Being somewhat tipsy, the landlord refused to let him have any more drink, whereupon the prosecutor pulled out the money from his pocket, with a view of showing that he had wherewith to pay for anything he might desire. The prisoner was in the room at the time, and would therefore have au opportunity of seeing the prosecutor was in possession of money. As he resided»only a few yards from this public-house, his daughter came for the purpose of getting him home. They went out together, followed by the prisoner and another man. Miss Young being unable to manage her father herself, consequently called in the assistance of prisoner. When they arrived at the house, prosecutor, in consequence of questions put by his wife, missed his money; and, as prisoner had been leading him by that side on which the money was, suspicion at once attached to him, and he was given into custody. Mr. Blackwell contended that, considering that there were several men in this public-house at the time prosecutor was there, the probability was that he had lost his money before leaving it; the distance being so short, the prisoner had not the slightest opportunity of taking it. The jury took this view of the case, and accordingly acquitted the prisoner. stealing mutton.

Saturday,  Oct. 24, 1863

Publication: Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury

ALNWICK PETTY SESSIONS

This was the day for holding the Brewster Sessions. The following new licenses were granted : —John Wood, -hip Inn, Newton-by-the-Sea ; Henry Lamb, Red Lion inn, Alnmouth The magistrates refused to renew two licenses : — lst, that of James Cairns, Freeman's Arms, Alnwick Moor, who had been convicted and fined for keeping his house open during prohibited hours on Sunday, October 17th, 1869 and again for knowingly permitting drunkenness &c , in his house on 23rd July, 1870; 2nd. that of Thomas Chrisp, Crown and Glove Inn Alnwick, on account of the offence for which he had just been convicted (vide supra) and the opinion they had consequently formed of his unfitness to keep a public-house. The magistrates resolved to defer till next Court day their decision on the propriety of renewing or refusing the licenses of John Turnbull, Railway Hotel Amble; Thomas Sanderson, Blink Bonny Hotel, Christon Bank; Alice Percy, Castle Inn, Narrowgate Street, Alnwick; John Curry, Anchor Inn, Clayport Street Alnwick; and William Richardson, Tithe Barn, Lesbury. The last-named person had been convicted and fined for harbouring county police when on duty on June 28th, 1870; and the four first named had been fined on various occasions for keeping their houses open during prohibited hours.

Saturday,  Sept. 10, 1870

Publication: Alnwick Mercury 

ALNWICK PETTY SESSIONS

The licenses of Thomas Sanderson, Blink Bonny Hotel, Christen Bank; John Curry, Anchor Inn, Alnwick ; and W. Richardson, Tithe Barn Inn, near Lesbury, which had boon under consideration were renewed; the above-named publicans expressing their sorrow for having contravened the law and being cautioned by the Bench as to their future conduct The magistrates declined to renew the licenses of Alice Percy, Castle Inn, Alnwick, and John Turnbull, Railway I Hotel, Amble The applications of James Cairns, Freemen's Arms, Alnwick Moor, and the son of Thomas Chrisp, Crown and Glove Inn, Alnwick, for a reversal of the magistrates' decisions last Court day, were also refused.

Saturday,  Sept. 24, 1870

Publication: Alnwick Mercury

The pub's license was formally refused renewal by local magistrates in 1870, and it never reopened. When the area was redeveloped, the original building was demolished, the building you see today being built in the late 1890s and was the Curates House.

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