Low Newton - Ship Inn

The Ship Inn, Low Newton-by-the-Sea

The Ship has been a part of village life in Newton-by-the-Sea since the 1700s and is aptly described by the current landlords, Christine Forsythe & her daughter Hannah on the Visit Northumberland website.

"Located on the wild & beautiful coast of North Northumberland, The Ship Inn, originally known as the Smack Inn was built in the late 1700s. It stands in the corner of an open-ended square of white-washed cottages set around a green and looks out to sea across the beautiful sandy beach of Newton Haven."

The Inn and most of the cottages there are owned by the National trust. I believe it has always been known as the Ship, but when the OS map of 1860 was produced they gave it the name "Smack Inn". A 'smack' is a traditional fishing boat, the type that was used off the coast of Britain for most of the 19th century. The pub sign no doubt depicted that type of vessel, and in a time where a large percentage of the population couldn't read or write, references were made to their local pubs by what they saw on the sign. A smack takes its name from the Old Dutch word "smak", which means a sharp noise or slapping sound, and according to nautical lore, smacks were given their name for the sound the ochre colored sails made when the slack was taken up by the wind.

1860 OS Map of Newton Seahouses

Listed landlords at the Ship Inn were Ralph & Mary Pringle (1832-), James Blair (1861-), John & Ann Wood (1871-), Henry & Mary Gray (1879-), Thomas Taylor (1889), Ralph & Jane Carss (1891-), John & Margaret Stuart (1901-), Andrew & Isabella Carr (1911-) and Christine & Hannah Forsythe (1999-).

Fishing was the main industry in Newton-by-the-Sea through the 1800s and the first landlord I can confirm with any certainty was a man named Ralph Pringle, whose main trade was a Fish Merchant and Curer, a business he ran alongside the Inn. The 1841 census below confirms he was living there with his family and was the Innkeeper.

1841 Census - Ralph Pringle (Innkeeper)

Ralph Pringle was born in nearby Ellingham on 4th August 1806, the son of William Pringle and Elizabeth Cuthbertson and married his wife, Mary Snowball at Holy Trinity church, Embleton in 1832, by which time I believe they were living in Newton-by-the-Sea.

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These days we know this part of Newton, as Low Newton-by-the-Sea but as the census records and historical OS maps show, it was known as 'Newton Seahouses' back in the 19th century, differentiating it from the hamlet of High Newton on the land above, just to the north.

Coastguard Cottages c.2023

Stood at the top of the hill overlooking Newton Haven are the row of striking Coastguard Cottages and the 'Rocket', which originally housed the life-saving apparatus for the coastguards. 

The 'Rocket' c.2023

Back in the 1800s there were no buildings between there and the settlement at the bottom of the hill. Much has changed these days though, with the area in-between developed for residential use during the 20th century, and the cottages and Rocket now used as holiday lets.

1851 Census - Ralph Pringle (Fish Merchant)

1852 Electoral Register - Ralph Pringle

1858 Post Office Directory Ralph Pringle (fish curer)

1861 Census - Ralph Pringle (Herring Curer)

Whilst the Ship Inn is not specifically recorded on the 1861 census the Pringles were still living in Newton Seahouses, Ralph continuing to trade as a 'Herring Curer' but there is no reference to the Inn. Closer inspection of the census records reveal a man called James Blair, working as a "Fish and Inn Keeper". I initially thought this may have been the Fisherman's Arms at Rise Moor, but have since found James Patterson and his family running that public house, so can only conclude that James Blair had taken over at The Ship.

James grew up in Eglingham with his family, his father Matthew working as the blacksmith in the mill. Local parish records from Holy Trinity church in nearby Embleton reveal that by 1853 the family had moved to this area, as their first child, Isabella Blair was christened there later that year.

Isabella Blair

Father's Name James Blair

Mother's Name Hannah

Event Type Christening

Event Date 27 Nov 1853

Embleton, Northumberland, England, United Kingdom

1861 Census James Blair

The 1860s were to be a sad time for the family, as Ralph died on 6th June 1864 at just 57 years of age and just four years later his daughter, Margaret Ann also died in a drowning accident at Sulina (Romania); she was just 23 years old. His son was to continue in the family business as a fish merchant and curer and of note, the family grave is at Holy Trinity, Embleton.

1864 Probate Ralph Pringle

After Ralph's death Mary Pringle and the remaining family continued to live in Newton Seahouses, in the old stone house at the bottom of the hill, on the corner of Farm Road and St Mary's Cottages. James Blair by this time had moved to the Joiner's Arms in High Newton, making way for his brother-in-law, John Wood.

1871 Census - John Wood (Innkeeper)

John Wood was a local man from Embleton. John's wife, Ann was the sister of James Blair, who had been the landlord before him. John and Ann settled in the village, bringing up their family at the pub, and Ann's mother Jane, by now a widow, was also living with them working as the house keeper.

1871 Census - Mary Pringle (widow)

Sometime during the 1870s the Woods moved on from the Ship Inn and Henry Gray took over behind the bar. He was another local man, from Craster, where his brother Robert Gray ran the Craster Arms.

1879 Kelly's Directory of Newton-by-the-Sea

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1881 Census - Henry Gray "Publican & Grocer"

1889 Electoral Register Thomas Taylor

Like many landlords around this time, Henry's tenure at the Ship was limited. By 1889 a Thomas Taylor had taken over, and then by 1891 he too had left and Henry Gray's old next-door-neighbour, Ralph Carss had moved in. 

The Carss family had lived in Newton-by-the-Sea for generations, next door to the Ship and most were employed as mariners. Ralph's father, James was no different, but he too dipped his toe into the licensed trade for a period, and in 1891 was running the 'King Street Inn' in nearby Seahouses.

1891 Census - Ralph Carss (Pub Innkeeper)

1894 Kelly's Directory

1896 OS Map Newton Seahouses

1901 Census - John Stuart (Pub Innkeeper)

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1911 Census - Andrew Carr (Publican)

1911 Census Summary Mr Carr (Public House)

1914 Kelly's Directory

1921 Kelly's Directory

 LET, with immediate possession, SHIP INN, LOW NEWTON-BY THE SEA, fully licensed; accommodation comprises Sitting- Room, Bar Parlour, Kitchen, Bedroom, Wash-house, Bathroom, W.C., Garage and Garden. Offers will be received up to 6th December.

Published: Thursday 28 November 1929

Newspaper: Berwick Advertiser

County: Northumberland, England

Low Newton has been the setting for several TV series down the years in which the Ship has featured heavily, notably 'Robson Green's Tales From Northumberland' and 'Oz and James Drink to Britain'. It was also treated to a royal visit in 2012 when Prince Charles and Camilla called in whilst on a trip to Northumberland to see the Inn and its microbrewery.

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