Pork and Football

George V was on the throne and the Great War was still raging when this photograph was taken. Was the Commercial League a precursor of Londonderry's current amateur league? Perhaps so.

For most of the latter half of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century Londonderry's pork trade was the main provider of male jobs in the City, certainly on a consistent basis. The majority of the pork stores were concentrated along Foyle Street. At the tine this photograph was taken the largest of these were Buchanan Bros, Mark Roulston & McLaughlin and Biggers Ltd. The individual second from the left on the back row, (W Carruthers), hailed from Culmore and was an employee of Biggers Ltd.

A School, A Hymm, A Soldier.

On the 10th day of October 1874 one John James Hamilton Humphreys of Lincolns Inn, London leased a rood of his land on the lee of a green hill in the townland of Barnes, Parish of Upper Badoney and Barony of Upper Strabane to the Right Reverend Francis Kelly the then Roman Catholic Bishop of Londonderry and the Reverend Patrick Magee Parish Priest of the Parish of Upper Badoney. The term of the lease was nine hundred and ninety nine years and the assurance declares that the demise was upon trust that a school for the instruction of the youth of the district should be established and maintained. The demise goes on to say that if such a school should cease to operate for twelve calendar months then the lessees were required to surrender their leasehold estate and give up possession of the premises to the Lessor his heirs and assigns.

Who was this Mr Humphreys? Unsurprisingly with an address of Lincoln's Inn he was a barrister. Born in 1817 he was the eldest son of Major John Humphreys of Milltown House, Strabane, (until recently the home of Strabane Grammar School). He graduated from Exeter College, Oxford in 1839 and was called to the Bar on 18th November 1842. His father, Major Humphreys of the Royal Marines fought under Nelson at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801. The latter's military career was subsequently cut short by injuries received in the West Indies. Following a period as a staff officer in Dublin he became the Agent of the Earl of Wicklow and subsequently accepted a similar position with the Hamiltons of Baronscourt.

The Major's third child was a girl Cecil Frances who was born in 1818. She is better known by her married name of Alexander having married the Reverend William Alexander in October 1850. Dieing on 12th October 1895 she was buried in Londonderry City Cemetery. By that time her husband was the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe. In 1896 he was elevated to the Archbishopric of Armagh a position he held until 1911.

Lanowlee - An Indian House

Lanowlee or Lanowlee Hall as it was called for a time was a large Victorian villa situated on Londonderry's Limavady Road. The 1911 census discloses that it was a twelve room property with nine outhouses including a coach house. For many years it was a ruinous shell. It has now been demolished. I don't know quite when this occurred but gone it has. Sad in some ways. Another foot note in local history.

The name of the property came from an area in India and was bestowed upon the dwelling by the person I believe to have been its first owner, Brigade-Surgeon Hamilton Mitchell. This gentleman was born on 22nd January 1832 and obtained his LRCS from Edinburgh in 1853. The following year he entered the Army Medical Department as an assistant surgeon. Within two months he was ordered to the Crimea where he served from 8th November 1854 until 18th February 1855 and was present at the fall of Sebastapol. He was awarded the Crimea Medal with clasp and the Turkish Medal.

In May 1855 he was gazetted Assistant Surgeon to the 96th Regiment of Foot in which he served for over twenty one years. On 9th March 1867 he was promoted to the rank of Staff Surgeon. This was followed by promotion to Surgeon Major on 21st July 1874. From 1865 until 1875 his regiment was stationed in India.

In 1876 he moved to the Staff at Colchester Barracks. His career subsequently took him to Malta in 1877 but in July 1878 he was forced to return to England on sick leave. On 6th March 1880 continued heart problems resulted in him retiring from the Service on half pay with the rank of Brigade- Surgeon. He and his wife then returned to his native Co Londonderry where he took up residence at Lanowlee. His wife, Hannah, daughter of his regiment's Colonel died on 22nd February 1894. On the 26th August of the same year Hamilton Mitchell passed away.

Sources: The London Gazette, "Medical Officers of the Malta Garrison," and Medical News 22nd September 1894.

Londonderry's Electric Lighting Station.

It becomes a mite disconcerting when one's recollections take on an historical twist. Only those of us who were born prior to the Munich air disaster are likely to have much recollection of the Corporation's Power Station on the Strand Road, certainly as a functioning entity. It ran on solid fuel, coke, if my memory serves. I seem to remember that a reserve store of coke was kept at the Brandywell in the area which was used as a recycling centre until recently.

I have read that Londonderry Corporation's electricity station was operating from 1892 but the first tranche of ground at Strand Road was acquired from the Irish Society by way of an assurance dated 20th July 1893 and indeed these lands were subject to two leases which had been created by the Irish Society. The first of these was in favour of a Henry Barre Beresford and was for sixty six years from 29th September 1836. The second lease was in favour of one William Charles Babington and was for a term of ninety nine years expiring in 1916. I suspect that the Corporation had acquired the benefit of these leases by the date of the July 1893 Fee Farm Grant. This view would be sported by the fact that the Corporation Covenanted with the Irish Society to, " erect and complete within one year to the satisfaction of the Irish Society an Electric Light Station to serve the present and prospective requirements for lighting the City by electricity."

On 24th February 1904 the Corporation acquired further lands from the Irish Society so as to extend the Electric Lighting Station. Subsequent to this further smaller portions of land were conveyed to the Corporation by the Irish Society on 19th December 1916 and 20th September 1933.

The map endorsed on the Fee Farm Grant of 1893 shows the existence of Fox's Lane running from Strand Road to the Quay. This thoroughfare seems to have been incorporated into the site of the Electricity Station.

Tyrconnell Whiskey Relaunch.

Twelve years ago I was given a present of a bottle of whiskey. I accept any bottle of the amber nectar with a degree of alacrity. This was not however just any whiskey. The wooden presentation case was a bit of a giveaway as was the signed certificate. I had been given a numbered bottle of the relaunched Tyrconnell brand. It had been distilled by John Teeling's Cooley Distillery. 

Tyrconnell Whiskey was of course originally distilled by Watt's Distillery in Londonderry and was named after the then owner's horse which won a race called the National Produce Stakes in 1876 at odds of one hundred to one. I suppose that many whiskey conniseurs and collectors would have retained a bottle such as this in their collection. I have to admit that I didn't. I consumed it over Christmas 2005 and very nice it was too.

Capt. Edward George Harvey 1882 - 1915

Edward George Harvey born on the 7th September 1882 was the eldest son of John George Morewood Harvey of Greglorne, Londonderry and his wife Norma Elizabeth (nee Rogan). He received his education at Foyle College. In his turn J. G. M. Harvey was the youngest son of Capt. Harvey RN of the Warren, Culdaff, Londondery.

Although he was from a scion of the Harveys of Culdaff Edward enlisted as a private in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He served in the Transvaal, (10/11/1900 - 8/1/1902), where he was awarded the Queens Medal with two clasps. Subsequently he served as a Sargent in India and it was during his sojourn in India that he was commissioned into the Wiltshire Regiment, (May 1905). In 1913 he was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps, (Military Wing), and within a year he was promoted to the rank of Flight Commander. Subsequent to the outbreak of war he rejoined his regiment, the Duke of Edinburgh's Wiltshire regiment, as a Captain and he joined its 1st Batallion at the Front in February 1915. On 16th June in that year he was leading his Company on an attack on the German trenches near Hooge when he was fatally wounded. His service record confirms his height as being 5 feet 8.75 inches and that he could speak French.

Edward's name appears on the Menin Gate in Belgium and on the the war memorial at the Diamond in Londonderry. He is also honoured by a plaque on the north aisle of St. Columb's Cathedral, Londonderry and his name appears on the war memorial at his alma mater.

The photograph at the head of this post was identified as being of Edward by a member of the Harvey family but it is clearly of a different individual than the person who is identified as Edward in the "Our Heroes," website of South Dublin Libraries.

The Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall, Londonderry Act (Northern Ireland), 1935

This Local Act was enacted on 16th July 1936 to facilitate the extension of the Apprentce Boys Memorial Hall in Society Street. John Ferguson, John Gilbert Magee, Joseph Thompson , Robert McElmunn Wilton, Marshall McKay, James McElmunn Wilton and James Smyth (representing the Apprentice Boys) together with Matthew Kerr, James Dunlop, Maxwell Scott Moore, Frederick James Simmons, Edward McIntyre and James Hill Lapsly (representing the Local Orange Brethren) were incorporated by the name of "The Trustees of the Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall Londonderry (Incorporated)" with perpetual succession and a Common Seal.

This corporate body was granted the power to purchase, take, hold and dispose of lands and other property for the purposes of the Act and it was granted the power to borrow a sum or sums of money which did not exceed at any one time the sum of £15,000 for the purpose of rebuilding or extending the existing Hall or of purchasing further premises for the purpose of extension or of acquiring further estates or interests in the premises of the Trustees.

The Act states that as soon as may be after the passing of the Act that the then existing Apprentice Boys Hall together with four adjoining premises which had been purchased by the Apprentice Boys and the Local Orange Brethren between 1920 and 1926 should be transferred to the Trustees along with all money's which had been raised for the purpose of rebuilding or extending the Hall.

Brigadier Edgar James Bernard Buchanan DSO.

Born on 6th May 1892 Brigadier Buchanan was the eldest son of Robert Eccles Buchanan and his wife Ethel Maud, (nee Williams). At that stage the family lived at Harding Street, Londonderry. They subsequently moved to Templemore Park. The young Buchanan entered Foyle's preparatory school in 1899 where he was joined by his younger brother Richard Brendan Buchanan.

He completed his education at Portora Royal School before joining the Royal Engineers. As a career soldier he served in India, Mesopotamia, Singapore, Malta, North Africa and Italy. He was wounded on two occasions during the Great War and was awarded the DSO. After the Second World War he was Director of Fortifications at the War Office. His promotion to the rank of Brigadier appears in the Gazette of 14th November 1947. Brigadier Buchanan died at Halesmere Surrey on 13th September 1979. His brother , a Second Lieutenant with the Royal Scots Fusiliers, also served during the Great War but fell at Galipoli on 20th June 1915.

Londonderry's Stamp and Railway Man.

It is strange how certain people are brought back into your consciousness. It was a comment on a social media site that caused me to crystallise my memories of Thomas Maguire. Tommy dealt in stamps, coins, railway memorabilia and second hand books. In the mid 1960's he had a shop on the riverside of Londonderry's Duke Street. This was before the redevelopment of the area. My father was fostering my interest in stamp collecting and ushered me into Tommy's emporium on a regular basis.

There was a very definite musty smell in the premises. I remember his father crouched in a corner of the shop. He had worked on the railways hence Tommy's interest in all things connected with the iron road. With the redevelopment of the Duke Street area Tommy was forced to move his business. I am not quite sure whether he initially moved to Pump Street before his move to Carlisle Road or whether Pump Street was his pre Duke Street locus. His father I think passed away before the move to Carlisle Road. I can only remember his mother being there. They lived, "above the shop." Initially Tommy rented these premises from I think Cmdr. Bertie Anderson and his family before purchasing them in the late 1980's. He never spent very much money on the building. On the coldest of January days you would find Tommy in his shop with cap on sconce and overcoat firmly in place and with four or five coals glowing in an open fire. A low wattage bulb dangled forelornly from the ceiling. He didn't spend much money on his dentition either. He never appeared to be unhappy but he lived a very spartan life devoid of warmth and comfort. It must be five years since he died. His Carlisle Road premises remain locked up and deteriorating.

Londonderry Poor Law Guardians

I recently came upon a copy of an assurance dated 7th August 1874 whereby the Commissioners of Church Temporalities in Ireland pursuant to the powers vested in them by the Irish Church Act of 1869 caused several burial grounds within the Poor Law Union of Londonderry to be vested in the Guardians of the said Union.

The term, "Union," appears to have come into usuage subsequent to the passing of Thomas Gilbert's Act in 1782 which permitted adjacent parishes in England and Wales to combine into, "unions," to provide workhouses for the old, the sick and the infirm. On 31st July 1837 , "An Act for the More Effective Relief of the Destitute Poor in Ireland ," authorised the formation of Unions within Ireland based on Electoral divisions which in their turn were made up of townlands. By the end of 1841 there were 130 Unions a figure which would increase between 1848 and 1850 by a further thirty three. This second tranche of Unions was created by the subdivision of existing Unions, primarily in the west of Ireland.

The Poor Law Union of Londonderry extended into Donegal hence the inclusion of Fahan and Grange Burial Grounds in the schedule to the 1874 deed. It was 217sq miles in extent. Twenty seven of the Guardians were elected from the constituent townlands. There were a further nine ex officio guardians. Weekly meetings, (on a Saturday), took place at the Union Workhouse. The tenure of the elected Guardians ran on an annual basis from 25th March. The franchise for the election of Poor Law Guardians was limited to ratepayers and was weighted, (1-6) dependant upon the valuation of the individual's property. There is a certain attraction and logic to the notion of weighted voting.

 

 

 

Club to Hotel.

"Tradesmen's entrance London Street." I wonder how many people recognise this instruction? This was the notice at the portal of the Northern Counties Club in Londonderry. Like many members clubs the Northern Counties is no more. Regrettable but perhaps inevitable. It has now been transformed into a small hotel under the style of, "Bishop's Gate Hotel." The objects of the Club were stated to be, "social, cultural and recreational, with the provision of residential and catering facilities for members."

Ordinary Club Members, all of whom were male, were defined as Country Members if they did not have their principal residence, office or place of business within ten miles of the Club. The advantage of being a Country Member was that you paid a reduced entrance fee and annual subscription. Females were not permitted to be Ordinary Members but instead could apply to become Lady Associate Members. They did not have a share in the property of the Club. The Club also had junior members. These individuals were aged between eighteen and twenty five years of age and they paid one half of the subscription appropriate to the membership they would have been required to apply for after their twenty fifth birthday. Junior Members had no voting rights and of course had no entitlement to a share in the property of the Club. Neither were they permitted to take any part in the management of the Club as indeed was the case with Lady Associate Members. Rule eleven permitted the election of Life Members and Honorary Members from amongst the Ordinary Club Membership.

The Club Rules also contained provision for temporary members in particular persons visiting Londonderry who were members of either Tyrone County Club or the University Club of Dublin. My recollection is that the University Club amalgamated with the St. Stephen's Green Club circa 1980. Reciprocal rights pertained, certainly with St. Stephen's Green.

 

 

Notes on Wm. McCorkell & Co. Ltd. - Part 2

Initially Wm McCorkell & Co Ltd held their Strand Road/Queen's Quay property as assignees of a lease which was to expire in February 1916. By the beginning of the twentieth century it was clear that larger cargoes of grain were needed in order to maintain the profitability of the Company. The Directors were prepared to invest in the machinery and facilities necessary for discharging large steamer cargoes of grain but the shortness of the residual term of their lease made it an uneconomical proposition unless they could acquire the freehold or negotiate a new and suitably lengthy lease. Accordingly on 25th November 1902 the Company wrote to the agent of the freeholder, The Honourable the Irish Society, requesting the grant of a lease in perpetuity, ( Fee Farm Grant). The response of 24th January 1903 was in the negative. The Court of the Society was not prepared to comply with the request. However there must have been further approaches and ultimately on 1st July 1916 the desired Fee Farm Grant was provided. This deed reserved an annual ground rent of £170

 

Notes on Wm. McCorkell & Co. Ltd. - Part 1.

 

Like myself many people with a knowledge of Londonderry will remember the quayside mill and silos of Wm. McCorkell & Co Ltd. I always thought that there was a certain art deco look about the five storey concrete structure.

The company was incorporated on 26th July 1897. The initial directors were James Gallagher of 31 Waring Street, Belfast and William Bennet of 17 Greenbank Drive, Sefton Park, Liverpool. Prior to incorporation the manager of the business was a Mr David Thompson and shortly after the formation of the company this gentleman joined the Board and became Managing Director. For many years he lived in Sorrento on the Culmore Road before moving to Castlerock where his residence went by the name of Knockraven. The first of the McCorkell family to join the Board was Dudley Evelyn Bruce McCorkell who was knighted in 1933.

It appears that the initial issued share capital of the Company comprised 2000 shares of £10 each but by the time the balance sheet for the year ended 30th September 1917 had been prepared this had increased to 4000 shares of £10 and by the following year this had further increased to 6000 shares of £10 each, all fully paid.

Rather interestingly the assets of the Company in 1897 included a figure of £35 representing the value of the business's pigs. I suspect that they were kept so that any sweepings of grain did not go to waste. Immediately prior to incorporation the firm's assets included a quantity of claret in Bond. Clearly a very civilised business.

 

 

Railway Run

This morning was most definitely the best portion of the day for running. The rain clouds and gusty winds held off until the afternoon. I met my training companions at the new Foyle Arena in the Waterside district of Londonderry at a smidgen after 10.30. After ten minutes of drills the running commenced. We ran through St Columb's Park to the Peace Bridge and crossed over it to the West Bank of the City. The session involved us running for thirty minutes from the bridge at a steady but easy pace and then retracing our steps at a faster but still sub race and even sub tempo pace. Being able to carry on a conversation was the determinative.

Our route took us up the West Bank of the River Foyle following what had been the course of the old GNR railway. I was the only one of the group to remember trains on the track and indeed travelling on them. It is rather frightening to think that that is now more than fifty one years ago.

We averaged some 4.50 per kilometre on the way out. The return journey was at a tad over 4.15. Running in a group, there were six of us, is so much easier and more enjoyable than plodding along on your lonesome. The time and the miles go in much more quickly aided of course by the continual banter.

 

Londonderry Street Names - Part 2

At page fourteen of the Street List and Key to the Ordnance Survey Maps for the City and County Borough of Londonderry of 1940 is a listing of streets which had two distinct names in current use. The first listed names were the authorised names. Three of the first cited names are marked with an asterisk. In those instances one side of the street was referred to by the authorised name whilst the other side of the street was referred to by the second name. Very confusing!

 

Beechwood Avenue. - Beechwood Park

Carlisle Pass. - Breakneck Steps

Chapel Road. - Chapel Brae

*Cooke Street. - Gordon Street

Derry View. - Bridge View

Fahan Street. - Bogside Street

Limavady Road. - Clooney Road

*Mary Street. - Cooke's Terrace

New Street (Rock). - Rock Terrace

North Street. - Cottage Row

Rossdowney Road. - Kilfinnan Road

St. Columb's Road. - Browning Drive

Shipquay Place. - Guildhall Sq.

* Stewart's Terrace. - Charlotte Crescent

Strand Road (part). - Pennyburn Road

Victoria Park. - Dunfield Park

 

Londonderry Street Names - Part 1

 

In 1940 the City Engineer and Surveyor for the City and County Borough of Londonderry published a small linen backed booklet entitled, "Street List and Key to the Ordnance Survey Maps." As well as listing the streets within the Borough, the name of the nearest main Street is provided along with the length of the thoroughfare, the class of road and its position on Ordnance maps. A fairly prosaic exercise at the time but the passage of years and the planned or enforced redevelopment of the past seventy five years has meant that many of the streets are no more. Even more interesting for those who delve into local history is the inclusion of the old names of various streets. Some examples of these are set out below.

Haw Lane - now Academy Road

Greenslaid's Row - now Aubrey Street

Rosemary Lane - now Bennett Street

South Street - now Bishop Street Without

Carabine Place - now Carlisle Place

Breakneck Lane - now Carlisle Pass

Ponsonby Street - now Clarendon Street, (Upper).

Corbett Street - now Pilot Row

King William's Square - now The Diamond

Gratuitous Street - now Ferryquay Street

Gilmour's Lane - now Hawkin Street

Middle Passage - now Guildhall Street

Rosemary Lane - now Linenhall Street

New Walk - now Foyle Street

Silver Street - now Shipquay Street

 

Joseph Young's Charity For Girls

I suppose that this could be described as the distaff side of the Gwyn and Young Endowments. It originated in a bequest left by a Joseph Young upon his death in Decenber 1842 for the purpose of clothing, maintaining and educating female children from the City and Liberties of Londonderry. For some fifty years the Young Estate was under the supervision of two trustees who were also nephews of the deceased, Messrs John and Joseph Cooke. An adherent of the Reformed Presbyterian Church Joseph Young's father acted as stated supply from 1787 until his death in 1794 at Faughan Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Due to the numerous annuitants who benefited from Mr Young's estate the charity was not operational by 1888. In that year on Saturday 19th May the Educational Endowments (Ireland) Commission sat at the Courthouse Londonderry to hear the objections of the Young Trustees to a draft scheme which proposed the amalgamation of Gwyn Endowments and the Young Charity. Mr John Cooke of Counsel who was yet another relative of Joseph Young appeared on behalf of the Young Trustees. Mr J. J. Shaw appeared on behalf of the Gwyn trustees. The latter were generally supportive of the proposed amalgamation. The Young Trustees did not wish to be, as they saw it, subsumed into the Gwyn Endowments charity. Ultimately however this was to be the outcome.

Both John Gwyn and Joseph Young were strong adherents of the Victorian principle of philanthropy. Both gentlemen left substantial monies to assist the impoverished and deserving youthful citizenry of Londonderry. It is perhaps unfortunate that the real value of their bequests has declined with the passage of years and the enslaught of inflation. I suspect that unless there is a marked change in the administration of the Charity that it will not be long before it is the subject of a cy pres application. That would be unfortunate but perhaps inevitable. Yet another footnote in our social history.

.

 

 

 

The Grand Jury.

Going through the names of the individuals who sat on the Grand Jury for the County of Londonderry from the year 1820, (that was the first year that there were two Assizes in each year, Spring and Summer), I noticed that the word, "Colt," was written against the names of certain gentlemen. On purusing this matter further it seems that this term was used to identify persons who were appearing on the Jury for the first time. At the Spring Assizes of 1874 where the Judges were Mr Baron Fitzgerald and Chief Justice Whiteside no fewer than five of the twenty three jurors were, "Colts," namely Professor Richard Smyth MP, Daniel Taylor Esq MP, and Messrs. William McCarter, John Haslett and James Clark.

Grand Juries were done away with by virtue of the Grand Jury (Abolition) Act (Northern Ireland) 1969. Their administrative powers in connection with such things as roads, bridges and asylums had been previously taken away by the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. This same Act established the cities of Belfast and Londonderry as separate County Boroughs.

The foremen of the Grand Jury for County Londonderry from 1820 until the end of the nineteenth century and the dates of their appointment were as follows:-

Alexander Robert Stewart MP 1820

Henry Barre Beresford 1821

Rt. Hon. Sir George Fitzgerald Hill 1821

Andrew Knox 1822

Sir James Bruce 1823

Geo. Robert Dawson MP

Marcus McCausland 1827

Sir Robert Bateson MP 1834

Connolly Gage 1842

Henry Richardson 1845

Thomas Bateson 1846

Sir H Harvey Bruce 1849

Thomas Scott 1851

Theobald James MP 1852

James Johnston Clark MP 1858

Robert Peel Dawson MP 1860

Acheson Lyle 1862

Sir Frederick Wm. Heygate 1867

John B Beresford 1869

R. A. Ogilby DL 1889

Maiden City Whiskey.

 

 

It was suggested to me that I might like to sample a new whiskey. An onerous task I know but I accepted the challenge. The name given to this particular brand of beverage is, "The Quiet Man." With a name such as this most people are going to think of the 1952 film starring Maureen O'Hara and John Wayne which was filmed in and about Cong and assume that it originates from that locale. Maybe that is the intention although the managing director of the manufacturer, Niche Drinks, states that it is named after his father, a longtime barman. The drink is to be distilled in Londonderry once a new distillery has been erected. Presently it is apparently matured, blended and bottled in the maiden city.

My preference would be for whisky without an, "e," but I have to say that Ihis tipple was very smooth and palatable.

 

 

Notes on the Foyle Brewery, Londonderry

Where Browning Drive now stands was formerly the site of the Foyle Brewery. This establishment predated 1836 and by 1844 it was being leased by an individual by the name of Johnston who had previously been in the brewing business in Londonderry in partnership with a J. Carson. The firm of J Carson & Co was still going strong in 1864 according to Loftus's Almanac for Brewers, Distillers and the Wine and Spirit Trades for that year but there is no mention of Mr. Johnston's business.

By 1871 ownership of the Waterside Brewery was in the hands of a John Mehan. Unfortunately it appears that he must have had financial difficulties and his properties, including the brewery were advertised for sale via the Landed Estates Court. There were a total of ten lots and the sale by auction took place at the sale-rooms of William Dale on 1st February 1871. The Brewery together with Millbank Cottage comprised lot 10. The estimated annual value of the lot was stated to be £194.

The particulars of sale disclose that the Brewery Yard was one hundred feet square and there was a brewers residence and two malt houses with floors, kilns and outhouses. In addition there was a beer store measuring one hundred and twenty two feet by twenty four feet; an apartment for washing casks with means of hot water supply; stores for hops and sugar; a large mill room with mill for rolling malt driven by steam machinery; good stabling accomodation and an unfailing supply of good water.

The bidding for this Lot opened at £150. Six parties were involved in the bidding and it progressed rapidly until the lot was knocked down to Mr Chambers, agent for the Watt family, for the sum of £700.