Looking for the Angel Inn on Chester Road and finding William Mason, Samuel Watson and the Drum

The Drum, © Peter Topping, 2014

I had no idea when I wrote about the Drum on Chester Road that it would stir up such strong feelings.*

There were those that mourned its passing, citing its iconic shape and the many good nights they had spent there.

And equally there were those who were less complimentary about the pub and argued that its demolition in favour of a fast food restaurant was a long time coming.

It even gave one political party the opportunity to argue for what it thought was best for this corner of Stretford.

Now I had never been inside and despite the mixed comments I wish I had.  Likewise it is a pity that I never got to buy a pint in its predecessor which was the Angel Hotel.

The first Angel Hotel opened its doors in 1780 and served not only those who lived around it but also acted as a coaching stop.

It was demolished by 1890 for a large brick building with an arch leading to the Bowling Green directly behind the pub.

By 1951 the arch had gone and just twenty year later so had the pub replaced by the Bass Drum which became the Drum.

The Angel Inn, 1854 marked in red

So the site has had an association with beer and good nights out for a long time.

And as you do I went looking for William Moss who was the first publican back in 1780.  Sadly I could find very little other than a possible reference to him marrying an Alice Anderson at St Mary’s in Eccles.

But I did turn up one of his successors who was Samuel Watson who in 1836 was on the electoral register on the strength of being the “Owner of the Angel Inn public house and 4 acres of land.”

He was still there in 1841 with his wife Mary, their three children and five others who were listed as farm servants.

Theirs would have been a busy spot with plenty of properties to the south along the main road that ran out to join Back Lane, which if they had a mind would have taken them by degree all the way to Chorlton.

But that as they say is another story.

In the meantime other paintings by Peter can be seen at the exhibition, CHORLTON-CUM-HARDY... A MOMENT IN TIME EXHIBITION. The Exhibition starts April 22nd till May 17th 2014 at Arison Gallery, 512 Wilbraham Road, Chorlton, M21 9AW.

Telephone: 0161 881 6734 email: arison.gallery@ntlworld.com
web: www.gladtobe.in

Painting; The Drum,© 2014 Peter Topping, Paintings from Pictures
Web: www.paintingsfrompictures.co.uk
Facebook:  Paintings from Pictures

Picture, the Angel Inn and Stretford, from the OS for Lancashire, 1841-53, courtesy of Digital Archives Association, http://www.digitalarchives.co.uk/

* The Drum on Chester Road, soon to be a distant memory along with the Angel Hotel which stood on the same spot from 1780, http://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/the-drum-on-chester-road-soon-to-be.html