Out of Regent Street ….
We walk back into Stanton Road and we can match what Adeline has to write with the 1871 census for this area.
She writes … “Again in Stanton Road we see the Havelock Inn, the first landlord being Mr. Matthew Fletcher.”
The General Havelock Inn stood on the north corner of Stanton Road and Regent Street – number 8 Stanton Road.
The Fletchers were at this address, a public house, in 1871.
Matthew and sons …
Born at Newthorpe, Nottinghamshire in 1819, Matthew Fletcher was the third son of framesmith Samuel and Ann (nee Stockley) and at one time traded as a lace maker with his older brother Joseph. This was the occupation recorded at his marriage to Sarah Knighton, daughter of victualler Samuel and Elizabeth (nee Boam), in April 1842.
By the 1850’s Matthew appeared as a beer retailer in Regent Street, Derby Road and Stanton Road, which may have referred to the same address. In August 1858 he was granted a victualling licence.
The 1861 census records him as a licensed victualler at the General Havelock Inn.
In 1867 Matthew was in a spot of trouble when he — or rather his wife — opened the Havelock one Sunday before the permitted time of 12.30pm. P.C. Cotton had entered the house 20 minutes before then to find several ‘customers’ already there. Landlady Sarah argued that no ale had been poured save for one of her lodgers although her son William admitted that he had supplied ale to his uncle as well as the lodger. When he later appeared at the Petty Sessions, Matthew pleaded ignorance of these events, being upstairs at the time. He had been at this house for 14 years and this was the first time he had been summoned before the magistrates. The latter agreed that he had kept a respectable establishment but this didn’t save him from a nominal fine of 6d with costs.
(Matthew) had two sons who were noted cricketers and played in the Gentlemen’s team of that time.
There were several sons but the two who survived into adulthood were William and Alfred.
Born in 1845, Matthew Fletcher’s youngest son, Alfred, was a pupil teacher at the National School in 1861-2, and a contemporary of Smith Potts. He later traded as a lacemaker and died in Chapel Street in September 1877, aged 31, from acute meningitis.
William was the other son, also working as a lacemaker. I believe he died in December 1878.
After a serious fall which may have injured her internally but from which she appeared to have recovered, Matthew’s wife Sarah died in October 1876.
In December of that year the licence for the inn was transferred to Samuel Smith, late of Long Eaton, and Matthew retired shortly thereafter to live with his only living child Sarah and her family at their Cossall farm.
He died in September 1881, aged 63.
… and daughter
His daughter Sarah married William Blench, stepson of the late Mr. Wright Lissett, Town Clerk.
Born in Doddington, Cambridgeshire in 1852 William Blench was the son of John and Mary (nee Chapman).
His father died in 1858 and a few years later his mother married schoolmaster Wright Lissett, himself a widower with a young son.
William married Sarah, the only daughter of Matthew Fletcher, in April 1876 and the couple lived at the Church Farm, Cossall until 1881. The family returned to live at first in Belper Street, then in StantonRoad, but aound 1887 moved to Graham Street where William Blench died in March 1890, aged 37. He was then the Town Clerk’s clerk.
Matthew’s parents we shall meet as we wander down the west side of Bath Street. (See Fletcher’s Factory and the Wesleyan Church).
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Landlords of the Havelock Inn
From December 1876 to 1879 Samuel Smith was landlord of the Havelock Inn.
In 1880 John Gregory was the landlord.
At the beginning of 1881 George Wales/Wale was the landlord.
In 1882 Arthur Aldred (son of Aaron and Catherine of the Queen’s Head Inn) was landlord and it was there that his daughter Juliana was born on December 2nd. Arthur was still there until January 1889 when the licence was temporarily transferred to Edward William Worton. Then, in June 1890 it was transferred to Severn Beer, while Edward Worton went to the Victoria Inn in Awsworth Road.
In February 1893 William Tatham took over from Severn Beer as landlord.
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Let’s go on to meet the Havelock’s neighbours.
