THE FLEECE INN
Market Square
(photograph)The Golden Fleece
c1897 George Smith and family
This
inn has provided hospitality as both ‘The Fleece’ and ‘The Golden
Fleece’ through its time. With so many changes over the years, it is difficult
to ascertain the full extent of The Fleece Inn other than there was a coach arch
which allowed for access to the side of the building and the rear yard, possibly
with stabling, which is still evident. There were inn rooms upstairs stretching
towards the rear.
The Golden Fleece
with the shop next door, before building changes,
fronted by the Harrison drinking
fountain.
Photographed before 1902 when the fountain was moved.
The
northern side of the arch was a separate shop which you can just make out in the
above photograph, possibly named ‘Wearmouth’. Thomas Walton purchased the
premises in 1912 (see Walton’s Yard) after The Golden Fleece had called “last
orders”.
The
early history appears to be tied up with The Sun Inn, belonging to Dent, Portees
and Mason when the property was mortgaged by Abraham Dent in 1786 as: ‘A
common brewery, a counting house, a shop and a malt house and two inns, the
Golden Fleece and the Sun.’ [1]
George
Smith, pictured above and his wife, Mary were resident at the beginning of the
20th century, George is pictured with children Emma, Mary and Joseph.[2]
Ann Udale
1829
George Hastwell
1849/51/58
John Roseby
1871/73
George Fallowfield 1881/84
George Smith
1897
Mary Smith 1901/5
The
Yorkshire Dales National Park have published the story of carriers, Robert
Bousfield and Miss Elizabeth Nelson operating between the ‘Rose and Crown’
Inn in Kendal and the ‘Golden Fleece’ in Kirkby Stephen around 1906 in ‘A
family of carriers: the Nelsons of Newbiggin-on-Lune’ by Karen Griffiths. See website.
https://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/a-family-of-carriers-the-nelsons-of-newbiggin-on-lune/?fbclid=IwAR2edS7sEP92fP6J7xwd2B7Axgs7e6exoiTP2OmPLQjeG51JYkPWAjJA4S0