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The Duke Of Wellington was situated at The Tuckies, a hamlet near to
Jackfield. Prior to its demolition in 1964, it was owned by Banks Brewery,
who also owned the neighbouring Boat Inn, but the photograph indicates that
the prominent 3-storey Duke of Wellington had its own brewhouse and locals
refer to it has having also has a pig sty. Upon demolition, the old cellar
was used as a landfill site for the bricks from the old inn and more
recently the new landowners have excavated the old bricks and piled them up
at the left hand side of the site once occupied by The Duke of Wellington.
As of early 2011, the entirety of the old cellar, complete with arch and
steps is completely exposed.
In 1922 landlord Ralph Rockingham, who never really recovered from war
wounds resulting in a foot being amputated, died of a haemorrhage at The
Duke of Wellingon, aged just 33. A keen bowls player, he had only been there
about 3 years and upon his death, his wife Mrs Rockingham then took on the
licence. Earlier, in 1910, the Landlord of The Duke of Wellington was
recorded as Walter E. Parcel, his wife Mrs Parcel being the landlady and
Fanny Kersley being the barmaid. Prior to that, in September 1903, the Duke
of Wellington was sold at auction (at the Tontine Hotel, Ironbridge with
Barber & Sons as the auctioneers) to the Lichfield Brewery Company for
£1,050, plus an extra £40 5s for fixtures. The adjoining piece of land was
sold at the same time to Messrs. Maw for £90. The auction followed the death
of landlord Mr James Daniel Smith whose funeral was held in Jackfield church
by Rev. J. Marsden Edwards (Rector of Jackfield). We know that J.D. Smith
had been landlord for at least 6 years owing to his existence in The
Wellington Journal back in 1897 when it was reported that he had been
instructed by the council's surveyor to attend to the nuisance caused by
drainage problems with the cellar there. |
