The first mention I found came from the Monmouthshire Merlin in 1829. In November of that year it was advertised that new houses and buildings for business were being let at the upper end of George Street, one of which had a garden attached to it.
It is possible the building with the garden is the White Hart as this garden is mentioned again in a news article from the Pontypool Free Press in June 1867. It concerned a collier from Pontnewynydd, Isaac Osbourne, who was charged with assaulting Sarah Ann Madley on 23 May. Sarah was a servant at the White Hart and at midnight her mistress had told her to go and shut the door that led to the skittle alley. When Sarah got there she found two men lying down there. One of them was Isaac Osbourne who grabbed her by the neck from behind. Sarah had been a witness against Osbourne at the trial of the murder of Herbert Morgan. Sarah became hysterical and the landlady's daughter, Mrs Daniels had to send for the doctor because Sarah was tearing her own hair out. The White Hart had a garden and Sarah had left the garden gate open allowing Osbourne to hide in the skittle alley without having to go through the front of the house.
In November 1868 the White Hart was attacked by a mob that had formed on election day. Mrs Jones, a widow, was the landlady. The windows of the building were smashed in and a stone hit her on the head. Another stone hit her little grandchild who was in bed. Three months later, Edward Williams, Alfred Joy and Elijah Elton were charged with assaulting two policemen, P.C. Kendall and P.C. Agg. Williams was the brother in law of Oliver Evans who had left prison on 6th February 1869 after his part in the election riots and the smashing of the White Hart windows. The same night he went with the other three and punched Mrs Jones in the face for giving evidence against him. Williams and Elton were given one month's hard labour. Joy was fined 20 shillings but Evans didn't show up at court.
There was more fighting at the White Hart in December 1870. Timothy Desmond, his wife Julia and another woman, Hannah Crowley were charged with being drunk and assaulting P.C. Basham and P.C. Gardner. Timothy Desmond was also charged with trespass and for breaking furniture. He had been fighting with his wife and a chair was smashed. Then when the police arrived they attacked them too by beating, scratching and kicking them so they were removed to the lock up. Timothy was fined £3 or one month's hard labour. The women were fined £2 each or 14 days in prison.
Things appear to quieten down after this date. In 1876 the Railway Servants held their annual dinner at the White Hart without incident. In October 1897 Mr Williams is recorded in the Western Mail as being the landlord. When he died his wife became landlady until the license was transferred from her to Mr E J Hill, County Court bailiff, in July 1901.
In February 1903, Mr Hill was assaulted by customers William and Robert Bigham who refused to leave the establishment. Then in September 1903 Mr Hill was summoned himself for selling drink during prohibited hours.
That was all I could find out from old newspapers but then, as sometimes happens when digging around in the past, I was told a story about George Street. My Great Grandparents lived at 67 George Street which was opposite the White Hart. My Great Uncle believed the house was haunted. This wasn't all, a great aunt recalled a body being discovered in the back yard of the property. The bones were removed and presumably re-buried. She also said that the area was built on an old burial ground. How old or big this burial ground was, or if it included the land the White Hart was built on is unknown and so far all attempts to find out more have failed.
Is there anyone else out there who has heard anything similar ... ?
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| http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3329446 |
