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The origins of The Beehive lie in the past when it formed three old cottages in back-to-back terrace in the hamlet of Honeywall. In all likelyhood, these houses would have been built by the Spode family at the start of the 19th century. The location is clearly shown on the 1832 Hargreaves map. |
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| Beer for Sale |
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Early records, shuch as the census of 1841, do not indicate there being a public house here, but the 1851 census lists Thomas Howell, a green grocer and beer seller, as living here. He would have had a shop selling beer for consumption off the premises. At this time this practice was very common and was encouraged by the government because of problems associated with impure drinking water. Local people would fetch the beer in a jug.
Thomas was born in Eccleshall (near Stone) and was married to Hannah. They both came to Stoke to find work and met here. They employed a servant (Elizabeth Cook). |
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| The Birth of a Pub |
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It is not clear exactly when the business commenced. It was probably set up in the front room of a terraced property. Thomas was not listed in the 1861 census, but his son Enoch was listed as the grocer and beer seller at the same address.
We first come across the name of 'The Beehive Inn' in the census of 1887. John Trickett is the landlord. He and his wife Sarah are also listed at number 53 in the 1891 census.
The census lists residents at numbers 51 and 55, so we can assume that the pup has not yet been enlarged. Enlargement has been completed by 1901 though, as the OS map from the time shows. |
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| The Beehive |
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The Beehive was probably so named because of its location in Honeywall, although the name of the hamlet may not actually be connected with bees or honey as it dates back to Anglo Saxon times. However, it is know that for centuries bees provided the only sweetening agent and there are records of bee keepers in Penkhull from almost medieval times. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that bee keepers would have worked on the lower slopes of Penkhull, behind the pub. |
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| Acknowledgement |
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Many thanks to Richard Talbot for this article. |
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