The Berry Family, Proprietors of The Lion Inn, Photographed in 1961, with a Pen and Inked Promotional Card From the Same Time Period
Title
The Berry Family, Proprietors of The Lion Inn, Photographed in 1961, with a Pen and Inked Promotional Card From the Same Time Period
Subject
Description
A photograph of the front of The Lion Inn, with the proprietors, Dennis George and Marjorie Berry, standing to the left and the right. Their sons are between them. The taller is David and to the right is John, who donated this photograph in the summer of 2019. The Berry family was at The Lion Inn from 1959 to 1972. Stamped on the reverse of the photograph, in blue ink, is "Kodak COLOUR PRINT made by KODAK LIMITED LONDON OCTOBER 1961".
Also seen here is the front of a promotional card promoting The Lion Inn, also donated by John Berry. He believes the card was printed in the earlier 1960's. The card seems to be signed as "Roulston's" on the lower right, with perhaps a "60" following. It is labeled "THE LION INN TIMBERSCOMBE" on the lower left.
In the 1961 colour photograph, "ARNOLD & HANCOCK" is lettered on the upper left over the doorway, with "THE LION INN" above the doorway. The promotional card has "FULLY LICENSED" on the inn's upper right, as well as "THE LION INN" repeated over the large stable-styled doors on the left side of the inn, opening into an area basically used as a garage at the time of this photograph (1). SP-013 and SP-100 are both c. 1955 Francis Frith & Company photographs that appear to have been taken as this lettering was being painted. SP-100 shows the right side of the facade with "DRAUGHT & BOTTLED ALES" lettered, albeit lightly. Perhaps it was decided to go with "FULLY LICENSED" before a final coat was painted.
Arnold & Hancock was a brewery, formed in 1927 by the merger of S.W. Arnold & Sons, a Taunton Brewery founded in 1876, and the Wiveliscombe Brewery, owned originally by William Hancock (2). The brewery likely contributed to the cost of the refurbishment, as long as their name was featured. Around this same time, The Bell, a public house in Watchet was also repainted with "Arnold & Hancock" on it's front (3). It is possible the brewery may have had a part ownership in the pub. Mr. Hancock of the Wiveliscombe Brewery was believed to have been a part owner, in the earlier 20th century, of the Rose and Crown, another Timberscombe ale house that operated from at least 1825 to 1915 (4).
The Taunton location of the Arnold & Hancock Brewery closed in 1955 and the Wiveliscombe branch shut down in 1959 (5). Perhaps even in 1961, this frontage was already a bit dated. In 2019, new owners of The Lion Inn, Malcolm and Judy Passmore, had recently had the inn's exterior repainted, using much the same colours as seen on the photograph.
On the 1961 photograph, a road sign is seen on the lower left side of The Lion Inn, indicating the mileage and direction to Luxborough and Brompton Regis. Across the road is the doorway to No. 2 Jubilee Terrace. In between, facing Brook Street, is the right end of the former S. J. Stenner's Butcher Shop and the left end of Brook House, at one time the family home of the Stenner family, dating to the 17th century (6). These will shortly be demolished, as seen at SP-033.
The pen and inked drawing on the promotional card shows a bit of the cottage called Butterflies on the southern end of Brook Street, to the left of the inn and the cottages along Church Street on the right, including the curved metal porch over No. 3 Church Street, which survived for decades, being altered in 2020. Past these is the 18th century Great House Farm (7), with a suggestion of jettied Tudor-style timbers on it's front, also visible at SP-104.
When John Berry came The Lion in the summer of 2019 and donated these photographs, it was his first visit in many years. He has continued to return and graciously has provided information about The Lion Inn during the time his family lived here.
Also seen here is the front of a promotional card promoting The Lion Inn, also donated by John Berry. He believes the card was printed in the earlier 1960's. The card seems to be signed as "Roulston's" on the lower right, with perhaps a "60" following. It is labeled "THE LION INN TIMBERSCOMBE" on the lower left.
In the 1961 colour photograph, "ARNOLD & HANCOCK" is lettered on the upper left over the doorway, with "THE LION INN" above the doorway. The promotional card has "FULLY LICENSED" on the inn's upper right, as well as "THE LION INN" repeated over the large stable-styled doors on the left side of the inn, opening into an area basically used as a garage at the time of this photograph (1). SP-013 and SP-100 are both c. 1955 Francis Frith & Company photographs that appear to have been taken as this lettering was being painted. SP-100 shows the right side of the facade with "DRAUGHT & BOTTLED ALES" lettered, albeit lightly. Perhaps it was decided to go with "FULLY LICENSED" before a final coat was painted.
Arnold & Hancock was a brewery, formed in 1927 by the merger of S.W. Arnold & Sons, a Taunton Brewery founded in 1876, and the Wiveliscombe Brewery, owned originally by William Hancock (2). The brewery likely contributed to the cost of the refurbishment, as long as their name was featured. Around this same time, The Bell, a public house in Watchet was also repainted with "Arnold & Hancock" on it's front (3). It is possible the brewery may have had a part ownership in the pub. Mr. Hancock of the Wiveliscombe Brewery was believed to have been a part owner, in the earlier 20th century, of the Rose and Crown, another Timberscombe ale house that operated from at least 1825 to 1915 (4).
The Taunton location of the Arnold & Hancock Brewery closed in 1955 and the Wiveliscombe branch shut down in 1959 (5). Perhaps even in 1961, this frontage was already a bit dated. In 2019, new owners of The Lion Inn, Malcolm and Judy Passmore, had recently had the inn's exterior repainted, using much the same colours as seen on the photograph.
On the 1961 photograph, a road sign is seen on the lower left side of The Lion Inn, indicating the mileage and direction to Luxborough and Brompton Regis. Across the road is the doorway to No. 2 Jubilee Terrace. In between, facing Brook Street, is the right end of the former S. J. Stenner's Butcher Shop and the left end of Brook House, at one time the family home of the Stenner family, dating to the 17th century (6). These will shortly be demolished, as seen at SP-033.
The pen and inked drawing on the promotional card shows a bit of the cottage called Butterflies on the southern end of Brook Street, to the left of the inn and the cottages along Church Street on the right, including the curved metal porch over No. 3 Church Street, which survived for decades, being altered in 2020. Past these is the 18th century Great House Farm (7), with a suggestion of jettied Tudor-style timbers on it's front, also visible at SP-104.
When John Berry came The Lion in the summer of 2019 and donated these photographs, it was his first visit in many years. He has continued to return and graciously has provided information about The Lion Inn during the time his family lived here.
Creator
Roulston's /
Anonymous
Anonymous
Source
Date
c. 1961
1961
1961
Contributor
Format
Language
English
Identifier
Promotional Card Featuring The Lion Inn and the Berry family at The Lion Inn, 1961 / Timberscombe / Village Centre
Acquisition Date
2019
Acquisition Method
Gift
Category
PLACES: Pubs / Timberscombe
PEOPLE: Named / Timberscombe
PEOPLE: Named / Timberscombe
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
Entered by Tom Sperling
Condition Date
2020
Dimension Type
W X L
Dimension Units
cm
Dimension Value
10 X 16.5
10,5 X 17 (ARTWORK)
11 X 16
10,5 X 17 (ARTWORK)
11 X 16
Institution Name
St. Petrock's History Group
Notes
(1) as recalled by John Berry in 2019 (2) The Labologist Society, labology.org.uk (3) BreweryHistory.com (4) Victoria County History.ac.uk (5) The Labologist Society (6) Historic Environment Record, Exmoor National Park and VCH (7) as recalled in 2019 by John and Jenny Gratton, owners of Great House Farm and VCH
Storage Location
St. Petrock's History Group Archive
Storage Date
2020
Storage Notes
St. Petrock's History Group PHOTOGRAPHS
St. Petrock's History Group ARTWORK
St. Petrock's History Group ARTWORK
Item Reference
SP-101
Technique
Copies
Citation
Roulston's /
Anonymous, “The Berry Family, Proprietors of The Lion Inn, Photographed in 1961, with a Pen and Inked Promotional Card From the Same Time Period,” St. Petrock's History Group, accessed May 17, 2024, https://stpetrockshistorygroup.omeka.net/items/show/3415.
Comments