Squirrell Tavern, White Lion Brow, Bolton

The Squirell Tavern (sic) was situated on White Lion Brow and appears to have been a short-lived pub in the middle of the nineteenth century.

The 1849 list of Bolton beerhouses shows Richard Parker as the licensee of the Squirrell Tavern. Just two years later Richard had crossed the bridge over the River Croal and on to Chorley Street, Little Bolton where he was a beerseller is at number 119. Two other beerhouses on Chorley Street at that time were the John O’Gaunt and the Brinks Brow Tavern. Richard Parker’s beerhouse could have been either of those but no record exists of their number.

Richard Parker is listed at 119 Chorley Street on the 1851 Census and in the Bolton directories for 1853 and 1855.

By 1861 Richard Parker had moved to 30 White Lion Brow where he was again a beerseller. It is not known whether the premises were the same as those of the previous Squirrell Tavern.

Although he appears to have spent the best part of 20 years as a beerseller, Richard Parker was a shoemaker by trade. The 1841 Census shows him living in Turton Street along with his wife Betty and working as a shoemaker. Betty died in 1865 and Richard appears to have given up the pub trade to go back to work as a shoemaker. He was working as such and living at 129 Folds Road according to the 1871 Census.

Number 30 White Lion Brow reverted to being residential accommodation. In more recent years it was the home of Navada Motors Ltd but on their departure for Wordsworth Street in 2013 the building was demolished. A photo of the premises from April 2012 can be seen below (copyright Google Street View).