Albert Inn, Derby Street

The Albert Inn on Derby Street, pictured in February 2003. Note the initials SL on the date stone above the date 1884 (see below for explanation). Picture from bolton.org.uk.

The Albert was situated on Derby Street opposite what is now the Lidl supermarket. The building still stands and has been a restaurant since around 2012 but while the date stone on the side of the pub notes that it was built in 1884 it actually dated back to 1852 as a pub. The stone also includes the initials 'SL' – Sarah Leach, the pub's formidable landlady for much of the second half of the 19^th century.

In 1841, 28-year-old James Leach was a carder in a local mill. He lived on Bridgeman Street with his wife Ann and children Francis, Alice and Selina. But James was an entrepreneur. He also owned a shop on Bridgeman Street with Ann running the business while he was at work in the mill.

By 1843, the Leaches had opened a beerhouse, the Bridgeman Arms,  just across the road from their old shop premises and James gave up his job at the mill to work full-time at the pub. They had pinched the name from an established pub by that name that had only recently closed down on Crook Street.

In 1852, James Leach moved with Ann and their four children to a new pub, the Albert, situated on Derby Street. Like the Bridgeman Arms, the Albert had a licence that restricted it to the sale of beer. But James had grand plans and the following year he applied for a full public house licence that would enable the Albert to sell wines and spirits as well as beer. At the annual licensing session in August 1854, James Leach was one of the 23 applicants for full licenses along with such neighbouring pubs as the Derby Arms, the Greengate,  the Royal and the British Oak.  The hearing didn't go well. For a start, the chairman of the magistrates bench was staunch teetotaller Robert Walsh. Then a local factory owner James Barlow presented a petition against increasing the number of public houses signed by 3000 ratepayers, the local middle classes many of whom rarely used pubs. Mr Walsh threw out all 23 applications. He had calculated that there was one alehouse for every 106 people in Bolton. In his view one for every thousand people would be enough. [Manchester Courier, 2 September 1854]

The Albert taken around 1973 as part of a photoset for Tetley Walker

Leach was to apply for a spirit licence for the Albert every year until he was finally successful in 1865. It was common practice for applicants to get a petition - known in those times as a 'memorial' - signed by as many people as possible to support the application. Discouraged by his previous failures James Leach failed to get many of the influential middle-class business owners to sign his memorial on this occasion. However, his solicitor, Mr Hall, pointed out to the bench that almost a new town had sprung up alongside Derby Street in the previous 20 years but that no provision had been made for an additional fully-licensed public house. A number of beerhouses, such as the Albert, had sprung up instead. He went on to request that if the bench was happy that Mr Leach was a respectable man and that the house was suitable enough for the purpose of becoming an inn then there was no reason why a licence to sell spirits should not be granted. The magistrates agreed and a full licence was granted to the Albert and the Prince Of Wales, Mount Street – the only two successful applicants out of 45.

By the end of 1865 the Albert had been refurbished. Business was brisk enough for James Leach to advertise in the Bolton Chronicle spent grains from the brewing process for use as animal feed. The ad mentioned that he was brewing nine times a week.

Ann Leach died in 1854 at the age of 39. The following year, James married Sarah Renshaw in the rather grand setting of Manchester Cathedral. By now he was 45 year old, but his new wife was just 23.

In 1861, James was at the Albert with his wife Sarah; children Francis – at 24 just five years younger than his stepmother and working as a brewer at the Albert – Selina (19), Levi (12), James Albert (9), Jane Ellen (4) and William Henry (2). The latter two were his children with Sarah.

Not only did the Albert brew for its own pub but beers were sold in to the wholesale trade and over a period of time it built up a small tied estate. Amongst Leach's pubs in the late-19^th century were the Clifton Arms on Newport Street,  the Albion on Moor Lane, Uncle Tom's Cabin  on Lever Street and two pubs on the other side of town: the WindsorCastle  on Halliwell Road and the Woodman Inn on Carlyle Street.

James Leach died on 19 April 1876 at the age of 67. His estate at time of death was worth just under £14,000 – around £1.5million in today's money. On his death, control of the Albert Inn, the brewery, and a small estate of tied houses, passed to Sarah.

By all accounts, Sarah Leach wasn't a woman to be messed with. Her daughter Jane Ellen Leach married James Grant Urquhart at Ormskirk in 1875, but by 1880 the marriage was at an end. In January 1881, Urquhart sued Sarah Leach at Manchester Crown Court for the sum of £500 damages for what he described as “assault and unlawful seizure”. The court heard an account of a miserable domestic life – and with Sarah Leach at the centre of it. Urquhart claimed he had been harassed by Mrs Leach and that she had induced Jane to leave him and live in adultery. He now ran a provision shop in Morris Green but he sold beer supplied by Leach's Albert Brewery. On 16 August 1880 Urquhart went to Bolton on business but on his return he found his wife in the house of neighbour named Margerison. Urquhart castigated his wife for being at the house but she responded by striking him on the side of the head with a poker. Sarah Leach had arrived at his house with a man named Waring – possibly her brother-in-lsaw and another man and that the two men had badly assaulted Urquhart. In her defence, Mrs Leach described Urquhart as “a wastrel” and that he had treated his wife so badly that she had been forced to go and live in America. Mrs Leach had put him in the shop and he hadn't paid any ingoings. The judge ruled that as there had been faults on both sides he was throwing out the charge. [Bolton Evening News, 31 January 1881; Manchester Courier, 3 February 1881].

In January 1879 the Albert received a billiards licence. But in March of that year it was hit by tragedy when a barmaid, Ellen Mather (nee Smith), was fatally stabbed while on her way from the Albert to a St Patrick's Day dance at Bridgeman Street baths. Mrs Mather had worked at the pub as far back as 1860 and had been courted by a local man, William Cooper. The relationship was ended by Mr Cooper who then joined the army. Ellen Smith married a man named Mather but on Cooper's discharge from the army he returned to the Albert to seek out his former sweetheart and reproached her in no uncertain terms over her marriage. However, he also married and was now the father of six children.

In 1872, Ellen Mather's husband left for America with his mother taking with him their three sons but leaving behind a daughter, now aged nine. Ellen went back to work at the Albert but once again found herself the subject of the attentions of William Cooper despite the fact that he was married.

On 17 March 1879 Sarah Leach organised the refreshments at the St Patrick's Day ball and she instructed Ellen Mather to go to with Mrs Leach's sister Ellen Wareing to Bridgeman Street baths at 11.30pm after the Albert had closed in order to assist behind the bar there. As Mrs Mather and Mrs Wareing reached the junction of Derby Street and Crook Street they encountered Cooper who had been drinking in the Albert that evening. He tried to prevent Ellen Mather from going on to the baths and struck her with his fist on the side of the head. The two women fled down Crook Street but Cooper caught up with them and grabbed Ellen round the neck and put his knee in her back. He then took out a pocket pen knife and slashed her throat. Mrs Wareing screamed for help as Ellen Mather lay dying in the street. William Nightingale, an employee at the Trinity Street railway yard, apprehended Cooper who is reported as saying: “I won't run. I have done what I intended”. A cabman named Patrick Hughes then arrived. Cooper said: “See Patsy. That's Ellen. I have killed her.” Ellen was taken to Dr Johnston's surgery on Bridgeman Street where she died shortly afterwards. Cooper was charged with her murder and found guilty at Manchester Assizes.

The 1881 census shows that Sarah was the proprietor of the business but her son William, her first with James Leach and now 22 years old, was in charge of the day-to-day running of the pub and brewery. He appears to have been promoted ahead of two of his older half-brothers – Francis and James Albert. Francis, the eldest Leach child, had been employed by the business, but by now he was in the workhouse where he died in 1888. James Albert was working as a brewer at the pub. He died in 1893 at the age of 41. Another son, Levi Leach, had been the landlord of the Greengate Inn in nearby Hammond Street and also the Tanners Arms on Lever Street. He died in April 1896 aged 47.

The original Albert burned down in February 1884. A fire began in the taproom and tore through the building with the conflagration aided by several kilderkins of spirits that were stored in the vault and the taproom. Mrs Leach and around a dozen family members, friends and lodgers were at the pub and had to be rescued. Various memorabilia belonging to the Oddfellows and Foresters clubs who met at the pub were completely destroyed. Fortunately, the building was insured with two companies. The Albert was rebuilt that same year. A stone with the year 1884 and the initials SL – for Sarah Leach – remains on the side of the building to this day.

Sarah Leach died on 23 April 1902. She was 70 years old. That day's edition of the Bolton Evening News remarked that she was “an exceedingly generous friend of the poor”. She was buried alongside her husband in Tonge Cemetery. A few years after Mrs Leach's death a number of streets were developed around Clarendon Street school. One of them was named Leach Street in the family's honour.

The Leach business comprising the Albert, the brewery and a small number of pubs, had continued to grow since James Leach's death and Mrs Leach's estate was worth over £25.000 when she died – the equivalent of £2.8million today. Her son William Leach was appointed executor of the estate along with his sister Selina Gilchrist who had married a noted physician, Robert Munn Gilchrist in 1901 (the couple lived at Dr Gilchrist's surgery at 343-345 Derby Street).

William took over the running of the business. He lived next door to the Albert at 185 Derby Street. The 1911 census shows his brother Charles Edwin Leach was also involved. He lived at the pub along with his wife Sarah. They had no children but two barmaids and three servants were living on the premises.

Wilbraham Leach, James's first son with Sarah, ended up in jail in 1907. He had run a number of the brewery's pubs in Bolton including the Newport Vaults  in Newport Street and the Clifton Arms a few doors away. He was living in semi-retirement in Blackpool although he still had a senior position within the Leach company. Wilbraham was accused of indecently assaulting a woman while drunk on a Manchester to Blackpool express train. He was described as having a wife and six children and was in “a good position” at the brewery. The complainant said that an ample apology in court would satisfy her and Leach produced references from the Mayor Of Bolton and the Chief Constables of both Bolton and Blackpool. Nevertheless, the case was sent to trial and Leach was found guilty and sentenced six months in jail. He had retired to Blackpool in 1904 where he died on 11 January 1927. [Manchester Courier, 1 February 1907 and 22 February 1907].

William Leach remained as the proprietor of the business until 1927 when he died aged 66. He had by then retired to a house in Cardigan Road, Southport where he died on 18 April 1927. He had taken a back seat in the business and the Albert – still owned by the Leach company - was being run by Robert Hall. The business was bequeathed to William's two children. James was a surgeon while Lily, who had married a member of another notable industrial family, the Crumblehulme's, who owned a foundry opposite the Albert.*

Leach's Brewery carried on until 1936 when it was decided to wind up the business. The last of the Leach family to be involved was Charles Edwin Leach, the chairman of the company's board of directors who was now in his late-sixties. It was a time of takeovers and the company had done well to remain independent for over 80 years since James Leach first began brewing at the Albert. The First World War had wiped out a number of small breweries and two of Bolton's big three, Sharman's and Tong's were now part of the Warrington-based Walker Cain company (the other big Bolton brewer, Magees was just a couple of hundred yards from the Albert up Derby Street).

The Albert, the Albion and the rest of Leach's business became part of another Warrington firm, Cunningham’s. Brewing ceased at the Albert. In 1951 both the two were part of a parcel of 34 pubs and 18 off-licences sold by Cunningham’s to Joshua Tetley & Son of Leeds for a sum of £550,000. Tetley's were seeking to expand into Lancashire. They merged with the Walker's of Warrington in 1960

In the nineties, Tetley’s got out of vertically-integrated business model where breweries owned huge tied estates. The Albert was sold to Pubmaster and later came under the control of the Mistry family, the owners of the adjoining Bantry Club. They connected up the two licensed premises

Around 2009 the Albert closed down. The building is now an Afghan restaurant.

*The Crumblehulmes' foundry business collapsed in 1911. At the time of their marriage in 1917 Lily Crumblehulme was living at Hexham Avenue, Doffcocker. Her husband, William Lewis Robinson Crumblehulme, was resident at The Hotel, Shawbury, Shropshire. William's father, also William, was the founder of the Crumblehulme business based at Emblem Street, Bolton and at Rothwell Street. The Rothwell Street works was re-purchased by William LR Crumblehulme and his brother James. Chrstine Crumblehulme's detailed history of the Crumblehulme businesscan be found here. 

“At the Borough Court this morning Sarah Leach, landlady of the Albert Inn, Derby-street, was charged with selling intoxicating liquors during prohibited hours. PC Shepherd said that on Sunday morning at 24 minutes past 12 o'clock he found the defendant's public house open and three men with glasses of beer in front of them. He asked defendant by what clock she opened her house, and she answered by the one in the bar which was then only 26 minutes past. By Mr Fielding: He believed defendant asked him if he had better close the house until half past and he answered that it was immaterial. The Mayor said the Bench were unanimous in their view that a breach of the law had really occurred, but they thought the offence was so trivial they would discharge the case, defendant to pay the costs. It would no doubt act as a warning.” - Bolton Evening News, 13 November 1879.

“Breaksmen (L&NW) Annual Dinner. The dinner was held at the Albert Inn, Derby-street on Christmas Day. Mr Flitcroft presided in the absence of Mr Atkinson and an enjoyable evening was spent. The usual toasts to the Queen and Royal Family, also James Shaw and L.D. Price and the subscribers in general were given.” - Bolton Evening News, 29 December 1891.

“Bolton Bowling Association. The annual general meeting of the Bolton Bowling Association was held on Wednesday night at the Albert Inn Hotel, Derby Street. There was a good attendance of the various clubs connected with the association.” - Bolton Evening News, 10 November 1893.

“There were laid at rest this afternoon at St Peter's Churchyard, Halliwell, the remains of the late Mr John Haworth, proprietor of the Albert Hotel, Derby st. The officiating clergyman was the Rev P Stott. There was a number of beautiful wreaths among the senders being the Bolton And District Managers And Overlookers Association, minders at Parrot-st mills, customers of Albert Hotel, Dr Ryan, Messrs Crumblehulme, Gulland, Wood, Bennet, Worrall, Hibbert, Hart, Skinner, Leach's Brewery, Leach's employees, servants at Albert Hotel, cardroom hands at Messrs Marsden's No 3 mill and others.” - Bolton Evening News, 6 November 1906.

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