The first General Sir Robert Sale
was situated on Crook Street in between the junctions with Ormrod Street and
Blackhorse Street. The pub took its name from a British soldier in the garrison
of Jalalabad during the First Afghan War (1839-1842). Known as “Fighting Bob”, General Sale
was killed in action in 1844 during the First Anglo-Sikh War and was renowned
for always being in the thick of any fighting.
In Bolton during the middle of the
18th century, a pub on Crook Street named after “Fighting Bob” would
have been quite apt. The area bordered by Crook Street, Newport Street,
Blackhorse Street and Ashburner Street was known as Newtown. There was an
influx of Irish immigrants following the Great Famine of 1848-49 and it soon
became the roughest part of an already rough town.
Thomas Lever ran a beerhouse in Great
Moor Street in 1836, but he was on Newport Street by 1841 and by 1849 he was on
Crook Street in the pub which was now named General Sir Robert Sale. Previously the property was a private residence.Two years later he was
employing a brewer, Joseph Walton, who lived on the premises along with his
wife and two children.
The Bolton Directories for 1853 and
1855 both have the pub’s address as 47 Crook Street. The Bowling Green, close
to the junction with Ormrod Street was number 45. Even taking into account the
fact that in those days streets weren’t always numbered odd on one side and evens on the
other it still puts the General Sir Robert Sale quite close to the
Bowling Green.
In 1854, Thomas Lever decided to
apply for a full licence for the General Sir Robert Sale. It was one of 23
beerhouses that applied for licences to sell wine and spirits as well as beer.
But the application was heard by the staunch teetotaller Robert Walsh and all
23 applications were thrown out. [See here for more details].
Thomas Lever was still at the pub
on the 1861. By this time he was 73 and his wife Margaret was 66. According to
Gordon Readyhough, the pub was demolished a few years later to make way for
modifications to the railway line in the area. The Crook Street goods depot was
expanded and properties in the vicinity, including the General Sir Robert Sale,
were demolished. But instead of giving up Thomas Lever simply moved to 97
Newport Street and re-opened under the same name. [1]
Click here for the second General Sir Robert Sale.
Click here for the second General Sir Robert Sale.
A car park now stands on the original
site of the General Sir Robert Sale, on the right of the image below taken in
August 2015. (copyright Google Street View)
[1] Bolton Pubs 1800-2000, by
Gordon Readyhough. Published by Neil Richardson (2000).
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