Old Lottery

Overview

Although I don't have a definitive record of when beer was first sold at The Old Lottery, the property exists at the time of the 1838 Tithe Map and is owned by William Lovell, who certainly began selling beer here at some point. The first definitive reference I currently have is on the death of William Lovell's wife, Ann, in 1856. She is reported to have died at the "Lottery Inn". William is listed as a Beer-Seller in the 1861 census, and died in 1867 aged 79.

In 1870, the license was taken over by his grand-daughter, Ann (the daughter of his son, another William Dudden Lovell). She had married Henry Dudden Tovey in 1863, and had two children Elizabeth Ann (b. 1863) and Alice (b. 1866). The recurrence of the name "Dudden" is intriguing. Henry himself died in 1869. In 1871, Ann is a beer-seller at the Old Lottery Inn. In 1873, she married Thomas Mellish. Ann died in 1877 and presumably at that point the license passed to Thomas. By 1881, Thomas is living as a boarder at a house next door to the Red Lion Inn (along with the 16 year old Alice Tovey). By then, the license had been transferred to Martin Cyrus Slade.

Martin Cyrus Slade (b. 1846 in High Littleton) married Mary Banfield in December 1880. Mary was the sister of George Banfield, the licensee of the Blackbird Inn at the time. The years when Martin was at the helm seem like an eventful time, at least if the stories that made it into the paper are anything to go by. In 1883, for example, on the occasion of the Paulton Benefit society anniversary, he was struck on the head by a quart jar full of beer by Frederick Perry. He was confined to bed for several days, and by the sounds of it was lucky to get away with just that.

Martin Cyrus Slade died in 1887, and by 1891 the pub was being run by Herbert Carter, the son of Felix Carter who was the licensee of the Britannia Inn at the time. Herbert himself took over at the Britannia some time between 1901 and 1905.

I do not have a record of exactly when the license moved on again, but by 1899, the licensee was Alfred Kempster. Alfred was born in Compton Pauncefoot in 1860. His father was the landlord of the Catash Inn in North Cadbury, so it seems he had some background in the trade, though quite what brought him to the Old Lottery in Paulton is unknown. Alfred was the licensee for many years, before passing it on to his son-in-law, Fred Smith, in 1920. Fred remained the licensee for many years also, passing on the license to Frederick Perry in 1948. It is an amazing coincidence (one assumes!) that this is the same name as the man who almost killed the landlord 65 years previously!

Frederick Perry was only landlord for a couple of years before he died. The license passed to his wife, Olive Winifred Perry, before being transferred to the final licensee of the Old Lottery, Thomas Henry Evans, in 1951. Thomas took over the license of the Lamb Hotel in 1957 and this seems to be when the Old Lottery finally closed for business, being converted into the house it is now.

Photos

Location

The Old Lottery is the property labelled 134 on the Tithe Map of 1838.

Licensees

- ????-1856-1867	William Dudden Lovell
- 1870-1871-????	Ann Tovey (nee Lovell)
- ????-1881		Thomas Mellish
- 1881-1887		Martin Cyrus Slade
- ????-1891-1893-????	Herbert Carter
- ????-1899-1920	Alfred Kempster
- 1920-1948		Fred Smith
- 1948-1950		Frederick G. Perry
- 1950-1951		Olive Winifred Perry
- 1951-1957		Thomas Henry Evans

Timeline

Date	Detail	Source
1838	William Lovell is the landowner of property 134 on the 1838 Tithe Map, which is at the location of the Old Lottery.	Know Your Place - Banes
06/06/1841	William Lovell (age 53) is living at Plummers Hill with his wife Ann (age 57), 3 children William (age 30), Henry (age 20) and Selina (age 17) and his granddaughter Ann (age 5). He is a Tailor.	1841 Census
30/03/1851	William D Lovell (age 63) is living in Paulton with his wife Ann (age 75) and his granddaughter Ann (age 17). He is a Dentist. Note that his son William (age 42) is living next door.	1851 Census
12/03/1856	DEATHS - March 12, at the Lottery Inn, Paulton, Ann Lovell, wife of Mr. W. Dudden Lovell, aged 82.	Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette - 10 April 1856
07/04/1861	William Dudden Lovell (widower, age 71) is living on Plummers Hill with his granddaughter Ann (age 26). He is a Beer Seller.	1861 Census
11/03/1867	Death of Mr. William Dudden Lovell, of the Old Lottery Inn, aged 79, much respected	Bristol Daily Post - Monday 18 March 1867 Paulton Parish Records
27/09/1870	Ann Tovey is granted a new license to sell beer	Temple Cloud Petty Sessions
02/04/1871	Ann Tovey (Widow, age 37) is living with her daughter Alice (age 5) and several boarders at the Old Lottery Inn, Plummers Hill. She is a Beer House Keeper.	1871 Census
03/04/1881	Martin C. Slade (age 33) is living with his wife Mary (age 30), and his father-in-law Joseph Banfield (age 54) and Mother-In-Law Ann M Banfield (age 50) at Plummers Hill. He is a Blacksmith & Beer Retailer.	1881 Census
10/05/1881	License Transfer from Thomas Mellish to Martin Cyrus Slade	Temple Cloud Petty Sessions
27/12/1881	Martin Cyrus Slade, beerhouse keeper, Paulton - Thomas Perry refused to quit his premises.	Temple Cloud Petty Sessions
05/06/1883	Thomas Perry and Frederick Perry of Paulton - charged with assaulting Martin Cyrus Slade, landlord of the Old Lottery on the 21st of May. Thomas Perry also charged with assaulting Mrs. Slade and Joseph Banfield. It was the Paulton Benefit Society anniversary. Frederick hit Martin Slade with a quart jar full of beer.	Temple Cloud Petty Sessions
22/12/1885	"Election Riot at the Old Lottery!" - Thomas Parry, Henry Watts, Charles "laddie" Collins, colliers, charged with doing wilful damage to the property of Martin Cyrus Slade - basically, they trashed the place. Mrs. Slade said her husband kept "The Old Lottery beerhouse"	Temple Cloud Petty Sessions
25/11/1886	Martin Slade, landlord of Old Lottery Inn, witness in a case about the shooting of a sheep dog owned by George Carter.	Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette - 25 November 1886
12/04/1887	Death of Martin Slade	Probate Records
05/04/1891	Herbert Carter (age 20) is living with Elizabeth Nicholas (age 20, Servant) at the Old Lottery Inn, Paulton. He is Manager of the Inn.	1891 Census
05/01/1893	Herbert Carter (son of Felix Carter) is landlord of the Old Lottery	Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette - 05 January 1893
26/05/1899	Alfred Kempster is landlord of the Old Lottery Inn. John Stone, coal miner, wouldn't quit when drunk.	Shepton Mallet Journal - 26 May 1899 Bristol Mercury - 27 May 1899
31/03/1901	Alfred Kempster (age 40) is living with his wife Clara (age 34) and five children at the Old Lottery Inn, Plummers Hill. He is an Innkeeper.	1901 Census
19/11/1901	Alfred Kempster, licenses of Old Lottery, charged with permitting drunkeness on his premises. Case dismissed	Temple Cloud Petty Sessions
19/06/1908	Alfred Kempster licensee of Old Lottery. Frederick Comer Jun refused to quit.	Temple Cloud Petty Sessions
1914	Alfred Kempster is a beer retailer in Paulton	Kelly's Directory of Somerset 1914
04/01/1919	Old Lottery became a George's Brewery Pub, when George's brought Welton Brewery	Western Daily Press - 04 January 1919
04/05/1920	Transfer of license of the Old Lottery Inn, Paulton, from the present licensee, Alfred Kempster, to his son-in-law, Frederick Smith, bootmaker, of Paulton	Temple Cloud Petty Sessions
11/07/1928	Death of Alfred Kempster's Wife. Alfred had held license for "many years".	Western Daily Press - 11 July 1928
17/01/1930	Roof Damaged in a storm	Somerset Guardian and Radstock Observer - 17 January 1930
1935	Fred Smith is a beer retailer in Paulton	Kelly's Directory of Somerset 1935
24/06/1936	Mr and Mrs Smith of the Old Lottery - wedding of their daughter Miss Clara May Smith	Western Daily Press - 24 June 1936 Shepton Mallet Journal - 26 June 1936
29/09/1939	Fred Smith (b. 3 Feb 1883) is living with his wife (b. 28 Mar 1886) and daughter and son in law (assumed) at Plummers Hill. Fred is a Licensee.	1939 Register
07/1943	Death of Mrs. C. M. Golledge, daughter of Mr and Mrs Fred Smith - she was only 29 and died in childbirth.	Somerset Guardian and Radstock Observer - 09 July 1943
20/10/1948	The licence of the Old Lottery Inn, Paulton, was transferred from Mr. Fred Smith to Mr. Frederick G. Perry, of 11, Caswell Road, Bishopston, Swansea by the Temple Cloud justices on Wednesday.	Somerset Guardian and Radstock Observer - 22 October 1948
13/01/1950	Marriage of Miss Ruth Marie Perry, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. G. Perry, of the Old Lottery.	Somerset Guardian and Radstock Observer - 13 January 1950
03/1950	Death of Frederick Perry (members of a Brotherhood meeting passed a vote of sympathy)	Somerset Guardian and Radstock Observer - 17 March 1950
02/1951	Death of Frederick Smith - report on his Funeral. He had been licensee of the Old Lottery for 28 years	Somerset Guardian and Radstock Observer - 02 March 1951
13/06/1951	Transfer of licence of the Old Lottery Inn, Paulton, from Olive Winifred Perry to Thomas Henry Evans	Somerset Guardian and Radstock Observer - 15 June 1951
10/04/1957	Temple Cloud magistrates, on Wednesday, granted the transfer of the licence of the Lamb Hotel, Paulton, from Mrs. Alice Maud Wyatt to Mr. Thomas Henry Evans, formerly licensee of the Old Lottery, Paulton, which is now closed.	Somerset Guardian and Radstock Observer - 12 April 1957

Sources

Probate

21/04/1887 SLADE Martin Cyrus £76 16s The Will of Martin Cyrus Slade late of Paulton in the County of Somerset who died 12 April 1887 at Paulton was proved at Wells by Mary Slade of Paulton Widow the Relict the sole Executrix