In a message dated 12/07/2004 10:45:09 GMT Daylight Time, glmcdonald@hn.ozemail.com.au writes: > 1.. Can anyone confirm that the SMITHS ARMS existed in Southwick? > 2.. If it did exist, where exactly was it located? > 3.. Does anyone know where I could find any old photographs of this pub or The Green, Southwick or even an old map showing exactly where the pubs were/are located? . Grahame: . . I have looked at: (a) "Southwick on Wear, an Illustrated History", by Peter Gibson (1985) (Southwick Publications, no ISBN - ! ) . and: . (b) "Old Pubs of Sunderland" by Alan Brett and John Royal (Black Cat Publications 1993 ISBN 0 9518043 5 9). . Both these include (different) photographs of the pub, which seems to have been a typical "end of terrace pub", in this case on the south side of Southwick Green. It was at the west end of a terrace in which there were really only three premises - the Smith's Arms at one end, the Old Mill Inn at the other and a house used as a blacksmith's shop in the middle. From the photos it looks as though each had taken in a house originally next door. In the case of the Smith's Arms that was the old smithy, which had been run by someone named Hayton up to 1894, and then by Marches until they moved into new premises in the King's Road in 1912. . . The terrace was built in the 1820s and the Smith's Arms was demolished in August 1984 after standing derelict for four or five years. The rest of the terrace had been demolished around 1981. A local councillor attempted to have the Smiths Arms listed as a building of architectural interest, but failed (quite honestly, as far as I can see from the photo it was typical but in no way special or outstanding). The photo in "Old pubs of Sunderland" was apparently taken in the early or mid-twentieth century and shows a large sign on the wall outside, on the part of the premises originally the smithy, advertising "Lorimers famous Edinburgh Ales". After the first World War the large Sunderland brewery of Vaux acquired a number of small breweries, including that of Lorimer and Clark, thereby bringing Scotch Ales into Wearside. Vaux houses sold Lorimers Scotch Ale right up to the demise of that brewery just a few years ago. The photo on "Southwick on Wear" was taken in about 1946, and then the sign, in much the same position, read "Vaux's Draught. Beer at its best". The Old Mill was also a Vaux's house. . . Geoff Nicholson 57 Manor Park, Concord, WASHINGTON, Tyne & Wear NE37 2BU Long-established Professional Genealogist: ask for details of NBL/DUR family history research by THE local expert, working for YOU.