I am searching for the Oliver family, in 1815 John Oliver was a publican at Wallhouses, Matfen, the only public house I can find is the Robin Hood Inn, If possible could SKS look up the census in 1841 and see if they were still there then. Many thanks Paul

Paul: Given the rate at which people tended to move around in the early 19th century, 1841 is quite a long time after 1815 for them to still be there. In fact the 1841 census shows all those with the address of Wallhouses to be farmers, ag labs etc, with no mention of anyone being a publican, innkeeper, etc. I have a copy of the index published on microfiche by Northumberland Record Office in 1997, of "Ale House Recognizances 1822-1826". These were the early form of what amounted to public house licences. There may be more detail in the original documents but all there is in the index is "John Oliver, Board, Wallhouses". Perhaps that is your source for knowing he was there at all, but perhaps it is another confirmation of that. What we are not told, of course, is the precise date when John Oliver's licence was granted, or indeed when he gave it up, and why he did so (because he had died?). If you are not familiar with this region you may not know that the Robin Hood has had a chequered career over the last few decades. First an owner over-expanded it by adding a large dining room - but the recession before this, plus the breathalyser plus the ever-increasing price of drinks meant he had few customers and had to close down. The building stood empty a long time before opening under the control of, I was told, the Official Receiver. I don't know whether that is still the case but I think it was bought a few years ago after another period of closure, and is currently doing well as a pub, though I don't know about the restaurant. It seems to have done well out of the creation a few years ago of the "Hadrian's Wall Path" which means those wishing to walk the length of the Wall can do so via field paths and don't need to risk their lives walking along the busy road: more passing hikers means more stop for a drink. The Robin Hood is the only pub on the line of the Wall between Heddon on the Wall and Portgate, some 10 miles or thereabouts. Another "Hadrian's Wall" related point is that sitting on the north side of the site of the Wall, the Robin Hood's cellars must be on top of the ditch which was there to help dissuade attackers. Not far away the remains of that ditch still make a large, vegetation-covered feature, near and parallel to the road. I often wonder whether the ease of incorporating it into the cellars was a factor in deciding where the pub should be put! One reason I mention the Robin Hood at length is that a first cousin once removed worked there as a barmaid, also a few years ago. Geoff Nicholson -----Original Message----- From: Paul Hood via <northumbria@rootsweb.com> To: northumbria <northumbria@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wed, 11 Feb 2015 15:52 Subject: [NMB] Wallhouses I am searching for the Oliver family, in 1815 John Oliver was a publican at Wallhouses, Matfen, the only public house I can find is the Robin Hood Inn, If possible could SKS look up the census in 1841 and see if they were still there then. Many thanks Paul .. Please quote the minimum necessary to put your reply on context. Please introduce yourself at the top of every post. The NORTHUMBRIA FAQ page is located at http://www.bpears.org.uk/NorthumbriaFAQ/ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NORTHUMBRIA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message