The Bear's Head c1890,
from a larger photograph
Powysland Museum and Montgomery Canal Centre

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Hotels and Pubs in Broad Street, Newtown

Broad Street was particularly well supplied with hostelries, containing no less than 10 in 1891. These ranged from the larger hotels to small pubs.

The largest seems to have been The Bear's Head Hotel at 4 Broad Street, although the staff rather outnumbered the guests at census time. For around 50 years, the Bear's Head had been run by Mrs Elizabeth Langworthy, but she had died in 1889. Managing a hotel was apparently seen as a respectable occupation for a woman in the nineteenth century, as in 1891 the hotel was still being managed by a woman - Jane Jenkins. By the time of Slater's 1895 Trade Directory the hotel had again changed hands and was run by P Wilson Jones.

The Unicorn Hotel c1890,
from a larger photograph
Powysland Museum and
Montgomery Canal Centre

In fact, in 1891 most of the pubs and hotels in Broad Street were run by women. Two next door to one another were the Unicorn Hotel at Number 11 and the Blue Bell at Number 12.

In Sutton's Trade Directory of 1890, the Blue Bell is listed as being run by an Edward Morris - Harriet had perhaps only recently been widowed at census time.

Yet another pub run by a woman was the Elephant and Castle, but as with the other inns in town seemed a little short of guests.

John Thomas, the "boots", would have had general portering duties at the hotel which included cleaning the boots.

Yet another pub with a female licensee was the Black Boy at number 31:

Finally, there was the King's Head at number 53.

The King's Head had changed hands a few times prior to this, having been listed in Sutton's Directory as being run by Emily K Evans. One of the previous licensees had been David Kinsey whose widow still lived in Broad Street in 1891.

There was another pub called Castle Vaults at number 46, but was not home to anyone at census time.

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