Free Settler or Felon
Convict and Colonial History




Hunter Valley Inns and Hotels Index

Publicans Index





The early 1840s were a difficult time to be in business. As well as financial insecurity, innkeepers were subject to strict regulations via the Licensing Act. They could be taken before the Bench of Magistrates for infringements of the Act and often the fines incurred were heavy; enough in some cases perhaps to put the innkeeper out of business.

Licensing meetings were held annually. In Newcastle and Singleton they were held in the Police Office and in Paterson at the Court House. Notice of forthcoming meetings was given a month in advance in the Government Gazette and applications for licences were lodged with the clerk of the Bench a fortnight before the meeting.

Publicans were required to lodge their certificates with the colonial treasurer within two months, otherwise the licence was regarded as null and void. Only those applicants who met requirements (and could produce the fee - 30 Pounds before 1847) would be issued with a licence.

After applying for his licence the publican would attend the quarterly meeting of the bench of Magistrates. His name would be called and he was required to answer any inquiries made by the Magistrates and provide proof of having complied with any preliminaries required by the Licensing Act. The Chief constable was examined on oath respecting the applicant's character, the site of the Inn and the state of the accommodation offered, before the granting or transfer of the licence was approved by the Bench

In Singleton in 1849 innkeepers assembled at the Police Office on the posted date and with their sureties, only to find that there was only one Magistrate, Dr. Glennie, in attendance. The meeting was adjourned until the following week and the innkeepers, (some of them travelling up to 20 miles) were required to return. On this occasion, after receiving their certificates, the publicans were sworn in as special constables.

In the early 1840s opening hours were from 4am to 9pm in summer. In winter the Inns were open from 6am to 9pm. After 1847 opening hours were between 5am and 11pm. Lamps were required to be lit throughout the night and innkeepers risked heavy penalty if they allowed them to extinguish.

Heavy fines were also imposed for other breaches of the Licensing Act. Infringements such as playing cards, selling liquor on the Sabbath or after hours, allowing an unlicenced person to sell liquor were all punished by fines and in some cases resulted in forfeiture of their licence at the next annual meeting.

Wives of publicans played an important role in the business as well, often taking over the running of the hotel effectively when their husbands died or were imprisoned, although they probably had assistance from family members and friends. In some cases when his wife died, the publican left the Inn soon after, unable to manage alone.

There was a lack of public facilities in early Hunter Valley townships and Inns were used in many of the activities of the day. The larger Inns often became the venue for public meetings, balls, celebratory dinners, horse races, pigeon shooting, fairs, cricket and raffles. They provided accommodation and sustenance for visiting Magistrates, lawyers, theatrical troupes, travelling portrait painters and later photographers offering Daguerreotypes. Arrangements for churches, hospitals, clubs, and societies were often planned in one of the many Inns throughout the Valley and inquests by the coroner J.S. Parker were also often held at the nearest Hotel.

Aberdeen

Aberdeen Hotel

Albert Inn

Murrurundi

Travellers Home

White Hart Inn

Woolpack Inn

Scone

The Bush Inn

St. Aubin's

White Swan Inn

Crown and Anchor

Golden Fleece Inn

Highland Home

Scone Inn

Muswellbrook

Thornton's Family Hotel

Muswellbrook Inn

Tradesman's Arms

Royal Hotel

The Shamrock Inn

The Golden Fleece

White Hart Inn

Singleton

The Plough

The Traveller's Home

Horse and Jockey

Cross Keys Inn

Sir Thomas Mitchell Inn

Newington Butts Inn

Donnybrook Fair

Governor Bourke Inn - The Governor Fitzroy Inn

The Caledonian Hotel

Anvil Creek

The Crown

The Wool Pack Inn

The Shamrock Inn

Black Creek

The New Inn

The Bush Tavern

The Red House

Chain of Ponds

Lady Mary Fitz roy Hotel/ Lady Gipps Inn

Cockfighters Creek

The Black Cock Inn

Golddiggers Arms

Falbrook

The Greyhound Inn

Glennies Creek

Queen Victoria Hotel

Darlington

St. John's Tavern

Jerry's Plains

Green Gate

Robin Hood Inn

Horse and Jockey

Queen Victoria Inn

The Plough

Mt. Thorley

Prince Albert Inn

New Freugh

Crown and Anchor

West Maitland

Albion Inn

Angel Inn

Australian Inn

Bucks Head Inn

Commercial Inn

Cricketer's Arms

Cross Keys Inn

The Falls Hotel

Freemason's Arms

Lamb Inn

Maitland Inn

Northumberland Hotel

Old Black Swan

Old Ground Young Hotel

Plough Inn

Settlers Arms

Sportsman's Arms

Thistle Inn

Red Cow Inn

Rose Inn

Seven Stars Inn

White Horse Inn

White Swan Inn

Waterloo Inn

Woolpack Inn

East Maitland

Black Horse Inn

Blue Bell Inn

Cottage of Content

The Family Hotel

Fitzroy Hotel

George and Dragon Inn

Golden Fleece Inn

Golden Lion Hotel

Red Lion Hotel

Hunter River Hotel

Prince Albert Inn

Queen Victoria Inn

Trades Arms Inn

Union Inn

Wool Team Inn

Paterson

Wellington Inn

Paterson Inn

Bush Inn

Settlers Arms

The Thistle

The Racehorse

The Clarence

Wrattling Hall

Patterson's Plains

Crown Inn

Dungog

Dungog Inn

Black Bull Inn

Union Inn

Settlers Arms

Tradesmen's Arms

Clarencetown

Clarence town Inn

Raymond Terrace

The Freemasons Arms

The Steampacket Inn

The Junction Inn

Dunmore

The Lamb Inn

Hinton

Hinton Hotel

Farmers Glory

Victoria Hotel

Lochinvar

Gordon Arms

Lochinvar Inn

Cross Keys Inn

Morpeth

Crown and Anchor

Globe Inn

Morpeth Hotel

Wheatsheaf Inn

Joseph Swales Hotel

Rose Shamrock and
Thistle Inn


Rutherford

Spread Eagle Inn

Hexham

Hexham Hotel

Wheatsheaf Inn

Newcastle

John Smith's Inn

Commercial Inn

Crooked Billett

The Newcastle Inn

Ship Inn

The Australian Inn

Steam Carriage Inn

Steam Packet Hotel

Victoria Inn

Rouses Hotel

Miners Arms Inn

Obelisk Hotel

Union Inn

Crown Inn

Patrick Riley's Inn

London Tavern

Shipwrights Arms

Woolpack Inn

Yacht Club Hotel

City Arms Hotel

Market Wharf Inn

California Hotel

Caledonia Hotel

Hidden Treasure


Darby Street

Royal Hotel

Volunteer Hotel

White Horse Hotel

Galatea

Miner's Arms

Fountain of Friendship

Prince Alfred

Old Oak Inn

Prince Henry

Imperial Hotel

Stockton

Stockton Arms



PUBLICANS
A

Adams, Henry
Alcorn, Edward
Alcorn, Richard
Alcorn, Richard
Anlaby, John



B

Bailey, Samuel
Bailey, Samuel
Ballard, Robert
Ballard, Robert
Bartley, William
Baxter, William
Beattie, Francis
Beattie, Francis
Bellew, Patrick and Mary Ann
Binder, Richard
Blackwell, John
Bowen, William
Bowman, Charles
Boyne, Lachlan
Boyne, Lachlan
Brackenreg, James
Brazill, William
Briggs, James
Briggs, James
Broderick, James
Brown, David
Brown, David
Brown, Edwin
Brown, Thomas
Browne, John
Bryant, Charles
Burgess, William
Burgis, John Rawlins
Burrows,William Caldwell
Butler, Henry
Butler, Henry



C

Caldwell, Samuel
Caldwell, Samuel
Callaghan, Elizabeth
Callaghan, John
Callaghan, John
Cannon, Joseph
Canvin, Robert
Canvin, Robert
Capp, Charles
Carpenter, Jane
Cheater, William
Chivers, George
Clark, Charles Miller
Clift, William
Cohen, Henry Joseph
Cohen, Lewis
Cohen, Lewis
Cohen, P.J
Cohen, Simeon
Coleman John
Collier, Henry
Collins, John Thomas
Cornelius, Ann
Cornelious, Richard
Cottrell, Robert
Coulston, Thomas
Court, William
Court, William
Cox, Benjamin
Cox, Benjamin
Cox, James
Cox, Thomas Balden
Thomas Balden Cox
Thomas Balden Cox
Croft, James
Croft, Joseph
Croft, Martha
Cullen, Thomas
Cummins, Richard Power



D

Dangar, Thomas
Dee, Charles
Dee, Charles
Dee, Charles
Dixon, Frederick
Doyle, Edmund
Doyle, James
Drew, William
Drew, William
Drew, William
Drew, William



E

Early, Henry
Eckford, Henry
Eckford, Henry
Eckford, Joseph
Eckford, William
Eckford, William
Eckford, William
Ewing, Robert



F

Farquarson, James
Ferguson, James
Ferguson, James
Fitzgerald Patrick
Foard, Elizabeth
Foard, Michael
Frederick, Francis
French, Thomas
Fulford, James
Fulford, James
Furber, George
Furber, George
Furber, George



G

Gibson, Alexander
Glanfield, Thomas
Gorrick, Isaac
Gorrick, Jacob
Graham, William
Grant, Peter
Green, John
Green, Mark
Green, William Benjamin
Greenland, Edward
Griffin, Francis
Groves



H

Hackett, Oliver
Ham, James
Hamilton, James
Hannaford, James Kay
Hannell, James
Hannell, John
Hart, John
Hawkins, Edward
Haylock, C.D
Haylock, Edward
Hewitt, Henry
Hewitt, Henry
Hewitt, Henry
Hewson, John Butler
Hewson, John Butler
Hewson John Butler
Hillier, John
Hillier, John
Hinchcliffe, Jacob
Hoddle, George
Hogue, Fitzarthur
Holden, William
Holdstock, James
Holdstock, James
Holland, Dennis
Honeysett, Thomas
Honeysett, Thomas
Hooke, John
Hook, Peter
Hopper, George
Hughes, Charles
Hughes, Charles
Hughes, Charles
Huxham, John



I

Innes, William



J

James, John
Johnston, Alexander
Johnston, Gilbert
Jones, Lewis
Jones, Richard
Jones, Thomas
Joseph, Nathan
Joseph, Nathan



K

Keddie, Robert
Kemp, Simon
Keogh, Bernard
Kerr, Thomas
Kerrigan, John
Kerrigan, John
Kerrigan, John
Kerrigan, William
Kesteron, Henry
Kesterton, Henry
Keys, John



L

Latham, William
Ledingham, George
Lee, John
Leeds, John
Levien, Solomon
Lloyd, George
Lonsdale, George
Lumley, John



M

Magner, Thomas
Magney, Morris
Magney, Morris
Magney, Morris
Maher, Richard
Martin, Ralph George
Martin, Ralph George
Marshall, Samuel
Mason
Matthews, William
Mayo, John
McClymont, James
McDonald, WilliamJames
McGreavy, James
McGuinness, Rose
McLean, Hector
McManus, Patrick
McMillan, Hugh
McNamara, Ann
McPhelemy, William
Meyn, William
Miller, George
Moloney, Frederick
Monaghan, Ellen
Monaghan, Patrick
Morgan, Molly
Muir, Elizabeth
Muir, James Richard
Munro, Alexander
Munro, Alexander
Murray, Robert
Murray, Robert



N

Nettleton, George Henry
Newman, William
Nicholas, John
Nicholson, William
Norton, Wyckes
Norton, Wyckes
Nowland, Henry;


O


O'Brien, Phillip
O'Connell, Patrick


P


Pacey, William
Page, William;
Page, William
Patterson, James
Pawsey, James
Pawsey, James
Pawsey, James
Pettit, John
Pewter, Mark
Pierce, Henry
Pierce, Mary
Poulton, George
Prentice, Thomas



R

Raisbeck, Thomas
Ramsey, William
Rapsey, Samuel Henry
Rapsey, Samuel Henry
Reeves, Henry
Richard, James
Richardson, Edward
Richardson, Edward
Riley, Patrick
Risby, Joseph
Robins, Charles
Robins, Charles
Rosseter, Thomas Boyd
Rotton, Walter
Rotton, Walter
Rouse, William
Rowell, John
Russell, Bourn junior
Ryan, Thomas



S

Simpson, William
Simpson, William
Singleton, Benjamin
Singleton, John
Singleton, Joseph
Singleton, Joseph and Agnes
Singleton
,
Slack, William
Slack, William
Slack, William
Smith, Henry
Smith, James
Smith, John
South, Richard
Sparke, William
Squires, John Bell
Stace, James
Stone, George
Stone, John
Swales, Joseph



T

Taylor, John
Teys, David
Thomas, Thomas
Thompson, Samuel
Thorne, Thomas
Thornton, Sylvester
Tighe, Robert
Tinson, William
Tuck, John Warne



W


Wall, Edward
Wall, William Price
Walmsley, Joseph
Ward, ?
Ward, Patrick
Ward, Richard
Watson, James
Watson, James
Watts, David
Watts, William
Wenz, Julia
Whittaker, Charles
Wightman, Alexander
Wilkie, John P
Wilkie, John P
Wilkinson, Alexander
Wilkinson, John
Williams, Frederick
Winter, William
Winter, William
Winter, Willam
Wisdom, John
Witton, William
Wolfe, James
Wolfe, James
Wright, Edmund
Wright, Edmund
Wright, Phillip



Y

Yeoman, George
Yeomans, George
Yeomans, George
Yeomans, Richard
Yeomans, Rolland
York, Henry
Young, James