Monday, 6 February 2012

Lord Rodney, Pollard Street

Lord Rodney, Pollard Street, Ancoats, 1950s. (c) Neil Richardson [1].

The Admiral Lord Rodney opened in the 1820s, straddling Howe Street and Rodney Street on Pollard Street, fronting a row of back-to-back dwellings [2].  Later, the Pollard Street Brewery replaced these tiny houses and Rodney Place to the north and east.  In 1869, John Taylor was licensee of the Lord Rodney and by the 1920s he'd built up John Taylor & Co Ltd into an estate of 18 pubs and beerhouses and 24 off-licences around Manchester.  He sold up to Walker & Homfray in 1929 and the pub passed to Wilsons before it closed in 1972 [1].

Admiral Lord Rodney, Pollard Street, Ancoats, 1849. (c) Alan Godfrey Maps [2].

In the 1930s, Mick Burke used to sell his fruit & veg outside the Lord Rodney.  "Most of my customers came from the [back-to-back] dwellings and Stevenson's box works... I would get £30 a week from the Lord Rodney pitch.  The landlady of the Rodney was a widow, a nice woman.  I would sometimes pull pints for her and the women of Stevenson's would joke about me being the landlord [1]."

1. The Old Pubs of Ancoats, Neil Richardson (1987).
2. Ancoats 1849, Alan Godfrey Maps (2011).

3 comments:

  1. I have read your article, it is very informative and helpful for me.I admire the valuable information you offer in your articles. Thanks for posting it..Restaurant Frankfurt-Oder

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  2. Wow this is a fabulous social history article my X3 Great Grandfather lived on Rodney Street in 1861 census it's so interesting to think I am viewing their local!

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  3. Cast members from Coronation Street tv series from Granada studios used to drink here, my Grandma and step Grandad used to run this pub, Ann and Andy O’Connor, not sure what year, maybe 1964? Elsie Tanner (Pat Phoenix) was definitely seen there.

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