James Dawson - known as Jim – was the son of Thomas Dawson.
He was landlord of the Black Horse beerhouse, Butcherhill, Walsden [1828-1856].
Immediately the Beerhouse Act [1830] was passed, James opened one – which he called the Black Horse, Knowlwood – in the building now known as the Spinners Rest on Butcherhill, Walsden.
He called it the Black Horse after his own Black Horse.
His original beerhouse was taken over by Jeremiah Howarth who re-named it the Spinners Rest.
He later purchased a block of buildings further along the same road, moved there and opened a different beerhouse about 1831, which he also named the Black Horse.
He bought 10 acres of land at Butcherhill, which he farmed, and also was a coal dealer. His wife sold groceries.
He bought a special carriage with steps up to a seating area where 3 persons could sit on each side facing each other, with a further two next to the driver, running a successful business for many years with this carriage, which became popular for wedding parties and Sunday picnics.
He married Sally, daughter of John Fielden.
They had no children.
He had 2 illegitimate children:
He stayed with his wife Sally Fielden for the rest of his life.
On 28th January 1856, he hanged himself from a beam in his hay loft.
The Leeds Mercury of Thursday, 31st January 1856 reported
On Monday evening last, about half past seven o'clock, the neighbourhood of Butcher Hill near Todmorden presented a scene of great excitement, owing to a respectable beer seller and grocer named James Dawson, having been found by George Scholefield in a lifeless state, hanging by the neck in a hay rope from one of the beams of his own hay loft situated above the stable. The deceased on the same evening about 5 o'clock, was seen looking about and making inquiry after his carts, and was shortly afterwards observed entering the stable. He was afterwards seen to come down from the hay loft and enter his house, where he remained a short time; but afterwards went out and was not seen again until found dead. His friends had not observed anything peculiar in his demeanour to cause the least suspicion.
and The Leeds Mercury of Saturday, 2nd February 1856 reported
On Thursday last, at the Greyhound Inn, Wadsworth Mill, Todmorden, before Mr Dearden, coroner, an inquest was held on the body of James Dawson, who hanged himself on Monday last, in his own hay loft. The principal witness, to prove the state of deceased's mind, was Mr Thos. Stansfield, coal merchant, Todmorden, with whom the deceased went in company to Blackpool on Wednesday. Witness and deceased slept together at the New Inn. About seven o'clock the following morning Stansfield was awoke by a rumbling noise at the foot of the bed, when he perceived Dawson pulling about his (witness's) clothes. He asked him what he was doing there, and he replied that he had lost his watch. Stansfield said, you need not think of finding it among my clothes. Dawson then got in bed, and witness fell asleep. Soon afterwards however, Dawson got up for the day and told the owner of the house that he had lost his watch. This statement proved to be incorrect as the watch was found hanging at the head of another bed in the same room. Stansfield, on getting up, discovered that his money, amounting to £34 10/-, was missing. He at once charged the deceased with having taken it, but he denied having seen anything of it. This caused Stansfield to collect evidence to confront Dawson, and to prove that on arriving at the inn mentioned he had the sum stated. A few days ago, deceased acknowledged having taken the money (of which he had made very free use), and made arrangements for repaying it, signed a stamped document for that purpose. It is conjectured that this circumstance, together with his late hard drinking, probably caused him to commit the rash act which terminated his life. The jury returned a verdict of temporary insanity
James was buried at St Mary's Church, Todmorden.
After his death, his widow Sally took over at the Black Horse until her own death in 1870
This & associated entries use material contributed by Linda Briggs
Page Ref: X2054
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