darts22
Well-Known Forumite
The earliest known reference to a public house at Lea is in the 1841 census when a William Limer is listed as the publican. It may have been a beer house prior to that after 1830. The earliest recorded name for a public house at Lea Heath is The Gate and may be a reference to a toll gate that is referred to in the papers of the Bagot family of Blithfield. By 1850 The Gate and shop was well established. In 1851 it was called the Newgate Inn. William Limer was the head of the household but had retired as a publican; Richard Dale was the Licensed Victualler. He had married William's daughter Hannah. William's youngest daughter Alice ary was married to William Ringham, innkeeper at Bagot Arms, Abbots Bromley. Richard Dale died in 1852 and William Limer in 1855. His daughters took over running of the pub. In 1861 it was The Gate with Thomas Collier who had married Hannah Dale. By 1870 Thomas Collier had died and Hannah Collier was the licensee of The Gate Inn. Hannah was sill licensee in 1876 but by 1881 her son George Dale was the licensee of the pub which was now The Hanging Wicket referring to a small gate within a larger one. George remained as the publican until he died in 1896. His wife Mary had died in 1884 but appears to have married another Mary since from 1896 until 1902 Mrs Mary dale was the licensee of The Hanging Wicket. In 1904 Charles Wilson was the licensee. By 1912 the Martin family were in charge, first John Martin and later Fred Martin until 1940. It continued to be known as The Hanging Wicket and was locally known as The Wicket until 1995 when it was renamed The Tolk. Mary and Glyn Evans took over the tenancy in 1999 who renamed it The Wicket soon after. A few years ago Mary moved from The Wicket to The Railway Inn at Norton Bridge.
