The Berwick Arms, Marygate

This was one of the oldest public houses in Berwick which survived until the 1980s in Marygate, very close to the Town Hall.

It was initially known as the Gibralter Rock and the Fishmonger’s Arms. The premises not only consisted of the public house but also a series of buildings in a yard, including a pie shop.

Here’s a timeline for its history and some interesting articles from the local newspapers:

Early history – (1)

1820 – S. Bolton in charge

1834 – William C. Herriott was landlord (2)

1839 – Mrs Penny in charge

1845 – William Bell – fined for being open during divine service

Aug 1856 -  license transferred from William Bell to Henry Gibson

1858 – George Lamb, the publican. The Mechanics supper was held there

1865 – Mrs Nicholson in charge of Berwick Arms

March 1870 – George Lamb retires (3)

1872 – Edwin Cross is the publican

13 Nov 1874 – The license is transferred from Edwin Cross to William Johnson

26 March 1880 – Daniel Bowen applies to take over.

April 1883 – Edward Bowen fined for selling liquor out of hours to woman but license not endorsed (4)

1887 – Edward Bowen listed as publican of Berwick Arms

7 Feb 1889 - License transferred from Edward Bowen to Alfred Strother

1890 – Drunk and Disorderly case in Berwick Arms (5)

December 1895 – Cabbies Christmas at Berwick Arms (6)

30 July 1897 - Licence transferred from John Alfred Strother to Joseph Kennedy

19 Dec 1901 – license transferred to Eliza Kenndy on death of her husband, Joseph Kennedy, aged 37

30 April 1903 – Licence passed to Mr Pringle

19 May 1904 – Licence temporarily transferred to Alex Dalgetty from Stirling

13 April 1905 – license temporarily transferred to Wm Marshall. 

May 1909 – Licence passed from William Marshall to William Nicholson Young

1922 – Pub sold by Johnson & Darling who had owned it for 22 years

3 Feb 1922 Berwick Advertiser report on Public Houses:

BERWICK ARMS, MARYGATE – Supt. Halliday said the bar was 15ft by 12ft, and had a large window. There was a sitting room 15ft. by 12ft., and a kitchen 9ft by 12ft, which was sometimes used for drinking purposes. There was also a sitting room upstairs, 15ft by 12ft., also sometimes used for drinking purposes. The building was old, damp, and in very bad repair. There was an outside passage with a side entrance.

By Mr Henderson – There were no complaints against the conduct of the house. He thought Mr Wheeler did his best, but a side entrance was against proper supervision. Sometimes things were done in these dark passages which neither Mr Wheeler nor anyone else could see.

The Berwick Arms, said Mr Henderson, was in the occupation of Mrs Howe, who was a life tenant, and Messrs Johnson & Darling leased from her. Mrs Howe had just had the notice served on her and had not had time to come to any decisions.

September 1923 – Mr Strother, the landlord dies

August 1926 – Mr Shaw takes over from Mr Wheeler.

1938 – Licence passes from Thomas Hall to John Hunter

1941 – Music licence refused (7)

August 1943 -  Cooper charged with selling watered down rum (8)

1947 – John Alexander Cooper was the publican

May 1948 - death of Joseph Albert Cooper , former licensed victualler. Licence taken over by his wife, Gladys

1949 - Fred Green, former Captain in the army takes over the Berwick Arms

1960 – Granted a licence for music 

November 1967 – Fred Green retires (9)

1969 & 1970 – Les & Doris Munroe in charge

Late 1971 – the pub was renovated and a number of rooms knocked together. – (10)

1972 – 1974 – Arthur & Peggy in charge

April 1983 – George and Grace Tait retire. Replaced by Miss Tait

1986 - The premises of Berwick Arms purchased by Alex McNeill and Co. along with Pallisters and Library site for commercial premises. The Berwick Arms was converted to Lunn Poly.

Berwick Arms Inn, taken 1959

(5) Berwick Journal, 17th July 1890

(2) Berwick Advertiser, 8th February 1834