The Beggars' Bush (the Inn)...what's in a name!
Having delved into the history of the name of the Beggars' Bush, there are a few facts that may be of interest, and no doubt will add to the confusion!
I believe that just prior to the proposed Inclosure of the commons and waste lands in 1827 all that existed was a bush that was locally known as the Beggars' Bush. It stood at the junction of the Old Chester Road and the road from Kingstanding, at the county boundaries of Warwicks and Staffs. The area was known as Coldfield Common. It was proposed to have the 40ft Road No.4 to run from the Beggars' Bush eastwards over the common to reach the Horse and Jockey public house. (Jockey Road.)
Looking at the 1834 map a few years later Jockey Road can be seen, but no buildings appear around the junction. I would guess that at this point there was not an Inn built.
The consensus is that a chap called William Goodwin was the first landlord of a Pub that stood at the junction in 1841. In the census of 1841 there is a William Goodwin listed as being 35 years old and Publican in Coldfield, and this backs up the idea that there was an establishment of some sort there. Also in Pigot's Dir of 1841 he is down as in Sutton Coldfield as a retailer of beer, but in the list of pubs the Horse and Jockey is mentioned but nothing of a Beggars or Hawthorn Bush, or even Bush.
The 1851 census lists him as being 46, and living at 33 Old Chester Road and a beer seller. This may suggest that the establishment was still not a fully-fledged public House.
In 1861 it is said that he took out a new lease and built a new pub adjacent in Jockey Lane, along with five cottages, and converted the old pub building into three cottages. This may be substantiated by the 1861 census that tells that he is 55 years old and a Licenced Victuller living at the HAWTHORN BUSH, Old Chester Road.
The name Hawthorn Bush is backed up by entries in Morris Com Directory of 1866, and PO Directory for 1868.
In the 1871 census William is 66 and down as Publican at 246, Jockey Road, New Oscott. But also in September 1871 there is a notice of a clearance sale at the Beggars' Bush Inn by the executors of the late William Goodwin. As we have seen the Beggars' Bush was again sold by a Mr King in 1874.
Coming up to the time of the picture at the start of the Thread there is a George Harding in charge, and in the 1901 census George Harding is 63 and at the BUSH INN, New Oscott. In the 1903 Kelly's Dir he is down as of the BUSH INN, Chester Road. More confusion in the 1904 Kelly's where he is down as Beggars' Bush, New Oscott, but in the Commercial section as the Bush Inn! George may have moved on to the Four Oaks PH by 1912.
It is strange that the first mention of the Beggars' Bush, or any mention of a PH in the location is in 1858 when there is a suicide described as being near the new college on the road to the Beggars' Bush PH. As far as I can see every other mention is of the name Beggars' Bush through until at least 1939. Maybe William Goodwin successfully built up his business from 1841, and at the time of his rebuild in 1860 he decided not to have a Beggar connected to it and called it the Hawthorn Bush. George Harding may have been of the same mind and called it the Bush, but all the locals and the Press always thought of it as the Beggars!
for another time maybe..
