Noahs Ark Yard Bloomsbury Street.

[Old Boy]

Hi All,
My wifes father was born in 1892 in Noahs Ark Yard Bloomsbury Street. He was Arthur White. Does anyone have any knowledge of this strangely named place? I doubt if any photos exist but my wife would be delighted if there were.
Old Boy

 

[mikejee]

I will try and find out some more. There are at least a couple of Noah's ark yards in the Black country (Wolves & Darlaston), where the name originated from a pub of that name. I suspect that the same will be so in this case. There was a Noah's Ark pub in Montague st, and possibly another also existed in Birmingham

 

[Phil]

"Meanwhile in 1901 George appears to be a cycle tube drawer at Noah's Ark Yard, 2 Bloomsbury Street, Aston"

I found this mention of Noah's Ark Yard on rootschat.com. No 2 Bloomsbury Street was in fact the Junction public house of which there are loads of photos on the forum. If you can't find one let me know and I'll find one for you.

 

[Vivienne14]

Very interesting. Why would you call a yard Noah's Ark? Very wet, damp place perhaps? Or a place where there were lots of different animals? Intriguing. Viv.

 

[gardengerald]

Hi All,
My wifes father was born in 1892 in Noahs Ark Yard Bloomsbury Street. He was Arthur White. Does anyone have any knowledge of this strangely named place? I doubt if any photos exist but my wife would be delighted if there were.
Old Boy

Hello Everyone
My Grandfather was also named Arthur White and he lived in Spooners Street.
Best wishes..Garden Gerald.

 

[mikejee]

Yes, there was a Noah's Ark pub in Bloomsbury st, which seems to be first seen in the early 1850s as no 50 . In the early 1880s its numbering changes to no 118, and between 1905 & 1907 it changes to dining rooms run by George Widdowson. Below is a map showing what I think is the Noah's ark, marked 118. Presumably Noah' s Ark Yard is the yard behind

 

[Old Boy]

Hi,
Thank you Mike, Phil, Gerald and Viv for your interest. At least we now know why it was called Noahs Ark yard. When I asked the question it was in the back of my mind that Mike would come up with a map. Thanks again .
Chris Beresford (Old Boy)

 

[mikejee]

Trouble is the two explanations give different place apparently. Maybe the junction was once named the Noah's ark in earlier times

 

[Phil]

Mike

The post to rootsweb about the chap in 1901 could be wrong. We all know that because something is posted to he internet it doesn't make it right. Having looked at the Junction Inn on a map I can see no yard (back court) that could have contained housing. I thought that as the Junction Inn was a pretty big place that part of it might have been lodging and that Noah's Ark was just a name it was given.

 

[mikejee]

Yes that is very possible. We shall probably never know.

 

[pjmburns]

On the 1891 census 118 Bloomsbury Street is not given a name although Edward Allen is listed as a publican. The next address is 120 and there don't seem to be any back houses listed for 118 and no reference to a yard.
In 1890 Kelly's it is John Moore beer retailer.
In 1892 Kelly's it is Richard Ingram listed as a beer retailer.

Janice

 

[mikejee]

In the 1871 census, it is listed as The Noah's Ark (at no 50). that was the only confirmation as to its position. there are several mentions in the newspapers also.