UP

FRANK L MILHENCH

Frank Milhench was the licensee of the Top House public house 1956 to 1958, I have nothing other than the article below, If you have anything about Frank and his family to add to this page please e-mail me to have it included.

Top House Micklehurst Road Mary Nield obtained a beer seller’s licence for her shop at New Hollins, Micklehurst, about 1860. She continued to run the business until 1896, when she sold the house and land to Mrs Frances Thomas.

The shop-beerhouse was an old, stone building, so Mrs. Thomas had the place completely rebuilt in 1898 and decided to apply for a full public house licence. Unfortunately, Mrs. Nield had placed a condition on the sale of the land, stipulating that no public house was to be built upon it.

The Nield family owned the Commercial Inn, so it is understandable that they didnt want another full licence in the neighbourhood. Mrs. Thomas had to be content with a beer and wine licence for the new building, which she called the New Butchers Arms. Although she had originally agreed not to apply for a full licence, Mrs Thomas did not give up.

She tried seven times, and at her last attempt, in 1904, an exasperated solicitor at the licensing sessions said, are you just trying to make us all weary? Mrs Thomas decided to call it a day and in the following year her son William was in charge. William continued the family tradition and turned up at the 1905 Brewster sessions to put his case for a full licence.

He had not picked a good year to apply. The Compensation Act had just been passed by Parliament and the police and magistrates were more concerned with getting rid of licences than granting new ones! Also ranged against him were the local Church Temperance Society and the landlord of the New Bridge Inn, who certainly didnt want another public house on Micklehurst Road! Gartsides Brewery of Ashton bought the New Butchers Arms in 1910 and William Thomas stayed on as their tenant. He made

his final application for a full licence in 1914. At the February sessions he was told that there were 18 licensed victuallers, 5 beer and wine houses and 5 beerhouses in Mossley, giving a ratio of one licensed house to 356 people.
Gartsides Brewery employed a solicitor, Mr Simisier, to put their case, he stated that the New Butchers Arms was in every way suited for a new licence.

The population was increasing and the nearest public house (New Bridge Inn) was 400 yards away, lower down the road. The two nearest on the Micklehurst side were the Dysarts Arms and the Stamford Arms at Heyheads, both more than a mile away. There were three large factories near the New Butchers Arms and their employees often asked for spirits.
Gartsides were evidently keen to get the New Butchers Arms fully licensed as Mr. Simister then offered to surrender the licence of the Old Pack Horse if the new licence was granted.

Interestingly, at that time the Old Pack Horse was owned by Lord Stamfords trust. (At the Brewster sessions a year later, Mrs. Thornton, landlady of the Old Pack Horse, said that negotiations were pending for the sale of her house to a brewer.) It would appear that Gartsides Brewery only wanted the Old Pack Horse for its licence, which they could use to bargain with. They probably had an arrangement with Lord Stamfords trust to buy the pub if a deal concerning the New Butchers Arms could be struck.

Gartsides offer did not sway the licensing magistrates, however, Arthur Lees, solicitor for Mrs. Woods of the New Bridge Inn, restated the old agreement made when Mrs Nield sold the original beerhouse in 1896. The magistrates returned to the court after considering the application and gave Mr. Thomas and Gartsides Brewery an emphatic <q>No!</q>The New Butchers Arms had to wait almost 50 years for its full licence. William A Thomas was still tenant of the beerhouse when Bents Brewery of Liverpool merged with Garttsides in 1939 and indeed, he stayed on until 1951, his 46 years at the pub is a Mossley record

Next came:
			Robert Ecclessp 1951-1956
			Frank L Milhench 1956-1958
			Albert Griffithss 1958-1960
			Thomas Lewis 1960-1961
			Vincent Street 1961-1962
			Wilfred Lawton 1962-1965
			Celia Taylor 1965-1977
			Jack Swindells 1977-1983
			Martin Yates 1983-1988
			Bass Charringion acquired the New Butchers Arms in 1967 when they took over Bents Garttsides.

The three nearby factories have now gone, the railway viaduct has gone and so has a lot of other old property nearby. For many years the pub was known as the Top House (much easier to say than New Butchers Arms) and on 21st May 1984

Martin Yates made this the pubs official name. The present licensee is Barbara Wallwork, who took over in
1988.(Extract taken from the publication Mossley pubs and their licensees 1750 to 1991. Author Rob Magee ISBN 1 85216 065 9
10 Mossley Cross next door to the Old Pack Horse pub is where my grand-father Samuel Booth lived with his father John Booth and mother Jane Booth (NeeMilhench)