YATELEY'S BEERHOUSES
The Ely
John Rackstraw first appears as a beerseller in the 1871 census but he must have become established before that to qualify as an ante 1869 beerhouse. He is said to have named his pub after the famous racehorse trained by Tom Olliver at Wroughton near Swindon. Ely won 11 of its first 13 races. Certainly the Rackstraws seem to have been a family of publicans as a Moses Rackstraw was the licensee of the Red Lion, Blackwater from 1843 to 1861.
The Ely was moved westwards about ΒΌ mile, by an exchange of common land, when a new house was built in 1936 by Morland. Their tenant, Mr Edward Alfred Montague Moore, known locally as Monty Moore, established another long family relationship with a Yateley pub. He continued until 1962, when his son-in-law, Norman Howard Ellis took over until 1972.
Morland claim that the old Ely was built on the site of a house owned by a man named Boyt who around 1765 brewed and sold a very strong ale in a mud hut reinforced by twigs and canes from poker flowers in a nearby pond. The only factual records we have is that in 1844 William North owned and occupied a house and garden (no 456 on the Tithe map) of 3 rods and 33 perches exactly on this spot. William and Mary North raised a family between 1819 and 1835 giving William's occupation as "labourer".
Additional Note (26 Aug 2003): William North and his family also appear in two census (1841-51) living on "Hartford Bridge Flats", giving his occupation as Ag. Lab.. In 1861 he gave his occupation as "Retired Labourer" and his residence as "Yateley Common p house" -- not an an abbreviation for "public house" but Yateley Poor House. By 1861 the Poor House was no longer run by the Poor law Union, but was privately owned. The six cottages, adjacent to Silver Fox Farm, were leased to Yateley families.
Back to 1997 Exhibition: Inns, Alehouses & Maltsters of Yateley
Original page written by P J Tipton for the Yateley Society's 1997 Exhibition: Inns, Alehouses & Maltsters
Additional research by Richard Johnston & Elizabeth Tipton
Original page may now have been revised to include the Society's latest Research
(c) The Yateley Society, 1997 & 2008
Page Exhib.1997.16
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.