Yeovil's Virtual Museum

William Garlick

Landlord of the Elephant & Castle

 

William Garlick was born in September 1867 in Yeovil, the son of Wiltshire-born leather dresser Tom Garlick (1844-1871) and his Yeovil-born glove sewer wife, Mary Ann, née Mullins (1848- ). Tom and Mary had married in 1866.

In the 1871 census, 27-year-old Tom, 23-year-old Mary and 3-year-old William, together with Mary's parents, James and Eliza Mullins, were listed living in Victoria Buildings, a small group of houses at the bottom of Addlewell Lane built specifically to house workers in the gloving industry.

Tom and Mary had married in 1866, but sadly Tom died in June 1871. Mary remarried and in the 1881 census was still living in Victoria Buildings, but with her new husband, Albert Fowler and his two children, while William was listed as Albert's stepson.

by the time of the 1891 census, Albert Fowler had moved his family to Earle Street.

In the autumn of 1893, at Yeovil, William married Eva Bartlett (1866-1951). Eva was the daughter of gardener Robert Matthew Bartlett and his wife Susan of Higher Kingston/a>.

By the time of the 1901 census, William and Eva were living in Earle Street with his their one-year-old baby daughter Ruby Myrtle Grace (1899-1977) and a general servant. William was listed as a foreman glover and Eva was a glove machinist.

In 1902, William was noted as the secretary of the Yeovil Branch of the Ancient Order of Foresters - a mutual society established in 1834 to provide financial and social support to members.

By 1905, according to the dated photo below, William was the licensee of the Elephant and Castle in Middle Street. He was recorded as the licensee in the 1911 census and in Kelly's Directory of both 1914 and 1923. It would appear, from newspaper advertisements for staff from 1913 onwards, that Eva played a great part in the running of the hotel side of the business.

IIn September 1911, the Yeovil Rugby Football Club was formed and William Garlick was elected to the Committee. As reported in the 15 September 1911 edition of the Western Gazette, it was reported "Mr W Garlick's offer of one of his rooms as head-quarters of the Club was accepted with thanks".

It is possible that William Garlick was declared bankrupt in December 1922. In January 1923, the license for the Elephant and Castle Hotel was transferred from William Garlick to Lewis Chant.

William Garlick died in Yeovil during the spring of 1923.

 

 

An interesting snippet from the 27 June 1902 edition of the Western Chronicle.

 

Wyndham Street in a colourised photograph of 1905 with the Elephant and Castle Hotel at left and, at right the building of Clements & Sons Grocers & Wine Merchants building on this corner is now gone. Where the boy stands at lower right is the site where the m>Western Gazette office would be built in 1906. Note also at extreme left the three-light Sugg lamp.

 

 This photograph features in my books 'Yeovil From Old Photographs' and "Yeovil In 50 Buildings"<"

Photographed in 1905, during the period William Garlick was licensee, this view of the Elephant and Castle Hotel includes many neighbouring buildings in Middle Street that remain to this day.

 

A report of Eva's bicycle accident from the 5 April 1907 edition of the Western Chronicle.