Image of William Street with Park Hotel on the corner published courtesy of Local Studies, Swindon Central Library.
The licensing trade was a close knit community in Swindon during the late 19th and early 20th century. You might even say it was something of a family affair. However, running a pub probably didn’t feature in Ann Harvey’s plans for the future when she moved here in the 1860s.
Ann Elizabeth Ford married engine fitter William Harvey in the parish church of St Philip & St Jacob, Bristol on October 6, 1856. In 1861 the young couple lived at 4 Regent Terrace, Bristol with their three year old son William John. By 1871 they had moved to Swindon and were living at 20 Gloucester Street when William died in 1877 leaving Ann with five young children to raise.
That same year Edwin Harvey, builder and beerseller, was landlord at a beerhouse, a property he most probably built himself, and which later became known as Park Hotel. According to an application for a beer and cider license made by Edwin in 1879, the beerhouse had previously been owned by his deceased brother William, Ann’s husband. In 1879 Edwin applied for the license. He states “of which premises the trustees of the will of the late William Harvey, deceased, are the owners …” Presumably he was unsuccessful as he tried again in 1880 when it was reported in the Swindon Advertiser “Removal of the license of the King of Prussia Inn in High Street, Swindon, from the premises now occupied, to premises now occupied by Edwin Harvey, at present with an out-door license, and known as the Park Tavern, in William Street, Kingshill.“
By the time of the 1881 census Ann Elizabeth Harvey was in charge and Inn Keeper at 1 Cambria Bridge Road. Living with her were her sons, Ozias 19, a carpenter and George 17, a riveter’s apprentice. Her daughters were Emma Mary 15 who worked in the business as a barmaid and Isabella Ann 12 and Elizabeth Alice 10 who were both still at school. Lodging with them was William Crombey.
In due course Ann’s son Ozias would briefly take over the Park Hotel/Inn and in 1901 Ann, aged 64, was living with her daughter Isabella Groves who was the landlady at the Ship Hotel, Westcott Place.
Ann died later that year and was buried on October 23 in grave plot D17a alongside the cemetery chapel. Her eldest daughter Emma Mary Linsell was buried with her following her death in 1921.
Ann’s three daughters married men who all worked in the licensing trade while her sons Ozias and George worked alongside her at Park Hotel. A family affair.
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