The Werps

The Werps lay on the south side of the river Severn, opposite the Old Coalport China Works (now a youth hostel) and records indicate either three or four public houses, although it is unclear as to whether any of their names are renames of the same building or whether re-built on the same site.

Thomas Beard, a Broseley born man, was not only the long-time landlord of this pub but he was also the Master of a freight-carrying trow, named the 'William', sailing up and down the river Severn.

It is possible that the name change was prompted by the death of British General Charles George Gordon during the Siege of Khartoum in 1885.

The information plaque on the quayside at Bridgnorth shows an illustration of Thomas Beard and George Stephan (with others) aboard the 'William' – it is based on a photograph of the trow and its crew at Coalport.

The next landlord was to be Thomas Beard's grandson, George Stephan, whose 4-year-old daughter met with tragedy at the General Gordon Inn one Monday morning in November 1904.

This was a case of history repeating itself as George's twin brother Eustace died, at the same age of 4 years, in the same circumstances back in 1870.

The 1911 census shows that George Stephan had retired and the resident Licensed Victualler was then 28-year-old Emily Hammond, living there with her husband William and two children.

In 1937 Charles Herbert Morris, a Shropshire County Council roadman, aged 52, was killed in a road accident in Madeley.

Also listed[3] as a pub that ceased to exist sometime in the mid 19th century, was the Britannia Inn, with Susan Oswell as its landlady but again no indication of its location has been given or whether it was an earlier name for one of the other public houses.

Miles reports to have subsequently taken pictures of them himself when they became visible during a very dry summer in 1958 and had one of the shots and a small article published in the Express and Star that year.

Samuel Langford, a miner with an address at General Gordon Inn, The Werps, was charged with stealing a piece of timber valued at 3d.

[10] On 3 November 1920, Sergeant Arthur Reynolds, (King's Liverpool Regiment) of 252 Werps Road and husband of Nellie, died aged 49.

A piece of garden ground adjoining the road leading from the Tuckies to the Werps, auctioned as Lot 7, was sold to Mr. Durnall, of Madeley, for £16.

In 1895, an extract from Wellington Journal & Shrewsbury News, 1895 outlines that Councillor Exley successfully called for repairs to the bad state of the road near the Werps.