Some history of the Cottage Spring Inn on Mill Street at Brierley Hill in the County of Staffordshire
![Brierley Hill : The Cottage Spring on Mill Street at Brierley Hill [1978]](https://www.midlandspubs.co.uk/images/staffordshire/brierley-hill-cottage-spring.jpg "Brierley Hill : The Cottage Spring on Mill Street at Brierley Hill [1978]")
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![Brierley Hill : The Cottage Spring on Mill Street at Brierley Hill [2004]](https://www.midlandspubs.co.uk/images/staffordshire/brierley-hill-cottage-spring-2004.jpg "Brierley Hill : The Cottage Spring on Mill Street at Brierley Hill [2004]")
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Licensees of the Spring Cottage Inn
1870 - 1873 George Davis
1873 - 1875 Charles Fletcher
1875 - 1877 William Evans
1877 - 1890 Joseph Ashton
1890 - 1899 William Ameson
1899 - 1902 Francis John Bryce
1902 - 1902 James Smith Powell
1902 - 1902 Alfred George
1902 - 1903 Samuel Dunn
1903 - 1905 Arthur Evers
1905 - 1907 John Harbach
1907 - 1909 Thomas Felton
1909 - 1909 Benjamin Birch
1909 - 1911 John Myers
1911 - 1912 Fred Archer
1912 - 1922 Ebenezer Grantham Shaw
1922 - 1926 Edward Sidney Bragger
1926 - 1946 William Henry Smith
1946 - 1954 Mary Ann Smith
1954 - 1972 Kenneth Ivan Lane
1972 - 1976 John Frederick Richard Spencer
1976 - 1982 Thomas Batham
1982 - 1982 Stuart Michael Day
1982 - 1982 Allan Raymond Davis
1982 - 1983 Richard James Green
1983 - 1984 Joseph Parry
1984 - 1985 Graham Whitehouse
1985 - 1986 William Turville
1986 - 1987 Kenneth Baines
1987 - 1987 Joy Elaine Sivell
1987 - 1988 Anthony Whittaker
Note : this is not a complete list of licensees for this pub. The dates of early licensees are sourced from trade directories, census
data, electoral rolls, rate books and newspaper articles. The listings from 1870 to 1988 is complete and accurate as these names are sourced from licensing records.
These records are hand-written and I have done my best to transcribe them accurately, though some scribbles of the clerks can be hard to determine.
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![Brierley Hill : Inn Sign of the Cottage Spring [1978]](https://www.midlandspubs.co.uk/images/inn-signs/brierley-hill-cottage-spring.jpg "Brierley Hill : Inn Sign of the Cottage Spring [1978]")
"An inquest was held at the Cottage Spring Inn, Brierley Hill, on Monday, concerning the death of John Ameson [68], of Level
Woods, Brierley, who was found with his throat cut on Saturday. William Ameson, brother of the deceased, gave evidence of identification, and said he last saw his
brother in his normal condition in the kitchen about 8.15 on Saturday morning. When he came back at 10 o'clock, the deceased had cut his throat. Witness was at
deceased's death, which took place shortly before midnight. His brother had been strange in his manner off and on for some time. He suffered from bronchitis, dropsy,
and heart disease, and complained of pains in the head. He had lost his wife about 8 months ago, and witness thought that may have preyed on his mind. Annie
Grosvenor, a neighbour, said that the Thursday previous to his death, the deceased asked her to go for the doctor, and ask him for something that would make him pass
away peacefully, as his head was so bad. Deceased had seemed strange for the last fortnight. Providence Cartwright, another neighbour, said that she went to
deceased's house at about 9.30 on Saturday morning to see how he was. She went upstairs, and found deceased lying on the floor in a pool of blood. She then went
downstairs for the next door neighbour. By a juryman: "Deceased did not speak to her?" Ameson, recalled, identified the razor produced as the property
of a man named Bedford, with whom the deceased lodged. P. S. Challinor said he was called to the house at about 10.20. He found the defendant lying on the floor of the
room partially dressed. His throat was cut, the windpipe bring partially severed. He had lost a large quantity of blood, and was unconscious. The razor produced was by
his side. The jury returned a verdict of "Suicide whilst temporarily insane."
"Old Man's Suicide"
Dudley Chronicle : August 1st 1914 Page 6
