Some history of the Darlington Arms on Darlington Street at Wolverhampton in Staffordshire

The Darlington Arms was first opened as a beer house and located on the south side of Darlington Street, a few doors down from the Methodist Church. George Ward brewed ales on the premises during the 1830s.

Dating from the early 1930s, this photograph shows the Darlington Arms in the livery of Atkinson's Brewery Ltd. of Aston in Birmingham. The entrance to the garage on the right was along Darlington Yard. Patrons could even have their vehicle serviced during their stay at the Darlington Arms.

Wolverhampton : Map extract showing the location of the Darlington Arms on Darlington Street [1886]

Licensees of the Darlington Arms

1835 - George Ward
1841 - Joseph Lowe
1861 - Lewis Leach
1868 - Thomas Cartwright
1880 - Thomas Davies
1891 - Mary A. Guest
1904 - William R. Drinnan
1904 - Tom Tabberner
1912 - Alice Bedford
1916 - Alfred Howell
1921 - Arthur Lamsdale
1939 - Leonard Mark Cutts-Avis
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. Names taken from trade directories may be slightly inaccurate as there is some slippage from publication dates and the actual movement of people.

"I was disappointed that your page on the Darlington Arms only lists landlords up to 1921. I appreciate that this is based on census returns etc. I have a name to add to that list - Leonard Mark Cutts-Avis was landlord in September 1939 as recorded in the 1939 Register. He was born in West Mersea, Essex in 1892. I am keen to find out more about him as I think he may have been my grandfather. He was in the army in N.W. India [now Pakistan] in 1928. Then he turned up at The Darlington. My mum was born in 1931. He emigrated to Canada in 1948. I'd love to find out when he arrived at the pub. Is there a records office in Wolverhampton I could ask or visit?"
Nick Gough, Bengeo, Hertfordshire

I am not sure that records are held at Wolverhampton City Archives in the Molineux Hotel Building. This should be the first place to enquire. You may may have to contact the court at Stafford for this information. I do not know of any surviving brewery records for Atkinson's houses that did not last long after M&B took them over. I see from the boarding details for the SS De Grasse that he and his wife Lily provided the address of the Darlington Arms, suggesting that they kept the house throughout the war. There are a number of military records for Leonard Mark Cutts-Avis available via Ancestry Worldwide Membership, though I do not have this subscription.
Kieron

Related Newspaper Articles

"A young man named Martin Judge was brought up in custody, charged with assaulting Henry Gray. The complainant, a servant at the Darlington Arms, stated that the defendant and others were in the house in question that evening, and as they used very bad language, Mr. Cartwright, the landlord, requested them to leave. They refused to do so, and witness was sent for a constable. When returning from the police-station he met some of the men in Darlington Street, and the defendant, who was with them, after speaking to witness, struck him in the mouth. Defendant admitted having struck the complainant, but said the complainant first put his hands to strike him [defendant]. Sir John Morris said the defendant's conduct had been disgraceful, and he appeared to belong to that class of young men who were going about with a determination to create a disturbance if possible. He was fined 20s. and costs. A charge against Judge, of refusing to quit the Darlington Arms when requested to do so, was dismissed in consequence of the non-appearance of Mr. Cartwright, with whom rested the proof of the offence."
"Assault in Darlington Street"
Express and Star : September 15th 1875 Page 3