The tragic story of historic Cheshire pub's early landlords

Now we go to Lower Peover to look at The Bells of Peover pub and the adjoining church, St Oswald's.

When built in around 1839, the pub was named the Warren de Tabley Arms, but why was it called this? Here is the reason.

John Byrne Leicester-Warren, 3rd Baron de Tabley, was born on April 3, 1835, and brought up at Tabley House in Knutsford.

He was known as Warren and was educated at Eton and Christ Church Oxford.

A shy man and a poet who was a friend of Alfred Lord Tennyson. He was a highly respected published author, and his book Poems Dramatical and Lyrical, published in 1893, received much acclaim.

His other interests were book plates and coins. Most important to him, however, was the study of the countryside and the wild plants, mainly in the Cheshire area.

Warren de Tabley Arms

His book, The Flora of Cheshire, was so highly acclaimed when published in 1899, after his death, that it is still a standard reference book for botanists today.

He died of influenza in 1895, aged 61 years, and was unmarried throughout his life.

His body is buried in St Oswald's graveyard adjoining the pub that originally bore his name.

The photograph below of his grave showing the impressive Celtic Cross monument was commissioned by his sister Eleanor who is buried with him.

With no heir, the baronetcy died with him and became extinct.

The gravestone of John Byrne Leicester-Warren

In 1861 the landlord was George Bell, described as an innkeeper and brewer. So that was the origin of the pub’s name when it first opened.

On May 16, 1898, George Bell died aged 79, and his wife Phoebe died just a week after him.

The pub's licence was then taken by George Bell’s son William with his wife Alma; they went on to have 10 children.

Their time at the pub was somewhat distressing. William and Alma’s daughter, Fanny, married Walter Ormerod, and they moved to Bowden.

In November 1909, Fanny was 20 years old and had been married for a year, her husband was away on business, and after speaking with the servants and showing no signs of distress, she went upstairs.

A bang was heard shortly after, and the door to the spare bedroom was found to be locked.

The staff smashed it open and found Fanny’s dead body on the floor and a handgun in her hand.

St Oswald's Church

She had committed suicide by shooting herself. Her husband was severely affected by the death of Fanny, who was buried in the St Oswald graveyard. On December 28, 1909, whilst in Southport, he used his gun licence to purchase a gun.

Walking to the pier, Walter sat on a bench and ended his life by shooting himself.

In January 1910, William Bell died suddenly after a short illness and was buried in the graveyard.

His wife Alma Bell continued to run the pub, but the tragedy was not over. Another son, Victor Bell, took his own life on March 25, 1915.

He had been acting strange, telling his mother that he did not want to live in the pub. She stayed with him overnight, and at 5.30am, he got up, said he was going for a walk and left the pub.

A porter called Samuel Hatton was cycling to work when he saw an overcoat, cap and jacket lying in a field. He went over and found a water-filled pit.

Victor was standing in it with the water lapping over his head. When pulling him out of the water, he was found to be dead. He was also buried at St Oswald's.

The day after Victor’s death, Alma decided she would retire and handed the pub back to the owner, Captain Leicester-Warren.

Over the following years, the pub had several tenants, including Sydney Frank Cake, an acting Sergeant Major.

In the late 1920s, the Blackshaw family were in residence; in the late 1930s, George Savage and his wife Victoria took over, but George died shortly after moving in, and Victoria took the helm.

In 1939 Victoria managed the pub and had two daughters, Joan and Phoebe.

At this time, the name was changed to The Bells of Peover Hotel. Not because it was a hundred yards across the graveyard to St Oswalds church but as a tribute perhaps of the 55 years the Bell family had held the licence.

Next week we look at St Oswalds church and the famous personalities who passed through the door of the Bells of Peover.