George and Dragon, Church Street, Beaumaris

button-theme-crimeLink to French translationThis building, now the George & Dragon Hotel, was originally a town house. The Dating Old Welsh Houses project has established that the earliest parts of the building date from 1541. The upper storey overhung the side of the street in the original architecture. Alterations were made in the 17th and 20th centuries but original beams survive. Also noteworthy is the 17th-century panelling.

One of the roof trusses bears pictures and words from c.1610. It is highly unusual for a building of this era to have both words and illustrations on the same truss. A painting of a bleeding heart occupies the centre of the apex. The Latin motto reads: Pax deus vobis requie defuge deus providebit nosce te ipsum.

In 1892 a court ordered “Liverpool gentleman” Thomas Horricks to pay two shillings a week to his former maidservant Elizabeth Owen, who by then was living at the George & Dragon in Beaumaris. She applied for the “affiliation order” because, she alleged, Mr Horricks had committed adultery with her in 1890. She was 20 years old, and he 70.

In January 1901, John Evans of the George & Dragon Hotel learned that his second son William had died at sea the previous month. William had served his apprenticeship with the De Winton foundry in Caernarfon before becoming a second engineer with Elder Dempster Lines, and left a widow and four young children. John himself died in 1904, aged 72. He was described as the town’s oldest licensed victualler (pub landlord).

With thanks to Margaret Dunn of Discovering Old Welsh Houses Group

Postcode: LL58 8AA View Location Map