The name and early years

The pub is named after George I who ascended to the English throne in 1714.  The first reference to a pub on this site was in 1720.  For the first hundred years of the pub's history, it was tied to the fates of two families, the Lowes and the Mellors.  

Robert Mellor, who was the landlord from 1774, was also a cheese factor.  He married Mary Allen in 1778 and they had four children.  Maria Mellor inherited the pub in 1838 from her mother, Mary, as her brother had been declared bankrupt.  At this time there were three pubs in the village: the George; the Crewe & Harpur and the Red Lion.  

Maria Mellor married George White of Calton in 1832.  He was an auctioneer.  He continued the practice of holding sales and auctions at the pub (see below).

The George was mentioned in an 1834 trade directory as the "good inn for the accommodation of tourists".  

In 1851, George White was aged 52.  He lived at the pub with Maria, their son called George William, his aunt Anne Allen and two house servants.  Joseph Gibbs, who was listed as an ostler and brewer, also lived at The George.  

There are records of a celebration held at The George, at the expense of the Harpur Crewe estate, to celebrate Anthony Beresford's 101st birthday.

In 1861 George William White was living next door to The George with his wife Mary and their four-year old son who was the third generation of the family to be called George - George Charles White.  He had a farm of 55 acres.  In the following year, George White, the grandfather, died and the pub was run by the trustees of his will.  

In 1870, Richard and Jane Lester took over the pub.  They had two young children, James and Annie and employed Anne Millward as a servant.

The pub was sold by auction on the 28th February 1876.  Lot 2 was described as having "a brew house, garden, piggeries, croft and yards".  There was also "a substantial building containing a shippons barn and a malthouse".  The inn itself comprised "a house place, bar parlour, sitting room, four bedrooms, attics, kitchen, larder and dairy".  Lot 3 was the adjoining cottage.  Both of the lots were bought by Sir John Harpur Crewe.  He was the Lord of the Manor of Alstonefield.

In 1896 The George was advertised as "splendidly situated' with good accommodation for travellers and tourists, stabling, and traps for hire". 

The Harpur Crewe connection

From the late 19th Century until the 1950s the pub and the main part of the village of Alstonefield formed part of the Harpur Crewe estate.  The Harpur Crewe family lived at Calke Abbey in Derbyshire but had significant holdings of land in Staffordshire, including Warslow Hall and the grouse moors nearby. Local rents for the estate were collected in the snug bar and the landlord of The George is still required to provide a room once a quarter, at no charge, to the estate.

Sales and auctions

Even before the time of George White the pub was often been used for sales and auctions.  This is an extract from some archive papers : "The sale took place at The George Inn at Alstonefield on 13 May 1805. The original bill for dinners and drink for those attending the sale includes 31 bottles of rum and 28 bottles of brandy, which may explain why Lots 1 and 2, a farm and 48 acres of land, sold for the amazing sum of £2,390, at a time when trade in all areas was depressed due to the ongoing Napoleonic Wars."

Interiors

Where we have refurbished rooms in the pub, we have stripped back to the original features.  In the dining room we were lucky to discover the original Georgian fireplace behind a brick-built fireplace covering the original. We have retained the fireplace and replaced stonework where it had cracked or perished.   We source our furniture carefully to complement the historic interiors.  The sheepskin throws on the settles in the dining room and in the snug bar recall the wool sales that were held in the stable and coaching yard to the rear of the pub.

Landlords of The George

1720-1755 William Lowe

1755-1759 Mary Lowe

1759-1774 James Lowe

1774-1820 Robert Mellor

1820-1828 Samuel Mellor

1828-1838 Mary Mellor

1838-1862 George White

1863-1866 James Lowe

1867-1870 Henry Fetherstone

1870-1892 Richard Lester

1892-1897 Jane Lester

1898-1932 George Ebbern

1933-1950 William Bingham

1951-1953 T Honer

1953-1956 Michael O'Dwyer

1956-1960 Frank Heathcote

1960-1964 Peggy Heathcote

1964-1969 Pauline Grandjean

1969-2005 Richard Grandjean

2006-date  Emily Hammond