Posted: Sun 17 Feb, 2008 1:33 pm
Posted by CnosiThere is of course that most friendliest (hee hee)public house the Tommy Wass in Beeston on Dewsbury Road,named after the landlord there in the 19th century.It used to be a farm house called Bridge Farm,and due to its location on Dewsbury road it developed into refreshment rooms and then into a public house.The farm/pub was originally owned by Thomas Wass born 1831 in Morley and baptised at Batley 19/06/1831 .He was the son of Stephen Wass,a carpenter,born Calverley circa 1800 (no baptism to confirm this)and Judith Loocock born 1799 in Morley,they married 10/01/1820 at Batley.Thomas had a number of siblings,and according to the 1851 census he had followed his father into carpentry.He was living at Shuflanton(is that correct Morleyites??)in the census ,along with his parents and siblings.By the 1861 census Thomas had married,to Rachel Oades Broadbent,and was living in Beeston.He is shown as a Carpenter journeyman,and it is not clear whether he is actually living at Bridge Farm at this time as now address is specified.The 1871 census shows him still living in Beeston,at a place called Lands End,with Rachel his wife and 8 children.He is now shown as a farmer of 11 acres employing farm hands.Strangely enough this move from Carpentry to farming is not uncommon,i have such instances in my own family tree.By the 1881 census it would seem that Tommy is definitely at Bridge Farm,though the census refers to it as "Wass House"Thomas has moved up further by now farming 64 acres and employing "1 Man",though obviously the farm land belonged to the church and Thomas would have been their tenant he was clearly making headway from being a journeyman carpenter.When Thomas died in 1887 it passed to his son Asa.As the land upon which the farm was built belonged to the church commisioners there was a covenant imposed on the deeds to prevent the making,storage or sale of alcohol.After the death of Asa in 1924 the house was bought by Melbourne brewries after the covenant was released.Though it was called Bridge farm it was known to the locals as Tommy Wass's.The family gave the brewery permission to retain the name when it opened as a pub.