Out Of The Blue Artifacts A Library of a lifetime of collecting
Buckley’s Temperance Hotel
The Oak Street Temperance Hotel building was originally owned by Mrs Elizabeth Evans of the Royal Oak Public House, Abertillery. Mrs Evans was a very influential woman and also the mother of Mrs Mary Ann Buckley, Mr Thomas John Buckley’s wife.
Mrs Elizabeth Evans owned property at Brynteg, Oak Street and at Rhiw Park and had previously rented the building to Mr William Jordan. Under the proprietorship of Mr Jordan it was called Jordan’s Refreshment Rooms. The building was also known as The Great Western Dining Rooms, the dining rooms must have been in the same building though leased by another person. Mrs A. Watkins was the proprietress of these rooms.
Mr Thomas John Buckley.
In September 1892 Mr Thomas John Buckley became the owner of the building at 24 Oak St, Abertillery, and applied for a licence to sell beer and cider. At this time Mr William Jordan was a manager at the Abertillery Tin Works, he announced he was moving to open a refreshment rooms next door to the hotel at number 21 Oak Street.
Mr Buckley originally wanted a license to sell alcohol as there were plans to build many houses on the Brynteg Estate behind the hotel and there were only 2 licensed houses in close proximity, the Kings Head Inn owned by Messrs Webb’s and the Station Hotel on lease to Mr Lewis who both offered no opposition. At this point in time there were only 17 licensed houses in Abertillery and a population of only 3,851 in the area. The license was refused because of strong opposition by the Temperance Party, Blaenau Gwent Baptist Church and the Sunday School. Mr Buckley had no option other than to keep the hotel open and use it as a Temperance Hotel.
On Friday 11th of November 1892, Mr T. J. Buckley installed a billiard table and secured the sole rights to manufacture “Tucks Drinks” and to sell them from the bar at Oak St for 1d. per glass, it became locally known as Tuck’s Temperance Bar.
In late 1892 Mr Buckley became president of the Blaenau Gwent Football Club and later the president of the Abertillery Football Club.
In January 1895 it became the home of the Abertillery Recreation Club with a membership of 150. It had a billiard table installed and the secretary was Mr Gibbs.
A few weeks later Mr T. J. Buckley applied to the courts to stay open as a Public Billiard Hall and to change the name of the manager of the hotel to Mrs Elizabeth Evans of the Royal Oak Hotel, Abertillery. The information is a bit complicated as the building was also known as The Great Western Dining Rooms, as mentioned and in 1895 these dining rooms were for rent at £35 per year with £2. 11s. 6d. ground rent.
Councillor Buckley.
Sometime in late 1897 Mr T. J. Buckley became an Abertillery District Councillor for the North Ward and chairman of the Allotment & Pleasure Grounds Committee.
Buckley’s Temperance Hotel and Restaurant.
By the start of 1898 it had changed its name to Buckley’s Temperance Hotel and Restaurant.
In March 1898 Mr T. J. Buckley & Co of Oak St set up a business buying and selling and opened an Auction Mart in the arcade Abertillery. They had a shop in the arcade buildings and also an auctioneers & valuation business.
In August 1899 Mr T. J. Buckley sold his furniture shop in the arcade to Mr Joseph Falkman, though he is still carried on with sales and auctions.
In the early 1900’s Mr Buckley became the chairman of the committee of the newly formed Abertillery Athletic Club, their headquarters being in Buckley’s Hotel, Oak Street.
The Death of Mr Thomas John Buckley.
Mr T. J. Buckley died on 20th of December 1901 aged just 31.
The Death of Mrs Elizabeth Evans.
Mrs Elizabeth Evans, manageress of Buckley’s Temperance Hotel sadly died in February 1903, she resided at The Grove, Gladstone Street.
The Oak St Assembly Rooms.
In 1910 at this time Buckley’s Temperance Hotel was called The Oak St Assembly Rooms, Mr T. F. Salt was the proprietor. Mr Salt advertised large rooms for rent, for public meetings and auctions etc, seating capacity 350-400.
The Conservative Party.
The local Conservative Party had their headquarters in the Assembly Rooms, Mr S Winmill was the Secretary.
In 1913 Mrs Watkins of the Great Western Dining Rooms advertised she was moving her business to Somerset Street, Abertillery.
The Empire Billiard Hall.
In 1920 the Oak Street Assembly Rooms was known as the Empire Billiard Hall (late Assembly Rooms).
The Oak Street Social Club.
The Constitutional Club still held functions at the hall up until the early 1930’s, it changed over status sometime in the middle of the 1930’s as Oak Street Social Club. The Oak Street Club had a skittles team in the Webb’s Skittles League in the late 1930’s.
Old photographs show Buckley’s Restaurant written on the pine end of Mr Rosser’s Coffee House lower down Oak St, the premises must have been used to advertise various places and products, as the same house advertised the Temperance Hotel just later and in 1925 it was advertising Golden Flake Tobacco. At a council meeting in the early 1900’s the council told Mr Buckley he would have to remove his advertising boards from the rail station. Maybe the pine end was used to advertise because of the council’s refusal to let anyone advertise elsewhere?
Points of Interest – Mrs Elizabeth Evans as stated owned a substantial amount of land in the Brynteg area of Blaenau Gwent. In the early 1900’s she applied to have a public house built on the junction of Alma Street and Gladstone Street, the proposed premises was on her land, the application failed though a dwelling house was later built. This house was later sold to Mr Harry Campion the dentist and was known as the Highbury House, later sold to the Lymes Social Club and turned into the Highbury Club -Top Lymes. Now known as the Dolls House.