Corner of Charles and York Street
1841-1851
1841 James Ferguson, newly constructed building
1842-43 James Ferguson, Caledonian Wine Vaults, Charles & York Sts
1843-45 James Johnstone, Caledonian Wine Vaults Charles and York Sts
1845-50 Matthew Monaghan, Caledonian Wine Vaults Charles and York Sts
1851 transferred license to George Smith, corner of George & York Sts
Prior to 1841, there was an existing establishment known as the Caledonian Wine Vaults on the corner of Charles and York Streets. There’s not information to indicate if Ferguson constructed a new building that replaced the older one, or having obtained a licence for a new building, transferred to the existing premises.
The corner of Charles & York Streets adjoining the Plough Inn would be this corner.
Launceston Courier, 6 September 1841
Launceston Examiner, 3 September 1842
Launceston Courier, 5 September 1842
Launceston Examiner, 11 November 1843
Launceston Examiner, 29 November 1843
Cornwall Chronicle, 27 April 1844
Mr. James Johnson, Licensed Victualler, keeping the Caledonian Inn, applied for a license to give public entertainment of music and dancing, in the large room of his house, his application was signed by Mr. J. W. Bell, and Mr Anderson, two neighbours, who considered Mr. Johnston a proper person to hold such a license. There are no other licenses of the same description. After some consideration the Chairman said that the justices were glad to hear that Mr. Johnstone conducted his house in a very proper manner, but they warned him of the difficulty of keeping a place for such amusement, for which he had applied for a license, select; he might render his house a source of great amusement to the inhabitants, or it might become a bad disorderly house, the resort of the worst of characters. The magistrate advised Mr. Johnson therefore to take great care, that his license became a source of good and pleasure to the town, and not an evil; The Court would grant him one for six months, to observe how be conducted it; but he might be sure, if any impropriety was heard of in his management, that when he applied for a renewal at the expiration of the six months, the justices would refuse them. The Quarter Sessions were then adjourned until the 10th of August.
Cornwall Chronicle, 20 July 1844
Considerable discussion also took place concerning the licence for music and dancing, lately granted to Mr. Johnson, of the Caledonian Inn. Many of their worships appearing to entertain a hostile feeling towards it on account of its demoralising tendency ; the police magistrate took occasion to remark, that for his own part he did not coincide in opinion with those who viewed with apprehension every little concession made to the lower orders in the way of recreation and pastime, he saw no reason for believing that a dance in order to be innocent must be necessarily composed of aristocratic performers, and he also lacked the penetration to discover wherein consisted the sinfulness of a game of bagatelle. If a couple of labourers thought proper to play for a pot of beer, he considered them just as much entitled to indulge their inclination as any two gentlemen were to engage at a game of billards for a dozen of champagne. He took the present opportunity of publicly expressing his opinion upon these subjects because a great deal of argument had been used, and much sophistry resorted to, in opposition to a principle so manifestly consistent with reason. The members being of opinion that they had no power to question the proceedings or to nullify the acts of a precedent assembly, Mr. Johnson was given to understand that the issue of another license after the expiration of his present one, would depend solely upon the manner in which the amusements were conducted.
Cornwall Chronicle, 4 September 1844
Launceston Advertiser, 5 October 1844
The Courier, 15 May 1845
Cornwall Chronicle, 24 May 1845
On the application for a renewal of Matthew Monaghan’s licence, Mrs. Monaghan applied on account of her husband being at California the act was referred to, when Mr. Douglas pointed out that the act provides for the allowed absence of a licensed victualler: he maintained that Monaghan’s absence was Allowed, he had merely gone on a speculative voyage to California, in common with others; he would soon return, and (humourously added the learned gentleman) he hoped with lots of metal, &c. ; the meeting wishing to put a charitable construction on the act, granted applicant a renewal of the licence,
Cornwall Chronicle, 4 September 1850
Launceston Advertiser, 23 October 1845
Cornwall Chronicle, 10 May 1851
When Matthew Monaghan went off to the goldfields in March 1850, he had sold off all his household furniture to pay for the trip. I am wondering what would have been left for his poor wife Mary Ann, with her 6 kids and another on the way??? Would she have to have use the furniture belonging to the pub? He went out to Carrick after that 1851-3 and ran the Jolly Farmer’s Inn, later to become the PRINCE OF WALES HOTEL Licensee Eliza Burke.