Charles Stables (1849-1906, Wath)

Charles was the son of James Stables and Mary Stenton, and was born at Newhill in 1849.

By the time Charles was 11 years of age, the family had moved from Newhill to Town Street, Brampton Bierlow and Charles was employed underground as a coal miner's linker.

He married Hannah Elizabeth Dibb, who was from Allerton Bywater, on February 21st, 1870 at St.Peter's Church in Leeds and their first child, George William Stables, was born in Leeds just five months later. They returned to Wath a year later.

After more than 20 years in the mining industry, Charles became a publican, taking the tenancy of The Beehive Inn at Newhill. He went on to run The Beehive for the next 21 years.

The photograph shows the family outside The Bee Hive. It isn't known for certain who everyone in the photo is but it is thought that the older couple are Charles and Hannah, the girl in front of the window is their daughter, Louisa, the youth to the left of Hannah is their son George William and the couple holding children might be siblings of Charles. The original photograph is in the possession of relatives of Mary Lindsey and it is with her kind permission that I publish it here.

In 1904 his wife died at the age of 52 and Charles died two years later, aged 57. He died of cancer at his home, The Beehive Inn, after a protracted illness. They were both buried at Wath Cemetery.

This biography is based on an original that was written by Victor Stables and included amongst his research notes.

The Will of Charles Stables

This is the last Will & Testament of me Charles Stables of the Bee Hive Inn Newhill West Melton in the County of York Innkeeper. I appoint my son George William Stables & my brother Oswald Stables (hereinafter called my Trustees) to be the Executors & Trustees of this my Will. I give all my property unto my Trustees In trust to convert the same into money by sale or otherwise & to divide the proceeds (after paying my funeral & testamentary expenses & debts) into five equal shares And to pay one fifth equal share thereof to my son George William Stables another one fifth equal share thereof to my son Oswald Stables another one fifth equal share thereof To my daughter Alice Ann Cooke & another one fifth equal share thereof to my daughter Elizabeth Annie Stables And to stand possessed of the remaining one fifth equal share thereof In trust for such children living at my decease of my late daughter Louisa Ryalls & of my late son in law Alfred Cooke as being male shall attain the age of twenty one years or being female shall attain that age or shall marry under that age the objects of this trust to take in equal shares And lastly I revoke all former Wills & testamentary dispositions made by me In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand the twentieth day of June One thousand nine hundred & six.

His Obituary from The South Yorkshire Times.

This is an article that was taken from The South Yorkshire Times shortly after his death in 1906.

After protracted illness, Charles Stables of Beehive Inn, Newhill died on Wednesday at his residence from cancer. He was a native of Newhill, held license of above Inn for 21 years. He was the son of late James Stables of Wath. He was buried at Wath cemetery. Aged 57.

Councillor W. Stables presided at a smoking concert at the Beehive Inn, Newhill.

WATH, THE SAD DAYS & THE GLAD DAYS by Celia M White

This book refers to the "Wath Affray", which took place in 1909 at the bottom of Cemetery Road. Oswald Stables (1884-1918), the son of Charles, is reputed to have made disparaging remarks about soldiers to Thomas Briggs, a soldier in the 2nd Battallion Yorkshire and Lancashire Regiment. Thus provoking Briggs to punch Oswald to the ground, which left him hospitalised and unconscious for several weeks. Briggs was later found not guilty of assault and grievous bodily harm, due to having been so sorely provoked [Book 2, Page 19].

The same book also mentions Stableses working at Twigg Newhill Pottery [Book 3, Page 21].