THE GEORGE AND DRAGON INN
To avoid disturbing our
guests would coachmen and
ostlers kindly refrain
from saddling and
harnessing before
sunrise
G.EYRE - LANDLORD
January 1853
This sign is tacked into one of the old fire surrounds in the George and Dragon. It was made in the day when making a sign was also done by a craftsman and a sign like this will last hundreds of years. That must have been known to Mr Eyre when he put his name to it.
Everything is so temporary these days. Communication like this today would have been ran through a printer onto a piece of paper or card and then laminated and blu-tacked to a wall. Technology may be wonderful but we have lost our style and what we make today will not be here in 200 years. Thats quite a sad thing, and it makes me wonder about what we leave behind.
I don't have a clue who G. Eyre was, but next time I'm in I may raise a glass in the direction of his name, the man had style....and trouble with noisy ostlers, damn them and their rattling...
Hi,
ReplyDeleteJust wondering if you know how many of these signs were made? As, I have found this exact sign in an old rundown house in Brisbane, Australia. Do you know the history of The George and Dragon Inn at all?
Hi Briony,
ReplyDeleteThere are two of the signs in the pub, one on the fire and one beside the bar.
I know that the pub was built in the 1600's you can see the area around the village green here
http://www.visitcumbria.com/pen/garrigill.htm
The pub is on the left.
Mr Eyre wasn't there for the Census just 6 years later as the Innkeeper then is a Thomas Watson.
I will ask some questions around the village and see if I can find out more. I wouldn't mine seeing a picture of your sign if you would like to email it to me.
Hi Ian,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your information : ). I can send you a picture of the sign I found. What is your email address?
I am curious to find out, how this sign got to be in Brisbane, as I can't see there being too many of these signs made.
Perhaps Mr Ayre emigrated to Australia and took one of the plates with him as a keepsake ;-) They may have been made by the blacksmith at The Old Smithy, which is opposite my cottage on the village green . . . three doors along from the George and Dragon.
ReplyDeleteIt would be very interesting to find out more.
I agree Akasha, would be very interesting to find out some more information about the sign, and how it made it's way to Australia : ) I was thinking that, that maybe he emigrated to Australia, or it was handed down to a child, or family member who came to Australia.
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to a photo of the sign that I have http://brionykay19.blogspot.com.au/
ReplyDeleteHi Briony,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link . . . amazing isn't it? Ian and I will definitely be doing further research and we'll keep you posted :-)
PS I'll try to spell poor Mr Eyre's name correctly in future LOL.
Hi Akasha,
ReplyDeletelol, I had to look closely at the sign, to make sure I had spelled it right : )
I know, it is amazing : ) It is so weird that Ian had commented on this exact sign!! It has intrigued me so much, looking forward to finding out more. Will try and do some research to see who owned, or lived in the house I found it in. I'll let you know if I find anything.
Briony,
ReplyDeleteCan you tell us something about the house this was in? You say it was derelict, was it an old house, when do you estimate it may have been built?
I would also love to know where it was in this house, it must have been attached somewhere?
Could I see the place on google street view?
Ian
Hi Ian,
ReplyDeleteThe house is rundown, all windows and doors are missing, it is a concrete house, 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom house. The house had a back gargage (or what looked like a garage) I found the sign in the garage, the house had heaps of crap just left everywhere, a mattress, kids toys, clothes and other random items. The sign was just on the ground, it wasn't attached to anything, it wasn't really buried under anything, it was just sitting on top of other stuff, and It caught my eye.
If you type in "540-544 Wembley Road, Brisbane, Australia", it will come up on google maps. However, you will see the little red (a) pointer on a building, the house that i found the sign in, is actually the two buildings closest to the road, of the little read (a) pointer. You will have to zoom in, and go to street view to see the house, as it is mostly covered by trees. I may go there again in the next couple of days and take some photos, if you like??
It was an old house, mainly concrete from the look of it. I really wouldn't have any idea when it was built. Tried to do some research on the suburb, however not much came up, apart that people started settling there in the 1840's.
Briony
Hi -- 5 years ago I bought and restored an 1880s old house in Kentucky (USA) and found one of these exact signs when we were gutting the kitchen. It was posted on the side of a bookshelf. I never took the time to look it up, but I have hung onto it, and now I am moving to another State and while packing up this week I remembered I wanted to look up this little sign. Mine is still in good shape too. Another mystery how this one ended up in Kentucky. (21 West Hickman, Winchester Kentucky 40391). Sarah
ReplyDeleteWow..... These things are turning up everywhere.
ReplyDeleteWe have a theory that there was one in every guest room and over time they have become souvineers.
I reckon all you owners of these should meet up inthe George for a drink :-)
Hi, my partner was working on a demolition job of stables in Ascot Here in England. We have the exact same sign, we now live in Scotland ... so one up here in the Scottish Borders.
ReplyDeleteTerry
I've got one as well. We've always wondered the story behind the plaque. - New Brunswick, Canada
ReplyDeleteWhile packing I have come across one .... in Whangarei, New Zealand! I decided to do a little research on it and find they have traveled far and wide. They are also for sale on e-bay for $14.95. I wonder if they were sold as souvenir's to guest's ?
ReplyDeleteI have one of these in a Cornish cottage, UK. They must have made thousands - it is available from Argos/Amazon?
ReplyDeleteI have 1 pinned to the fireplace of a house I just purchased in Herne bay, Kent, UK
ReplyDeleteI found this mysterious sign in Green Antiques in Cabbagetown , Toronto , Ontario about 12 years ago and fascinated about it origin … any thoughts ?
ReplyDeleteI've received 2 of these signs in a large lot of replica signs from out of india (to Australia). They all have made up names with inaccuracies. They are fake fantasy pieces, it's just a nice coincidence that 1 made it over to an actual "George and Dragon inn".
ReplyDeleteNot to mention that a sign of this age would be cast not pressed (which is another sign of mass manufacturing).
I live In Alberta Canada and I just found one of these plaques in my grandparents basement.
ReplyDelete