HistoricaLeigh: The Smack - a pub by any other name

November 26, 2018 by Carole Mulroney

Many of you will have lamented the change of name of the Carlton Hotel to The Broadway a few years ago—the loss of tradition and the concession to the modern world which seems in many instances to be change for change’s sake.

We have all seen the awfully named Slug and Lettuces over the country and a few years ago one Old Town pub looked set to follow this trend.

The Smack, for that is what it will always be known as to local people, was set to become Ye Oldie Smugglers—I ask you!!!! Well it didn’t fortunately,  but we still couldn’t shake off the ‘Ye Oldie’ tag unfortunately so that now it bears that nomenclature.  But even that change was not the first for this old inn.

In 1838 the Essex Herald advertised an auction to be held at The Shoreham Smack, Leigh, of the pub itself, its owner, Samuel Fairchild, having disposed of the business.  Samuel had also been the owner of the Ship in Leigh at one time.

The Smack or Shoreham Smack of Samuel’s day, was the predecessor to the current pub which was built in 1852.  The original building was on the other side of the High Street but demolished when the railway came through.  

The Old Smack was recorded in the Court Rolls as the residence of John Flower, one of the Leigh Mariners. In 1691 he sold it to Sarah Goodlad, the daughter of Capt John Bundocke and wife of Richard Goodlad. Richard died at sea in 1649 when Sarah became owner.  Included in the property was a quay across the street and open ground used for boat building.