It was the house of resort for many Birmingham worthies,
especially those connected with the law, even before the erection of the
Public Offices, and it is said that John Baskerville used to come here
for his tankard of ale and a gossip with his neighbours. In the time of
the Reform agitation it was frequented by the leaders of the Liberal
party, and has always been the favourite shelter of artists visiting the
town.
_The Woolpack_, in St. Martin's Lane.--Some eighty odd years ago the
tavern standing at the corner of Jamaica Row and St. Martin's Lane was
known as the Black Boy Inn, from the figure of a young negro then placed
over the door. Being purchased in 1817 by the occupier of a neighbouring
tavern called the Woolpack, the two names were united, and for a time
the house was called the "Black Boy and Woolpack," the first part being
gradually allowed to fall into disuse. Prior to its demolition it was
_the_ noted market hostelry for cattle dealers and others, the respected
landlord, Mr. John Gough, who held the premises from 1848 till his death
in 1877, being himself a large wholesale dealer. When the Town Council
decided to enlarge and cover in the Smithfield Market, the old house and
its adjuncts were purchased by them, and a new hotel of almost palatial
character has been erected in its place, the frontage extending nearly
the entire length of St.
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