The Hit or Miss, a beer house, has been identified by Martin Edwards – a fellow pub historian with a passion for local history – in Ambrose Street in his list of town pubs in 1844. The address is given as 17 Ambrose Street.
In 1872 there is a reference to a Broad Gauge Inn in Ambrose Street. Could this be the same licensed premises?
Geoff,
Again just the mention of Martin’s 1844 identification for this one, but I feel on surer ground here. You have 17 Ambrose Street as the address and John Bayliss as the landlord
Well I found one of those early “Beer Retailers” listed who has got to be your man!
1847 Hunt & Co. directory “Bayliss, John, 17 Ambrose st.”
1848 Edwards “Bayliss, J. 17 Ambrose street”
There is a Baylis, J. with one s listed in the 1850, 1851 and 1852 Edwards but for “12 Queen’s bldgs.” which is the Running Horse. Given the state of the spelling at the time, it might be the same guy who changed beer houses. Baylis, J. with one s isn’t listed before 1850.
Also there is a T. Lane listed in the 1850, 1851 and 1852 Edwards Directories with a 19 Ambrose Street address. This might be the Hit or Miss after a slight numbering tweak. It would fit with John Bayliss or Baylis moving on to the Running Horse. If not, I have nothing for a beer house at 19 Ambrose Street.
I wish I knew what inspired the name – it’s great, isn’t it. Never mind.
I think this one was also on the western side just 3 doors down from the Broad Gauge – the shorter building with the cellar grate, 2nd south of the Pressworks building.
Incidentally, in 1872 an S. Baylis ran a secondhand clothes shop across the road just past where the Bottle of Sauce is. Might have been a relative of the former landlord of the beer house across the street.
Regards
Alan Jones
Landlord:
1844: John Bayliss (Hit or Miss)