Hugh Sharrock (1877-1963)
Hugh Sharrock KK9K-C73 was the publican at the Saracen’s Head in 1939, according to the Register for England and Wales 1939. He was born in Netherton on 4th November 1877, the first of 12 children of Hannah Cookson and Jeffrey Sharrock, a labourer who later on became a ‘beer house keeper’ at the Horse and Jockey in Melling.
In 1901 Hugh was 23 years old and employed at home at the public house. He married Mary Ann Baldwin in 1903 at Ormskirk. They remained living in Melling and went on to have many children. Hugh worked as a general labourer at Midland Pottery when his young family was growing up.
By 1939, the family had moved to Halsall and he was running the Saracen’s Head. At the same time, his brother John was licensee of the White Lion public house on Church Street, Ormskirk and another brother, Giles, was the sub-postmaster down the road at Haskayne Post Office.
Hugh was a well known and popular landlord of the local public house. According to John Cotterall in his book, ‘Halsall – a village built on a rock’, Hugh Sharrock pioneered the Halsall/Formby bus which was later extended to Ormskirk every Thursday and Saturday.
In the article, featured in the ‘Gossip’ column of the Ormskirk Advertiser on 19th December 1940, Hugh Sharrock is mentioned for providing an excellent supper of Hot Pot and Rice Pudding to the members of the Home Guard!
Hugh Sharrock passed away in 1963 at the age of 85 – his memorial is in Halsall Church graveyard. He is still remembered by some of the older Halsall residents today
