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Falcon Inn, Thomas Street

   Public Houses

1792 A survey map shows a thin grouping of buildings around the Parish Church, a small cluster to the southwest in the neighbourhood of Vauxhall and another southeast in the vicinity of Mill Lane and Park Street. Thomas Street began with the Falcon Inn, the first building on the left going up the hill with Custom House at the end of the block.

1805 In February ‘a meeting of noblemen and gentlemen interested in the trade and prosperity of the Burry River was requested at the Falcon Inn, Llanelly’. Local interested parties met at the Inn, on Thomas Street, to consider and discuss the best ways of improving safe navigation of the Estuary.

1810 The first meeting of the newly elected Trustees of the Burgesses appointed by the Acts of Incorporation of 1807 and 1810 was held at the Falcon Inn, Thomas Street on 25 October.

1811 The Falcon, managed by William Andrews, was one of two inns listed in a trade directory, the other being The New Inn. The Falcon stood at the bottom of Thomas Street close to Falcon Bridge. By the time the next trade directory was prepared in 1830, the Falcon Inn was managed by William Stanley, who was listed in the Voters’ List of 1834 as entitled to vote by virtue of his house (The Falcon).

Some time after 1814 The Post Office was transferred from the  Bear Inn to the Falcon Inn in Thomas Street.

1817 Henry Eaton was one of the Trustees to the Burgesses who had been appointed Collector of Customs. As one of the town’s Magistrates who held their monthly meetings at the Falcon Inn, he was a powerful and influential person of his time.

When three boys were caught stealing apples from Henry Eaton's garden they were brought before the Magistrates’ monthly meeting at the Falcon Inn. Two of the boys were sentenced to be whipped publicly and one was sent to a House of Correction.

1827 There were only three Trustees to the Burgesses in attendance at one of the last meetings they held at the Falcon Inn on 20 July. The Cambrian announced the marriage of Rev. Ebenezer Morris and Mrs Mary Williams (widow) of the Falcon Inn, Llanelly.

1828 Thomas Lewis, Squire of Stradey, was Coroner and used the Falcon Inn for the inquest on Eleanor Longhurst, servant to James Guthrie (Agent to the absent Arthur Raby). It is thought Eleanor had been poisoned, possibly as the result of a love affair.

1834 Pigot’s Directory of 1834 shows that the Falcon was also a posting house and the innkeeper was William Stanley.

William Stanley was still proprietor in 1835 but by 1841 the old hostelry was advertised for sale and the Falcon Inn moved across the Falcon Bridge to Water Street.

1838 The Cambrian reported on 21 July that a coach service was to run from the Golden Lion, Swansea to the Falcon Inn, Llanelly.

In January 1841 the Falcon Inn and Posting House was sold and it was advertised in The Cambrian that Mrs Elizabeth Morris had left the Falcon Hotel (which was converted into a haberdashery warehouse called London House) and had gone to the Thomas Arms.

London House

Before 1841 juries would sometimes retire to the Falcon Inn, which was once owned by Henry Child. After the hostelry was sold and converted to a drapery shop the jury would retire to the Mansel Arms, one of the town’s oldest remaining 19th century public houses.

When the Falcon Inn was converted into the haberdashery warehouse the Inn was moved across the Falcon Bridge and became known as Falcon House, which was situated on the junction of Market Street and Water Street, where the Royalty Theatre was built in later years.

The 1841 census shows that the Falcon had changed its name to London House.

Pigot’s Directory of 1844 lists the Falcon Posting House under the management of James Wheeler of Water Street.

The 1851 census shows that John Eynon aged 35, described as Post Master, his wife Jane and his family were living in Water Street which was the new location of the Falcon Inn and Posting House.

John Edmund Noakes opened his new theatre ‘The Royalty’ in 1894 on the site of the former Falcon House.