HISTORY OF THE OLD POINT HOUSE
1780
The first official record of The Old Point House appears in the 1780 Cawdor Family records.
However, it is widely claimed (and believed!) that the Old Point House dates back to the 16th Century and was the haunt of Pirates and Smugglers, most notably Pirate John Callis.
In 1689 a nautical chart shows an entry for an old cottage farmhouse on the shore, known as The Point House. The Old Point House first appears as a licensed ale house on the 1802 list of ale-house keepers and was known as The New Inn, which was opened by a Francis Purser. Francis was still listed as landlord of The New Inn in 1815 and it was then taken over by George Murphy who renamed the inn – “The Old Point House”. George remained the Landlord until 1823.
James Nash then became the licence holder from 1824 to 1828. The Old Point House, as well as being an Inn also had land attached to it, which tenant landlords at the time, farmed.
The Pirate, John Callis.
1841
The next records show that a mariner named John Nicholas held the licence from 1841 to 1880, followed by his widow Martha who is still recorded there in 1891. Martha employed a general labourer named Alfred Morse and he and his wife took over tenancy of the land and inn from 1903 to 1935. The licence then transferred to a Willie Morse until 1958, although it was actually his sisters Pattie and Annie who ran the pub! The inn remained as a farm too until fairly recently, and was known for its early potato crop. It is said that the potatoes were always set on Boxing Day each year.
Following the Morse family’s tenancy, Mr and Mrs Cooper took over The Old Point House and George Cooper was affectionately known as “Paddy The Point”. Mr Cooper was described as a “noted” character and several of his children have taken charge of the Old Point House over the years.
The Morse and Watkins families
1868
The Old Point House has also been proud to be the Angle Lifeboats crew local, ever since the lifeboat station opened in 1868. Generations of licensees have always been glad to provide the crew with a warming fire and warming drinks. Willie Morse himself, was for many years, a lifeboat winchman. The whole Morse family was honoured by the RNLI in the 1950s for their services to the Angle lifeboat. The connection between the inn and lifeboat crew remained so until The Old Point House closed its doors in 2018.
Herbert Davies, James Watkins, Topper Brown, Pattie and Annie
1917
In 1917 Joseph Watkins, a local fisherman and Trapper, who became a leading Seaman in WW1, called into The Old Point House for a farewell pint, following shore leave to his home village. He placed an Irish penny on top of the old fireplace and told the locals and landlord, “If I don’t come back, keep that penny there as a reminder of me”. In October of 1918, Joseph was aboard HMS Champagne, when she was sunk by a German submarine. According to newspaper accounts, he bravely continued manning the ship’s gun, after the order to abandon ship had been given, firing at the submarine until the very end. The Irish penny was fixed to the front of the Old Fireplace in his memory.
The Old Point House has played an important part in both Angle village history and community events over the years.
We are looking forward to welcoming old and new clients through the doors soon and helping make memories and becoming part of The Old Point House family.
With thanks to the Pembrokeshire Historical Society for supplying some of the historical information above.
HMS Champagne
