This picture is from the Warrillow collection in Keele University. It shows an old cottage in St John's Square shortly before demolition c. 1880. This was possibly the building marked as No 129 on the 1740 map. The cottage had been modernized by 1880 with the former thatch replaced by a tiled roof, its timber frame hidden behind a plastered front and the opening on the right, enlarged to accommodate a shop window. Even then it was an anachronism compared with its neighbours. 

The shop with the name sign "Salt" still stands as can be seen on the photograph at the very top of this page. The cottage was replaced by a three story building.

This picture shows the new two and three story Georgian houses built in the principal streets of the town which replaced the former cottages and timber-frame buildings. Some of these buildings such as the New Inn on the left and the three-story block on the right are still extant. 

Just visible beyond that block is the sign-post for the Legs of Man Inn. Between about 1780 and 1830 this was the principal inn of the town. For most of that, time the public house was run by the Cotton family. All the important meetings relating to the town and its industry were held here. 

It was also the first coaching inn of the town. Allbut's directory of 1802 records that every day at 6 a.m. the Expedition coach left for London from the Legs of Man Inn, and a second coach left for Liverpool at 6 in the evening. The Legs of Man Inn declined in importance after the departure of the Cotton family in the 1820's and the Leopard Inn became the principal public house and posting inn.

St. John's square, Burslem
(St. Luke's Square of Bennett's novels)

picture: the Warrillow Collection

A photograph of "The Square" presenting an accurate picture of the square at the time of Arnold Bennett's 'Old Wives' Tale'.  

Longson's draper's and haberdashery shop (Baines of the Bennett novels) can be seen at the bottom left hand corner - this belonged to Bennett's wife's family - who lived over the shop.