Midge, landlady of historic Devonport pub The Magnet
By JanePublisher | Tuesday, August 18, 2009, 11:12
Midge has been the devoted landlady of the Devonport pub The Magnet for eleven years and can’t imagine ever giving up the pub and moving on.
She became the landlady after a brain tumour left her blind in one eye and the partial loss of sight in the other eye. Instead of giving up or slowing down Midge decided that this was the time to get her teeth stuck into a new project so she took on the role of landlady to The Magnet and has never looked back.
The Magnet is one of the oldest pubs in Plymouth and is actually a listed building. Midge loves the pub and although it is old she says that she would never alter the interior as the pub is part of Devonport history and wants to preserve it just the way it is for future generations.
The Magnet used to be called The Lugger and before this during WWI and WWII it was called Maboots. Locals have told Midge many stories about Maboots from childhood memories. Locals would hand over their watches and even boots so that they could have a drink and then their boots would be returned to them when they paid their bill on pay day. This is why the pub came to be known as Maboots. The landlady would even entertain gentlemen at the back of her pub and place a blanket over the window to let locals know that she was busy entertaining! Maboots became the first place to visit when the ships docked in Plymouth after being out to sea.
Midge has three children, and one child that died of meningitis, and five grandchildren. She was born and bred in Plymouth but it is not until she moved to Devonport did she truly feel at home “Devonport is like one big family” she says. She loves working at the pub and living in Devonport “Being a mum and working are the two things that define who I am”.
There is a lot of history connected to The Magnet and Midge would love to hear from any one that may know something more about the pub’s history. Midge is looking for a photo of the Magnet pub when it was known as Maboots, and she would love to know more about the ‘Oliver Twist’ painting from a local artist that hangs inside the pub. Can you help?
* Read the ancient poem about Devonport that hangs on the walls of The Magnet.
Comments
Hi – was enjoying your article on The Magnet pub and it colorful history. Reading the comments from Liz and that it was once called ‘The Boot Inn’ reminded me of a will that I had just received a few days ago for my genealogy site. I don’t know if this pub’s history goes back to the early 1800’s but this, in part, is what is in the will.
The Will is for Elizabeth Cole 1750-1824 who married Francis Fabes. The will starts out - "This is the last Will and Testament of me Elizabeth Fabes of Plymouth Dock in the County of Devon, widow."
Plymouth Dock was renamed to Devonport in 1824.
She seems to be well off in the listing of her possessions and then she gets to this one statement - "And unto William Glanville late of the Boot Inn in Plymouth Victualler the sum of one shilling."
The footnote states - Elizabeth’s opinion of her son-in-law seems to have been pretty low!
I don't know if this is the same Boot Inn but I thought that I would mention it
Regards
Glenn
By suneson at 13:06 on 18/10/09
ReportHi, I was just reading your Devonport article about The Magnet pub, where Midge said it used to be called Maboots. It was not the pub that was called Maboots, it was an earlier landlady, she was known locally as ‘old Ma Boot’. The pub itself, at one stage, was called ‘The Boot Inn’. The lane it stands in used to be called Boot Lane (now Albany Street).
So nothing to do with watches and boots being handed over - that is a recent myth - according to locals I've spoken with that never really happened, rather, although it may have happened incidentally just as it did with any pub in earlier times, it was not the reason for the name of the pub.
Regarding your question to readers for info about the Oliver Twist painting... I've definitely heard about this at some stage, but am scratching my head for the moment as it escapes me. I'll have a root around in my archives and see what I have.
Regards
Liz Cook
tinyurl.com/lucx2q
By LizzyCook2 at 01:42 on 03/09/09
ReportI have seen this pub from the front and thought it always looked a bit dodgy - I had no idea the history of the pub and Midge looks really nice! It's really nice to read about a person in Devonport that you may have never met before. I would like to read about what people find about that painting and more on the history of the place
By Lauren08 at 12:02 on 24/08/09
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