Hunter Valley Inns and Hotels
The George and Dragon ~ East Maitland
George Furber
The George and Dragon was built by George Furber who was a son of Mary (Furber) Smith.Mary's second husband was Gentleman John Smith of Newcastle and Maitland and owner of the Newcastle Hotel, one of the earliest Inns at Newcastle.
George Furber married Mary Ann Muir on 29 February 1832[4]. Mary Ann was a daughter of George and Elizabeth Muir of the Family Hotel.
George Furber had held a publican's licence for the Crown Inn at Patterson's Plains from November 1832. From June 1835 he held the licence for the Golden Fleece Inn situated near the Court House in East Maitland.
George and Mary Ann Furber's young son George William died in October 1836 aged 2 months and Mary Ann Furber died in April 1837 aged 26. George Furber took out a licence for his newly built Inn the George and Dragon in July 1837. He married Hanorah Curtain in 1837. He held the licence until 1839
Later George and Hanorah Furber moved to the Mary River district in Queensland to erect a store. Hanorah died there in 1850 and in 1855 George was attacked by natives and died after receiving blows to the head with an axe and a waddy. His son-in-law Joseph Welmshurst was also murdered.
John Henderson / Anderson
The premises of the George and Dragon were offered for sale in April 1841. At that time they were leased to John Henderson at £140 per annum and were described as a brick built, nine room establishment. There was a cellar, 60 ft. stable, gig house and large shed.William Green
Coachbuilder William Benjamin Johnston Green was publican at the George and Dragon Hotel in 1842[1]. Although he was in financial difficulty in 1843, he remained publican until at least 1848.William Burgess
William Burgess was issued a licence in the years 1854 to 1857John Bellamy
John Bellamy was issued a licence in 1857James Woodham
James Woodham held the licence in 1858Michael Rohan
Michael Rohan was publican at the George and Dragon in the 1890's.John Robert Banks
John Robert Banks held the licence in 1915Notes and Links
1). In February 1890 Edmund Barton the future Prime Minister of Australia dined at the George and Dragon while on a tour of Maitland. [5]2). Lady Jane Barton
References
[1] Maitland Mercury 28 October 1843[2] Maitland Mercury 3 March 1847
[3] Maitland Mercury 10 March 1847
[4] Sydney Herald 19 March 1832
[5] Newcastle Morning Herald 17 February 1890
