Ye Olde Man & Scythe
Ye Olde Man & Scythe is a public house located on Churchgate in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. The earliest recorded mention of its name appears in a charter from 1251, making it one of the ten oldest public houses in Britain and the oldest in Bolton. The current form of the name, prefixed with "Ye Olde", is a pseudo-archaism derived from the original Man and Scythe Inn. The name itself originates from the crest of the Pilkington family, which features a reaper using a scythe, alluding to a tradition associated with one of the family's early members.
History
It is not known exactly when Ye Olde Man & Scythe was originally built, but a charter from 1251 permitting the market mentions it by name. The pub has been rebuilt at least once, and only the vaulted cellar remains from the original structure, although some internal beams date back to 1636. The building's frontage is an early 20th-century remodelling. It is a Grade II listed building.In 1651 the Earl of Derby was executed outside the Man & Scythe—owned at the time by his family—for his role in the Bolton Massacre. A cross now stands on the site, accompanied by a plaque that recounts the story of Bolton through the ages. Inside the pub is a chair that the Earl of Derby is said to have sat on before being taken outside to be beheaded; its inscription reads: "15th October 1651 In this chair James 7th Earl of Derby sat at the Man and Scythe Inn, Churchgate, Bolton immediately prior to his execution".