Black Jacks - Plymouth

The story of Black Jack Davey

First built in 1864 this former wharf building was used as a net and pot store covering 3 floors and 6 individual stores. A dark and mysterious figure used to frequent one of the stores on the uppermost floor. You could see chinks of light through the closed shutters as he worked away, forcing bitumen into the weave of thick hemp rope. BLACK JACK DAVEY as he became known due to his blackened apperance, had journeyed over from the Emerald Isle. Some say to avoid the gallows and others say to mend his broken heart, due to being forbidden to marry his childhood sweatheart Molly Mallone because of a conflict of religions.

Black Jack Davey turned to drink and eventually ended his own life one dreary winters evening. Ironically tripping over one of his own well worked ropes on the quayside keeping a large trawler close to her moorings. He fell into the harbour after cracking his head on the way down. He was dragged out and taken to the Naval hospital but he never regained consciousnedd and died at the age of 46.

In 1999 the property was purchased for an undisclosed sum by a trust and converted into 6 studio flats on the upper floors. The lower floor was a book shop, bike shop, clothes shop and as these all failed was finally converted into 'Smokey Joe's' after the famous 70's Tramp from Telegraph Hill near Exeter. It was then refitted into "Black Jack 's" in 2009 by its present owner.

Black Jacks Hooley House is now known for being a 'Live Music' venue, with live music on Friday's & Saturday's . Please see the -Events- page for full listings of bands/acts playing.