Thomas Hartley was a blacksmith who came from Nottinghamshire with the 1820 Settlers.As described by Chris Marais & Pat Hopkins in '101 Beloved Bars of SA': "Tom Hartley... moonlighted as a dentist, yanking patients' teeth out of their mouths with blacksmith's pliers and slapping shoes on their horses - all in the run of a normal day."

Morley House: Built in 1828 by Thomas Hartley. One of the stone-built houses which survived the looting in the 6th Frontier War in 1834. Jeremiah Goldswain lived in it, and so did Henry Hartley, the big game hunter who founded Hartley in Zimbabwe.

Pig 'n Whistle Hotel - After settling in Clumber in 1820, Thomas Hartley moved into Bathurst, building a dwelling on Lot 8 next to his forge in 1825. The Inn was built in 1825. The Inn was built next to the Forge, in which Thomas Hartley continued to run his blacksmith business. Bathurst was geographically situated as a stopping place for wagon travellers. There was a smithy, a farrier, provisions and someone to extract a troublesome tooth. This was done by the blacksmith with his pliers!

The Inn, which was in operation by January, still stands substantially intact. The Proprietor had such regard for the quality of his guests that the rooms were described as “Subscription Rooms for Gentlemen” and guests included Lord Charles Somerset, the Governor of the Cape, and Sir Benjamin D’Urban. From 1832 surgeon Ambrose Campbell, riding from Grahamstown, attended consultations on the first Saturday of the month. After Thomas Hartley’s death in 1840 his widow, Sarah [Note from Sharon - Mary? Wasn't Sarah his sister in law?], took over the running of the Inn and made its hospitality famous. It was then known as Widow Hartley’s Inn and visiting dignitaries and Government officials sought accommodation at the Inn.

In 1847 the Governor General, Sir Henry Pottinger, stayed at the Inn and entertained the Chaplain, the Magistrate and the Post Commander. In 1848 the Governor General, Sir Harry Smith, stayed at the Inn.

Thomas Baines made an oil painting of the Inn and the Village during his visit in 1849 and this painting is now in the Rhodesian archives. Sarah Hartley died later in the year after making the Inn famous in the colony during her period as proprietor. After a brief term under Thomas Hartley junior, Jeremiah Goldswain, another settler, bought the Inn in 1852.

The original building remains an integral part of the Inn. Part of the kitchen walls include a portion of Thomas Hartley’s original dwelling. The Inn’s name was changed to the Pig ‘ Whistle during WW ll when the Air Force was based at 43 Air School in Port Alfred.

After 170 years it has claim to genuine age which cannot be made by scores of so called ‘Olde Time Inns’ worldwide.