Week 24: My ancestor was a Pub/Hotel/Inn worker

[Jill on the A272]

Week 24: Pub/Hotel/Inn worker



Did someone in your family tree work in hospitality? Did they run or work in a hotel or pub, or do bar work?

This is an opportunity to showcase a hospitality worker from your family tree, you might want to offer a short biography and speak about their work eg
Name
Birth location/date
Family background
Where you've found them on the census
Their workplace/employer
Any tips on researching this occupation?

Pub wiki

[Next week: Stonemason]

[cbcarolyn]

my GR Gr Gr grandfather owned the Broad Arrow pub in Milford street

http://www.familytree.chatandthat.co.uk/reuben-miles-1791-1855/

It is no longer there, and is in the area of the Barbican, I have not determined exactly when it was knocked down.

I managed to find a number of newspaper clippings about him, and he managed to expand his empire and had local properties that he rented out.

I feel I never completed him as I can't find his first marriage and have just guessed who it maybe. His will mentions a step daughter, so I assume she lived with him after both her parents died

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/34206860/person/18607477887/facts

He only made it on 2 census as he died in 1855, so it was the reg of electors and tax records, that confirmed his addresses, being a business owner meant he was in quite a few. The newspapers and his will tied a lot of things together.

I always ponder how he started out, the rest of the family had no assets/money as far as I can tell.

I have just noticed that his step daughter may have married in Northamptonshire and married a shoe manufacturer, according to a couple of trees....if I even have the right person

[Jill on the A272]

My 4x great grandfather John Crisp (1770-1847) was for a short time the landlord of the Black Horse at Rushey Green, Lewisham around 1816/1817, he paid £26 in rates for the pub and two cottages. There is still a pub on the site but it was remodelled in the 1890s.

His son John William Crisp took over after marrying the miller's daughter and was there from about 1822-1831 when it was called the Black Horse and Harrow. He had moved out to Ightham in Kent to farm by the time of his death in 1836, he left £200 to each of his little daughters on attaining the age of 21 and the residue was to go to his son, his wife had predeceased him and his father and my 2x great grandfather William James Crisp became guardians to the children, William Crisp, Maria Briant Crisp, Ann Tyler Crisp and Mary Crisp.

Young William died before inheriting, so his share went to the daughters and two of them went on to run pubs with their husbands once they had married.

Maria Briant Crisp married twice, first to Harry Bonham Hall in 1847 (my 3x great grandparents were witnesses), together they took on the Camden Arms in Randolph Street which is still there and I have visited many times, it's claim to fame was that the last victim of a duel died there (but before their tenancy) and a few years ago it was renamed The Colonel Fawcett after him. Harry died in 1850 and she ran the pub with 5 live in staff, her sister Mary lived with them and must have helped with Maria's two children.

Maria remarried to Joseph Lanham in 1852 and had four children with him, her sister Mary married at the same time to Beville de Rosa Wimberley. Maria died at the Camden Arms aged just 39. Her widower went on to run The Feathers at Hobart Place (long demolished) behind Buckingham Palace with his stepson William Bonham Hall.

Maria's sister Ann Tyler Crisp married Frederick Collingwood and together they ran the Earl of Lonsdale in Westbourne Grove, London c1871 but was then in Archer Street. We visited a few years ago, it was a Sam Smiths pub but I was refused permission to take photos of the inside so we took out money and lunched elsewhere.

In 1880 they were at The Rising Sun in Lambeth (gone now). Their son Thomas Crisp Collingwood also worked in pubs, he was at The Cross Keys, St Sepulchre in 1891 (now offices), 1901 The Clarence Hotel, 88 Aldersgate (now demolished), 1907-1911 The Kings Arms, Glasshouse Street, London and finally Queen's Arms, High Road, Kilburn, where he died in 1919.

[Jill on the A272]

This site has been really useful when I have been researching pubs, some of my photos are there on the Sussex section as I sent the site owner some a few years ago plus some research I had done.

[Caroline]

On my maternal side I have a great (x8) maternal grandfather, Richard de Fraine of Aylesbury. (1668-1722) but more likely his son, also a Richard (1697-1766) who were victuallers. Victualler being "a person who is licensed to sell alcohol" in Britain.

They appear described as such in the Buckinghamshire Sessions Records as transcribed by the Buckinghamshire Record Society. They appear several times with various spellings of their surname in the volumes transcribed so far. Judging by the dates, the older Richard is more likely to be the one who was in trouble for not paying fines and putting logs on the highway and various other misdemeanours and the younger Richard was the victualler. Richard the younger was described as victualler of the One Tunn at his burial in Aylesbury and also in his will.

On my paternal side I have others - some I have researched.

John Usher (1908-1871) Publican of St Ives, Huntingdonshire my Great (x3) grandfather.
Variously an ironmonger and a tax collector, in 1861 he was an innkeeper.

Dawson Foakett/Folkard/Folkit etc. (1753-1837) Hussar and latterly publican of Chichester, my Great (x4) grandfather. We think Dawson think was the illegitimate son of Ann Folkard of Suffolk, joined the 15th Hussars and married in York. Had at least one child in Norfolk, was stationed in Arundel, left the army, ended up in Chichester, became a publican there. His remaining children were born in Chichester. His wife died, he married again and he died in 1837 when his occupation was given as publican. I have yet to work out which pub/inn but I fantasise that is might have been The Dolphin & Anchor, although highly unlikely, given that he was buried on 27 September 1837 from the Poor House, according to the parish register for St Peter the Great.

And then there are Ernest Lewcock, my great great-uncle, Chess Player of Hastings, who ran a licensed restaurant in Hastings. I have done much more research on him but haven’t written it up yet and Jessie Ann Lewcock, my great (x2) great-aunt, musician of Farnham in Surrey who married a very interesting publican in Yorkshire, Same name.

Not blood related but of local interest – Benjamin Cheeseman, publican of Littlehampton, brother of the first husband of my great x2 grandmother, Elizabeth Reed. (Her second husband was the grandson of Dawson.)

[Jill on the A272]

Every Saturday my husband and I go out for a pub lunch in the Sussex countryside, usually preceded or followed by a country walk when the weather is good enough. One of our favourites a The Crown, Horsted Keynes which is an easy bus ride away. In 2003 this pub next to the village green was struck by lightning and the roof was destroyed by fire along with much of the interior. The pub was closed for several years, but eventually re-opened after it was restored to a high standard. We started going soon after the refurbishment.

I started my husband's family tree well after doing my own, and was able to trace some of his ancestors back to Horsted Keynes and was pleased to find them farming where the High Weald Dairy now make cheeses. The farmer's wife, Elizabeth Jenner nee Holford was the daughter of Nathan Holford who was my husband's 5x great grandfather, who was also the parish clerk and witness to many marriages.

Later I found some Land Tax records for 1798 for Nathan Holford which revealed he was tenant of various pieces of farmland, Marchants, Stumblehole, some land in nearby Lindfield, and The Crown Inn for which he was the first landlord. The pub website claims it as medieval hall house though the architecture is entirely wrong for that. There is a handsome open fireplace though, (in which the previous chef owner roasted a hog on a spit) and I have several photos of my husband in a wooden chair on the flagstones enjoying a pint at his ancestor's pub.

Nathan was buried at St Giles, Horsted Keynes on 29th March 1802, he was 73, his gravestone is now mounted on the east side of the porch.

[Lin Fisher]

George Hurt my 2 x G Grandfather was a publican in 1861. The pub was Reubans Arms Finkhill St Nottingham, this is very close to Nottingham Castle. He went on to have many jobs and I have mentioned him before.

His son Arthur Hurt born 1859 married Ann Sarah Andrews in 1882 Southwell Minster. In 1885 they travelled to New South Wales on the Florida. They had a daughter out there but by 1901 were living in General Havelock St Anns Well Road Nottingham. This is about 3 roads from where I lived up to the Age of 6. I have found he gave up the Albion Hotel in Lenton in 1912 and moved to William the forth in Selkirk St Nottingham. He then left The William the forth in 1915. Think he retired then.
he died 1930 and left a will.

[Jill on the A272]

I have long been interested in the history of cooking and own a number of re-prints of historic cookery books or books about food history, I have re-created some recipes though many are impracticable or unappealing, I'm never going to prepare a dish of cocks combs for example. One book I have used though is William Verrall's "A Complete System of Cookery" 1759.

Verrall ran the White Hart (still trading) in the High Street in Lewes, Sussex, he took over from his father Richard who had converted it a substantial house dating from Elizabethan times to a hostelry serving both gentry, business and farming folk on a large scale. It was also the hub of local politics and an important meeting place for the supporters of the Duke of Newcastle the Whig Prime Minister who owned the building. William took over after his father's death in 1737aged just 22, having trained with the Duke's French chef Monsieur de St Clouet and introduced sophisticated French dishes. His elder brother Richard was running the Newcastle sponsored coffee house across the road and the Verrall brothers (there were others too) served as High Constables for Lewes five times.

On 29th January 1745 someone in my husband's family tree enters the story, Ann Botting married William Verrall at St John sub Castro, Lewes. She was the daughter of Samuell Botting of the Cliffe (the part of Lewes just over the Ouse) and his wife Elizabeth Page, Elizabeth was the sister of my husbands 6x great grandfather Richard Page and they came from Fletching in Sussex where Samuell also had some land.

Ann may have been pregnant, their daughter Elizabeth was christened on 24 Feb 1745 unless it is the old style/new style dating and she was born in 1746. A son, Richard, followed in 1751.

There's no way of knowing how Ann contributed to the running of this busy and influential inn, but she would have had a hectic life. Her father Samuell died in 1756 and was buried at Fletching, the her mother died in January 1757, and was also buried at Fletching.

On 15 August 1757 the Verralls took a severe financial blow when their Spittle Barn In Lewes was struck by lighting, destroying up to £300 worth of recently harvested wheat and two carts, one of them new and the barn itself. The tragedy rolled on, Ann died within days and was buried on 22nd August.

The White Hart limped on without her and William produced his cookery book priced a four shillings in October 1759. In December 1759 he was granted administration of his father in law Samuell's will, Ann who was to have been executor having died. The children Elizabeth and Richard were to benefit.

March 1761 was the final month of William's life, he married Hannah Turner on 2nd March 1761, was declared bankrupt, and was buried on 26th March. His widow declined to administer his goods, so his brother George who was also one of his creditors did so. George was also a witness at the marriage of Ann & William's daughter Elizabeth ten years later, in Fletching to John Jenner of Hanover Square.

Both children, Elizabeth and Richard inherited something not from the White Hart days, but it was from their grandfather Samuell Botting. Richard died unmarried in 1781, while Elizabeth died childless in Newick in 1799, having been widowed some time before. She may have lived there to be near her cousin, surgeon Henry Verrall of Newick who was her executor, and she left her coral, silver and a diamond ring to Henry's daughter.

Clues to the relationships came from the wills of Richard Page 1717 , Samuell Botting and Elizabeth Jenner all available on Familysearch

[Lin Fisher]

Just trying to tidy up some of my tree and came across Thomas Priestley. My 2 x G Grandmother was a Priestley from Barton in Fabis Notts.

Thomas was Baptised on 31 Dec 1865 at St George's Barton in Fabis to John and Catherine.

He married 5 Feb 1891 to Ellen Marrow in Chesterfield. On 1891 census he is married but not with wife and a Butler in Tipton Chesterfied.

The other census he is a publican/ licensed victualler. One of them is Rutland Hotel in Chesterfield. Googled and it is still there.

Just looked at Ellen and she is still a licensed Victualler on the 1939 register at the White Horse Inn Chesterfield.

[Lin Fisher]

Arthur Hurt was born 1859 Nottingham to George and Ann Hurt, they were my 2 x G Grandparents.

He married Ann Sarah Andrews on 7 Aug 1882 at St Mary the Virgin Southwell ( Minster). In 1885 they travelled from Plymouth to NSW Australia on the Florida.

Their first daughter Gertrude was born there in 1890, they then travelled back to Nottingham and 2nd daughter Clarice was born there in 1897.
1901 has them at The General Havelock on St Anns Well Road Nottingham.
Through newspaper articles he also had The Albion Hotel Sherwin St Nottingham and William the Fourth Selkirst St Nottingham.

He died in 1930 and in his will he was a Gentleman.

[Lin Fisher]

Charles Hurt was baptised on 4 May 1832 at St John the Baptist Beeston son of William and Millicent.

He married Harriett Reeve on 21 Mar 1854 at Eastwood, Harriet died in 1856 just after the birth of their only child who also died a few months later.
In 1861 Census he was landlord of The Fox and Owl Parliament ST Nottingham. It is still there called the Foxy and we have walked by it today.
On the census was Catherine Hurt his sister, actually his S in L. She had lost her husband, the brother of Charles and they married 23 Aug 1861 at Holy Trinity Nottingham. This church is were my parents married 72 years ago today and my brother and I were baptised there. Now knocked down to make a car park.

He retired in 1899 and died in 1922.

[Jill on the A272]

My grandfather's uncle Herbert Lawrence Crisp and maiden aunts Florence and Helena had the Thirlestone Hotel at Frensham in Surrey from around 1900 up to World War 1. The aunts used money inherited from their father's estate of £1087 ( they had a third each and another sister had the other third while Herbert and my great grandfather were stated to have been provided for in his lifetime.)

After the family gave up that hotel Herbert and his wife Isabel opened a small hotel in about 1928 called the Pentowan Hotel in Summerleaze Crescent in Bude, Cornwall. Isabel's widowed aunt Mary Ann Dunnill lived with them. Joseph Samuel Cowley was employed as a kitchen porter and handyman.

The Crisps had an outing to visit their son at his school in February 1931 and returned home to find the place ransacked and aunt Mary dead on the floor, bound and gagged with her apron, with an eiderdown, counterpane and curtain tied over her head with handkerchiefs and garters. She had suffocated. Cowley and 24 shillings were missing. He was later arrested and tried for murder, although the jury convicted him of manslaughter. He got 7 years.

[Katarzyna]

How terribly sad, Jill.

[Lin Fisher]

Jill, I hadn't read your post. What an awful thing to happen.

Found another publican.

William Dunn was born 1779 in Belbroughton Worcestershire and went on to marry Hannah Harris 1808 in Birmingham, They had 2 children together, one being Samuel, my 3 x G Grandfather. He later married Sarah Wilkes in 1823 and went on to have 6 more children. He was publican at Wittington Inn in Kinver for many years. He died 1861 in Kinver.

[Paulc]

Jill on the A272 what a tragic story. I do have an Inn Keeper on my tree, namely John Chiddicks, but having recently moved house, well 6 months ago now, I have been known to frequent the local pub, The Lamb Inn, the pub is steeped in history including old maps on the wall, so I recently traced the pub through all the census returns and presented it to the current Landlord who was chuffed to bits!!

[Jill on the A272]

Paulc I've also done histories for three of my local pubs though two of the landlords have moved on now, though I don't know if they passed them on to their successors.

[Paulc]

You would they were passed on after all your hard work! Did that mean free drinks for life!!

[PhotoFamily]

David McCrillis (1754-1825), blacksmith and (eventually) tavern owner in Canterbury, New Hampshire

"The record of the old Tavern with its fiver proprietors is remarkable. First Samuel Moore from abt 1750 until 1776, then his widow for about 13 months, then Col David McCrillis for 48 years"

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/McCrillis-73

So, of course, his wife Susanna Webster (1742-1822) was the primary owner prior to (maybe even during?) their marriage:

"After a time, a little over a year, Widow Susannah [Webster] Moore married him, although he was 12 years younger than she. "Might as well take him, I owe him so much," she is reported to have said. He, of course, conducted the tavern from that time until his death, a period of almost 50 years."

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Webster-5650

[Jill on the A272]

You would they were passed on after all your hard work! Did that mean free drinks for life!!

Not for life, but we had a complimentary dessert at one.

[Lin Fisher]

Thomas Dutton , my 6 x G Grandfather was an Inn Keeper in Thrumpton Nottinghamshire.

He was baptised 1709 at All Saints Thrumpton and married haven't found his marriage yet but from 1731 to 1746 Thomas and Hannah were having children in the village. He was buried 17 Sep 1780 in the same church.

Have know about him for ages but now Nottingham Parish records are on ancestry give a few more details.