Warboys Public Houses and Beer Houses

A few years ago Joan Cole researched the pubs of Warboys and their locations.

This article takes that information, introduces maps of the locations, and includes the

names of landlords, publicans and beer house retailers. There is also a selection of

early photos of the pubs together with photos taken in 2019

The information is derived from the census records (1841 – 1939), a variety of

county directories and OS maps from the National Library of Scotland

From the gin craze of the late 1700s the government attempted to push

the public away from spirits and introduced the Alehouse Act in 1828 and

later the Beer House Act in 1830.

In 1830 it became possible to get a licence for a beer house to brew

and sell beer or cider to be consumed on the premises at a cost of 2 guineas.

(value today about £240)

Beer houses were set up in the front rooms of their houses. The 2 guinea

fee was abolished in late 1830.

In 1869 beer house licences came under the magistrates

The licence for a public house was granted by magistrates and was

subject to police inspections.

This shows the extent of the Warboys parish boundary in the 1795 Enclosure Act

In Warboys from 1839 to the 1930s there were many public houses and beer

retailers; some of the people who were identified from census and various directories

are listed below. It was often difficult to identify a publican or beer house retailer from

the census records because they often had other jobs, and those jobs were the ones

listed. So the list is probably incomplete.

.

Publicans; John Calcutt – Pelican, Thomas Clifton – Railway,

Samuel Rosher – Plough, George Taylor – Ship, the How family –White Hart,

George Wright – Cock, John Hodson – Royal Oak,

the Whitsey family – Whistling Pig

Beer retailers; John Baldock, George Bedford, Henry Robert Moore, James Noble,

George Clack, James Dockerill, Elizabeth Dring, Jesse Dring, James Richardson,

Jabez Richardson, Susannah Richardson, John Stratton, Joseph Swannell, David

Fletcher, William Garton, Rachel Henson, Thomas Hodson, William Hodson,

Frederick Hyde, Watson Taylor, Albert Thory, Charles Townsend, David Wyatt,

Frederick Boast, Kate Taylor, Martha Garton

Maps from the National Library of Scotland: OS Six inch England and Wales

Showing the locations and sites of the pubs in Warboys

The site of the Axe and Compass on this map is presumed from the description of a

sale of several plots of land in 1881. See later for more details.

Historic photographs of the pubs in comparison to their appearance in 2019

The Wheatsheaf on Ramsey Road and in 2019

In 18989 JT Clifton and others were tenants, 1908 Frank Robinson, 1939 Horace

Whitwell.

The Duke of Wellington 10 Ramsey Road; photo from the collection of Joan Cole.

Landlords; 1891 and 1901 Frederick Hyde, 1910 William Hyde

The Pelican Inn

Landlords include Sarah Rogers, David Allen, John Cawcutt (Calcutt), William

Murden, Edward Caswell, and John D Palmer

The Royal Oak on Mill Green

Landlords; 1839 John Hodson, 1901 Henry R Moore, 1936 John R Greenwood

The White Hart in 1990.

The How family had been Landlords since 1840 to at least 1939

(Susan, Isaac, William, Eliza, John and Thomas)

The Red Lion in the High Street

Landlords; 1901 Kate Taylor, 1939 George Palmer

The Horse in Harness around 1955 from the Francis Frith Collection.

Landlords; 1854 Steven Brown, 1901 John Stratton, 1939 Samuel Poulter

Is now the Windmill Bakery

The Ship Inn was present to at least 1955. Site of the Ship inn 2019

Landlords; 1839, 1854 Robert How, 1869 Cyrus Watson , 1881 Elisha Taylor

1891 1903 George Taylor, 1936 Harold Clack

The Spotted Dog later known as the Blue Dog. Site of the Spotted Dog

Landlords include the Baldock family

Site of The Prince of Wales This was the Exhibition Inn,

42 High Street, opposite the White Hart. opposite Wistow turn on Ramsey Road

This was The Garden Gate This wasThe Greyhound

corner of Bencroft and Fenton Road 12 Station Road. Landlords;John

Landlords; 1898 Jane Woolstenholmes Richardson, Susannah Richardson

1901 Elizabeth Dring, 1908 Daniel Robinson 1908 George Watts

Site of The George Hotel Site of the Fyson Brewery and

15 High Street family home 17 High Street

View from Church Tower with the Cross Keys and White Lion signs outlined

Site of The White Lion 8 Church Street Site of the Cock Inn 59 High Street

Site of the Rose and Crown 77 High St. Site of the Black Prince 41 Popes Lane

The Whistling Pig. Landlords ; 1891 Benjamin Whitsey, 1901 Jane Whitsey

1939 Mary A Whitsey

The Golden Drop. Landlords; 1891 John Behagg, 1901 William Hodson, 1939

Jesse Dring

The (Fen) Plough on Puddock Road. Is now a kennels and cattery. It was listed on

the 1795 Enclosure map as an inn. Landlords of the Plough; 1854, 1869 James

Young, 1891 Samuel Rosher, 1901-1914 Kezia Rosher,

1939 as Plough Farm H Rosher

The Farmers Boy, corner of Puddock Road and Millers Way..

Landlords; 1891 Charles Townsend, 1939 George Townsend.

On the opposite corner is a new build which has been named “Farmers Boy”.

In the background the house next to the site of the Blue/Spotted Dog can be seen.

The White Swan on Puddock Road, also known as the Five Chimneys.

The Railway Inn around 1952 at corner of Station Road and Puddock Road.

Landlords include Thomas Clifton, William Stratton and HH Freeman

Site of the Three Fishes Puddock Road Site of the Red Cow, Station Road

This was the Red Lion on Fenton Road.

In 1908 the landlord was George Shelton.

In 1881 there was an auction to sell several plots of land in Warboys by order of the

trustees of the will of George Fletcher. The lots included the “Garden Gate” public

house, the “Rose and Crown”, the “Wheatsheaf” public house, the “Greyhound”

public house as well as “the newly erected public house known as the Axe and

Compass”. This was lot 4, and the purchaser was to fence next to Lot 3 to the north.

Lot 3 was the “Rose and Crown”. However there was a Rose and Crown located on

the site of 77 High Street and there would be no possibility of fencing the south side.

The implication is that there were two “Rose and Crowns” . Since we know from

Joan Cole’s research the Axe and Compass was located at 62 Mill green this means

that the other Rose and Crown would have been on Mill Green to the north of Violet

Cottage.

From Lincoln Rutland and Stamford Mercury 29 July 1881

To Brewers and others, Warboys, Pidley, Wistow and Ramsey and Swavesey

King and sons to auction under trustees of will of Geo Fletcher at Pelican Inn 3 Aug

1881

In Warboys

Lot 1 the 4qtr brewery with plant, 10 roomed private house, 5 cottages, farm yard,

outbldgs. In centre of town occupied by Mr Piggott (This was Croft Holme)

Lot 2 the Garden Gate PH with outbldgs, garden about 1 rood occupied by Mrs

Woolstenholmes, copyhold (on the corner of Bencroft)

Lot 3 the Rose and Crown with yard, stabling, shed and garden as stumped out,

occupied by Mrs Clifton

Lot 4 The newly erected PH known as the Axe and Compass, near lot 3 with 3

cottages, large yard, out buildings and garden at back. Tenants J Utteridge, Dring,

Chapman and See. Purchaser to fence next to lot 3 on the north.

Lot 5 The Wheatsheaf PH with 8 cottages, outbuildings and large garden abt 1 acre.

Tenant JT Clifton and others.

Lot 6 the Axe and Compass PH with 4 acres arable adjoining, abutting north

and east on land of John Longland Esq, west by J Brown and south on the

Heath Road. Tenant David Wyatt

Lot 7 The Greyhound PH in Warboys Town with garden, outbuildings and Close of

pasture cont abt 1 acre occupied by John Richardson (subject to a right of road for

the adjoining owner to T Close)

62 Mill Green, site of the Axe and Compass Probable Lot 3 (starred), north of Lot 4

The brick wall below the star and adjacent

to Violet Cottage is likely to be the fencing

required in the sale of Lot 4.

Furthermore the Auction sale notice also mentioned Lot 6 the “Axe and Compass”

with Heath Road to the south. The census of 1901 gives the site on Heath Road as

“Wood Farm, 2 cottages and public house the Axe and Compass also 2 cottages on

the roadside “ The tenant was David Wyatt who was tenant of the “Carpenters Arms”

when it was on fire in 1884 . His son had been playing with matches.

It is unusual for there to be two public houses with the same name close together,

but here we have two sets of pubs with the same name in quite close proximity.

Maps from the National Library of Scotland showing the probable sites of the Axe

and Compass and the Rose and Crown.

The location of the Carpenters Arms and the other Axe and Compass were shown

earlier.

This could be the site of the Axe and Compass on Heath Road. The track leads up to

Wood Farm as indicated in the 1901 census.

There are a few other pubs/beer houses yet to be located. These will be added when

available.

Brian Lake, February 2020