THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE, Queens Road.
Updated by Charlotte October 2024
In 1862 William Plumridge was a publican somewhere in Marlow. In 1863 and 1864 William Plumridge was listed as a beer seller at Cambridge Place off Queens Road / Cambridge Road. He may be at the pub known to have been once located in what would later be the original cottage hospital in Cambridge Road. That building was built as a pub, probably by the Plumridge family. It's pub name is unknown to me. The early years of those premises are currently being researched and will hopefully bring more clarity. I believe William was not in the future hospital building at this time even if he had been earlier. Instead I believe that he was trading out of a converted cottage in Cambridge Place. Certainly in 1869 a Mrs Hewett was resident at the future hospital building and it was not a pub but an ordinary home then. William was also a builder, the son of another William who likewise worked as a builder and publican. This older William built The Wheatsheaf in Station Road and ran the White Hart in Chapel Street.
1865 - William Plumridge listed at Duke of Cambridge, Marefield specifically. This is likely to be its current Queens Road premises as Marefield was a loose location covering this road and others. I have confirmed that William himself built the Duke as a beerhouse. It was subsequently fully licenced. Wife Emma.
A cottage in Cambridge Place, which may have been the first Plumridge beer house in the area returned to domestic use, remained in the Plumridge family for some time.
1869 - William Plumridge. Gets spirit licence.
1871 - William Plumridge. Listed as bricklayer on the census. This would be closer to a builder in our modern understanding. An occupation followed by a vast number of Plumridge men!.
1875 - thieves stole a pound of tea from William, selling it on for 14d and a pot of beer at the Travellers Friend. The 3 men convicted were sentenced to 3 months hard labour.
1880 - William Plumridge handed over reins to his son William Henry Plumridge and passed away soon after. The pub was sold by the Plumridge family as a result (for £2000 to the Wethered family) but William the son immediately took back on the licence. He too was also a builder. His widowed mother Emma lived on until 1898, when she died in Queens Road after a long illness. Emma ran a little general store there for some time in her widowhood.
At the time of the pub sale the pub was described as consisting of a bar, taproom, large parlour, sitting room, 2 cellars, 4 bedrooms, 2 w.c, washhouse, with garden, stabling, outbuildings and conservatory. The "lucrative" trade was 7 barrels a week plus a steady custom for spirits. The "conservatory" was probably the hot house described in 1882 as a place where William was growing peaches which were stolen by a visiting drinker he had shown them off to.
1883 - William Henry Plumridge
1887 - Queens Road opposite the Duke sees a Jubilee of public dinner so the pub and street was adorned with bunting, flags etc. For more see here The following year William organised a Marefield area cricket team to play against the workers of Burrows shoe manufacturer of Cookham. It was played on a meadow adjoining the chalk pit off Oxford Road, and the Marefield team was victorious. Afterwards both sides sat down to a celebratory dinner at the Duke.
1891 - William Henry Plumridge Still also builder/bricklayer)
1899 - Williams 50th birthday was celebrated at the Duke with a special smoking concert and copious toasts to the health and wealth of the host.
1903 - William Henry Plumridge (also a bricklayer). Owner of a champion apple tree - see here
1920 - William Henry Plumridge
1939 - Jn. Thomas Edwards
The Railway hotel, Above
THE RAILWAY HOTEL
(Later The Marlow Donkey), Station Road.
1873 -Brewery got a spirit licence for these new premises in exchange for the Black Boy loosing theirs. Walter Porter.
1876 - Walter Porter
1877 - Walter Porter
1880 - suffered minor damage in the 1880 election riot. The men were called off as Mrs Porter was now a widow. For more, see here. A biographical post about Walter and Sarah's son is on the blog here.
1881 - Mrs Sarah Ann Porter born Wisbech, Cambs.
1886 - Mrs Porter 2. William Harris of Maida Vale appears to have been a proposed new licensee but his takeover of the premises fell through.
1899 - Mrs Sarah Ann Porter (See her grave on the blog here)
1903 - Charles Henry Porter (son of Sarah and Walter above). Also coal merchant.
1904 - Walter Duplock managed Railway hotel livery stables
1905 - Mr Porter
1911 - Charles Henry Porter
1915 - William Sailsbury
1921 - William Salisbury
1926 - 29 W Francis White "Electric light throughout" "The only hotel with modern sanitary arrangements"and sports meadow available to hire, and garages available for customer cars.
1939 - Frederick Wallace Jones
Above - front cover of the Marlow and District Motor Services Ltd first annual dinner as hosted at the Railway Hotel in March 1931. On the menu were both mince pies and plum pudding, a reminder that the habit of using these at celebratory meals at any time of the year had not quite disappeared at this time. From the collection of Michael Eagleton, with thanks.
©Marlow Ancestors.
To find all pub/hotel related posts see the pub related option on the top drop down menu. To see all mentions of your ancestor no matter how small, chose the A-Z person index. Here's a link to a list of historic Marlow watering holes: here
SOURCES
Numerous historic newspaper reports relating to annual licencing sessions, and other events relating to the premises, in the South Bucks Standard, and Maidenhead Advertiser accessed via the BNA including:
Reading Mercury 8th Sept 1866, 13 September 1873 as above
Bucks Herald 10th September 1864, as above
Census 1871,1881, 1891
Kelly's Post Office Directory 1864,1869,1877,1883,1895, 1903,1915
Dutton, Allen and Co Commercial Directory. 1863
Harrods Royal County Directory 1876