Updated by Charlotte June 2026
Location most likely listed as Oxford Lane or Oxford Terrace in early records. Current address is Oxford Road. The building is now a private house.
1833 - 53 John Boulter. Wife was Alice. May have been the man of this name who was one of the Marlow constables back in 1807. He was born circa 1775. He was the keeper of the cricket field for the Marlow Cricket Club in 1825 and an honorary member of the club because of that. The pitch was probably then at Almshouse Close off Oxford Road. In 1843 a thief entered John's home and made off with some beef and other "choice viands".
1864 - Thomas Hall? (also a carrier) See Clayton Arms. Seems mistaken identification of him as being at the Crown and Anchor as he definitely had the licence of the nearby Clayton Arms at this time and could not legally have had two licences at once.
1871 - James Jones (also bricklayer).
1879 - James Jones died age 64, and licence transferred to his widow, Maria Jones "Crown and Anchor Beer House".
1880 - Maria Jones. 2. Alfred B Walker.
1881 - Alfred B Walter.
1883 - Alfred B Walter (also a carpenter).
1884 - 86 Henry Lilywhite. Came to Marlow from Eton Wick. Suffered financial difficulties quite quickly.
1886 - Henry Lilywhite 2. Richard Goldswain. The Crown and anchor licence was threatened in 1886 as it did not meet the minimum rateable value required for licenced premises. It's future was saved after it was agreed to incorporate a neighbouring cottage into the property. At first there was no interior communication between these two parts not to mention a tenant still living in the cottage. This cast doubt on the legitimacy of the claimed incorporation. But the cottage's own private outer door was eventually blocked up and an interior connecting door knocked through and the authorities were satisfied.
1891 - Richard Goldswain transferred licence to John Goodey.
1903 - John Goodly qv (should be Goodey).
1904 - John Goodey transferred licence to William H Cooper (hold over) then Charles J Kendall.
1907 - 1. George Lewis 2. David Nash.
1908 - David Nash transferred licence to Hugh Morrison.
1909 - transfer of licence from Hugh Morrison to William Farr.
1910 - 1.) W H Pink 2. P W J Branning.
1912 - James William Jarvis transferred licence to Joseph Jarvis.
1912- 15 Joseph Jarvis.
1915 - Joseph Jarvis gave over the pub to Slough man John Kennard temporarily and then to James Weedon of Oxford.
1915- 1928 James Weedon. Wife Ann. In 1928 the Crown and Anchor was considered for closure under plans to limit the number of licenced premises in the area but the pub did not make the shortlist of pubs to close. It was then selling 2 barrels of beer a week. Pub also functioning as a small lodging house.
1930s onwards - pub known for it's successful darts team.
1932 - Henry Lucas Chivers who left that year. Moved to End Farm Cottage.
1936 - 48. Arthur Lloyd Clement and his wife. Also a farmer then. They were native to England but had spent some years previously dairy farming in New Zealand. In 1940 Arthur was working at an engineering company at Wooburn as a gateman whilst running the pub. Pub functioning as a lodging house too. In 1939 the pub started a Diddlum club (a savings club) and soon had nearly 3 dozen members for it. It already had a Slate Club (a sickness and death benefit club). Gladys Clement, daughter of Arthur and Mrs Clement, served in the National Fire Service in the war. She had been one of the 1937 Coronation Carnival Queen's Maids Of Honour in Marlow. Her brother Frederick won the Distinguished Flying Medal during the war. He was listed as missing presumed killed on July 6th 1944. Arthur left the Crown and Anchor due to ill health in March 1948.
1948 -1965 Richard Cain. Born in Bermondsey to pub-keeping parents himself, Richard was only the 15th person in this country to be granted a driving licence- which he was granted in 1913! He was a former chauffeur to a cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm and died in 1965 aged 78. The pub became fully licensed (could sell more than beer) towards the end of his tenancy.
1965 - Charles Johnson.
Written and researched by Charlotte Day and Kathryn Day.
This post will be updated as new information emerges. All listings are as noted in original sources, including alternative spellings. We mainly focus on pre 1920s listings but sometimes list later names if it ties in with research we are helping with.
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For a list of 100+ Marlow pubs, beer houses etc of old see this list here
SELECTED SOURCES -
1833 Parochial Assessment. Original handwriting notebooks held by my family and transcribed by Charlotte Day.
1853 Mussons and Cravens Commercial Directory. University of Leicester Archives.
1864, 1883 Kelly's Post Office Directory by Kelly's Directories Limited.
1871,1881 Census transcribed from microfilm by Jane Pullinger.
Bucks Free Press 9th Feb 1965, Bucks Free Press Archives.
Robson's Directory 1839
Licence Hearings.
Newspapers accessed via the BNA from the British Library archives March 2021:
Bucks Advertiser and Aylesbury News : 14 July 1860.
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