Wednesday, July 21, 2021

The Carrier's Arms and Star Of The Town, Wycombe Road, Great Marlow

Updated by Charlotte October 2024

Historic landlord listing and history timeline: 

Licensed from 1848 with unknown name then. Believed to have been the Star Of The Town in the 1860s, a name which *may* have been inspired by the launch of Marlow's Star of The Thames boat in 1864 - see here

1861 - ? Possibly Charles Belcher, carrier. Nephew of the Johnsons of the nearby Plough. Or is it one of the Judge family? 


[1865 - Star Of The Town - Mrs Judge]


[1867 - Star Of The Town - Henry Judge, who is fined for opening his beerhouse on a Sunday despite Mrs Judge's efforts to throw the incriminating pints down into the cellar and out of sight]


As the Carriers Arms: 

1870 - John & Mary Ann Palmer.  John's parents also called John & Mary Palmer lived with them. John the son had previously been coachman to Major Henry Court at Wargrave. John junior was described as a carrier to Wycombe in 1873. In 1870 a poor "tramp" Ann Russell stole a pair of scissors belonging to Mary Ann from the premises and was sent to prison for six weeks as a result. Ann Russell had used the scissors to pay for lodgings at the Bear in Chapel Street. In 1872 a travelling man was charged with obtaining food and beer from Mary Ann under false pretenses.

1881 - John Palmer

1883 - John Palmer 

1887 - John Palmer's chickens stolen from his premises.

1888 - John Palmer, also a carrier assisted by his wife Mary Ann. This year Mary Ann refused to buy a box of cigars offered to her by a customer, rightly suspecting them to be stolen.

1889 -  H Palmer then Benjamin Hughes

1891 - George B Hughes.

1892 - GB Hughes transferred premises to Thomas Munday. G B Hughes heads to The Plough. See here. He is later at the Black Lion,Well End, Little Marlow See here

1893/4 - Thomas J Mundy

1895 - Alfred Sarney (see also the Black Horse)

1896 - Alfred Sarney to Mr Sawyer, then to W A Shepherd then to Thomas Richards and finally Edward John Briggs. Difficulties arose from finding proprietor that was acceptable long term licensee to authorities. Such a parade of temporary landlords is quite frequent in Marlow! 

1898 - Mr Ware 2. John Foster

1899 -  Mr Foster transferred to John Debenham

1907 -  John Debenham *Read about John's thwarted plans for his pub's closure and for a replacement in a new location in this post here

1911 - James Belcher, who had moved from Chairmaker's Arms Dean Street. See here

1912  - Firstly Richard George Brant then later that year Walter Goddard.

1912-21 Walter Goddard.

1928- ex farmer James Holmes originally from Pewsey, Wiltshire  took over. He died of pneumonia following an operation in 1932.

1939 - April of that year. Margaret Juggins. Her husband was serving in the RAF at the time. As he was the one compensated for the forced closure of the pub later that year she looks to have been minding the pub for him while he was thus occupied.


Closed - 1939 / 1940 by authorities to reduce the number of drinking establishments in town. Last landlord Sidney Charles Juggins husband of the above Margaret 


Additional research by Charlotte Day.


NOTES - Many Marlow landlords switched premises over time and their family members can often be found running other pubs locally too.  

Related Posts:

There are posts on this blog about individual families associated with certain pubs, as well as on individual pubs themselves so have a look at the Pub Related index here  & don't forget the Person Index for all mentions of someone on this blog. Find it on the top drop down menu. Thousands are listed. 

Posts about life in the neighbouring streets here

More beer sellers than bakers -Temperance in Marlow here

Lists of posts about everyday life in old Great Marlow here


SOURCES Include:

South Bucks Standard, 6 January 1893, 8 November 1895, 3  1896, Bucks Herald November 3rd 1888, each copy held at British Library archives, accessed via the BNA

1872 list of Beer Sellers, Old Bucks County Archives

Kelly's Post Office Directory 1883, 1907, 1911

Census 1881, transcription from microfilm by Charlotte Day. 


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