Updated Jan 2024
The White Hart was a pub located Chapel Street, Great Marlow. John Chappell took over the licence for it in 1882. Though his name only is on the licence his wife Julia (née Smith) was equally involved in running it. In fact as he was also censused as working as a waiter she may have been more so. He worked at the Compleat Angler hotel. On top of that she was already the mother of 7 children on the 1891 census.
John was a native of Gloucestershire who initially came into Bucks to work as a butler. Moving to managing a pub from being a butler was quite common in the 1800s. Part of the butler's job was managing his employer's wine cellar.
How big the White Hart premises was is uncertain. There was a yard out back. This was hired out to coal merchants- initially William Lovegrove and then to Alfred Batting of Chapel Street who bought William's business (and who sold the Chappells their coal!).
The couple got off to a shaky start with John suspected by the police of serving underage boys and allowing "bad characters" to drink and meet there. The police lacked any conclusive evidence to take to court on these points however. As a stranger to the town John was at a significant advantage as he himself argued. He had no idea who were the local ne'er do wells or the town boys who looked older than their true years. As soon as he opened his premises he would have been targeted as someone, who unlike all other business owners in the small town did not know everything about every local who might come through his doors. You see other newly arrived publicans exploited in this way too. The troublemakers wouldn't have long before their latest new refuge became useless, but they'd make hay while the sun shone so to speak. That is one of the reasons that the local magistrates really didn't like giving licenses to non locals.
Like many Marlow pubs and beer houses the White Hart also took in lodgers. One such, Joseph Barnes in 1892* caused John and Elizabeth trouble by coming home drunk one day and hurling insults at their customers. Elizabeth suggested he find alternative lodgings. Less subtle, John manhandled him out. That wasn't an easy task. Julia went to help and would later allege that Joseph assaulted her in the struggle, as well as breaking the glass in their door. Though the couple took the matter to court they stated once there that Joseph was a nice man and reportedly a steady and reliable worker for his employer normally. He just couldn't handle his drink. The judge did not punish him beyond requiring him to pay the cost of having the glass mended. It seems there was no hard feelings in the case as Joseph was back lodging with them just a few years later, if not sooner.
This wasn't the Chappell's only customer trouble. Back in 1882 Sarah Bowles and Sarah Rose* stood accused of stealing from them a half pint of brandy in a glass and some money.
In 1896, John and Julia were fined after having drinkers inside the premises during prohibited hours. Raided by a suspicious constable, the drinkers pretended to be lodgers by fleeing to the bedrooms but the police knew they did not lodge there. What's worse Julia was herself said to be obviously drunk while in charge of the bar.
That year the Chappells gave up their pub. Renewing their licence given their recent troubles would have been tricky. They remained in Marlow with Joseph Barnes still lodging with them. John and Julia are both down on the 1901 census as waiters.
A list of landlords for the White Hart can be found on the blog here
To find out more about Marlow pubs and beer shops of old, see the Pubs listing in the top drop down menu. To find every mention of your ancestor, use the A-Z people index and the biographies of families and biographies of individuals option all in the top menu. Happy hunting!
*1.) Bucks Herald October 13th 1883. Copy held by the British Library. Accessed online via the BNA, September 2020. 2.) South Bucks Standard 25th November 1892. As above.
Census my transcription from microfilm.
©Marlow Ancestors
No comments:
Post a Comment