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Saturday, February 5, 2022

Bell / Olde Bell Inn Hurley

Hurley. Became known mostly as the Olde Bell /Ye Olde Bell from around the early 1880s. Part of the Temple House estate, and formerly part of the Monastery. 





Historic landlords:


1789- George Holgate

1815= Elizabeth Holgate

1840= Bell has new landlord but name eludes me at the moment. 

1847-67= Daniel Powell and his wife Rebecca. In 1857 the Bell was used for the inquest into the sad death of Daniel Emmett, butler at the Manor House in Hurley who had committed suicide.

1867 Maria Powell daughter of the above took over the licence from her mother. Earlier in life she had been a straw bonnet maker. Maria married Joseph Webb a long time lodger in the Bell who was a whitesmith but went on to run the pub.

1871-1877 Joseph Webb (see above). He died in 1877.

1877-1881 Maria Webb, widow of Joseph Webb, daughter of Daniel and Rebecca Powell as above.

1881- 1904 Robert Rodwell. Wife Rachel. She died in 1891 and was buried in Hurley. Funeral report 23rd Sept 1891 Maidenhead Advertiser [paper in British Library, accessed via the BNA]"She was well known and very well respected" Shortly before this sad event the Rodwell's had invested in enlarging the quaint old inn so it could now accommodate 50 persons.  In 1897 Robert did the catering for the village's 1897 Jubilee celebrations (more on them here). Robert gave up the "Olde Bell" 1904 to Mr Knight. "Old fashioned and well appointed hotel ..rooms or beds may be ordered by the letter or telegram" [Dickens Dictionary of The Thames,1889 edition] Every accommodation for gentlemen and families. 

Advert, 1891 from The Marlow Directory and Tourist Guide to the Thames. The guide notes travellers will always find "a capital cold luncheon ready in the curious old fashioned bar-parlour." 


1904= Mr Knight

1916. Mrs Oliver.


Compiled from censuses, licensing information Berkshire Records Office, court cases, adverts, newspapers as quoted above, etc. Kelly's Post Office Directory by Kellys Directories Limited 1863,1883. Historic England Archives, The Marlow Directory and Tourist Guide to the Thames 1891, Marlow Guide 1903. 


More Hurley pub history and landlord listings in the future. We have a large number of similar posts for pubs in Marlow, Little Marlow, Medmenham and Lane End (all Buckinghamshire) plus a few for the Hurley pubs we have already featured. These are all listed here.

 Our main focus is Marlow on this blog but we do cover places like Hurley because of frequent connection between them and Marlow. For a list of Hurley, Harleyford and Temple related posts see here

Researched and written by Charlotte Day.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use this content for family and local history purposes if you credit this blog and link here.


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