In its early life The Bear in Chapel Street was known as a "Tom and Jerry shop" or small-scale beer shop. Its landlords always had another job to run along side the beer selling, usually shoe making, a traditional pairing in Marlow and elsewhere. And on top of that a few lodgers were squeezed in too, until The Bear became just as known as a "common lodging house" as a beer seller. It led a quiet life for much of its existence, but in the 1870s that would all change in shocking circumstances.
In the late 1860s the premises was taken over by the very experienced couple of Charles and Charlotte Hoare, formerly of the Travellers Friend, Dean Street and The Three Horseshoes, Gun Lane (Trinity Road) Charles died shortly afterwards, but the capable Charlotte continued.
At the time of the 1871 census Charlotte had 9 male lodgers aged between 34 and 67 plus one female one with two children. It's clear from the complaints made about common lodging houses, that the sharing of rooms, and sometimes beds was normal. It would be inevitable in a premises the size of Charlotte's. But to those needing affordable lodgings they were a lifeline. She managed to attract a number of longer term lodgers which must suggest they were happy with her accomodation - there was plenty of rivals within Marlow, chiefly in Dean Street. (David Banks mentioned below had been with her 8 years for example)
A little minor trouble affected the Bear in 1872 when the vigilant P C Parsons heard some sounds coming from within at 11.15pm, after last orders should gave been called. He tried the door to the taproom which was unbolted. Within were 4 of Charlotte's lodgers plus a female visitor with an incriminating "cup of beer" on the table next to them. Charlotte was hauled before the magistrates to explain her apparent selling of alcohol after hours. The constable made something of the fact that the other woman present was a Mrs Brewer who was, according to him, a known prostitute. Charlotte was indignant. She said Mrs Brewer was a married mother of two, quite respectable and what's more had merely called in on the subject of some washing she was doing for Charlotte. Perhaps the constable thought it a little late to be making such a errand. No charge was made in relation to harbouring prostitutes in any case. It was the fact a non lodger was on the premises, seemingly drinking alcohol that was the problem. But Charlotte wasn't pleased with that accusation either. She said she had been selling alcohol for 30 years and never had a single complaint been made against her before. She had just lost track of time she said, blaming the fact it was hay making season, and she so had been especially busy (many of her lodgers were agricultural labourer, full time or seasonal). She bought forward one of her neighbours, coal merchant Mr Brown, to speak up for how quiet the Bear usually was and even Inspector Breene agreed it was a well conducted beer house. So she was let off any fine with a mild finger wagging and a reminder to keep a closer eye on the clock in future.
Two years later things were very different. Quiet as the Bear may seemingly have been, it was a premises where a lodger might pass out drunk on the floor and be left to come to in their own time. This was to have a tragic consequence.
Two lodgers, George "Topper" Frewin(g) and George Blewitt, had fallen out. Frewing had borrowed tuppence from Blewitt, and the latter thought its return was over due. So late one evening in the tap room, he asked for it back. Frewin didn't have it, Blewitt wasn't happy and drunkenly suggested he would go and fetch a policeman. Frewin told him to do just that, it would do no good, at which Blewitt lost his temper altogether. He hit the seated Frewin, and a tussle ensued. Frewin was knocked to the floor (possibly hitting a fire place) and on attempting to get up, was kicked back down by Blewitt. He was by this time unconscious with a bloodied face. The reaction of those present, (Charlotte Hoare, two other lodgers, a young couple and the 8 year grandson of Charlotte, Charles Neighbour) suggest such an encounter was not unusual in the tap room. For no one did anything at all for the injured man for half an hour. A female customer coming inside, not known to those present, was concerned at his state and asked Charlotte for a basin of water to wash the blood away from the face of Frewin. She then thought she had made him fairly comfortable. A little later Charlotte shut up and left Frewin lying where he was. The answer everyone gave was they did not think he was really hurt, more drunk than anything, and because he very often slept things off lying on the tap room floor, they thought he may as well stay there. Time and time again the lack of understanding of potential head injuries or the dangers of concussion comes out in similar Marlow tales.
Lodger David Maxwell Banks, aged about 38, came downstairs at 4am for a glass of water (or so he said later). He heard moans coming from the tap room but was surprised to find Frewin where he had been left. He told him to get up "my dear fellow" and try and get to bed. Poor Frewin could not answer and so..Banks went back to bed himself. Eventually another guest came down and Charlotte was fetched. She now suspected something was wrong and called a doctor but it was too late. Topper died, aged in his early 40's.
Blewitt was supposed to be aged 30 and at the time was working as a general labourer. He plead guilty to "feloniously killing or slaying" Frewin. His punishment was 6 months in gaol. In 1875, as a resident of the Wycombe Union workhouse in Saunderton, he was accused of a savage assault upon another resident. This earned him another trip to the assizes and a 14 day prison sentence.
Frewin was the son of Joseph and Amey of Chapel Street. As a younger man he had lived with his widowed 66 year old mother in the Oxford Lane Almshouses. Later Amy would lodge with the Allum family, also in Oxford Lane at which time she was described as a lacemaker.
Charlotte Hoare gave up the licence of the Bear later that year. She herself died rather young - you can read more on that and see her grave here
Written and researched by Kathryn Day.
RELATED POSTS:
Life of Charles and Charlotte Hoare at the Three Horseshoes here
Bear landlady Catherine Neighbour nee Sparkes here
List of landlords of The Bear, Black Horse etc here
Link to the Pub Post Index here
Post about Charlotte's son in law Alfred Neighbour, an innkeeper here
More beer sellers than bakers - temperance in Marlow here
Everyday life in old Great Marlow post index including crime related content - here
To find every mention of an individual or family here use the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. (4,000 names and counting)
Sources include:
Kelly's Directory Bucks 1847
Parish Assessment 1833, original notebooks in our possession.
Duttons Directory 1863.
Reading Mercury 25 July 1874 ,British Library Archive
Bucks Advertiser 25 July 1874, 7th January 1878 as above
Northants Mercury 25 July 1874, as above.
Bucks Herald 18 July 1874 - thanks to Jane Pullinger for view of this.
1841,51,61,71,81, - transcript from microfilm made by Jane Pullinger and Charlotte Day.
© MarlowAncestors
