Today we would probably call this High Wycombe but Handy Cross was historically in Great Marlow parish.
Property owned by the Clayton family and leased by Wethered's Brewery of Marlow. Sometimes referred to as The Blue Standard.
Landlords listing and history timeline:
1833 - William Earis. Premises consisted of a house, adjoining cottage and shoeing forge for a blacksmith. The surname Earis is a very Handy Cross one. It also occurs as Earys, Ayres, Eyres, Ayris, Airis, Aris etc.
1840-Mrs Earis keeps a shop at Handy cross (beer shop?)
1841 - The scene of a meeting of Liberal supporters (known as the Blues) after the election at Great Marlow. Clayton who owned the property was the successful Liberal candidate. The name of the beer house is definitely not a coincidence! The celebration was however premature as Clayton had a majority of just 1 and the election result was over turned when some of the votes were considered invalid. A Tory candidate then overtook him in the polls and he lost the seat.
1842 Susanna Earis widow of William of the Blue Flag died age 64. She may be the Mrs Earis who was a shop keeper at Handy Cross in 1840. In this instance "shop" may mean beer shop. Though in 1844 a Joseph Earis, (her son?) was running a grocers shop at Handy Cross and getting in trouble for selling alcohol in it without a licence.
1845 "Old Blue Flag" - Joseph Earis. Wife Mary Ann nee Beesley. Joseph wants to press charges against three men who he says assaults his wife, her brother and her father at the beer shop. However the case is dismissed as it's considered all were as much to blame as each other. The Bucks Advertiser and Aylesbury News adds they considered that this was a "beer shop quarrel" caused by the "bad temper" of the landlord and wife. [October 25th 1845]
1863-64= presumably James Clarke / Clark publican of Handy Cross in those years was at the Blue Flag as there were only two pubs at Handy Cross and James was definitely not at the other one, the Blacksmith's Arms. James was an inveterate poacher! In 1863 for example he was fined for being in possession of a pheasant which he said he'd come across on the side of the road. Such things were happening to James a little too often go convince the authorities! On the 1861 census he was a shepherd at Handy Cross with his wife Elizabeth who was a dressmaker.
1868 - William Harper
1869- Brewery were struggling to find a licensee sufficiently respectable for the magistrates to approve of.
1869-72 Samuel Beasley / Beesley. Wife Mary. In 1870 Samuel's gun, knife and handkerchief were amongst other articles stolen from his premises (Bucks Advertiser and Aylesbury News 23rd October 1870). The thief was caught and earned 18 months in prison. Samuel may have sold groceries on the premises too. The Beasleys took over the Royal Oak High Wycombe in 1874 and remained there until 1877.
1873- the police try to get the premises closed, saying it did not meet the minimum size requirements for an alcohol licence. Two adjoining cottages were being used for the business but their combined size couldn't be allowed to count, the police argued, as there was no door or other communication between the two cottages. The magistrate at the licensing hearing offered the brewery a chance to have the property surveyed and revalued but they said they were not bothered about keeping it open as they had the bigger Blacksmith's Arms also at Handy Cross. Yet the Blue Flag at Handy Cross is still mentioned as late as 1902. It is possible it continued as a lodging house only. Many of these had pub-like names and signs.
1875- premises used for an agricultural auction.
1902- Last known mention of the Blue Flag, Handy Cross as existing (South Bucks Standard 4th July 1902).
Landlords and history of the nearby Blacksmith's Arms, Handy Cross here
Index of pub related posts on this blog here. Contains pubs Great Marlow, Little Marlow, Lane End, Medmenham, Well End.
Written and researched by Charlotte Day.
©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to use this research for family or local history purposes with credit to this blog.
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