Great Marlow Stagecoach Services

  This is a follow up post to our entry on the Wyatt family who did so much to make coach travel faster for late 18th and early 19thc Marlow residents.  Their service to London, run with a series of partners and finally alone, was known as The Original and then The Wyatts coach. You can read more here.

But there were others services and this is an overview of the main other ones. 

The coaching trade boosted income for the innkeepers who provided a starting or finishing point for a journey. Coach building and maintenance for those owning their own private coach or carriage also provided work. We will mention Marlow resident Mr Lovegrove who advertised his coach painting services in 1770.  He had he said, been "regularly bred to the profession in London" and would do the job in the best and most professional manner. 

At first Marlow did not have a daily stagecoach service. In 1773 there were journeys made three times a week to London in the summer and twice weekly in winter. 

In May 1788 a new daily post coach run by Saunders, Smith and Co started running from Mr Dixon's the Lower Crown. Sundays were of course excepted. It left at 7am and returned to Marlow on the same day at 2pm. It arrived at the bustling coach interchange known as  The New White Horse Cellar Piccadilly. It's route went via Little Marlow, Wooburn and Taplow. The newspapers at this time carried advertisements for a coachman to serve this new route.  So what qualities would a coach driver need? Mr Dixon was mindful of the reputation some drivers had for being drunk in charge and reckless with both coach and horses. So his ideal candidate should be steady and sober, and must have held a similar role for some time. Experience with driving in both London and country areas was essential as was a good temper. What especially dates the ad is a requirement for the successful candidate to be free of smallpox.  

In 1790, the Lower Crown's London coach was leaving an hour earlier. It took an hour to get to Maidenhead, and 4 hours to reach London itself. Three years later, a "neat, new, elegant" London coach was run from the same Lower Crown by Minchener's [also occurs as Miltchener, this was Elizabeth of Colnbrook], later a partner of Wyatts. The first service set forth on the 8th April 1793, promising lower fares. The charge for travelling in the more expensive interior seats was 8s from Marlow to London in 1797, one shilling less if travelling from Maidenhead. There was also a special rate for small parcels at 4d. This coach went via Maidenhead (Swan Inn) to Piccadilly as before, but it also now advertised that it stopped at the New Inn, Old Bailey. It took longer to arrive in London than the previous coach, at 5 hours. But it was "safe, easy, and expeditious", at least if no highwayman were about. Sadly Minchener went bankrupt in 1806. A daily service departing from the King's Head, Old Change at 10am is also mentioned in 1793. 

Moving on to 1798 a new Marlow coach to the capital was started from Mrs Chapman's Upper Crown. This went through Maidenhead and arrived at the Bolt and Ton, Fleet Street via the inevitable New White Horse Cellar, Piccadilly. If the thought of getting up early to catch this coach was off putting and you wanted the luxury of selecting your own departure time, then the proprietors would allow you to hire out the entire coach and it would then set out when you chose. That however was an expensive option.  Around this time or a little later William Williams was running a post coach from the Lower Crown. William moved his post business to the Corporation Arms in High Wycombe in 1808, still promising to make travel as comfortable as possible for all those "pleased to honour him with their favours". 

It was not just the two Crown Inns that were coach stops. In 1819 Robert Mossington (Mossenton) had recently taken over the Greyhound Inn in Spittal Street. He was keen for everyone to know he had spent a great deal of time and effort on fitting up the premises in the most modern manner. He would also be running a new service to London, known as The Accomodation coach -  "All possible attention will be paid to safety, convenience and comfort of passengers". This took 5 hours so no real improvement had been made on earlier running times. Robert seems to have done very well at the parcel carrying part of his business, and so he also recruited the Two Brewers in St Peters Street to act as a parcel booking office. He offered a slightly later start from Marlow than his rivals at first - 8am with a return from the city at noon (later 2.30 pm) the following day. He did eventually bring his start time from Marlow back more in line with that of his rivals. The route was via Little Marlow, Maidenhead (the White Hart), Burnham and Slough to the Bull Inn, Holborn, the Belle Savage, Ludgate Hill and The Gloucester Coffee House.  Fares were 12s for a hopefully more comfortable interior seat, and 7s for an outside one, to London. He obviously was doing something right as a little over a month after starting his coach, he decided to make it a daily rather than thrice weekly service. (Sundays excepted)

WS Williams and Co obviously thought there was demand for another London service and so they launched a new post coach from The Greyhound in 1820. I believe they may have already run to London via Little Marlow, Wooburn and Taplow as they tell us in the adverts launching the new service that the coach serving these places will run unchanged bar an earlier start time.  They followed this by The Favourite in 1823  - more or less following the route and timings of Wyatt's the Original which was still going.  The Favourite went via Bisham (the Bull), Pinkneys Green (the Golden Ball), Maidenhead (White Hart), and Taplow (The Dumb Bell Inn) to Gloucester Coffee House, Piccadilly, and the Belle Sauvage, Lydgate Hill  London, daily, except Sundays. And why should you use Mr Williams service? He carried only 4 inside passengers in The Favourite, so was offering more leg room! He said his service had been timed not to interfere with existing services but this was only true on the return leg, which also took in Aldgate. Both the Favourite and The Original left Marlow at 9am (The first Williams coach left much earlier). The Favourite departed from the Greyhound, and also used The Two Brewers and The Bull Bisham as booking offices. Relations between the old and new service were naturally strained. When the two coaches met at the famous coaching stop the White Horse Cellar in London in September 1823, (before the timings had been moved further apart)  Wyatt and his rival Marlow coachman, a Mr Bonus came to blows. Wyatt accused Bonus of assaulting him, by punching and kicking but Bonus said he was provoked and warned Wyatt he would do just so if he did not leave off annoying him. Witnesses agreed with Bonus who was therefore unpunished. The trigger for the squabble was the sight by Wyatt of a lady who had formerly been a regular passenger of his was now a customer of Bonus. Wyatt said he had merely approached her calmly and asked for her to consider using his coach again. At this, he claimed Bonus had approached him and attacked. Bonus said the lady was actually already inside his coach at the time and Wyatt had been standing on the coach step conversing with her and offering to undercut Bonus. A very competitive market! The Favourite deposited it's passengers, purloined or otherwise at Marlow at 7.30pm.

Then there's the services that ran from Wycombe to Henley or Reading via Marlow. The coach and especially the numerous carrier services changed over time so this is just a summary. The Industry also known as Hone's Coach after it's operator, is probably the best known post coach. It started in 1828 and initially ran every day except Sundays. But within a few months, the service was reduced to running 3 times a week. (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, with Wednesday replacing Tuesday by 1830, left Reading at 4.45pm, later 3pm) However some services tweaked their timetable to reduce services over the winter when travel was less appealing, so the service was naturally changeable. The Industry is interesting because operator Hones & Co was a big concern in Reading and they timed their departures for Marlow and Wycombe for after the coaches from other major destinations had arrived, such as Bath, Brighton, Portsmouth and Bristol. So if your ancestor came to Marlow from further afield, this may well have been the route they took to arrive in town. In 1830 the mile stones between Marlow, Henley, and Reading were "newly painted and fitted up" so a traveller "has now a chance of knowing how far he is progressing". Those showing Marlow 1 mile must have elicited a silent cheer for the weary passengers. On the return from Henley, the coach pulled up at The Upper Crown at 7pm, but in the reverse direction passengers boarded at the Red Lion in West Street. Another service running from The Falcon, Wycombe to the White Hart Henley via the Three Tuns, Marlow was The Sociable by Thomas Hall, later known as "The Van", on Tuesdays and Fridays. The Van was afterwards ran by Lofting then Farley, from The Greyhound and the Tuns with the Halls operating a service from the Clayton Arms. Other carriers in this pre Victorian period include Thomas Wyatt's "Wagon" which went daily to London from The Horns, Chapel Street via Maidenhead and Salt Hill, Slough, and James Druce who ran to Wycombe on Fridays.

The Wonder omnibus with its beloved charismatic driver Charlie Burns went from the Crown (upper) to Maidenhead to meet the trains before the line came to Marlow. He will be the subject of his own post in the future.

Notes : In 1670 the carriers to London from Marlow came there every Tuesday, stopping at the Swanne in the Strand.  

1842 - carriers to London - Johnson, goes to the Bell, Warwick Lane, returning to Marlow on Thursday at noon. Robinson, to the The Rose, Smithfield, returning from there Tues and Fri mornings, and Wyatt's to the King's Arms, Holborn and White Bear, Piccadilly, returning Tues and Sats. (In 1807 the stop is called the Black Bear)

 Other later Victorian carriers include:

James Johnson of The Plough (to London once a week returning two days later), Charles and Tracey Wyatt (a man, Tracey was a male name then!)  from the Horns Inn Yard to The New Inn, Old Bailey and Piccadilly twice weekly, returning the next day each time, Wyatts from the Horns to Maidenhead and Slough, Richard Robinson from the Greyhound to Wycombe twice weekly. And there was a coach service from The George and Dragon once a day each to Henley and Windsor in the 1880s. And an omnibus to Windsor from the Greyhound to meet the South Western trains once a day.

Related Posts

More transport related posts can be found in the listing here

 All posts relating to an individual can be found under the A-Z person index on the top drop down menu. 

Marlow highwayman Peter Rivers here

Marlow's toll gates here

For posts related to the inns mentioned, use the Pub Related option, yes also on the top drop down menu! 

Researched and written by Kathryn Day. 

SOURCES

Extract of the annual returns of the Great Marlow and Stokenchurch Turnpike Trust. Great Britain House of Commons. 1851, Vol 18

Kent's Directory for the year 1793 (Richard & Henry Causton, 1793)

Taylor, John. The Carriers’ Cosmography. The Map of Early Modern London, Edition 6.6, edited by Janelle Jenstad, U of Victoria, 30 Jun. 2021, mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/6.6/CARR1.htm.

Reading Mercury 19 March 1770, 9 March 1773,  17 May 1780, 17 & 24  April 1788, 1 August 1789, 4 March 1793, 27 June 1796, 17 April 1797, 14 May 1798, 16 September 1811, all copies from The British Library. 

Oxford Journal 28 July 1787, 4 August 1804, 30 April 1808. As above. 

Windsor and Eton Express 05 September 1819, August 6 1820, 9 August 1823. As above. 

Berks Chronicle 6 September & 15 November 1828, 21 August 1830. As above. 

Bucks Gazette 19 February 1831, 31 March 1832, 24 October 1835 As above. 

Pigots Directory 1830, 1831,1842, 1844

Bucks Herald 3rd October 1840, As above

Bucks Chronicle and Bucks Gazette  24 November 1849

Statesman, 4 Oct 1823. 

Enrolment books, deposited with Clerk of the Peace, ref Q/RX 1835, Bucks Archives. 

Robson's London Directory 1842. 

Slaters Commercial Directory 1851

High Wycombe Directory and Handbook 1885

Crosby's Complete Pocket Gazette (B Crosby & Co, 1807, 1815)

Dutton, Allen and Co Directory and Gazetteer 1869

Kent's Directory for the Year 1793 (Richard and Henry Causton 1793)

©Marlow Ancestors

Landlords The Upper Crown, The Crown and Broad Arrow, The Lower Crown Inns, Great Marlow.

 *Updated by Charlotte November 2025*

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Marlow has had two Crown inns. When modern residents refer to The Crown, they mean the one in the Market Square, which was historically known as The Upper Crown then the Crown Hotel, to distinguish it from the Lower Crown in the High Street. The Lower Crown's original name was the Crown and Broad Arrow but this is largely forgotten now. Both were very old. 

You may see references to the Upper Crown as the inn exclusively known as the Crown and Broad Arrow but this is seemingly incorrect. Contemporary sources spelling out the full name of the Lower Crown just as often refer to it as the "Lower Crown and Broad Arrow." (For example see Reading Mercury 19 June 1786.) The Crown and Broad Arrow can be found separately listed to the Upper Crown in lists of inns at the same time, (E.g The Reading Mercury 08 July 1771) and information about the contents sale of Alfred House/Cromwell House in 1756 describe this property as being nearly opposite the Crown and Broad Arrow which makes it opposite the Lower Crown. It's usually described as in the High Street rather than the Market place which is the location of the Upper Crown. Lastly proprietors later listed as in charge of the Lower Crown can be found earlier listed at the Crown and Broad Arrow. We have done our best to attach the right early innkeeper to the correct premises. 

The original Upper Crown building was replaced but it was trading from the 1590's at least. It was later known as the Crown Hotel and used some of the neighbouring town hall building, before taking it over entirely. It's former core location is however where Boots the chemist is now. For more on the history of the two see the post on the Crown Inns Here

Remember also Marlow has had pubs or beer houses called the Crown and Anchor, Rose and Crown (also at Little Marlow, very frequently shortened to The Crown) and the Crown and Cushion. 

This post will be updated as new information emerges. All listings are as noted in original sources, including alternative spellings. Where multiple sources list an individuals name, only the first and last mention are listed here unless there is any alteration in how they are recorded, for example an additional occupation is noted. Note that some listings may in fact refer to father's and sons sharing the same given name so be sure to double check this. See notes below for more help finding your ancestors in these listings. 

UPPER CROWN / THE CROWN

The former Town Hall with clock above, had assembly rooms on upper floor which were used by the Crown until they eventually took over the whole building. 

This building, above,  is where the Upper Crown was for much of it's life. It expanded into the Town Hall next door and eventually abandoned it's original site. 

Post about  the balls/assembly here

(Market Square)

1595 - Premises owned by Richard Mathews / Mathewe.

1596 - Roger Smith, who was also a shoemaker. He bought the premises , which he already occupied. In 1610 he put the business into the hands of trustees for the benefit of his sons John and Valiant.

1617 - Edward Wooden (Wooten) bought it and ran premises. In 1620 premises sold to John Little of Little Marlow.

1636 - Owned by Thomas Drewe, a draper. Leased by Edward Wooden's widow Elizabeth. 

1650 - Elizabeth Wooden (Wooten) occupier. Thomas Drewe the owner sells it to brewer Moore. Previous tenants listed then are Mathew Cane and Bonaventure Ward. (A Mathew Cane was at the Angel by 1643) Also in this year the occupiers of the Crown benefit from a 1,000 year grant of right of access through Thomas Drewe's gateway, between two properties, into their "backside" and malthouse. The access is specified as applying to horses and carts carrying hay, straw and wood and their accompanying leaders and drivers. The origin of Crown Lane perhaps? 

1712= Samuel Sandys

1717 - Mr Richard Hall. He went bankrupt 1724. "A large inn with close behind" [Area of enclosed land]

1754 - Sylvester Law

1757 - Sylvester Law (moved to the Cross Keys) See his will summary here

1766 - Mr Webb

1767 - John Webb [Likely the John Webb who was Law's brother in law]. Then John Parsons.

1768 - John Parsons. Possibly the same John who acts as a parish constable.  During his tenure pub often hosts auctions.

1771 - Trustees of the new Reading to Hatfield Turnpike toll road recommended this Crown and the Lower Crown and Broad Arrow as a place to get a good horses or post chaises en route. 

1775 - John Parsons. Leaves to take on The Black Bull coaching inn at Holborn this year. William Faithorn takes over at the end of the year. 

1778 - Mr Faithorn. Chaise, horses etc available at short notice. 

1780 - Mr Faithorn

1785 - Samuel Chapman

1792- Samuel Chapman, landlord has died. "Landlord of the Upper Crown for many years". See grave below.

1794- Mrs Mary Chapman. Widow of the above. See grave below.

1798 - Mrs Chapman. A new coach to Fleet Street, London via Maidenhead starts from her inn this year. Monday to Saturday service.

1803 - there is a good chance that the innholder John Gosling who died this year was the occupier of the Crown as his will was witnessed by men occupying premises immediately by there.

1811 - Mr Davis (Wavis in a second incorrect record!)

1820 - Richard Furnell, died aged 39 of a sudden fit of apoplexy. Wife Dinah. Had been innkeeper since at least 1815, though not necessarily at the Crown. Dinah married secondly Richard Westbrook who took over the Crown. She is mentioned in the 1822 will of Richard Furnell's brother William Furnell which you can read here. William's grave looks like his occupation is "omnibus..." so maybe he also worked out of the Crown. 

1823 - Richard Westbrook, as above. He was originally from Cookham. Richard and Dinah moved to the Red Lion Hotel, High Street, High Wycombe. Richard's sister Eliza was a baker in the High Street. See her biography on the blog here. Their brother William Westbrook was a butcher in Market Square near the Crown.

1826 - Mr Westbrook.

1830 - George Westbrook. George is an enthusiastic cricketer. In this year he plays a one wicket match against a gentleman of Beaconsfield. (These sort of matches were all the rage locally around this time and the natives of Beaconsfield were our frequent foe.) George won, scoring 14 runs to Mr Williamson's zero. He also represents Marlow in some early team matches. 

1831 - George Westbrook "Family and commercial hotel" (also described as excise office and posting house) 2. Geoffrey Westbrook

1832 - G. Westbrook

1833 - George Westbrook also leasing rooms at Town Hall for a "card room" and associated parlour. 

1834 - George Westbrook

1835 - George Westbrook leaves the Crown. James Franklin takes over, selling up his farm Low Grounds to do so. Post Boy : Joseph Davis, cook Sarah Brown, waiter Edward Cook. 

1836 - James Franklin. Wife Sarah.

1838 - Mr and Mrs Franklin. The latter is the granddaughter of "Mrs House" who died that year.

1839 -  J Franklin "Crown Inn." Ostler - James Lowman. Post boy (actually an adult- ) John Spratley. (James is subsequently coachman to the Atkinsons at the Rookery)

1840 -  James Franklin

1847 -  James Franklin. James describes himself as innkeeper, hotel keeper, coach proprietor, and livery stable keeper.. He suffers financial difficulty around this time and is declared bankrupt in 1852. 

1849 -  Samuel Wise

1850 - Richard Westbrook comes back. Also keeps the Lion Inn in High Wycombe still. 

1851 -  Thomas Furnell. He was the grandson of Richard and Dinah Furnell above. Marries Jane Veary of High Wycombe 1852. 

1853 -  Thomas Furnell

1854 -  Thomas Furnell "Crown  Hotel"

1859 - Mr Paine. In 1865 William Paine appears as a sort of expert witness in a court case about buying sub standard wheat. In this he says he was formerly a mealman. 

1860 - Mr Payne

1861 - William Paine (age 47)

1862 - William Paine who was threatened with being run down and assaulted by two men when he told them he would not have them ill-treating a horse as they were on his premises. The horse had been exhausted by dangerous driving in the streets outside and was whipped in the yard of the Crown. He withdrew charges against them after they expressed deep apologies and said they had been very drunk at the time. The magistrates still fined them for being drunk and disorderly.

1863 -  William Paine. "Crown Hotel"

1865 - William Paine. He was elected as one of the Guardians of the poor that year. Was in the role to at least 1871. 

1871 -  William Paine.

1872. William Paine died.

1873 - Mrs Paine (widow of above).[Emma Margaret. She died in 1890 aged 70]. She transfers license to Samuel Hill [died 1875 age 42, at Oundle, Northants]

1875 -  Mrs West [Susan] 

1875 - Fire in chimney at Crown causes substantial damage. 

1876 - Advertised facilities include the coffee room, billiards, an omnibus to meet every train, close and open carriages for hire, and private "apartments" available for family hire. 3 minutes walk from the river (fairly quick walkers only!!)

1883 - Susan West/Langley. 2. John Langley. Sadly Susan committed suicide in this year, travelling to Bridport Harbour to do so. (She was born in Somerset) She told the landlady of the boarding house she stayed in that she had suffered head pain since a blow to the head occasioned by a fall from a dog cart. She said she wished to have a few days holiday because of this period of ill health and bought with her just a small bag. She had recently remarried to John Langley  but according to local newspaper reports she gave her name as West (that of her first husband) at her lodgings. A full post on Susan is available here

1885 - John Langley died in the garden at the back of the Crown, after falling from a ladder while pruning a wall trained fruit tree. A biography of John and his son are available here

1886 -  Lease went up for sale and it includes the town hall, but no immediate takers. At this point the Crown has 18 bedrooms and 3 private sitting rooms on offer.  

1887 - Henry Calf. Former station master, bank manager and soldier! Henry owned the hotel himself.

1889 - "a comfortable old fashioned house with a first rate billiard room"

1891 - (Manageress Margaret Hughes)

1892 -  Henry Calf - he had converted  rooms in the upper story of the adjacent Town Hall into a Billiard Room (former assembly room). The lower part of the town hall still houses the fire engine and stalls on market day. These stalls are now mostly or entirely butchers. Henry dies in November aged over 70 of bronchitis, after long illness.  

1893 - On Henry Calf death, Miss Hughes continued to manage premises, now for new owner William E Cole. "Every luxury of recreation" offered with lawns and gardens. Mr Cole had come from the Crown Hotel in Devizes and was a former Quartermaster in the Royal Wilts Yeomanry. He began a reorganisation of the hotel from top to bottom until it's known as a "favourite resort for well to do visitors and commercial travellers". Amongst the projects is the creation of a small room adjoining the bar, created by "setting back the partition in the bar passage by several feet". A large conservatory was added to the rear in 1894, and in the same year the old entrance through the market house beneath the town hall portion was opened up again. In 1895 he also engaged 60 rooms in private homes to accommodate an avalanche of Whitsun visitors! It was described as "World famed as one of the oldest established commercial and  visitor's season hotels (both winter and summer), in this part of England." Cole also had a booth offering refreshments during the bigger matches of Marlow F C (from 1893). They played in the Crown Meadow ground behind his premises and rented from him at £15 a year. The team change in "dressing rooms" in the outbuildings there which they also rented from Cole, at £11 7s 6d per year. 

1897 - the extent of the tourist trade done at the Crown can be seen by the fact that within 1 week in the summer of this year, a full 1,000 persons on staff outings from big London employers had been catered for there. A similar number were catered for the following week.  This does not include other types of visitors and guests. 

1899 - William Eades Cole dies in his sleep at the hotel aged 47 leaving a wife and 4 young children. It is said he died of consumption following bronchitis. His widow vows to carry on. 

1902 - Mrs Cole ("Julia" Elizabeth nee Feltham). Mrs Cole is declared bankrupt early this year, the proceeding have started in 1901. She lays the blame partially on Marlow carriage builder Charles Drye who she says sold a carriage sent to him for repair, without her permission. Mr Drye denies this and say he had advised Mrs Cole the carriage would be expensive to repair and so had offered to buy it off her for £7, an offer she had accepted. He had then sold it on. However Mrs Cole also admitted during her insolvency hearings that she had been practically insolvent at the time of her husband's death, and that she had not kept proper books (because her husband had never done so)  and so had never tried to balance them.  2. Miss Feltham (sister of Mrs Cole)  3. Margaret Douglas Ditchburn

1903 -  Miss M.J Feltham - manager I believe earlier.  2. Charles McGlynn/ Glynn

1905 1. Charles McGlynn 2. T Hull

1906 - Mr Hull

1907 - Thomas Halse Hull. He and his wife took on an hotel in Sonning  in 1907. They were allowed the licence there on condition that they  gave up the Marlow concern. Business transferred to Mrs Ellen Dax/ Mrs Stanley Dax . She came from the Catherine Wheel in Henley. Mrs Dax advertised the luncheon and teas served in the garden, the hotel"s tennis lawn and the possibility of using Crown Meadow for a ride or other exercise, as star attractions of her premises. 

1908 - Mrs Dax

1909 - A W Shearsmith

1910 - Mr A. W Shearsmith transfers to H E Scott [Horace Edwin, his wife Bertha assisted in the business].

1911 - H E Scott [Horace Edwin]

1914 - tragedy occurs when 16 year old Crown servant Louisa Maud Allen dies after a kitchen accident. Her apron catches fire and she is soon engulfed in flames. The fire is put out promptly by the cook and landlady present but the poor girl has suffered severe burns. She dies at the Marlow Cottage hospital. 1915 -Now also offers a garage with inspection pit, tennis lawn and billiard room. Landlord Oliver P Taylor. 

1920 - Mrs Oliver P Taylor takes over officially as her husband has died. This was Louisa Taylor.

1924 - Mrs Oliver P Taylor. A room with meals for those staying 5 nights or more costs 10 sh 6d a night in 1924.

1925- the Crown bought by a Mr Sidney Vereker. He gives Louisa Taylor notice to quit and she sells up most of the furniture fixtures and fittings and moves out but then Vereker says he doesn't in fact mean to apply for a holdover of her license straight away. The details are very confusing. A dispute between the two led to at least two court cases. Meanwhile the Crown stood empty. Louisa eventually did leave.

1927 - Mr and Mrs A Henderson Rutledge. "Ye Olde Crowne Hotel". They have refurbished and fully electrified the premises. They also allow an Ancient Order of Froth Blowers group to start up on their premises in this year. This joke social club was a nationwide concern open to membership by men, women and children. Members at their get -togethers have to pay fines for reported infractions of various comic rules which each club branch makes up themselves. The money collected goes towards children's hospitals. Otherwise the main activity for the male members is sitting drinking and smoking in a pub.

1931 - Mrs & Mrs S Lindsay Galloway. "Ye Olde Crown Hotel"  Has been redecorated and refurnished yet again and provides every modern convenience. Star attractions include the Palm Saloon", "separate tables" for meals , their noted stock of wines and a large car park. 

1932 George Godsall.

1932 - 33 at least Captain Edward James Keeling M.C (resident owner). Previously at  George_&_Dragon

Above, two pages from an advertising brochure for the Crown Hotel under E J Keeling. 

1934 - Keelings leave and are replaced by Mr and Mrs W L Hill who were previously at The Chequers, Fingest. Pub was refurbished internally.

1939 John O Mason 

1957 Mr and Mrs R.H Snow.  Large ballroom available.

1958 R.H Snow.

LOWER CROWN / CROWN AND BROAD ARROW (High Street)

Site of Lower Crown. 

In existence from at least 1619. 

1679- Thomas Lloyd? 

1691 - "The Broad Arrow" late in the tenure of William Hopkins. A William Hopkins had been prosecuted the year before for keeping an unlicensed ale house in Marlow, location uncertain. Now premises owned or leased by Samuel Lynn. Samuel owns several properties in Marlow. He takes out licence this year for the Arrow to be used as a common meeting house, possibly meaning one of several outbuildings to rear although this type of accomodation is usually specified in the meeting house licence. 

1751 - John Phillips (and carpenter) Died this year. Wife Mary did the brewing (on the premises, usual practice back then) and selling of the liquor. She then married the below.

1751+ William Dark (e) Will summary here William hosts "cock matches" during the Marlow Races. 

1764 - Mary Dark (widow of John Phillips and William Dark both above)

1765 - Widow Dark "Crown and Broad Arrow"

1771 -  Crown & Broad Arrow - recommended along with the Upper Crown as a place to get a post chaise and a good horse on the new Reading to Hatfield Turnpike toll road. 

1776/7 - Mr Thomas

1788 - starts new post coach service to London, run by Saunders, Smith and Co. 

1781 - Nicholas Thomas

1782 - Nicholas Thomas (died this year)

1786 - Robert Dixon "Lower Crown and Broad Arrow" Also runs coaching business - see more about that here

1789 - Robert Dixon

1794 - Robert Dixon sells up. He is apparently "going into business". "Lower Crown" . His stock of wines and spirits, 2 post chaises, 4 post beds for guests and a herd of cows were part of the contents of the pub which was put up to auction when he left. We are told the premises has "numerous bed chambers and fitting rooms for the accommodation of company" as well as a "good" kitchen, bar, larder, pantry, and cellars. Outside there is a large yard, stabling for 30 horses, standing for carriages and various other outbuildings. The Lower Crown also has a "good garden" and a close of land adjoining.  

1799 - Mr Patrick. 

1808 - William Williams stops his coaching service from here and moves it to the Corporation Arms in High Wycombe. 

1831- possibly Thomas Oxlade. He was landlord of  "the Crown Great Marlow Parish"when he had to summon the tithingmen men to deal with the unruly behavior of two of his customers who had blown out his candles and then refused to leave when asked to. The  term "Great Marlow Parish" of course also encompassed at that time Lane End, Bovingdon Green and other outlying places for certain matters including criminal cases such as this. He was definitely not at the Upper Crown in Market Square. 

The Lower Crown inn closed in the 1830s (by 1833).

NOTES FOR FINDING ANCESTORS ON THIS BLOG

Use the A-Z person index on the top drop down menu to find every mention of your ancestor here.  Many Marlow landlords changed premises and there can be other family members running other establishments. Some places changed how they described themselves - or how they were viewed- and so licensed premises listings here take in not just beer houses, pubs and inns but common lodging houses and hotels too. We mainly focus on pre WW1 listings but sometimes list later names if it ties in with research we are helping with. 

For other pub/hotel related content see the Pub related option on the top drop down menu. 

SOURCES - 

Multiple property deeds, wills and similar documents cross referenced. (The two Crown's location research is by Charlotte Day)

Dickens Dictionary of the Thames, (Dickens, 1889 edition)

Reading Mercury 8 July 1771*, 17 September 1787, 17 April 1788, 23 October 1833, 17 September 1873, held in British Library Archive and accessed via the BNA 

Oxford Journal, 14th August 1756*, 17th December 1765*, 7th March 1767, 9 August 1794, 25th November 1820, 4 August 1849 as above. 

South Bucks Standard, 21 Jan 1860, 12 May, 29 December 1893, 13 January & Jul 21 1899, as above. 

Berkshire Chronicle 4 February 1826, as above. 

Bucks Herald, 21 February 1835, 6 July 1839 and 3 April 1886 as above

Maidenhead Advertiser 21 June 1876. As above. 

Nottingham Journal 15 Oct 1883. As above. 

Bridport, Beaminister, and Lyme Regis Telegram 19 October 1883, as above

1833 Parish Assessment owned by my family and transcribed by Charlotte.

Census 1851,1861,1871,1881,1891

1853 Mussons and Cravens Commercial Directory

Kellys Post Office Directory, 1869,1877,1883,1899,1903, 1907,1911,1915, 1920

Pigots Directory 1823, 1831,1844

Robson's Directory 1839

Will of John Phillips, proved 1751, transcribed by Charlotte Day from National Archives. 

1650 Grant of Right of Way, Drewe to Moore. National Archives index. 

AGM report, Marlow F C 1893. 

Marlow Guide, 1904 & 1907 

The Hotels of Europe - (Henry Herbert & Co, 1876)

Marlow Almanack and Directory 1907 &  1915. 

©Marlow Ancestors. 

Stephen Remnant of Remnantz

  

The Clocktower and stables of Remnantz. 

Stephen made a mark on Marlow history as the home he owned in West Street was later dubbed Remnantz in his honour. I can find no evidence it was known as that during his actual occupancy.

Stephen's family does not appear to be ultimately of local origin but he married a Marlow girl in Sarah Manning. The marriage was celebrated at Charlton Kent in 1747. The Manning family were connected with the Remnant family by 1738 as Sarah's father Samuel Manning, a Marlow brewer, made Stephen's father one of the supervisors of the will he drew up that year. Sarah and her mother were the main beneficiaries of the will which was proved following the death of Mr Manning in 1745. Unfortunately the will does not itemize his real estate. Sarah had also received as a young woman £10 to buy mourning and two silver candlesticks from her paternal grandmother Mary Manning in 1736.

Stephen and Sarah first lived in Westminster then occupied a rented house in nearby Bisham before coming to Marlow. Stephen also owned farmland in Bisham. His armaments business, which he inherited from his dad Samuel, was based in Woolwich however so it was there he was most often to be found. He was described as "of Woolwich" in his apprenticeship indenture as a young man when he was bound to a mariner. Though he followed his father into the arms trade rather than pursue a career as a mariner in the end, he did grow up to be a ship owner too, something which required significant capital.

Samuel Remnant had died in 1752 under a cloud after it was realised he was party to a £10,000 fraud. His heirs were expected to pay the money back.

Despite this Samuel had had enough left (he believed) to leave a legacy in his will of £100 to a London lunatic asylum.

Stephen's success in the armaments trade meant he probably did not have any money worries despite the burden of the repayment his father's estates had.

He could count a bit less cash in his pockets however after he and another man were robbed on the Highway at Blackheath!

The removal to Remnantz by Stephen  occurred in circa the mid 1750s. He was still "of Bisham" in 1755 but resident "of Marlow" in 1757. He had also bought Albion House virtually opposite Remnantz in West Street with some nearby land by 1779. It is possible that Remnantz was part of the estate of Samuel Manning (not itemized in will) and inherited by the future Sarah Remnant in 1745.

He was nominated as a potential Sheriff for the County of Berkshire while at Bisham and for Bucks when at Marlow but I do not believe he won either role.

His commitment to both counties can be shown by his being one of the subscribers to the a new Marlow Bridge which connected the two of them in the 1780s. This was the oak bridge which was the predecessor of the current suspension bridge.

Stephen continued his father's interest in hospitals too, being a subscriber to the London Lying In Hospital for Married Women in 1750. His brother John also gave to this hospital. When John died in middle age Stephen erected a memorial in Chiselhurst Church in Kent to him.

He was already living away from Remnantz and renting it out to others in 1784 when J Dalmes Esquire was the tenant.

Stephen died in 1801 leaving a long will. All his Marlow and Bisham property was to be sold by a Frederick Booth [whose relationship to him I could not decipher] with the money used to benefit Stephen's grandchildren*

Remnantz became the Royal Military College Junior department [nearly ready to receive first cadets in April 1802]. It later reverted to being a house. Some reports suggest that Stephen had agreed to lease the house to the planned college as early as 1799.

*One of his grandchildren Stephen Remnant Chapman became the governor of Bermuda.

Stephen's wife died long before him. Some of their children are buried at Bisham including Sarah and Ann who died within a fortnight of each other in 1754, and young Stephen who died early the following year. 

Related Posts

Will of Sarah's relative Bridget Manning (cousin to her father) and more about the Mannings in general here.

Life for the mutinous cadets of the College here

For other West Street related posts see the menu under "Specific shops, streets etc" on the menu. Biographies of other Marlow people can be found under Biographies of Individuals or see the Person Index for all mentions of people on this blog.

To see a small selection of items dug up at Remnantz in days past see this post here.

See:

Wills of Stephen Remnant 1801, Samuel Manning 1745 and Mary Manning 1736. I obtained my copies from the National Archives, Kew and transcribed them

Apprentice Indenture. National Archives. REF IR1 14 F 200.

Bisham lease: Berkshire Archives.

Charlton marriage. London Metropolitan Archives, Charlton Parish registers.

Navy Board Letters, National Archives catalogue online. ADM106/12409/21

An Account Of The City Of London Lying In Hospital For Married Women At Shaftesbury House In Aldersgate Street Instituted 1750. Digitized by Google Books from a copy owned by Oxford University.

A Poll For The Knights Of The Shire For Buckinghamshire 1784. 

Researched and written by Charlotte Day.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to use this post for family or local history purposes if with credit to this blog and a link here.

Gipsy Families In Great Marlow History

 Gipsy families have a very long association with the Great Marlow area. In the Victorian era they often made camp in fields at Little Marlow, up Gypsy Lane, next to Little Marlow Road, around Marlow Common, in Berwick Rd and at the top of Dean Street. There is also some evidence for camps at least sometimes at Medmenham and Well End. A good many of the Marlow visiting gipsies had family connections to Oxfordshire gipsy families. As well as that county they often visited Berkshire locations but much more distant connections such as those into the West country are also evidenced.

By the end of the 1800s a certain number of gipsy people had chosen a (relatively)  settled life in Marlow. Dean Street was their main home and some of their descendants still lived in that immediate area in 2019 when I spoke to them.

The gipsy women of Dean Street went out into the nearby woods to gather deadly nightshade to sell to London chemists who used the plant in beauty and other preparations. They also gathered wood to be made into skewers by their menfolk. Those skewers* also went to London. Many non gipsy people did participate in this trade but it was a gipsy speciality. Skewer makers rarely had official permission to gather the wood they used which caused friction with local landowners.

The gipsy families linked to Marlow who were still living an itinerant lifestyle focused on wooden peg making, comb making and horse dealing. Some paid agriculture labour, general hawking and the operation of sideshows and other fair stalls also helped the finances. Locally fortune telling booths, horse dealing and stalls selling cherries seem the most common fair time businesses for gipsies (although the perception that gypsy ladies were naturally psychic meant some of those advertising that they were of Romany heritage may have somewhat slender claim to this in reality - but it was good for business!)

Marlow Fair was held every October*. It was focused on selling horses, pigs and cattle but for many in town was largely a time to enjoy the steam powered roundabouts and sideshows which clogged Quoiting Square, West Street, the High Street and sometimes Spittle Street and the Causeway too. As well as to run stalls gipsies came to sell horses and to just meet up with each other. Simmering arguments between individuals and families could then have an airing if they existed. Plato Buckland himself was accused by fellow gipsy Charles Smith in 1896 of assault during the fair but Charles withdrew the accusation in court. Most confrontations were between men but Charlotte Guess was assaulted by Frederick Chapman during a row in 1891.

A perennial problem for all gipsy families in the 1800s was finding somewhere to pitch their tents, or later in the century their wooden caravans, between their usual camps and allowed stops such as at the fairs. Continual convictions of Marlow gipsy families for camping at the roadside and in particular for having their loose horses wandering about on the highway while the family was resting occurred both in the immediate vicinity of Marlow and elsewhere. Mark Guess husband of the Charlotte Guess above was one of those convicted of obstructing the highway at Marlow in 1888.

Sadly I found no reports of a gipsy wedding at Marlow but the funeral pyre of the caravan of elderly gipsy Plato Buckland of Marlow, made nationwide headline news in the 1920s. Reports suggested he was 100 years old, that claim was seemingly out by some years  but he did have a long term association with Marlow. He was a horse dealer while the mother of his children and partner Anne Williams was a hawker . Unusual names are often used in gipsy families. The name Plato was hereditary in the wider Buckland gipsy clan going back to at least the 1700s.

In 1896 both Anne and Plato successfully gave evidence in defence of their son Owen Williams when he was accused of being part of a gang of men who had violently robbed a young man* of cash and a bottle of gin in Little Marlow Road. Anne testified that Owen was at home making clothes pegs at the time of the alleged attack. Plato said the group of gipsy men other witnesses had seen in the vicinity was only himself, his son Nathan and others (but not Owen) going to the Rising Sun in Chapel Street to see about a possible horse deal.

A search of the gipsy vans turned up none of the stolen items. Owen was set free. 

In 1912 he was himself the victim of an attack by two other gipsy men near Maidenhead after a horse deal turned sour. Attacked with a reaping hook and whip weighted with lead weights for maximum effect, he suffered a nasty head injury before the police rescued him.

The reports of Plato's caravan burning funeral show how both the public and press romanticised aspects of the gipsy way of life. Sadly this did not translate into tolerance or kindness when a gipsy family needed somewhere to stop and camp as the convictions for so doing show. Fundraising comic sketches and musical performances put on at the early Marlow Institute and elsewhere in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods sometimes featured locals dressed in the character of "gipsies" and behaving in every stereotypical "gipsy" way (I.e nothing like a real gipsy) as a comedy act. Whether the real things were baffled, amused or upset by this we'll never know. The same thing would happen everywhere in those times.

*A special post about Marlow skewer makers is on the blog here.

*Marlow Fair history posts here for Victorian times, and for Edwardian times here

*The accuser was Humphrey Millen jnr of the The Ferns, Little Marlow. The defence implied he had drunk the gin and presumably also spent the money himself! That said he and his family do seem to have good character by other reports.

Other last names I have found in gipsy families associated with Marlow (Great or Little)

Beldham /Beldam/Beldon 

Buckland

Eyres

Fletcher

Frith

Fuller

Ingham

Price

Williamson

©Marlow Ancestors. 

Research Sources:

Census England and Wales transcribed by me from microfilm.

Crime research of Jane Pullinger.

Newspapers in the custody of the British Library, via the BNA. Accessed September 2020. Maidenhead Advertiser 1912,  Bucks Herald 21st November 1891 and 8th February 1896.

*****

The Artnet website has an image of gipsy children at Marlow in its sales archives.

To search for all references to a person on this blog try the Person Index option on the top drop down menu.

Crown Inns of Marlow

Great Marlow had two Crowns. One was the Crown and Broad Arrow which became The Lower Crown and Broad Arrow and then finally just the Lower Crown. This was located in the High Street. The other establishment was apparently the oldest of the two (in operation by 1596) and was known as the Upper Crown / Crown Inn and then the Crown Hotel. Neither still exist as inns. 

You may see references to the Upper Crown exclusively being referred to as the Crown and Broad Arrow but this is incorrect. Contemporary sources spelling out the full name of the Lower Crown refer to it as the "Lower Crown and Broad Arrow." The Crown and Broad Arrow can be found separately listed to the Upper Crown in contemporary lists of inns existing at the same time, and information about the contents sale of Alfred House/Cromwell house describe this property as being nearly opposite the Crown and Broad Arrow which makes it nearly opposite the Lower Crown. It's usually described as in the High Street too rather than the Market place which is the location of the Upper Crown. Lastly proprietors later listed as in charge of the Lower Crown can be found earlier listed at the Crown and Broad Arrow. So while the Upper Crown may also have been referred to as the Crown and Broad Arrow, it was not exclusively so. 

The (Lower) Crown and Broad Arrow was in business under that names from at least 1691. The first landlord I found evidence of was Mary Phillips. Her husband John owned the building and died in 1751. He was a carpenter. The liquors sold in the Inn were made in buildings put of the back by Mary. She, according to his will was  the one selling them too. He presumed she would continue in business after his death. A few weeks after his decease Mary married William Dark who became the landlord. I expect Mary was still doing the brewing. William Dark's will has been transcribed by me. It is scheduled to be published on the blog August 15th 2020.  Mary ran the inn again following Dark's death.

Highwayman Dick Turpin is reputed to have drank there but really there is no evidence for that. 

The Upper Crown had a bigger but little pressed claim to fame, as the poets Percy Bysshe Shelley and Byron met in person for the first time there in 1816 just before they both went abroad. Shelley had been living in the town at Albion House. At the time French prisoners from the battle of Waterloo were being held at the inn, contemporary books say, and they elicited Shelley's attention and sympathy. I thought perhaps the sources meant prisoners were in the town hall lock up next door to the inn (although that had a tiny capacity) but no, it seems various inns were used for this purpose. The poets had intended to meet once abroad at Geneva and some history books still claim that Geneva was their first meeting but friends present at the time stated that the plans changed and the pair met for the second time, not the first, in Geneva. The debate will no doubt continue to rage about this point! 

What of the more ordinary people associated with either premises, though?

Well the owner and occupier of the (probably Lower) Crown and Broad Arrow in 1782 was Nicholas Thomas. In his will of that year he left the premises described as in the High Street to his brother John Thomas Esquire whom he calls "of Portsmouth". It came with "a close or meadow or pasture" perhaps for the cattle his will also mentions, stable, coach house and backside by which was meant backyard.

Next to the inn he said he had a malthouse which a Mr James rather than he occupied.

In 1786 the proprietor was a Robert Dixon, who refurbished it that year. He hired out "genteel post chaises". He left 1796 selling up the entire contents.

From at least 1788 to the early 1800s a coach ran from the inn, then called the Lower Crown, to London via Maidenhead Little Marlow and Wooburn. The Upper Crown was better known as a coaching inn though as I will describe below. Both Crowns hosted late 1700s and earlier 1800s balls.

The Lower Crown site, above.

The Upper Crown in Market Square was sold by Richard Mathews to Roger Smith in 1596. Roger settled it in 1610 on two friends in trust for his sons Valiantus and John. These sons sold it to brewer Edward Wooden in 1617. His widow Elizabeth and son John passed it on to Thomas Drewe in 1636 but Elizabeth stayed in possession having immediately leased it back on a 60 year term for a rent of £11 a year. Thomas had sold it to brewer Mr Moore by 1650 but Elizabeth was still in occupation then too.

A Mr Hall leased the inn in 1717.

In 1735 it was bought by the Clayton family. They owned a great deal of local property and other pubs.

Sylvester Law was proprietor 1757 [I have transcribed his will. It will be posted on this blog later in August 2020], Mr Webb in 1766 and John Parsons from at least 1768 until he transferred to the Black Bull Holborn in 1775. Mrs Chapman ran the premises from at least 1796 to at least 1798. George Westbrook was there at least 1831 to at least 1834. His employee, postillion Richard Hockley was killed in an evening coaching accident while at work in 1831. The horse shied and the vehicle overturned on Hedsor Hill, but it was sadly some hours before assistance could be bought to him. Richard died of his injuries a couple of days later, leaving a pregnant wife. 

My 1833 parochial survey book describes the inn as having a skittle ground and pleasure ground and garden plus a card room and parlour in the Town Hall next door. Later the card room was converted into a billiards room.

James Franklin farmer of Lower Grounds Farm sold off his entire stock in order to change careers and take over the Upper Crown in 1835 after a George Westbrook gave it up. James however went bankrupt in 1852 so perhaps not the wisest career move ever.

From circa 1798 a "new" coach ran at either 6 or 7 in the Morning to the Bolt and Tonne Fleet Street London [which by coincidence my personal ancestors had owned over 200 years earlier!] from the Upper Crown via Bisham and Maidenhead and returned in the afternoon.

After the railway came to nearby Bourne End a coach took passengers from the Upper Crown to the station there. Even after the opening of Marlow Station itself the coach ran to it and back from the Crown for the benefit of luggage -laden or lazy customers! The driver of this very rickety coach was a fascinating man who will be the subject of his own post in the future.

Visitors to the Upper Crown / Crown Hotel as it became would have found it a buzzing place even without the coaches. It was the organiser of the town balls from at least the mid 1780s through to at least the the 1850s in the next door Town Hall assembly rooms. (Before the Town hall with it's assembly room was built Assemblies were also held in The Lower Crown, which would have been the more spacious of the two premises at the time. The Upper crown did host balls before it gained use of the Town Hall though.)

The inn was also a frequent site for the hosting of property auctions, debt settlements following the death of a local person, coroner's inquests and of meetings by everyone from the bridgewardens and overseers of the poor to political groups and the local gas company.  More unusually it was the town's early court house. The justices had to pay a nominal 1 guinea a year rent for the privilege.

The building also doubled as the town's posting house and excise offices in the early 1800s, being the stop for the mail coach.

The bloodthirsty meanwhile had an opportunity of watching a "backswords" fighting competition out the back of the inn in 1787. Despite the name cudgels and not swords were used. Fighters planted their feet on the ground and could not move. With one hand they held a cudgel, the other hand had to remain gripped to a scarf tied around their thigh and not used to either inflict or deflect blows. Those hobbled fighters tried to be the first one to draw blood from the head of their opponent. Whoever did so won the fight, and on this occasion in Marlow whoever "broke the most heads" at the end of the event won a 3 shilling prize! Smaller prizes were available for those who split someone else's head provided they got up again themselves if their own head was split! The sport was common but this is only the second time I have found reference to it formally organised in Marlow. The other time was in Market Square out front of the Town Hall. A few later boxing matches occurred out back of the Crown.

A different sort of brush with violence for the inn occurred in 1880. It had been used for the campaign headquarters of a conservative candidate in the election. His successful election caused great bitterness amongst many frustrated working class men and the Crown was amongst buildings targeted in a riot by a mob from Marlow, Wycombe, and Bisham. Windows were smashed using stones and ladders left against the building by workers putting up illuminations. The army was necessary to quell the riot. A detailed post about this riot can be found here.

Behind the Upper Crown was a large meadow which was part of the premises. This was occasionally used for displaying animals for sale during Marlow fair, for steam powered visiting merry go rounds, for early travelling silent film shows and circuses, the odd cricket match, many football matches, and grazing of the horses that pulled the town fire engine.

Note: Since this post was written additional landlords have been found. An updated landlord list with biographical details can be found here

#For the will of William Dark see this blog post here

And for Sylvester Laws will see this post

A post about the tragedy of Susan West of the Crown hotel can be found Here

AND for a full list of Marlow pubs, beer houses, inns etc see here and here.

Please use the Person Index option from the drop down menu to search for people of interest.

Post Written and researched by Charlotte Day with additional research by Kathryn Day and Jane Pullinger.

Some Research sources:

Original wills, my own transcriptions

History Of The County Of Buckingham Volume 3, Victoria County Histories 1825. 

Oxford Journal 28th October 1775 and 29th September 1787 at the BNA, London [John Parson was moving premises and the backswords competition]

Reading Mercury 19th June 1786 . Copy held at the British Library, accessed online via the BNA, June 2020 [Mr Dixon refurbished his inn] and 14th May 1798 [Coach].

Reading Mercury 1st March 1777, 8th July 1777, 19 June 1786, 17 September 1787, held at the British Library. 

Oxford Journal 14 August 1756, 14 December 1765, as above. 

Bucks Gazette 15 October 1831, as above. 

Privately held personal papers, not in public domain. [Public meetings at the Upper Crown].

Buckinghamshire Archives Clayton family papers. [Property records]

Britishmuseumonline[Robert Dixon information]

1833 parochial assessment, original notebook held by my family and transcribed by me.

Quarter sessions records, held at the centre for Buckinghamshire Studies.

Insurance record, Nicholas Thomas Innholder, London Metropolitan Archives CLC/B/192/F/001/MS11936/299/456164

©Marlow Ancestors. 

Will Summary Thomas Ponde of Great Marlow 1597

Transcribed from a will at the National Archives, Kew. Transcript ©Marlow Ancestors. You can quote from my transcription freely, with a link here so that the source information is not lost.

Thomas Ponde, yeoman, proved 1597.

Bequeaths soul to God and affirms faith in "my sweet saviour Jesus Christ".

Sole executor son John Ponde who gets any of his property left after other legacies, debts and funeral expenses paid. Will overseer John Brinkhurst of Lane End [possibly his brother in law].

Burial in Marlow church, where his father is buried.

Wife Mildred [nee Brinkhurst, married 1575 Bisham] an annuity of £13 6 shillings and 8p in quarterly installments if she lets son John use testator's copyhold land for three years [presumably the land is hers for life in dower or some other right]. If she does not want to let son use thebland then annuity reduced to £4 [as she would then have the land for rental or other sources of income]. Mildred to be allowed a chamber in her son's house and free access to it, the kitchen and the hall there for both her and her maid. 

All silver plate of his that his son [in law] "Philpott" has in his hands to be given up to his executor so it can be given to testator's granddaughter Elizabeth Philpott, along with 40 shillings when she reaches 21 or  marries. If she dies before either happens son John Ponde can keep the plate. 

Sister Brinkhurst of Lane End 20 shillings to buy a ring in remembrance of him.

To his unnamed maid 10 shillings. To his servant Edward ...  20 shillings [Note: the word servant then referred to any employee not necessarily a domestic, and also often to an apprentice]. To his boy [a young employee not son] Richard ... 5 shillings.

10 shillings each to all the children of  William Priest, Hugh Priest and Alexander Chapman at ages 21 or upon their day of marriage.

40 shillings to the poor to be distributed at his burial at executor's discretion.

Note:

Thomas and his wife were commemorated on a substantial bronze memorial in the previous Marlow All Saints church which has since been rebuilt.  Their son John lived in a house next to the churchyard in Marlow, not apparently inherited from his parents.

Transcribed by Charlotte Day. Thomas had previously owned Blounts Farm in Marlow.

To find every mention of a person on this blog use the Person Index option on the drop down menu.