Updated by Charlotte Jan 2024.
We mainly focus on pre 1920 listings but will list later landlords if we come across them during research, as has happened here.
1792 - Thomas Hussey / Hussrey 2.Thomas Humphrey -same man?. Pub up for sale in this year.
1823 - William Clark.
1824 - William Clark.
1831 - George Dorell
1832 - George Dorell.
1836 - "The Old Ship" Mrs Dorrell qv.
1839 - As The Old Ship - William Sawyer. For him see also The Coach and Horses. He was he son of bakers James and Charlotte Sawyer of West Street see here for more on them and his brother.
1841 - William Sawyer.
1842- George Stevens.
1843 - George Stevens. Fined £2 for allowing cards to be played on his premises. This was a high amount and considered unfair by many.
1844 - George Stevens 2. John Clark(e).
1846- as The Old Ship Inn. John Clark transfers to Richard Green who is also a blacksmith.
1847 - As The Old Ship - Richard Green.
1851 - Richard Reeves. Richard and his wife Jane were previously managers of the Workhouse. See this post for a biography of them.
1853 - Richard Reeves
1854 - Richard Reeves.
1859 - Jane Reeves. Widow of Richard.
1863 - Mrs Jane Reeves
1864 - Mrs Jane Reeves
1870 "the Ship Tavern"
1871 - Sarah Reeves. She came from the Prince Albert, Spittal Street and was the widow of William Reeves. Jane had just died.
1872 - John Cuthbert.
1873 - John Cuthbert. 2. Henry Poole.
1876 - Henry Poole transfers to Miss Jessie Macintosh.
1878 - Miss Jessie Macintosh died there age 28.
1878 - Henry Poole again. A business partnership with John Tildesley relating to the manufacture of soda water at the Ship, came to tears. The two fell out and came quite literally to blows when Charles and several others tried to remove the equipment. They took out summons accusing each other of assault - in the case of John the attack was upon Felix Tildesley who had accompanied his father to the Ship. The case against Poole was dismissed. Charles was fined 13s including costs. Then Joshua Benjamin Gladding takes over.
1881 - Joshua Gladding dies, James Rim(m)ell takes over.
1883 - James Rimmel(l).
1884 - James Rimmell.
Thomas Barnes (temporary after James Rimmell's death) then "Mrs Rymmell" qv widow.
1885 - Hannah Rimmell (Wife of James)
1886 - Hannah Rimmell. (Wife of James Rimmell) Lost her licence for harbouring prostitutes - see Here Thomas Barnes takes over again 1887.
1888 - Thomas Barnes. 2 Joseph Warden.
1889 - 1. Joseph Warder/Warden, 2. Thomas George Austin
1890 - Thomas John Richards (born Kent).
1891 - Thomas Richards.
1892 - Transfer from Thomas Richards to William Saunders, and then from Saunders to W Dominick Westcott. Thomas Richards left after marrying a woman of private means living in Little Marlow. But this marriage of Thomas and Agnes was not happy and within 2 months of their wedding day they had separated, both accusing the other of drunkenness and violence. The case went to court, and Agnes was convicted of assaulting Thomas by whipping his face. (Agnes admitted to using the whip but said Thomas had started the trouble by swearing at her.) A counter charge against Thomas was made, but he was found not guilty as it was considered he was acting in self defence. The costs of both cases were to be paid by Agnes. She claimed Thomas had married her for her money, and had became a beast when he could not get his hands on it. Thomas said Agnes had taken against the daughters from his first marriage (especially Ada) and had acted out of jealousy. He claimed she had developed a habit of drinking when acting as the former land lady of the Windsor Castle Inn at High Wycombe. Both were bound over to keep the peace.
1893 - 1. William D Westcott 2. Charles Lisson Mathews.
1895 - Charles L Mathews 2. Thomas Walter (or Walker) Lowe.
1896 - Mr Lowe 2. ? Gunn. Suffers a chimney fire this year due to beam running through chimney beginning to smoulder. Marlow Fire Brigade had dealt with this kind of fire before and said it is not uncommon to find such badly placed wooden beams in old buildings. Damage limited.
1897 - 1 G A Gunn 2. James Swain. (Joseph Warder, Thomas George Austin two names possibly proposed and refused instead of Swain).
1898 - James Swain transferred licence to Thomas Watson. He had no choice after police complaints of months of disgraceful behaviour at the pub, including him being found flat- out drunk on the premises and drunkenly attacking his wife Sarah so blood was running down her face when a police constable found her. The local magistrates said that unless Swain left immediately the brewery would lose their licence for the pub. They swiftly dumped Swain.
1899 - Thomas Watson (Also given as William Watson).
1901 - Mr Watson transfers premises to Arthur Osborn.
1902 - Survives attempt by authorities to close it down as excess to West Streets licensed premises requirements. The high turnover of landlords in recent years counts against it but the fact the licence is "very clean" and the premises in very good condition keep it open. Arthur Osborne 2. W A Bennett (previously proprietor of Royal Oak, Huntingdon)
1903 - Albert E Bull.
1904 - A E Bull 2. Arthur Barlow
1906 - Arthur Barlow 2. Thomas Flaxman/ Flexman
1907 - Thomas Barnes (hold-over) 2. Joseph Warden ditto. 3. Edward Tygat (e) 4. Alfred Schreen.
1908 - Alfred Screen / Schreen. Spelling varies. Pub has bowling alley and a stable but the latter is not used. Headquarters of the 200 strong Ivy Ramblers Club of London.
1909 - Alfred Screen. In this year the pub is described as having 5 bedrooms which were constantly accommodating visitors during the "river season." In 1908 only three bedrooms mentioned as available to visitors. In addition the skittle alley was sometimes pulled into use as a little extra space when hosting summer teas. The pub sells twice as many barrels of beer as they did a couple of years ago when they catered for fewer parties. That's two barrels worth of beer a week being sold plus 18 bottles of beer on average and 6 gallons of draught spirits. And yes they sold non alcoholic cordials and mineral water too. The pub is "clean and well conducted" but needs some repairs to the actual premises according to a report submitted to the licencing committee.
1910 - Alfred Screen leaves Marlow. Next landlord - Charles Percy Joy.
1911 - Charles Joy.
1920 - Charles Percy Joy. Fined 20s for profiteering in this year for selling gin at higher than the fixed maximum price. Charles pleads guilty but says he doesn't sell many spirit drinks and so can't buy it at a favourable price. If he sells it at the maximum fixed price he says he'd be making a loss. And his total profit per bottle were only 1s which he did not think could be fairly called profiteering. A charge against Mrs Joy for actually serving the drinks is dropped.
1924 - James G Palmer.
1939 - Charles Thornton Arnold.
1962 - Mrs Doris Mary West is leaving for the Canary Islands. Licence transfers to Mr John Somerville Blundell.
* For more on the Rimmell family see separate post here*
Look on the menu here for more landlord listings for Marlow, Little Marlow, Medmenham and Lane End as well as biographies of some pub keeping individuals or families, a listing of the 100+ pubs Marlow has had, and pub histories.
See under "Specific Shops, Streets Etc" on the menu for links to posts about other historic West Street businesses and residents.
©Marlow Ancestors.
SOURCES
1853 Musson & Cravens Commercial directory (Compiled 1852), published by Musson & Craven.
1859,1864,1877,1883, 1899,1903,1907,1911 & 1915 -Kelly's Post Office Directory.
1839 Robson's Directory
Pigots Directory 1823,1831,1844
Contemporary press coverage of licencing hearings, court cases, and other news accessed via the BNA including: South Bucks Standard, 12 August 1892, 16 July 1901, 22 May 1902, June 21 1907, March 5th 1909 & 28th Oct 1910.
Reading Mercury May 8 1879. As above.
Various property deeds, wills transcribed by Charlotte etc.
Census 1841,1851,1861,1871,1881,1891. Transcribed from microfilm by Jane Pullinger.
