Historic Landlords Red Lion West Street Marlow *Updated Feb 2026*

 This post is updated as new information emerges. All listings are as noted in original sources, including alternative spellings.  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. 

*Note "The Old Red Lion" was a separate premises at Little Marlow, not Marlow*

1816- Mr Bowen. Likely Thomas Bowen senior.

1823 - Thomas Bowen. There were two generations of Thomas Bowens. Thomas senior had retired by 1840 and went to live next door to The Red Lion. He died 1844. His will is summarised here. 

1844 -66 Thomas Bowen junior. Called the Red Lion Inn 1864. To see the grave of Priscilla Bowen his wife, and of John his son see here. Thomas was parish rate collector for many years, and people went to the Red Lion to pay up. He was assisted in this collection by Samuel Edmunds. In 1859 he was elected parish surveyor of the roads at a £20 annual salary. This was a difficult job and made Thomas numerous enemies!

1866 Robert Foottit- the Marlow High Street chemist took on the license temporarily as a legal formality as he was the executor of the will of Thomas Bowen junior who had died aged 66.

1869- 71 Alfred E Neighbour - moved to the Dog & Badger Medmenham after his second marriage to Emma Sawyer whose family had been running the inn for decades. Alfred first marriage was to Hannah Elizabeth Shaw in 1864, also a publicans daughter. In this case, Hannah's parents Charles and Charlotte were of the Three Horse Shoes, Gun Lane and after that The Bear, Chapel Street. For more see here

1871 -1872 - William Lockie

1872 - Philip Woodman

1874 - Philip Woodman "Red Lion Inn"

1875-98 William Harris. Mrs Caroline Harris was nee Plumridge, the daughter of former White Hart publican and builder William Plumridge who  built the Wheatsheaf. She is also sister to the builder of the Duke of Cambridge, another William Plumridge. Her nephew (William again) runs the Duke of Cambridge at this time. 

1898 J Reed. "Red Lion Inn" (came from Prince Of Wales)

1899 - Johnathan Read

1900 -1.) Johnathan Read  2. S A White

1901 - Jane Thornton. Age 51, widow.

1903 - Mrs J  Thornton 2. A J Thornton. 3. Angus Fletcher Gordon. 

1904 - A L Gordon qv 2. George Stevens who had previously been a colour sergeant in the Lincolnshire Regiment.

1906 - "Red Lion Hotel" Mr George Stevens. He moved to Windsor by March 1907. 2. George H Fox (Second source says Cox)

1908 - 1. George H Fox . George and his wife moved to the Bell Hotel Twyford 2. Ernest Richard Stemson

1909 E R Stemson to Frederick W Lester. NB when Frederick dies in 1920 his name is entered on Marlow's Roll of Honour which commerorates the war dead of the First World War. This is because it was considered that he had died as a result of injuries he had received while on active service. 

1911 - Mrs E C Lester [Elizabeth Caroline aka Eliza] See also The Clayton Arms here. Daughter Irene helps in pub. For the graves of the other Lester children, see here.

1915 - James Horton or George Horton depending on source. Most likely George. 

1920 - George Douglas Horton

1939 ; Stanley Todd

1958 - S G Todd

Additional research by Charlotte Day.

We mainly focus on pre WW1 listings but sometimes list later names if it ties in with research we are helping with or if we are particularly interested in a premises. *By request all listings will be updated to include landlords up to the 1950s shortly* 

Related Posts:

Some more history of the Red Lion in this previous post here

See Pub Related menu for related posts here

All mentions of someone on the blog can be found under the Person Index in the top drop down menu. 

SOURCES INCLUDED

1853 Mussons and Cravens Commercial Directory (Compiled 1852)

Kelly's Post Office Directory 1864,1883,1899,1903,1911, 1915

Pigots Directory 1823, 1830

Census 1851,1861,1871,1881,1891 transcribed by Charlotte from microfilm.

1833 Parish Assessment working notebooks transcribed by Charlotte.

Newspaper reports from the Reading Mercury, Bucks Herald and Oxford Journal, accessed via the BNA. 

© Great Marlow Ancestors

You are welcome to use this material for family and local history research providing you credit this blog and link back here

The Grave Of The Lester Children, Holy Trinity Church, Great Marlow

 Sadly the angel above this grave toppled down about 6 years ago and some of the pieces have vanished including the angel's head.

"In Loving Memory of dear little Raymond. Younger son of F W & E C Lester who passed away 16 Sept 1903, age 6 Years

ALSO OF 

Stewart, the dearly loved eldest son of the above who passed away Apr 13 1907 age 12 years. "Oh rest in the Lord, Wait patiently for him."

Raymond's birth and death registrations give his full name as Herbert Charles Raymond, and in turn Stewart's given name in full was Frederick William Stewart Lester.

Frederick William U Lester and Eliza Caroline  Lester were proprietors of Clayton Arms at the time of Raymond's death, and had moved to the Red Lion by 1911. Frederick senior was born in Suffolk, and Eliza in Wembley. She was née Batterber. They married 1893, Chelsea Registration district. The children, which include a daughter Irene b.1893, were all born in London. Irene is then given the surname Batterber but later used Lester. She went on to assist her mum in running the Red Lion. Frederick senior died in 1920, completing what must have been an appalling decade for Eliza and Irene. NB when Frederick dies in 1920 his name is entered on Marlow's Roll of Honour which commerorates the war dead of the First World War. This is because it was considered that he had died as a result of injuries he had received while on active service. 

Source - GRO Birth, Marriage  and Death Registration index. 

Kathryn's landlord listings database and Charlotte's census transcriptions.

Bucks Free Press 27th August 1920

To find other graves on the blog see the Graves option on the menu. Also take a look at the Pub Related and Person Index options on the menu to help you find what you need.

© Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use these images or research for family and local history purposes if you credit this blog and link back here. 

Clayton Arms - Landlords and history

 *This post is updated as new information emerges. Last update August 2025*

1837 - pub existed (which it did not in 1833, having been most likely a carpenter's premises previously). Hosted dinner for more than 100 people in honour of Queen Victoria's Coronation. For more on the Coronation celebrations in Marlow, see here.

1838 - J. Tyler (Joseph, formerly draper of Quoiting Square, possibly previously operating as a draper in the shop next door to the pub).  Joseph was a liberal supporter. Sir William Robert Clayton was their frequent election candidate in this era, he was also a substantial landlord. When not at work in the pub Joseph served as umpire at Marlow cricket matches which were then played on Alder Meadow mostly.

1839 - Joseph Tyler started a branch of the Royal Standard Benefit society. For more information on the Slate Clubs and Benefit Societies of the Clayton Arms see our post here on poverty in Victorian Marlow. 

1847 - Jos. Tyler.

1851 - Joseph Tyler died 24th March. Age 61. 

1853 - 58 Elizabeth Tyler, wife of above.  Her first marriage was to William Lee. Biographical post on her is available here. Elizabeth died in 1858.

1859 - 72 Thomas Hall. In 1863 and 1871 said also to be a carrier, and in 1869 to be licenced to let horses and carriages. Gave evidence at an inquest when a man who came to hire a carriage to take him to Bourne End station fell down dead in the yard of the Clayton Arms. The man was a London based pianoforte tuner who had been visiting various houses in the area for his job. He died of natural causes it was found. In 1872, Sarah Hall wife of Thomas Hall died at the Clayton Arms aged just 32. Thomas moved to the Coach and Horses in West Street later that year. More here. In 1861 the Marlow Co-Operative movement started in the pub. Members clubbed together to buy cheaper groceries.

1875 - William Hall advertised that he runs Hanson cabs, and other vehicles to hire from both the Clayton Arms and the Angel Inn, Maidenhead. Getting married? William can provide a suitable vehicle for the happy couple with strictly matching horses for smartness, in a choice of grey or bay. He also had a private omnibus and large waggonette available to hire, and offered horse clipping services too. 

1877 - Robert Hall.

1878 - George Heslett.

1879 - George Heslett transferred premises to William Clifford

1883 - William Clifford. In 1890 William escapes a fine for opening his beer house before the legally permitted time on a Sunday (12.30pm at the time.) He was only 15 minutes early in opening, which he put down to having a cheap unreliable watch! He had set it by the town clock that morning. The court considers his premises to have been otherwise well conducted. 

1892 - 1.) William Clifford

             2.) Charles Smart Mitchell. The 10 month old daughter of Charles died at the Clayton Arms, Ruth Emily Mitchell.

1897 - C S  or W G Mitchell to W J Cross (holdover).

1898 Mr Cross to F Lester.

1899 - 1906 Frederick William Lester, (Born Suffolk, his children born in London. Wife Eliza born Wembley. For the grave of the Lester children see here ). Eliza is a talented pianist and presides at the Clayton Arms piano during selected gatherings such as the Christmas Suppers of the Clayton Arms Slate Club. This was a huge affair with 150-200 members on average, providing life changing benefits for the working men who were members. You can read more about them and the Clayton Arms one in particular here. 

1906 - Frederick Lester. (Moved to the Red Lion in 1909) 2. William John Steel.

1907 - W J Steel 2. Arthur William Towers. In 1907 the pub had an air rifle range on the premises - hopefully restricted to the lighter drinkers! 

1907 - 1914 Arthur William Towers. Left 1914 to move to Bisham where Arthur ran a boot and shoe business. He died 1944.  Wife Alice was born in Suffolk and came to the Marlow area to enter service with a local family. She died 1961, a much loved Bisham resident known for her care and attention to the sick. 

1914-15 - Francis Thomas White. Summoned for selling watered down brandy 1915.

1920 - 26 Walter Sadgrove. See grave image below.

1926 - 28 Bertha Sadgrove, widow of Walter Sadgrove. She transferred the licence eventually to Herbert? White. Sanitary arrangements were described as "disgraceful" in the building in 1928. Bertha became a live in domestic housekeeper after she left the pub before retiring to Deansfield Close. Licence transferred early in the year to Mr E. White.  The club room was then being used as a paint and furniture repair workshop. The local magistrates weren't very happy with that and wanted the internal doorway between the workshop and the rest of the pub stopped up. This would have been due to concerns that the workshop could act as a front for beer service during illegal hours. Anyone going in to the workshop as a customer could sneak through into the bar when the bar was supposed to be closed. Of course there is absolutely no evidence that anyone intended to do that. More likely Mr White was simply trying to carry on two businesses because the pub trade was very much in the doldrums. Even when times were good many landlords in order to survive had to work in supplementary trades. Mr White agreed to return the clubroom into normal pub use however as he was told that he could have a dance and music licence if he did so, with the clubroom used for the dances.

1929 - Mr E White transferred to A H Wilder.

1930s  - (from at least then, going onwards for many years) pub had a team in the Town League for darts. Always a successful team.

1930- 35 (at least) William Christopher Tilbury. Pub had some upgrade work done in 1933.

1939 - Mrs Annie Mabel Tilbury. Previously of The Queen, until it's forced closure in 1928. Annie was a native of Stokenchurch and died in Marlow in 1952. 

WW2 - During the second world war the cellars were used as a bomb shelter for the children in nearby Oxford Road infants' school.

1946- a veteran's club for those who served in the 1939-45 war was started at the pub. It met monthly.

1950 - Mrs Tilbury. Presumably the same one as above.

1950s - Pub often hosts pigeon racing club meetings and shows (and 1960s).

1954 - the brewery's live-in manager was James Wishart.

1958 - pub hosts basket and lampshade making classes for women under the auspices of the Townswomen's Guild.

Complied by Kathryn Day and Charlotte Day.

The grave of landlord Walter Alexander Sadgrove, landlord. "Alick" D. July 28 1926. (Grave in Marlow Cemetery).

Use the Person Index option on the top drop down menu to search for all mentions of a person on this blog. Thousands of people are mentioned.

For a full list of old pubs, inns, beerhouses of Marlow (more than 100 listed!) see this post here

Landlord listings for other Quoiting Square premises can be found here

Post about the raucous temperance meetings held outside the Clayton's can be found here!

Also check out the Pub Related option on the top drop down menu. 

SOURCES

Numerous cross referenced wills, property deeds, and the like. 

Reports of licencing sessions, related court cases and general news reports from The South Bucks Standard, Bucks Herald and Windsor and Eton Express, held at the British Library and accessed via the BNA including :

South Bucks Standard 27 December 1879, May 17, July 5 1895, as above

Kelly's Post Office Directory 1859, 1863,1869, 1877, 1903, 1915, 1939

1853 Mussons and Cravens Commercial Directory

Robson's Directory 1839

Census 1871, 1881. Transcribed from microfilm by Charlotte.

Marlow Directory and Almanack 1907, 1915. 

Marlow Guide 1903. 

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to quote from this research if you credit this blog and link back here.