Early 20th Century Station Road Businesses Part One

NOTE: numbers given here are the numbers as they were then.

Post by Charlotte...

Right Hand Side (St Peter Street side) 

The Marlow Directory And Almanack of 1907 gives the first occupier on this side of the Street as C.H Carter, baker. That is Charles Henry Carter but his was the large corner premises on the Station Road and Causeway corner and these would be more usually considered to be in the Causeway (as that's where the main door was) so we will pass by him for now.

The first proper shop entrance you would come across was instead that of Miss Lydia Heal dressmaker. She'd first asked permission to fit a shop window into the property front in 1899 but she had already been plying her craft as a dressmaker in Marlow for 11 years by then. Many such businesswomen did not have shops, though to do so would be their ultimate ambition if possible. Even though she may not have had a proper shop window in which to display her goods from the start of her career she certainly lived in the exact same Station Road premises and met her clients there by 1891. A 1903 advert in the South Bucks Standard thanked the "nobility and gentry" for their previous business and said that she would now be continuing "the business" on her own account. So it seems that earlier she was in a business partnership with someone else, even though only she is named in the application for the shop front alterations. The advert promises a good fit and moderate prices. Lydia tells us that she sells fancy drapery, millinery, underwear, corsetry, gloves, lace and ribbon as well as operating as a dressmaker. In 1910 lace was advertised as a speciality of her shop. In the same year winter suits are mentioned as being on display there.

We know Lydia still sold ready made underwear in 1906 as a woman pretending to live in nearby Station Villas took some away with her on approval to show an alleged sister but never brought the items back or paid for them, neither did the alleged sister materialize to do so. The same woman defrauded another Marlow clothes retailer around the same time using the same ruse. It might seem remarkably, even foolishly, trusting to allow a stranger to take valuable items from your shop on trust without paying for them but the practice of having clothing items on approval was not uncommon at the time. In order to qualify you would have to appear "respectably" dressed however. 

Passing the residential property of dairy farmer Augustus Creswell at no 9 (who kept some of his cows out back not to the best pleasure of the sanitary inspectors) we next come to James Faulkner the bootmaker at number 11.

A man whose premises seem to move about on this side of the road was photographer Ernest A. Hewett. He was certainly on this side of the street in all scenarios, and in most was given as being at no 17 so we'll slot him in our list here.

Cycle maker, coach builder and wheelwright H. H Mathews lived (at least for a time) at 21 Station Road but operated his business further along at number 35. He was apparently Henry Harold but was often known just by his middle name. There is also a reference to a Horace Mathews cycle agent in the same premises though that may be a mistake. H.H Mathews certainly operated alongside Harold Haine, motor engineer and cycle maker who eventually entirely took over the business at some point between 1915 and 1920. Harold Haine was a Raleigh cycle agent, amongst other things. He came from Egham Surrey originally. In 1907 an Albert Barnes worked for a H Mathews at no 35.

Between the home of H Mathews and his business premises was (by 1903) Mrs Ann Cockayne who let apartments at her home "St Clare", Woodham's Dairy, Walter Lovegrove the auctioneer (who met a tragic end see his biography post here ), a grocery shop at nos 27-29 run firstly by H W Britnell and then by Raymond G Ford and his wife Lily, and Smewings the tobacconist-come- newsagents.

Mrs Cockayne the landlady was in business at St Clare (sometimes given as St Claire) by 1899. She was then in her late 60s and by 1911 had retired and moved out. In the early 1890s there had been 4 apartment proprietors at the town end of Station Road as well a boarding house and two further apartment rental buildings at the station end of the road, all with a residential owner. The private lodgings trade in Station Road had clearly dropped off a lot by the second decade of the 1900s though some of that loss was due to similar properties springing up in Glade Road and elsewhere in the town rather than for a lack of desire for furnished apartments. Ann Cockayne herself became a lodger with a family in nearby South Place.

Annie Smewing ran the tobacconist come newsagents at number 31, with her husband Henry assisting her and being the name above the door but mainly being a gardener and groom employed elsewhere at The Lawn. Henry was one of the committee members at Marlow Football Club and one of Marlow's volunteer firefighters in the Edwardian age. In the 1930s this was Morris tobacconist and newsagent.

Also near to these shops was another dairy in 1907, Hornsby's. Presumably this was connected to the Hornsby's who kept a small dairy herd at Wood Barn Farm, Little Marlow. See here for more on them. Be warned - that post contains mention of serious animal cruelty.

Next along in terms of commercial premises in the mid 1910s was tobacconist C.O Mathews which probably became by 1920 the tobacco and confectionery shop of Mrs Annie Truss (who was definitely at no 37). She was still there in 1924 when she served hot drinks too. Probably she remained in business until her death in 1931. Annie, formerly Bailey, was the wife of Albert Truss, a man jailed at least four times prior to his 1916 marriage to Annie for failing to maintain his illegitimate children by Fanny Louisa Penfold. When jailed he frequently laughed in court. By trade Albert was a boatman though apparently reluctant to work. Prior to his marriage he was "kept" by his brother who was landlord of the Two Brewer's pub in St Peter Street. 

At 39 was the tiny premises of George Gardner AKA George Gardiner the greengrocer and fruiterer by 1920. George did not spend many years in the shop here. He was the grandson of Clara and William Gardner /Gardiner /Gardener of the Nags Head pub in Dean Street, see here.

Our next Station Road businesspeople on this side of the road were the Ways. Robert was a cabinet maker and shopkeeper early in the 1900s and adjoining his premises was the tiny Wheatsheaf pub. This was run by Thomas Way senior until his retirement in 1905 in favour of his son Thomas junior. Thomas junior remained landlord until at least 1921 but was gone by 1939. More on the Way family of the Wheatsheaf, including both Thomas Ways in my biographical post here. 

Finally on this side of the road in terms of commercial property we come to the Railway Hotel across from the station. For a history of this pub / hotel including the early 1900s landlords of these premises see this post.

The other side of the road will be featured in another post in the future along with businesses which we cannot firmly place to one side or the other.

Written and researched by Charlotte Day 

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use my research for family or local history purposes with credit to this blog.

Selected Sources:

Marlow Directory and Almanack 1907 and 1915 editions, Marlow Printing Company. Marlow Directory 1891, Marlow Publishing Company.

"England and Wales, Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:26FV-PWY : 13 December 2014), Albert Truss and null, 1916; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1916, quarter 4, vol. 3A, p. 1914, Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.

South Bucks Standard May 6th 1899, April 3rd 1903 and 10th August 1906 British Library Archives via the BNA.

Kelly's Post Office Directory of Bucks etc 1911, 1915 and 1920 editions. Kelly's Directories Limited.

1833 Parochial Assessment Great Marlow High Street East Side Part One

I am gradually transcribing onto this blog the original handwritten assessment working notebooks used to compile the official assessment. These are held by my family. They were to be used to readjust the local taxes for 1834. Our notebooks contain some information updates written in during the later 1830s and related correspondence. I will add these updates if present for any properties below. I have also included my own research notes into the people mentioned and links to posts dedicated to some of them. Parts of the assessment are uploaded by me as and when they chime with research I am doing for myself or others. Lots are already available in the blog

To see the others available already look here

Transcription by Charlotte Day.

© Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use my transcription for family and local history purposes if you credit this blog.

Format for transcription:

Name

Property occupied

Annual value of property

Additional research notes by me in square brackets.

High Street [East Side]

Rolls and Son [auctioneers]

House, storehouse, cellars, yard, offices and garden

£24 10 shillings

Furniture warehouse

£5

Garden belonging to Baines

10 shillings

*****

Benjamin Baines [a confectioner and foreign fruit dealer. I have a picture of his grave and a dedicated post about him on the blog here]

House, bakehouse, yard, stable and garden

£20

*****

Frederick Wyatt [stagecoach proprietor. Post about him and his family here].

House, stable, barn, yard, garden and orchard

£20

*****

Thomas Evans Brinsden [a surgeon]

House part of barn and 2 gardens

£15

****

William Chamberlain [a hairdresser]

House and garden

£14

*****

Miss Sneath [the Miss added in pencil. This was Katherine Sneath, a much loved Marlovian. Daughter of surgeon William Sneath and Elizabeth née Webb. Her mother's will is here and more about her family property here. Please see the Person Index for all other mentions of Katherine].

House, lawns, yards, storehouses, stables and large gardens

£30

Orchard occupied by Mr Aveling

£4 

*****

Richard Aveling [a grocer. Biography here]

House, yard, shed, barn, garden, stable and orchard

£20

*****

Thomas Corby jnr [builder. Thomas lost his right to vote because he did not have a separate entrance to his part of the property. Detailed post about him and his father here]

Part of house and garden [Dad below in other half]

£11

*****

Thomas Corby [builder, see above for link to a post about him]

House, storeroom, lofts, yard and garden

£14

*****

Widow Stevens [this property no longer exists]

House, yard and sheds

£12

*****

Hone [no first name] [Building now demolished. It was empty in 1831 but owned by Hone family].

House, lawn, stables, greenhouse, pleasure garden, large kitchen garden, coach houses, orchard, large store house and other conveniences

£50

*****

Edmund Mealing [he was an upholsterer and cabinet maker. Post about him and his family here ]

House, shop and yard

£9

*****

W. H Mathew [William Henry. Son of the below]

House and yard

£10

*****

Widow Mathews [Ann Mathews. She was running a grocery shop].

House and yard

£14

*****

Edward Griffiths [A tailor. In same premises 1832]

House and yard

£10

*****

Steadman Camden [a shoemaker and clothes seller. Biographical post on him here]

House, shop and lofts

£12

*****

John Way [he was a poulterer]

House, yard, sheds etc

£10

*****

William Bond [he was a builder, carpenter. Full biography here]

House, yard, workshops, counting house and shed

£18

Chaise house etc by Mrs Ralphs [Charlotte Ralfs on other side of High Street]

£1

Part of wharf and workshops at Bankside

£3

*****

Late Palmer [no first name]

House and garden coach houses, shrubbery etc

Hard to read property value.

*****

Sir John Mortlock [This was Alfred House later known as Cromwell House. More on him and this property here]

House, lawn, greenhouse, 2 large gardens, yards, stables, barn, coach houses

£70

*****

Revd Thomas Coxwell [this the old vicarage. Thomas Tracey Coxwell]

House and garden

£26

*****

Ralph Rose [a brewer]

House and garden 

£12

*****

Morris and Son [John Morris and son, drapers. Post about this family here].

House, yard, store houses and garden

£20

*****

George Davis [Landlord of this pub since at least 1826]

Chequers house [pub], yard and garden

£14

*****

John Wade

House and garden

£14

*****

Thomas Burrell [ironmonger and blacksmith. He was still in these premises 1851. More about him and his family here].

House, shop, garden and iron house

£10

*****

John Heppard

House and garden

£8

*****

Transcription and research by Charlotte Day.

To be continued...

Marlow Place History

 Marlow Place is often said to have been built 1720 or 1721 for the future George 2nd when he was still the Prince of Wales. It was said to used by his son Frederick as a residence as well.  However Country Life Magazine in 1921 reported a date of 1727 visible on the roof and it is said that a brick contains a scratched on 1731 date. These may be dates of modifications to the property though they seem to be occuring rather soon after the initial build.  These later dates though do tie in better with architectural analysis by various historic visitors to the house who said 1720 is too early stylistically to be a probable date for the house and something in the later 1720s -1730 is instead indicated. 

A different edition of Country Life from 1913 mentions only a date of 1731 scratched in an apparently contemporary hand into the brickwork of the outer wall. 

A description of a brick built mansion "on the right before you turn into the High Street" [as Marlow Place would have been when you entered Marlow by crossing the river at the old St Peter Street bridge point] by someone recalling their time at the juvenile branch of the Royal Military Academy tells us it was once owned by the mistress of Charles II, Louise De Kerouaille Duchess of Portsmouth. However it calls the house Alfred House, a smaller property which is within the High Street rather than located before you reach it. Alfred House in the High Street was also used by the Academy. So which property did the writer really mean? The source he had for his information is not stated. 

I can find no evidence beyond local tradition that the house was definitely built for, rather than simply used by, the then Prince of Wales. All evidence seems to point to the house being built either for John Wallop Esq or most likely his mother Alicia. Certainly it was Alicia Wallop who lived in Marlow Place by 1739 to at least 1742. Her garden adjoined the back of High Street businesses including a soap boiler which from its use of animal carcasses would be a smelly (and fire hazardous) neighbour to have, plus at least two blacksmith premises which would have been noisy. A good reminder that even the most privileged in society in the 1700s struggled to escape the noise and mess inherent to everyday life.

Alicia is likely the Mrs Wallop who donated to the church bells in Marlow church in 1720.

Edwardian occupier of the house the keen amateur historian William Niven noted that some of the oak panelling of the house was certainly older than the house. It is possible that this came from an earlier house on the land which was owned by Alicia's ancestors.

Admiral John Forbes had recently left the property in 1772. He was "removing to Essex" (apparently  to Old Mill Green House Ingatestone) The Marlow Place household goods were therefore auctioned off and the "large and exceedingly good house" is to let. It was available with or without accompanying pasture and meadow land. The garden itself was well stocked with the choicest fruit trees, so they said. There were apparently no immediate takers and the house seems to have been empty of tenants for at least a year. In 1773 adverts offering the property decide to include more elaborate descriptions of the house to drum up interest. Amongst other benefits, we are told the town has 3 stagecoaches to London a week in the summer and two in the winter. And water carriage could be had "almost to the door". Marlow Place is not of course an immediately riverside property but is within a couple of minutes walk of the Thames. 

The resident in 1780 looks to have been Edward Valentine Stead Esq. He left the house circa 1789 and died aged just 35 in 1790. Owen Williams M P succeeded him in residence. 

The Royal Military College used the premises to provide extra accommodation in the early 1800s. Out the back the cadets had a rifle practice range. The construction of this apparently ruined the original landscaping of the gardens.

In 1833 the occupier had recently been "Edmund Flemming" (correctly Edmond Fleming). The property was then valued as being worth £110 per year. It was the most valuable house in town by some way. Edmond had  lived in the house since at very least early 1829 as a David Alexander Fleming, a silversmith, aged 44 and late of Whitechapel died at "his father's house" Marlow Place that year. His will shows that he was the son of Edmund and had no children so that his brothers, sisters, parents and employees benefitted from his will.  You couldn't get a more Scottish name than David Alexander Fleming so there's a possible clue to Edmond's furthest ancestral origins there! Edmond was already in his early 80s when his son died, and his definitely Scottish born wife Isabella was a similar age. It is likely that they wanted to downsize a bit! Or not spread themselves so thinly as Marlow Place was only their country home. Edmond was still working in Newgate Street in when he wrote his will.  His son David's will written in 1823 was witnessed by a Henry Hammond of Great Marlow which tells us that the Flemings were already connected to Marlow back then.

Nevertheless by 1836 Edmund and Isabella had moved to live with their son at Cookham Grove, Cookham as Edmond died there then and Isabella continued to live there until her own death a decade later. 

Edmond Fleming was a jeweller, silversmith and pawnbroker who operated from Newgate Street London. Cookham Grove was the country seat of his London pawnbroker son William. The son had owned that property by 1834 but seems to have let it out to others until 1836. Not only his parents but various other unmarried adult siblings made it their home or country retreat as they saw fit.

In Newgate Street Edmund occupied two premises next door to each other, a jewellers and silversmiths at 89 and a pawnbrokers at 90. Recent (September 2025) research into Edmund, Isabella, William and the rest of the Flemings has brought up so much material that we think they will be best served with their own separate post which is available now on the blog here.

In 1834 Marlow Place was advertised to let once again in the local press. [Berkshire Chronicle 26th July 1834, accessed by me online March 2021 via the BNA]. The house was then described as consisting of ten bedrooms, a library, entrance hall, dining room, breakfast room, drawing room with detached offices [they meant rooms for domestic management like laundry rooms and stores not somewhere to do your paperwork], a double coach house and stabling for ten horses. There were also lawns, greenhouses and gardens listed as part of the property in the 1833 assessment. Later reports mention meadows and those fruit trees again.

 

These premises made an impressive boy's boarding school between 1857 and 1877. Thomas Mathews was the first master to run the school there, alongside his wife. He found the building in a most dilapidated state at the start of his tenancy and spent considerable time and effort in restoring the house. He was very keen on cricket and the school had a cricket ground in a meadow by what later became the railway station. Boys needed to bring with them to school 3 suits of clothes, 6 shirts, 3 nightshirts, 6 pairs of stockings, 3 pairs shoes, a pair of slippers, 6 towels and a bible.

Music and book keeping lessons were included within the standard school curriculum as was, unusually, Hebrew if desired. For an extra fee French or swimming lessons could be obtained or the boys prepped for the Civil Service entrance exam.

When Reverend Thomas Gwynne used the premises as a school in the 1870s he could take 26 pupils. Their minimum age was 8. Gwynne had previously ran a private school from Candover Park in Hampshire. He was known as "Old Tom" to his young charges, although not to his face of course! He was a much liked man by the adults in Marlow - but not by the pupils whom he taught. More on him in a separate post in the future.

The Mathews had taken children from age 6, with the younger boys under Mrs Mathew's care. 

These various school proprietors all rented the property rather than owned it.

Marlow Place was owned by the Williams family from at least 1795 - Colonel Thomas Peers Williams was born at the house then. Owen Williams is listed in parliamentary papers as resident there 1809 to 1817. The Williams family eventually sold it to long term tenant and architect William Niven, who wrote a couple of articles about the house for magazines such as Country Life. His grave is on the blog here.

In 1877 the last incarnation of the school closed and the house was due to be refurbished and converted back into a family home. During this work, labourer Timothy Young was killed in the grounds when engaged in demolishing a 10 ft high garden wall made partly of brick and partly of flint. Timothy was buried alive when the wall suddenly collapsed before the workers were ready for it. Some of the others engaged in the task were also injured by falling bricks but Timothy was worst affected as he was hemmed in by nearby shrubs and could not make any escape. He was dug out by his colleagues but died from multiple severe injuries a little over an hour later.

Lady Marie Alice Rushout - tenant there -died in 1882. She was the widow of baronet Sir Charles Rushout and had moved to Marlow from Gloucestershire. The following year the house contents were up for sale by a Lady Northwick perhaps a relative as the contents included little miniatures of "the Misses Rushout" by Andrew Plimer. Known as "The Three Graces" they were the daughters of Sir Thomas Rushout. These miniatures were regarded as particularly fine and beautiful works of art. 

In 1885 the new occupant of Marlow Place was widow Jane Haig who moved there from Bray Court, Maidenhead. A few days after she moved in, Jane's upper housemaid Alice Anthony AKA Kate or Katie Anthony was caught with a large amount of stolen goods hidden in her bedroom. Sacked, Alice was supposed to be escorted to the 4.10 train out of town by the butler but for unspecified reasons she ended up sleeping the night at Marlow Place instead. At six the next morning she did a flit with her mistress's portmanteau and another stolen bag stuffed with an astonishing amount of loot.

Unfortunately her knowledge of Marlow train times was sketchy and she ended up waiting longer than she had expected for her getaway train. Jane's coachman John Gale* was on her trail. Confronted by him, she ran off without the portmanteau but John and a summoned constable cornered her near Little Marlow. She still had other stolen articles on her person. In court they struggled to find room to display everything she had carried off.

I won't list it all but to give you a flavour of the items here's some of them:

A gold ring

A pair of lady's drawers

2 corsets

Some sheets of papers

3 pairs of scissors

A music book

3 table cloths

12 handkerchiefs

Curling tongs for the hair

Buttons

2 tooth brushes

2 gold pins

5 pairs of shoes

Measuring tape

An umbrella

Envelopes

12 photographs (no mention of their frames)

Opera glasses

2 pairs spectacles

Elastic

Button hook.

Left behind in her room were articles stolen from Jane's housekeeping stores such as soap, furniture polish, candles and matches. I suppose Alice ran out of room in her two bags to take it all with her!

Unsurprisingly she was jailed. The maximum sentence possible -six months - with solitary confinement an added punishment. Alice screamed and collapsed in the dock upon hearing the sentence.

A crowd of around 100, all from the poorest parts of town, gathered at Marlow station to see Alice and accompanying officers of the law leave by train for the jail in Aylesbury after her conviction. It is hard to judge whether this was in support or disapproval of Alice or just from curiosity. Alice was said to have previously lived in Marlow and may have had family here.

Jane Haig continued to live at the house until at least 1888 when her married daughter Helen Frances Warner drowned while swimming with family at Temple.

William Powley once Vice Principal of Durham University lived at Marlow Place until his premature death aged 56 in 1895.

Next came Colonel Clarence Granville Sinclair a young widower who himself died aged just 37 in 1897.

He was followed in residence at Marlow Place by William Niven. Mr Niven was able to buy the house from the Williams family rather than just rent it in 1921. See a photo of his grave here. We will have more on him in the future.

* John Gale retired to Victoria Road Marlow.

Main post researched and written by Charlotte Day. Photos and information about Thomas Young and Admiral Forbes provided by Kathryn. 

Related Posts:

Biography of Alicia Wallop here

Biography of three Victorian Trinidadian pupils at Marlow Place School: here

Additional sources I found useful:

Reading Mercury 29th March 1773 & 12th October 1792, Windsor and Eton Express 31st January 1829, South Bucks Standard 27th November 1896 , Maidenhead Advertiser 14 April 1877, Oxford Journal 11 July 1772, held at the British Library Archive and accessed via the BNA.

Parochial assessment notebooks 1830s, owned by my family. These are being transcribed gradually onto this blog.

1871 census. Transcribed by me. Census information always remains Crown Copyright. 

GRO death index.

Armorial Families. A Directory of Coat Armour, by Arthur Charles Fox Davies published 1910 by T.C and E.C Jack.

Saturday Review of Politics, Literature Science and Art volumes 28-29 published by John W Parker 1870. Accessed via Google Books March 2021.

History of Newbury and Its Environs by Edward William Gray, published by Hall and Marsh 1839.

Country Life volume 49 page 353. And Volume 33 issue 836. 

Dutton and Allen Commercial Directory 1867.

Bentley's Miscellany, Volume 20 : "Shots from an Old Six Pounder". [Richard Bentley 1846]

English Country Houses: Baroque - James Lee-Milnes (Country Life Books, 1960)

 Andrew and Nathaniel Plimer - George Charles Williamson, (G Bells & Son 1903.)

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/029d5a54-d882-43b0-ae1d-9399f135df68

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to reuse this research for family and local history purposes with credit to this blog.

Gravestones in Holy Trinity Church Great Marlow

William Shorter d 1900 and Rebecca Shorter

William Higgins d May 1896 aged 77. Above. Formerly ran barges up to London but had become incompacitated 7 years before his death. He lived at death in Chapel Street with his wife and daughter. 

Mary Jane Langdon, d Sept 6 1906 aged 55,  wife of John Richard Langdon. Also their son Albert, died 23 Feb 1919 age 32, after serving with the Royal Engineers in Gallipoli and France. 

 

Sarah Everest d Aug 12th 1907, age 70. Above. 

James Gibson, d July 3, 1892 at Chapel Str aged ? years,  also Thomas Gibson his brother d Feb 14th 192? Above

Hannah Blizard d June 2nd 1896, age 70. And Mary Ann Blizard, wife of William, d Sept 14th 1910, age 82.  

Both ladies were from Hampshire originally. Hannah was not married, though as a businessman was sometimes referred to with the respectful title "Mrs". She ran a "fancy goods repository" selling largely toys and sweets in West Street. She suffered a horrific death after her clothes caught fire at her West Street home*. After this tragedy her niece Ruth (nee Blizzard but by marriage North) and Ruth's husband James North took over the business. They brought Mary Ann Blizzard, Ruth's widowed mother with them to Marlow. The William referred to on the grave had been dead a long time by then and is buried Hampshire. 

A post focusing on Ruth North née Blizzard is here and see also this post

 

Anthony Hood, d November 26th 1899 age 63 Above

William Mathews Oct 6, 1916 age 84. Also his wife Maria, d. Jan 7th 1911 age 85. Also his only daughter Annie died age 11, Sept 16th 1875. Above

William Maslin July 19 1896 age 38, Above

? Barksfield. D ? May 1909 age 37 Above

Eliza House d 20 April 1900 age 70, Above

Rebecca Salmon July 1st 1897, Above

Eliza Ann Birdseye, d November 20 1904 aged 79?

And husband John Birdseye d Dec 26 1917 age 87, Above

 As above

Above two photos, Aubrey Montague, not dated.  

Edward, dearly beloved husband of Mary Jane Swadling died 15 Oct 19?? Age 38. Above. 

A selection of gravestones, many from this graveyard have been lost in recent years, with some other graves in poor condition as happens with the passage of time. Photographs from September 2020.

* South Bucks Standard 5th June 1896. Copy held at the British Library and accessed online by me October 2020 via the BNA.

©Marlow Ancestors. Reproduction of images permitted with credit and link here.

The Ship, West Street Marlow Landlords and historic timeline

 

Updated by Charlotte Jan 2024.

 We mainly focus on pre 1920 listings but sometimes list later landlords if we come across them during research. 

1792 - Thomas Hussey/ Hussrey 2.Thomas Humphrey

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 (Alt. 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 and legal proceedings. 

Census 1841,1851,1861,1871,1881, 1891

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. 

A Shilling And No More!

 

Jane Trask ran her grocery business on this site by 1814. Above is a photo of a building of a premises on the same spot today but note Jane's former premises were demolished and rebuilt before 1894 so what we see today is not the actual building which she used. At her death in 1816 Jane left her business to her niece and nephew Ann and John Hood. They struggled to make a go of the business and became insolvent in 1817. Later that year Ann married William Mathews who took over running things and made a great success of it. He was also a tea dealer.

He died in 1833 and left all his personal property to his wife Ann for her life then it was to go to their youngest son Thomas. William the elder son in the family had, his father wrote, already had sufficient sums advanced to him in life and thus his father did not feel justified in leaving him more than a token shilling as an inheritance. Ann was the will's executor. 

She carried on the business as a widow. Her son Henry was also listed as a grocer, presumably helping his mother, in 1839.

Son William occupied the other part of their subdivided home. In 1833 William's part was worth £10 a year and Ann's part was worth £14. She was on the right hand side.

In 1834 Ann had two whitewash brushes that she had left hanging on a nail outside her window stolen by Henry Neighbour and William Willis. She could prove that they were hers because her deceased husband had carved a distinctive mark onto them. The men received a sentence of six weeks hard labour. William Willis continued offending and ended up being transported to Australia. Read more about him here.

By 1841 the premises the Mathews had previously used were occupied by the Footitt family Chemists. They themselves moved across the street to different premises in 1860. More about them in a post of their own here.

Researched and written by Charlotte Day.

Sources: 

My transcriptions of the wills of William Mathews, Jane Trask and Robert Colbourne. Both wills held at the National Archives.

1833 parochial assessment. Original handwritten notebooks held by my family and transcribed by me.

1831 Pigots Directory.

1853 Mussons and Cravens Commercial Directory. University of Leicester archive.

Bucks Herald 5th July 1834. Copy held at British Library and accessed by me March 2021 via the BNA.

England Marriages from Familysearch:

(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NNP9-HJN : 11 March 2020), William Matthews, 1817.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use this image or research for family or local history purposes with credit to this blog and a link here do that the sources I list do not lose credit for providing information. Thanks.

Executions And Turnip Rustling- Marlow Bottom Farm

Hold on to your hats- this is complicated!!!

C1767 - Webb family occupy "Marlow Bottom Farm", tenants of the Claytons. 

1813 - "Marlow Bottom Farm" given as 170 acres.

1829- 1832 Richard Webb occupied a farm with this name. Still owned by the Claytons. Wife Mary. Leased the farm and also Burford Farm in Marlow Bottom which had previously been occupied by James Webb, presumed father of Richard, and Thomas Rolls. Also had land elsewhere in Marlow as well as other property, especially in the Dean Street area. Burford was his by lease from 1813. Appointed executor of will of Elizabeth Winter written 1813, proved 1814. He himself died 1832. Photo of his grave here. In 1825 his former employee Edmonds was executed for twice stealing his horse (the same horse, stolen, recovered and stolen again). Richard said Edmund's had been a good employee once and asked he be treated with mercy to no avail. To read the full peculiar story, see Kathryn's post here! In 1830 he was one the local farmers threatened by letter for using mechanization on the farm. He does not seem to have given in to demands to remove his machines or been attacked by the Swing Rioters. For more on the Swing Riots in Marlow see Kathryn's post here. 

1833- The 1833 parish assessment lists "Marlow Bottom Farm" twice, once as owned and occupied by William James Atkinson, and once again as owned by the Clayton's and occupied by David and James Webb. So there are two farms now using the name! See below, and note that the short form "Bottom Farm" can refer to either of them or even to nearby Burford Farm. 

1833- David and James Webb have "Marlow Bottom Farm", the one owned by Clayton that is. It had grown to 256 acres.

1833- William James Atkinson owned and farmed a property designated as "Marlow Bottom Farm" of 305 acres. He continued to live elsewhere in Marlow however. For more on William and his family see here. William eventually, as described below, gave up the majority of his farm Marlow Bottom and let it out to others instead. The farm thereafter is usually given as much smaller as he kept some land back for himself. He may also have let portions of land to tenants other than the main farm occupier. 

1838- 1843 James and David Webb who were brothers, the sons of Richard and Mary Webb above. (Clayton property) In 1841 John Perry and Henry Green were fined for poaching on their land. The Perry family were notorious poachers. For more on them see my post here. In 1842 the two Webbs went bankrupt. Amongst money owed was to the parish for unpaid poor rate taxes. They had to sell off their horses, implements and crops of hay, wheat and turnips but obviously managed to continue at the farm for some while as both were still farming there 1843 and David at least was still at the farm when he died in 1846. Warrants were out for their arrest in 1842 because of the tax issue. At the same time there was a warrant out for David's arrest over an alleged assault of Eliza Frith. I don't know what happened about the latter charge. James and David also occupied Burford Farm Marlow Bottom until ejected by their landlords in 1843. In addition they farm 90 acres at Hill Farm. 

1844-46 David and James Webb (Clayton portion) David died in 1846 while away visiting his brother Alexander. James continued the farm until Michaelmas 1847. 

1848- Crops sold off, barley, wheat, oats from the farm of William James Atkinson "Marlow Bottom Farm". He continued to farm a small amount of land here until his death in 1850 when his property descended to his nephew Benjamin Atkinson who owned the farm until at least 1862. In that year he also owned and let let out Town End farm in Marlow. Benjamin is covered in detail in this post. 

1851- John Miller. Wife Mary. Mary raised the fowls on the farm, two chickens were stolen from her in 1853. I am unsure of whether he was at the Clayton or Atkinson owned "Marlow Bottom Farm".  John gave evidence at a hearing on local political corruption -see here.

1854 - 1860 Mary Miller, by then a widow, left and sold up her crops of barley, clover, peas and chaff as well as her stock of poultry. Ducks were stolen from her that year, as was a sack. For the latter offence Charles Frith was sentenced to a month in jail.;Yep, for stealing a sack. Mary died in Kilburn London in 1865. 

1860-1863 George Wells. He fell out significantly with a Mr Hall who had bought some of Mary Miller's crops which were still on the farm when Wells tried to come in as a tenant. Plus Mary Miller was still in the house and wasn't giving him the keys to his barns. His issues with Hall led to a suit in court, a counter suit for slander and then more suits. George Cannon the bookseller and chemist of Marlow High Street, unfortunate mutual friend of both parties, tried very hard to mediate but was ultimately unsuccessful. No wonder Mr Wells didn't stick around for long. He must have been sick of the sight of that stressful farm! Presumably George was at the Clayton owned farm.

1862- Benjamin Atkinson as owner farmed his "Marlow Bottom Farm" himself for a while but decided to give it up and put it up to let again in 1862. He was a doctor and did not reside at the farm at any point. It took until 1863 to get a new tenant. Benjamin said that he was giving up farming altogether so sold off the stock of both his Marlow Bottom Farm and Town End Farm in 1862. He held the farm until his death however with tenant's running it. Following his death in 1867 his widow Eliza held it. By 1880 she had a bailiff Mr Daniel Goodwin running things for her rather than renting it out to a tenant. He lived on site.

1863-1871 William Spiller. Not sure if he was at the Clayton or Atkinson owned farm but most likely Spiller was a tenant of Atkinson's as his arrival fits with Atkinson's relinquishing agricultural pursuits himself. Spiller's farm was mostly arable. He was fined 20 shillings for beating a boy who worked for him for disobeying him [Reading Mercury 14th July 1866, British Library].  The next year he was fined for employing a boy called Robert Twitchen aged just 10 years old as a carter! All but one of William's hens were stolen from the hen house in 1869. Left once his lease was up.

1870- A "Marlow Bottom Farm" is described as having a newly erected farmhouse and as being a corn and sheep farm. The farm is said to be in some sources 150 acres and in others 318 acres. It's never simple when it comes to tracing the history of the farms there! It would seem there were still two farms and sources were getting confused between them as to acreage.

1871-1880 Joseph Birch. Wife Emma. In 1874 John Todd of Marlow was fined for taking turnip greens from Joseph's field. Joseph went bankrupt in 1878 but seems to have managed to stay at the farm for a while afterwards. He was jailed in 1879 for several months after it was revealed he has attempted to move and conceal some of his property from his creditors. The main creditors were the executors of his late father to whom he owed £500 (perhaps a loan to start up farming?). They had one night forcibly removed much of his farm stock, horses and equipment so they could auction them off, effectively ruining him as a farmer and forcing the bankruptcy. He tried to keep back items such as his wife's piano. As he couldn't pay his rent his household furniture and crop of hay was seized by his unknown landlord. Joseph and Emma left Marlow for Chesham in 1880.

1878 - "Marlow Bottom Farm" for sale - but which one! Described as a "capital sheep and corn farm" with "dry and healthy land". Offered with modern farm house, 5 labourers' cottages and a little over 315 acres.  Same year another "Marlow Bottom Farm" containing 140 acres of land and woodland and a farmhouse is up to let. Told you things were complicated. The farm with 140 acres was put up for sale the next year but only a minor part of the land was sold.

1881 - A "Marlow Bottom Farm" now of only 86 acres was up for sale- arable, pasture and woodland with an orchard and farm house. Vacant possession. Perhaps this was the 140 acre farm which the owner attempted to sale in 1878 minus the little bit of land successfully sold at that time.

1881 in July Mr E.B Curtis entered into the "Marlow Bottom Farm" previously owned by Mrs Atkinson and was still there a year later. He knocked two workers cottagers into one for his farm bailiff to live in. Bailiffs were most often seen at farms where the owner or tenant reduced elsewhere but Mr Curtis did live in Marlow Bottom. He and his farm bailiff Daniel Goodwin couldn't get along and they parted company in under a year. It ended up in a court case in which Curtis was found to have given Goodwin insufficient notice when he fired him. This Goodwin was the same bailiff that had worked on the farm for Mrs Atkinson.

1888- a Mr Chilton at "Marlow Bottom Farm" but which one?

1884 - 1902 Henry White. Originally from Cornwall. Raised chickens, bees and field crops at "Marlow Bottom Farm" but which one?

1903- 1921 William Chappell. His wife offered rooms at the farm to rent to tourists. They seem to have taken over the premises of Henry White. Kept cattle, poultry, pigs. In 1906 their employee John Lovegrove had to have his thumb amputated after his bird scaring gun exploded in his hand. This farm was sold by unknown owner 1921.

1931-34 Mr F.C Mathews, a supporter of the Working Men's College of London. He invited some of the unemployed men training there to a summer holiday camp on the farm in 1933. Apparently gave up resting chickens on the farm in 1931 as he sold off all his stock and equipment. A Great Marlow Parish councillor.

1934 Mr William Ray Coryton of Marlow Bottom Farm had a serious fire in his farmhouse gutting a bedroom, dining room, the stairs and the hall. Two firefighters from Marlow Fire Brigade were injured in the attempt to control the fire. There was no water but a small well with which to fight the flames. Report Bucks Free Press 14th December 1934, Bucks Free Press Archives.

1938- poor boys from London brought here for a camping holiday. Alfred Arnold was the occupier, as he was in 1939 though he was described as a grocer rather a farmer. It is possible that the other former "Marlow Bottom Farm" had become Cranes Poultry Farm which appears at Marlow Bottom on the 1939 Register (Ancestry). Scout groups had held summer camps at the farm regularly for some years.

Farm occupier listings are compiled by me by cross referencing property records, ads, trade journals, censuses, wills, court cases and more.

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