The Spindlo Family Bakers *Updated Nov 2024*

Richard Spindlo and Mary Ann Richardson married in the Henley Registration District in 1870. He was a baker just like his father Thomas and had been born according to his census entries at Knowl Hill Berkshire though he was baptised at Wargrave and spent some of his childhood there. Mary Ann grew up at Grey's Hill outside Henley in Oxfordshire and worked as a servant in Henley before her marriage. Her father William was a sawyer.

Shortly after their marriage Richard and Mary Ann had moved to Marlow and opened a bakery come grocers in Chapel Street. The building they occupied was a then newly built one which sadly no longer exists. The bakehouse was a separate structure out the back complete with a large seven bushel bread oven and a flour storage loft above. The Spindlos were likely the first occupants to use the premises as a bakery as prior to that the property on the site was in residential use only. The family often baked the giant loaves that decorated the tables at the parish Harvest Thanksgiving teas. 

Either Richard found it hard to please himself when it came to horses, ponies, carts and carriages or he had a sideline selling them as he frequently advertised them for sale. He also seems to have occasionally acted as a house agent.

The Spindlo's neighbours were a mix of working class and middle class householders, some shops and several pubs. 

In 1875 Mary Ann looking out of her bedroom window saw her newish neighbour James Harris who had not long since come out of the army in the garden of another neighbour, Eliza Creswell. He was smearing something on her tulips. He then poked about in the radish bed. Mary Ann didn't know whether he was doing something for the Creswells or not and said nothing. But when Mrs Creswell complained that her tulips were dying Mary Ann recalled the incident and told her about it. Mrs Creswell saw red at what she thought was sabotage. She let out a torrent of abuse at James Harris over a two day period. He went to the police saying that he needed protection from her as she had threatened to harm him and had made his little girl cry. The magistrates were not much convinced that he had not been in Mrs Creswell garden but found that she had threatened him. They didn't think he ought to be that afraid however. Both Mary Ann Spindlo and her husband gave evidence in court.

Later that same year Richard advertised for a young man to help out in the bakery part of the business. He must already know how to make dough. A comfortable home and good wages was promised to the successful applicant.

The couple had two children in the 1870s, Charlotte Ellen and Richard John. By the time of the 1881 census they had a live in servant to help in the home, teenager Martha North.

In 1886 Richard was fined along with many of the other Marlow bakers for selling bread to the public without weighing it precisely. His loaf was found by an inspector to be slightly short weighted. This offence was so common it would be a rare baker that did not clock up at least one conviction for such. It is very unlikely there was any intent to defraud customers. It is not easy to make any loaf to an absolute exact ounce in weight. Nor would most customers have wanted to stand waiting while their loaf was weighed and then had bits lopped off or odd slices added until the scales showed an exact weight.

He died aged just 46 following a painful illness the next year. Mary Ann took over the business, assisted by her son. In 1896 she was paying £30 a year rent for the premises (residence and bakers shop) plus £12 extra to rent the outbuildings which included the large bakehouse with flour store mentioned above.

In 1894 her employee William Soley was found to be seriously ill with what looks to our modern eyes as testicular cancer. Mary Ann drove him in her baker's cart to the hospital in Cambridge Road for an emergency operation. Sadly he reacted badly to the chloroform given to him and died. (Read more here)

In 1908 her own son Richard John (b 1878, also a baker, and known as John to distinguish him from his father) died following an unsuccessful operation at St Thomas Hospital London for "an internal complaint". He was just thirty years old. He left a widow Eliza Ellen AKA Ellen or Nellie (nee Harris) just three years married to him. Richard was a frequent singer in local amateur concerts including for the Choral Society and was also a member of the Congregational Chapel choir. Ellen also performed in this way though less often. Richard played in various different positions for Marlow F.C (and before that the Marlow Antelopes and Marlow Rangers), very successfully giving "splendid support" to the team over several seasons. His funeral was a largely attended affair. After a service at the Congregational chapel which was filled to capacity, a procession went to Holy Trinity where the young man was buried. Representatives of Marlow Football club, the chapel choir and the National Deposit Friendly Society of which Richard was also a member, all attended. 

Mary Ann continued to live on the bakery premises but her daughter Charlotte took over the running of the business. She described herself as a baker and confectioner. The grocery side of the concern had been left behind. In the 1910s she was usually given as being in Spittal Street. This was a continuation of Chapel Street. Whether she was actually in different premises however is open to question as Marlow people were extremely sloppy and / or confused when it came to rendering Chapel Street and Spittal Street addresses.

In 1922 she married a Mr Nash.

By 1939 the former Spindlo bakery had been taken over by Maurice Hunt.

Post written and researched by Charlotte. 

Related Posts:

To find other posts about Chapel Street or Spittal Street people see this index.

All mentions of anyone on this blog can be found by consulting the A-Z Person Index on the top drop down menu

Everyday life in old Marlow post index here

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

Sources included:

Kellys Directory 1911 and 1915. Kellys Directories Limited.

GRO marriage registration index.

South Bucks Standard 18th December 1908. Reading Mercury 11th December 1875. Bucks Herald 8th May 1875. British Library Archives via the BNA.

Census 1881, 91,1901 my transcription from microfilm.

Patients Treated At The First Marlow Cottage Hospital

  We have completed several posts about the original Marlow Cottage Hospital in Cambridge Road (1889 -1915), which you can find linked to below.  This one focuses on some of the patients treated there. The hospital was intended to serve Great Marlow, Little Marlow and Bisham but on average a third of patients came from places such as Lane End and Wooburn. Over half were children. The number of inpatients is hugely dwarfed by the outpatients who attended the hospital for more minor care, and also those in ill health that the nurses visited in their homes. 

Operations were performed at the hospital which had it's own operating theatre. The visiting surgeons (Dr John Dunbar Dickson and Dr Robert Culhane) were responsible for these but the day to day care was down to the Matrons - Nurse Mary Ann Cassidy in the first year, and Mary Anne Cole thereafter, sometimes assisted by a second paid nurse, probationer or servant. The most common operations were relatively simple - the removal of tonsils and adenoids in children for example. But some were more complicated. I've chosen to feature the unsuccessful 1894 operation on William Soley because the inquest gave really interesting details of the attempts made to revive him. Most operations did not end so badly however! 

William was a journeyman baker working for Mrs Spindlo in Chapel Street. He had a tumour in his groin and it was decided it must be removed quickly. He was reluctant to be operated on but was persuaded by the doctors that it was really necessary. As a working man he naturally had to consider carefully before committing to anything that would result in an unpaid period of time off work. Mrs Spindlo provided her cart to carry him to the hospital. He had previously undergone several examinations and it was determined that his heart and lungs were healthy enough to endure the operation. This was due to take place the following day. It would be performed by Dr Culhane, assisted by Dr Dickson, and attended by Matron Mary Cole. Chloroform was the anaesthetic available to them. Unfortunately within two minutes of it being administered and before any cuts were made, William stopped breathing and suffered a cardiac arrest. To revive him they tried not only artificial respiration, but also hitting William with wet towels, putting mustard on his chest, applying ammonia to his nostrils and cold water to his face. Sadly nothing worked. William died on the operating table. It was decided he had suffered an unpredictable reaction to the chloroform, which caused or accelerated a heart problem. The coroner's jury donated their fees to poor widow Eliza. 

Most of the adult male patients seem to have suffered work based injuries.  I will give two examples. 

Ellis Harvey, aged 56, was working on Dial Cottage in 1890. He was a bricklayer and was engaged on doing some exterior repairs. He fell from 18-20ft high scaffolding and suffered serious spinal injuries. A cart was requisitioned to take him straight to the Cottage Hospital. His injuries were beyond the repair of the doctors, and Nurse Cole could only do her best to make him more comfortable in the last days of his life. He died less than two weeks later. As before, the jury at the inquest into his death gave up their fees, this time donating them to the Hospital itself. It was believed he had suffered from a giddy spell, as the scaffolding was examined and was considered safe. (He was working for Mr Pierce of High Wycombe)

The second case is that of Amos Newell age 25. In 1893 he was working for his uncle Emmanuel Plumridge, who leased part of Star Meadow (off Wycombe Rd) from Mrs Atkinson of The Rookery. What Emmanuel was interested in was the large walnut trees there. They were the sort of crop that has bought a surprisingly large number of Marlow men and women to grief. More valuable relatively than now, a large number of people had convictions for stealing walnuts from Marlow trees, and those in Star Meadow were a hot target. (Trees at Little Marlow were also plagued by nut rustlers!) Emmanuel had been given the right to also collect the nuts when he hired the field. So his nephew Amos and another man were sent to harvest the crop. Amos did not work exclusively for his uncle whose main job was as a  highways and cartage contractor.  Amos is described as a farm labourer at his death. In the effort to reach more nuts, Amos clambered up the tree as he always did. He would stand on a bough and shake the branches with the other man remaining below. Unfortunately Amos misjudged his foothold and the bough he stood on broke off, and he plummeted to the ground. He was taken immediately to the hospital but died shortly afterwards. Another case involving a walnut tree was that of William Beaver, hawker, of Primrose Lea. If it was hazardous to knock the nuts down sober it was much worse to attempt it while "in drink" and unfortunately that's what William did in 1899. He fell 40ft from the tree, at Frieth. At first it seemed a miraculous escape from serious injury. His fall had been broken by lower branches to some degree and he had no broken bones but he did have 2 cuts on his head. He was taken by cart back to Marlow to have his wounds seen to at the Cottage Hospital. On the way there his wife Martha*, from who he was seperated, was informed of the accident and saw him briefly. She said she remarked it was not wise to pick walnuts when the worse for drink and sent the cart on it's way, not thinking him seriously injured. Dr John Dunbar Dickson saw to his head and sent William home. But the "friends" that he lived with would not recieve him and so he was returned to the hospital and admitted. He complained of a headache after 2 days, but his condition took a sudden dramatic turn for the worse on the forth day. He had became agitated and violent towards the nurse the night before, and the doctor said he was forced to put William in a straightjacket to protect the staff. Dr Dickson said William had begun to suffer from severe delirum tremens which had been aggrivated by his fall, and sadly William died "raving mad" a few hours later. 

 

Alcohol also played a part in the horrifying accident suffered by Lower Assendon bricklayer Phillip Joseph Joiner, who was working at Bourne End. Phillip was "worse for wear" and waiting to cross at the level crossing near Bourne End station. But a goods train was pulled up there and rather than wait for it pass, Phillip decided to crawl under the train through to the other side. Another man waiting at the crossing warned him to wait, but Phillip was determined. Sadly the train moved while he was on his way underneath and his legs were severely injured. He was taken to the Cottage Hospital quickly and both legs were amputated. He did not survive. He was 29.  

These cases might be depressing, so I'll end with an example of one that seemed very serious but had a happy ending. A "Master White" aged between 10-12 years old, fell out of a moving train between Bourne End and Marlow in 1892. He was travelling back to Marlow alone. It seems he had been leaning out of the window, when his cap fell off. In trying to make a snatch for it, he over reached and fell from the train. This is partial guess work from those at the the time as no one travelling on the train saw exactly what happened. Very luckily for the boy, someone in the fields adjacent to the rail line did see him fall. They ran to the spot and initially feared the worst as the boy was unresponsive and covered in blood due to some nasty head wounds. But he came round, and was carried to the Hospital. He was found to have a lot of cuts, and was naturally badly shaken. But under Nurse Cole's expert care, he was expected to make a full recovery. 

The times the staff could not save their patients always makes more of a ripple than those occasions where the sick make a quick recovery. The staff there saved hundreds of lives and lots of Marlow people would not be alive today if their ancestors had not spent time at the Marlow Cottage Hospital. 

*Martha Beaver had successfully applied for a seperation order from her husband in 1898 after he had assaulted her with a penknife while drunk. He was sentenced to 2 months in prison with hard labour and on release was made to pay a weekly sum for the maintenance of his wife and the three youngest of their six children then living at home. 

For more about the hospital see the following posts:

Matron Mary Ann Cole here

Matron Mary Ann Cassidy and the setting up of the forerunners to the Hospital here

Apothecaries and patent medicine sellers here

List of medical related posts here

The Romantic troubles of Dr Culhane here

Death by fire here

More on the Spindlo's here

Others are on the General History option in the top drop down menu. 

To find every mention of your ancestor here use the A-Z Person Index in the top drop down menu. 

See:

South Bucks Standard 16 September 1892, 03 August 1894. 

©Marlow Ancestors

 

The Wheelwrights Arms list of landlords *updated May 2026*

UPDATED by  Kathryn June 2025

THE WHEELWRIGHTS ARMS AKA THE WHEELERS (Usual address Spittal Street)

Wheelwrights Arms, above as the building is today. Central chimney gone, upper windows shrunk and lower half obviously changed significantly. The pub name was at one time painted on the upper centre of the building, with Fullers brewery name below. 

1833 - Stephen East.

1839 - St. East.

1840 - Stephen East.

1844 - Robert Rockell (possibly the same Robert as at the nearby Prince Albert in 1841)

1852 "Crown Lane" suggesting at this point an entrance, perhaps even the main entrance, was on the side there.

1853 - Robert Rockell (also offers cartage and lodgings).

1861 - Robert Rockell (also a carter).

1864 - Robert Rockell.

1866 - Robert Rockall summoned for having his beerhouse open at an ilegal hour. He was serving customers at 4.30 am instead of the permitted 5am. This might seems ridiculously early but agricultural labourers were often required to be at work by 5am, or even earlier in the summer. He was fined 10 shillings.

1871- Robert Rockell (also carrier).

1872 - Robert Rockall.

1875 - Robert Rockell died, and son James took over. James defined himself as a carriage maker in 1871 when he was living at the Wheelers with his dad. 

1878 - James Rockell transferred business to James Tilbury (moved from George and Dragon).

1880 - Proposed transfer to William Lloyd refused. James Tilbury transferred licence instead to Charles Freegard.

1881 - James Freegard (born Wiltshire) .

1885 - James Freegard transferred business to James Arlett / Harlett.

1890 - Henry Ecklin passed the premises to John Henry Drewe / Dewe [probably should say John Henry Jeffs]. The pub got its swing sign board this year - useful for dating photos, although it disappears again in later Edwardian images. 

1891 - John Henry Jeffs passed it to Jesse Parsons. Jeffs was born in 1837 Warwickshire according to the census. His wife Lucy died in 1891 after a long battle with consumption which probably sparked him into wanting to leave the premises. Also in 1891 Jesse was burgled and cigars and cigarettes stolen from him. To read the sad circumstances of Lucy's death, read the post here. 

1892 - Jesse Parsons transferred licence to George Rogers / Rodgers. George was Sergeant in East Surrey Regiment. Jesse went to take over the Sportsman's Arms Inn in North Dean, Hughenden, Bucks.

1893 - George Rogers/Rodgers. 

1894 - "Mr Roger's Widow" [Ann]. George was buried at Holy Trinity Church but we have been unable to locate any surviving gravestone. Some members of his old Surrey regiment attend the funeral. He was only 47. 

 

1895 - Ann Rogers transferred premises to Edward Sims. Possibly a Frank Rogers might have been given a holdover in between times (conflicting evidence).

1896 - James William Rowe. 2. William Richard Rose.

1897 -  W R Rose 2. John Reading.

1898 - John Bradley.

1899 - John Bradley transferred premises to Charles Brown. John wad forced to leave as his licence had been endorsed for second time related to unruly conduct at the Wheelers. On the second occasion, it was for allowing "quarrelsome conduct" in the taproom, specifically a foul mouthed arguement between Mr & Mrs Anson that could be heard from some distance outside. When P C Marks entered the pub he also found two men drunk in there which was another black mark. The worst affected of these two drinkers, Charles Slade of Trinity Rd, was separately fined for his conduct. 

1899 - 1904 Charles Brown. Born circa 1860 in Nuffield Oxon according to the census. Wife Jane.

1907 - C Smith.

1908- structural alterations to the premises allowed.

1909 - Mr Smith. He organised a Christmas Day football match to raise money for the Cottage Hospital.

1910 - Arthur E Smith 2. Richard Lane.

1911 - Richard Lane transferred licence to George Branch.

1913- George Branch transferred licence to Wesley Hodge.

1914 Wesley Hodge transferred licence to Arthur Strange (holdover).

1915 - Arthur Strange 2. Wesley Hodge temporarily back again??

1916 - Arthur Strange transferred licence to William King of Greys, Essex.

1917 - William King to William Roberts.

1917-27 William Roberts. In 1921 he decided to sell the pub's coin-operated automatic piano. Penny a time, and it will pay you one of 10 tunes. Either he couldn't sell it or he replaced it with another model as when the pub closed in 1928 it still had an automatic piano.

1927 - Messrs Nicholson's and sons owned pub. Licenced transferred to Richard J T Marsh a retired timekeeper of Marlow Bottom.

1928 order for closure under scheme to limit the number of licenced premises in a given area. Richard J T Marsh landlord of the time (Richard James Thomas). The representative of the local J.Ps who nominate it for closure said it was a "small, rather dark and the conditions are rather poor." Sells 1&1/2 barrells of beer a week (compared to for example 5&1/2 barrells at the Bank of England in the same year). Richard said that that provides enough income for him as he receives a pension to supplement his earnings.  He had only taken in the premises that year.

To find all pub content, see the Pub Related index here. Non pub Spittal Street content is indexed here. To find all mentions of an individual see the A-Z person option on the menu. Happy hunting! 

SOURCES included

1833 Parochial Assessment working notebooks and correspondence owned by my family.

1853 Mussons and Cravens Commercial Directory

Pigots Directory 1844

Kelly's Post Office Directory -

1869,1877,1883, 1903.

Census - 1861,1871,1881,1891 

 Robson's Directory 1839

 Windsor and Eton Express, Apr 10 1875, held at British Library Archive and accessed via the BNA. 

Bucks Herald 10 Jan 1874, 26 December 1874, 18 June 1887, as above.  

Reading Mercury 19 Sept 1874, as above

South Bucks Standard, 06 January 1893, 08 Nov 1895, 2 July 1897,  19 May & 22 Sept 1899, 2nd October 1902, as above

Bucks Free Press 24th November 1911 and August 14th 1914  Bucks Free Press Archives.

1872 list of pubs and the breweries that owned them, held at Buckinghamshire County Council Archives. 

Numerous ads, licence session reports etc.

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

The Many Lives Of Riley Recreation Ground, Marlow

Riley Recreation ground has had a very colourful life. Now a park, it has spent much of its life under the ownership of the (Upper) Crown Inn/Hotel hence it's old name of Crown Meadow, or further back, Crown Close or the Crown Enclosure. Two of it's old uses are well known - a place for the horses to graze that pulled the fire engine (although other fields were also used) and as the first home for the Victorian Marlow FC. This post is mainly about some of the other events that have taken place there. It was bigger originally, and had more of a pronounced slope up to the Cambridge Road end, hence why football match reports refer to one team as having the disadvantage of having to kick uphill towards their goal, or the "Marefield Goal". 

It was sometimes the venue for early cricket matches, including one in the 1840's between teams rustled up by two rival gentleman to settle a wager. Another similar event on "Alms House Close" may be referring to the Crown Close too, but may also be related to a meadow elsewhere off Oxford Road, or Cambridge Road. A close in those days refers to an enclosed piece of land. It is no wonder the flatter Alder Meadow became the venue of choice in general. 

The meadow had it's most colourful appearance during the October Marlow Fair. It housed the horse drawn caravans and wagons belonging to the menageries hosting performances in Quoiting Square, and overspilling into Oxford Road and West Street (See note below). Lions, bears and elephants were all bought to perform in this cramped venue so it's no wonder that the menageries latter moved their marquees into the Crown Meadow itself. During the first day of the fair, the meadow saw the sale of cattle, pigs and sheep, before going over entirely to pleasure use on day two. You could find all kinds of steam organs, steam powered roundabouts and side shows there, as well as throughout the town centre. When the Fair as a street based concern was cancelled after 1903, the rides and sideshows continued to come to the meadow for what was left of the Fair, with others going to Star Meadow, off Wycombe Road. They continued here until the eve of the first world war. But the site was the home to roundabouts, menageries and travelling theatres outside of fair time for well over 100 years. Some of the attractions were of the "one night only" kind, others stayed quite literally months, slotted in outside of the football clubs playing area - mostly. Beaches Roundabouts were for example a frequent visitor around the end of the 19th century and into the 20th. 

Sadly, one showman died on Crown Meadow in 1893. Henry John Hall of Uxbridge was a circus and swing boat proprietor who had attended Marlow Fair for many years. On the year of his death, he was exhibiting in the meadow a month before the Fair. Normally regarded as being in good health, he was found unconscious on the floor of his caravan soon after returning from a short visit to the Red Lion. He was dead before Dr Dunbar Dickson arrived. Just 55 years old, he left a wife and a stunned fair community. 

The travelling theatres - mostly putting on shows of the comedic or sensationalist kind - were a feature of early fairs in particular but continued to visit well into the Edwardian period. Unfortunately for the theatre proprietors, the powers that be became stricter on the sort of wood and canvas structures thrown up as a venue, and some got slapped with fines for failing to erect a sufficiently safe, sanitary and sturdy structure. Mr Kings "People's Empire" was one such allegedly irregular construction in 1906. Those that passed muster sometimes stayed for an entire season, such as the Electric theatre that set up in Crown Meadow in July 1909. 

In 1893 the meadow saw a Grand Olympian Fete. The Olympics had yet to be resurrected so this was an event loosely inspired by the ancient games. There were athletic races, which cost a small fee to enter but gave the chance of winning a cash prize in turn. And side attractions included a brass band and a circus with trapeze artists, high wire acts and acrobats. After the sports came dancing, with refreshments provided by Mr Cole of the Crown. The day ended with a "grand illumination of coloured fires"  and a few fireworks at dusk. However those paying their entry fee to the privately organised event were allegedly left very disappointed as some of the advertised entertainers did not turn up. And the high wire artist had to cut short their act when the improperly constructed wire began to sag! The improvised stage was also rough and its security was doubted. One artiste who did attend was a man who kept his balance while running on top of a giant revolving globe, juggling various knives and balls. 

Lord Sangers Circus and Hippodrome was one outfit to set up here for a one night show on several occasions. It paraded through the town at mid day - complete with elephants -  before setting up a large marquee and canvas stabling in the meadow. Sangers were never one to modestly announce their arrival. The 1895 Marlow show was described by them as something to "eclipse anything of its kind that has ever been submitted to any nation in the world."  The display was of a "brilliant character" according to the local press and fully attended. There were two performances, one afternoon, one evening. There had been a minor scare when a circus caravan lost a wheel near the bridge but no one was hurt. Let's hope they didn't bring those poor hefty elephants over the delicate bridge itself! Other circuses to use the future Riley Park as their home include Fossett and Sons in 1901. 

A "Water Carnival" hosted in the meadow as part of a circus in 1894 resulted in a court summons for Oxford Lane resident Mr Bowles. He had been in the habit for some years past of allowing the circus and roundabout proprietors to take water from his house in order to tend to their horses and operate the rides. They came to his door with a water cart and filled up. But the number of gallons needed for a water carnival on the land locked site (exact details of what this involved are sadly sketchy) caught the attention of the Marlow Water Company Engineer John Soley. He saw the circus taking a water cart to Mr Bowles' home. While it seems they may have turned something of a blind eye usually, they could not on this occasion. The matter ended up in court as the Marlow Water Company said it was not permitted to re-sell or give to others the companies water piped to a domestic address. The supply was not on a meter then. However the company could not prove Mr Bowles had accepted any money for the water and what's more the magistrates said they did not think it was generally known it was against the rules to share your water supply. It seems the magistrates were certainly unaware of the restriction so could not expect an average householder to know so Mr Bowles was let off without any fine. Mrs Bowles was the one who came to court.

The shows and attractions sometimes caused an annoyance to the staff and patients at the Cottage Hospital in it's original position at Cambridge House, Cambridge Road. At the time, medical advice was often that patients should avoid any kind of over stimulation or noise, to the point of removing pictures from the sick room walls, and laying material on the road outside an afflicted persons home to deaden the sound of horses hooves. So the sound of a circus or fairground organ in the neighbourhood was genuinely regarded as potentially dangerous if too frequent. It's interesting to note that when the hospital moved to the Glade Road / Victoria Road site, it's relative quietness was considered a strong advantage. Cambridge Road saw more and more traffic all the time it was said. Those who were in favour of the hospital staying there, argued that although match days could be noisy, the loud organs and show booths no longer attended the meadow with such regularity as before. Mr Wethered thought this was because the children were now mad on visiting moving picture shows and traditional fairground type attractions were no longer so exciting to them. 

Such rides and booths were unlikely to get permission to set up when Edward Riley bought the meadow and the accompanying Crown Hotel in 1914. He donated it to the town, vesting it in some trustees which included himself. He intended the Hotel to continue and that it would provide an income to provide for the maintenance of the new recreation ground, in addition to other money left for that purpose. Unfortunately Edward died in September 1914 before the park opened, and it was decided to sell the Crown itself. (You can read more about Edward Riley here) The war, and the difficulty of selling the hotel meant the opening of the Meadow as Riley Recreation Ground was delayed until 1921. Marlow Urban District Council chairman Mr H Buckingham did the honours in front of a large crowd. It was not laid out as intended, but at last it was available for public use. The losers were Marlow FC who were told when Riley bought the meadow that they would not be allowed to continue playing there much longer. They eventually moved to Star Meadow of course, after playing some games in Porter's meadow by the train station. The loss of the "Crown Ground" made things harder still for Marlow's other more minor footie teams who had also played on the site, as well as on Star Meadow. The likes of Marlow Star, the Ramblers and Rangers now all had to compete for space on one main site along with hockey teams. The clubs large iron and wood grandstand, purchased from Hampshire Cricket Club/St Mary's FC, remained on the Crown ground after the meadows sale. It was presumably their intention to move it to a new permanent home when that was found, as it had after all already been dismantled to come long distance to Marlow in the first place. But as the regular football came to a halt in the First World War, and the new park was not yet ready to open, the stand stayed put until 1918, when it was sold for three times what the supporters syndicate had paid for it, as iron was now relatively scarce. The sale happened because the club could not at that time see when football would be restarted again on any sort of scale. It was purchased by a local builder and some of the profits invested in National War Bonds. During the First World War the Crown Ground was used by teams from the locally stationed armed forces playing in the military leagues. 

The residents of Cambridge and Crown Roads may not have been sorry to see the football go. It was a frequent cause of complaint that when Marlow played at home, men would obstruct the two roads by parking their vehicles in the highway there and standing on the carts etc hoping to get a free view of the action. Mr Hillsden was one Marlow man caught by PC Atkinson in 1899 doing just that, along with a number of out of town football fans. Others had departed too quickly for the constable to collar. In 1896 a creative group of men were summoned for blocking Cambridge Rd with ladders leant against the perimeter of the ground, to provide them with a birdseye view of the match. They were let off as they all said they didn't know that they were doing anything wrong and had immediately departed once spoken to. ( James Dormer, Daniel Clark, Frederick and William Price, James Edwards, William and James Tubb, Albert Toovey, and for standing on a parked cart, Nicholas White.) When Marlow moved to Star Meadow, such action would be unnecessary as the site was barely enclosed and anyone could get a good view of the match from the surrounding area! It was said that if Marlow hoped to gain any profits from match attendance in the future they would have to erect a canvas wall around the meadow to screen the match play from curious eyes. Visibility of a different kind was sometimes a problem at the Crown Ground. It's amazing how many matches are said to have been played in conditions of thick fog. "Good play was almost impossible" as one match report from 1890 had it, relating to a match played by the Marlow Ramblers on the ground Aka the Wednesday Ramblers. Matches could also be shortened for other reasons - such as the visiting team needing to catch an early train home in December 1888. On that occasion they just stopped playing after an hour. 

This post has only covered a few of the many many events held at the now Riley Recreation Ground. It had a role to play in Coronation and Jubilee Celebrations too which feature in their own posts. And it was a gathering place to start parades and marches, a venue for amateur athletic meets and Borlase school sports, it hosted agricultural shows...the list goes on. And all this before it became a public park. Marlow should say thank you not just to Riley for his gift, but the various proprietors of the Crown Inn and Hotel for allowing the use of the meadow for so many events, sometimes free of charge. 

Notes:

Some of the menageries known to have visited Crown Meadow specifically both in and out of fair time include: Edmonds Menagerie in the 1880's, Anderton and Haslam's show and menagerie in the 1890's, Wombwells/Bostock & Wombwells under various owners from the 1840's into the 20thc and so on. 

For information on a raid on circus workers performing on Crown Meadow during the First World War see this post here

And info on Captain Marshall's Marlow Menagerie here

SOURCES

Copies of the South Bucks Standard, Maidenhead Advertiser, Reading Mercury, Bucks Herald, Middlesex and Surrey Express, Buckingham Advertiser and Free Press, and Henley Advertiser held at the British Library, and newspaper cuttings supplied by Jane Pullinger. 

Evening Dispatch 08 January 1918, accessed via the BNA. 

Looking towards Cambridge Road

 Looking towards Oxford Rd

For more on Marlow Fair see the post here

And for a general history of The Crown - here

Higginson park early history - here

Written and researched by Kathryn Day. 

© Marlow Ancestors

Marlow Hero No 3 Matron Mary Cole

 

 Marlow Cottage Hospital was originally in Cambridge Road. In 1890 the nurse matron was Mary Anne Cole, born in London 1857-61 depending on which census you believe. Her gravestone however says she was 83 on her death in 1937! The nurse most involved with setting up the hospital in the first place was Nurse Cassidy, (Cassaidy) very much a Marlow Hero in her own right and subject of a later biography on this blog. (Find it here) She had also come from Reading Hospital, like Mary. 

The Marlow hospital generally had between 2 and 6 patients staying there at any one time (with children much over represented). Mary had a live in maidservant to help with domestic tasks like preparing the patient's food and a visiting charwoman. On the 1901 census there was another nurse too but later records show none, at least not as a round the clock presence. In 1904 the assistant nurse was a probationer and only went out on visits if with Mary. Trained assistants came and went, but Mary stayed put. 

Half a dozen patients may not seem like much trouble for an experienced nurse but Mary's job was much more onerous that it seems. As well as inpatients there was day patients who came to have wounds dressed and as many as 100 outpatients with ongoing cases at any one time which Mary was expected to visit at home.

Each week one of the local surgeons was the duty doctor (surgeons being the main doctors the public consulted even if they were not a surgical case. Standard physicians were not that common) but though they attended the patients as needed they were not actually physically on the premises most of the time. 

When surgery was necessary, Mary assisted in the preparations for it. In 1894 a young man, William Soley, had what appeared to be a reaction to anaesthetic during an operation for testicular cancer and died. Mary gave evidence in the subsequent inquest which found the surgeons were not to blame.

Each week one of the local wealthy ladies was the official hospital visitor who would come to talk to and distract the patients. The same sort of women were frequent donors of food and necessaries for those patients. Mary put out appeals in the local press and grapevine when a patient would benefit from a particular food or item. She organised Christmas presents for all the children in the hospital and often a Christmas tree too. 

Money was always an issue for a subscriber funded hospital. There were collection boxes at the hospital but as most of the patients were poor there was not necessarily much in them.

Only through the extraordinary efforts of Mary above all, but also the other staff  performing individually the jobs of several people, did the hospital manage (usually) to stay out of debt and in operation.

In 1913, as a thank you for her efforts and the much greater sum she had  saved them, the subscribers voted to give Nurse Cole a honorarium of £10 on top of her usual salary. This gift was often repeated. 

Back in 1909 subscribers had already  acknowledged that she was risking her own health by continual overwork. Several probationer nurses employed at different times to assist her quit in a matter of months, partially due to the stress and burden of their much easier roles.  

One of the key problems for Mary was that the hospital building had such steep stairs to run up and down all day.

The laundry and food preparation areas were not fit for purpose either, and there was only one bed that could be used as an isolation bed for those with a contagious disease.

The popularity of holding events in nearby Crown Meadow caused unwelcome noise disturbance for patients whose lives hung in jeopardy, medical staff said.

If you are wondering why anyone would build so unsuitable a hospital the answer is that they didn't. It was built as a pub and was in use as a domestic dwelling before the hospital took over occupation. At the time the hospital was started, that property was what was on offer. You take what you can get sometimes!

The 1895 extension of an operating theatre and additional ward had improved patient experience but done little to improve the difficult working conditions for the staff as described above.

The hospital's subscribers must have known how lucky they were to have such a dedicated woman as Mary in charge.

Nevertheless things couldn't continue as they were. It was understood a new more spacious, better designed and better staffed hospital was needed. Unfortunately like most Marlow building projects it was not straightforward and beset by disagreements. After a site was found hopes were high but delays set in and it was thought unlikely there would be a new hospital after all. The medical staff had had enough. No new hospital, they said, then no medical staff for your old one because we can't do it any more.

The new hospital went ahead.

Mary deservedly retired in 1915, hopefully feeling that the hospital patients were going to be in safe hands. She may have been suffering from ill health already however. The reports from the hospital's AGMs in the succeeding years several times included a recording of sympathy for Nurse Cole in a period of ill health. In 1925 the hospital committee voted that in view of her "present circumstances and bad health", an allowance of up to 5s a week should be made to their devoted ex employee. They also decided to defray the cost of any dressings or "medical comforts" that Mary may need. See below for Mary's grave. 

 You can read about the forerunners to the hospital and the first Matron Mary Ann Cassidy here

  And a detailed post about life in the hospital under Matron Cole  here and some of the patients treated there here

More about the Cottage Hospital and the move to Glade Rd site  here 

Biography of hospital doctor Dr John Dunbar Dickson here

Other medical related posts:

Call the Apothecary here

Benjamin Atkinson, surgeon here

Midwife Sarah Price here

Mary's grave in Marlow Cemetery. She died December 25th 1937 age 83. 

Look at Biographies Of Individuals on the menu for more posts like this.

See:

South Bucks Standard 9th June 1913, 25th June 1909. Copies at the British Library, accessible via the BNA. Accessed August 2020.

Bucks Free Press 27th March 1925 

Marlow Cottage Hospital annual reports from 1900-25. 

Census 1901 FamilySearch International, Intellectual Reserve, from the LDS. Accessed July 2019.

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Thanks to Jane Pullinger for additional information from her family and for census transcripts 1881 & 91. 

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©Marlow Ancestors. 

Last Orders! Spittal and Chapel Street Landlord listings

UPDATED APRIL 2026 BY CHARLOTTE

Premises with an address in one of these two street are frequently referred to being in one or the other street alternately. They run into each other and the boundary was obviously more fluid than today. Occasional mentions are to Spittal Street by the name of St Thomas Street, referring to the medieval hospital that gave it's name to the area. Buildings in Chapel Street furthest from the town may be referred to as being in Chapel End, or less often Town End. Those at the junction of the two roads were technically in Spittal Square, previously known as the Common Slough. Confused yet? If the premises you are interested in isn't here, it will most likely have its own post eg The Greyhound, and two White Hart pubs . For a full list of old licensed premises, take a look at this long list on the blog here

Other pub content can be found under the Pub Related menu option in the top drop down menu. 

BLACK HORSE, Chapel Street

Given as Spittal Street nearly half the time. Also a common lodging house in both incarnations. Note: there was also a Black Horse in the parish of Little Marlow. 

1833 - William Higgins

In second incarnation:

1881 --1. Henry Rowe  (See also Bricklayer's Arms and The Bear, below) 2.George White. Age 31, wife Annie.

1882- George White 2. ( James?) David Cox

1883 - James Plumridge?

1884 - 93 James David Cox and his wife. In 1892 James refused to take some chickens in payment of beer after rightly suspecting that they were stolen.

1893 - James David Cox to William George Yates

1897 - W G Yates to A H Wright (holdover, Albert H Wright) 

1898 -A H Wright to Mr Gurney (holdover again). 2.  Alfred Sarney (see also the Carrier's Arms)

1899 - 1. Alfred Sarney 2. James Burton Shaw. In this year the Marlow Urban District Council, based upon the recommendation of the medical officer, decided that part of the premises should be registered as a common lodging house for men only. Certain alterations would be necessary to bring it to the required standards, and the owner of the premises signalled a willingness to follow through with this plan. It was indeed so registered. 

1900 -1. James Burton Shaw. 2. George Lewis. In this year the Horse got mains water for the first time. It had previously relied on a well which was considered to leave something to be desired. 

Above, the Black Horse occupied the premises that house Chic Hair in this image. 

1902 - The councils sanitary inspector reported that the condition of the premises was "much improved"

1903 2. George Lewis. 2. Thomas Lewis? proposed transfer to Joseph Ball. 

1905 -28 Thomas Blewitt took on the licence in 1905. He would be the last landlord. In 1915 Mrs Thomas Blewitt  (Emma) was mentioned as the landlady, perhaps because her husband was involved in the war though he would have been in his 50s. Thomas still kept a lodging house going in these premises after they ceased to be a pub. It was a small place at this time with no bar in its last days as a pub. Nevertheless at that time it sold 3 barrels of beer a week, which was comparable to many of the larger premises. Closed as a pub (but not lodging house) December 31st 1928 as it's  licence renewal was refused under powers to limit the number of licensed premises in an area. 

RISING SUN (Be aware of the Sun / Old Sun in Lane End too, some of the same surnames for publicans appear at both because they are common local names). Had stabling. 

1833 - Thomas Stroud "Rising Sun Public house" Common Slough (Spittal Square). Later references to the Rising Sun invariably refer to it's location as Chapel Street. The pub maybe didn't  therefore remained continuously in the same spot. 

1842 - Henry Stroud. Fined this year for selling beer before 1pm on Sunday - pubs were supposed to be closed to encourage people to go to divine service instead. Fined 40s plus 10s costs, a large amount. Henry's brother Thomas thought that the Rising Sun was a "disorderly house" causing a local nuisance and came to the trial to make a complaint about his brother's conduct. But the magistrates refused to hear a complaint made in this spontaneous way. Thomas would have to make a complaint using the proper process they said. We have found no record that he did so. Henry was "dobbed in" about the sale of alcohol during prohibited Sunday hours by William Crouch Snr. William lived in Spittal Street and had been a publican himself in the past. The buyer of the offending quarter pint - a little girl! It was not her age that made the act illegal, she was one of many children sent out to fetch alcohol for their parents every day.

1843 - Henry Stroud "The Sun beer shop" Henry Stroud, beer seller is listed Dean Street 1844 so he looks to have soon moved.

1852 - Charles Haines? [Charles Haines is at the nearby The Bear in 1851]

1859- George Haines "The Sun" ? See Lane End listings.  

1871 - Elizabeth Haines ?

1872 - "the Old Sun" Elizabeth Haines

1881 - John Soley. Wife Mary. See also Travellers Rest below. 

1889 - John Soley. 2. William Lunnon

1890 - 1. William Lunnon. 2. Thomas Plumridge (one source says George Plumridge) 

1891 - Thomas Plumridge (also bricklayer)

1892 - Thomas Plumridge left.

Alfred Higgins got a holdover for the premises then Thomas (?, possibly William) Willis in 1893.

1895 - Willis left. David (Davis?) Collins applied for a hold -over licence, which he was granted but he was refused a permanent licence. Then Edward Gould / Gold was granted a temporary holdover but it was an Arthur Bright who eventually landed the proper licence. Edward Gould said that the premises didn't meet his requirements anyway and he wanted to leave to "better himself". 

1896 - Arthur Bright transferred premises to Joseph Mallett.

1897 - Joseph Mallett gave way temporarily to William Lyons Furlong but a proposal that this hold over would be made permanent was refused. In the end John Baxter was granted the licence instead.

1898 - John Baxter. John was told in December that he needed to register the premises as a common lodging house as it was being used as such.

1899 - John Baxter transferred premises to William A Grant. Premises up for sale, after 2 years of wrangling in chancery to settle who should inherit the property, as its former owner Miss Rebecca Pim of Amersham had died. It was purchased for £625 by Mr George Weller.  Alterations were to be done to meet the minimum standards necessary for any premises to be used as a common lodging house. The new owners gave up the alcohol licence for the premises in 1900.

It looks like the former Rising operated as a lodging house in Edwardian times though not under that name.

THE CARPENTERS ARMS

Usual address was given as Spittal Street, and recently renamed The Butcher's Tap after a spell as O'Donoghues. 

Pub existed on this site 1830. Formerly bore a sign suggesting it had been established 1758 - which may well be correct. 

1841- 1843 - James Cooper, also a carpenter. Age 50 on 1841 census. 

1843- William Bavin - came from The Two Brewers (see), taking over from James Cooper. Previously a chair maker. Temporary name change that year to The Traveler's Rest when outgoing landlord James Cooper took the Carpenters sign with him and William Bavin thought that Cooper meant to use it as the name for the pub he was moving to (next door!). As it happened James stuck with the existing name, the Prince Albert, for his new premises leaving James free to use the Carpenter's Arms name after all.  

1869 - John Larkin. Also a carpenter. Wife Eliza. Carpenters tended to take on this beer house as it was equipped with a large workshop and saw pit to the rear thanks to its long association with this occupation. It also had the usual stabling there- for six horses.

1870- six sevenths of the pub sold! At the time John Larkin was paying £40 a year rent. The Wethered brewing family of Marlow who already owned one seventh of the pub bought the rest to become full owners.

1871 - 1. John Larkin (went to Fox and Pheasant, Dean Street). 2. Thomas Billingshurst.

1872 - Thomas Billing(s)hurst fined for keeping premises open on a Sunday. Had his licence endorsed. Tried to claim that the served beer found by a constable was him and his wife's lunchtime tipples and not beer to be drunk by their lodger Joe Martin or the other man found in the bar. Later that year license transferred to Joseph Rose.

1877 - 83 Joseph Rose. Born circa 1827. Wife Charlotte born circa 1827.

1883 - License transfer Joseph Rose deceased, to his widow Charlotte.

1886 - started their Slate Club. 

1891 - 1903 Mrs Charlotte Rose, as above. Son William is a barman there in 1891. Note it looks like this pub perhaps very briefly changed its name to the Prince Albert in the 1880s, the name of a (by then closed) former next door licensed premises. See below.

1906 - 1. Mrs Rose 2. Thomas Probert (grandson of Charlotte Rose He was also a carpenter and son of the former landlord of the White Lion in West Street, Mary Probert). Thomas was already assisting in the pub and living with his grandma before this.

1908 - Authorities trying to thin the total number of pubs in Marlow try to close the pub but the brewery and tenant manage to save it. There wass then, it was reported, no sleeping accommodation for travellers at the pub but they could be served bread and cheese if they wanted it.

1915 - 18 Thomas Arthur Probert. Often referred to as T.A Probert. Thomas was killed in action as a sapper in the Royal Engineers in 1918. 

1918 -1939 at least Mrs Kate Ethel Probert widow of Thomas above. In 1928 the pub was considered again for closure under plans to limit the number of licensed premises in a given area. It then sold 3 barrels of beer a week. The pub escaped the cull as credit was given to Kate for her very clean and orderly pub. She said the Arms had been in her family for around 70 years. 

1956 - A T Probert.

THE BEAR

The earliest pub to carry the name of The Bear was in the High Street on the West side but that pub was not recorded after the 1700s. By 1830 Chapel Street was the location for a new Bear. The second Bear was also a common lodging house. Landlords for this second Bear are given below.

1833 - Thomas Livings (also lodging house).

1839 - Thomas Livings (also boot and shoe maker).

1845- Joseph Pepper. He had lived in Chapel Street since at least 1833. His wife Sarah AKA Sally fined for assaulting another woman this year. See the grave of Joseph and Sally here.

1846 - Mr Pepper - described as a "Tom and Jerry Shop" e.g small beer shop. Paid some money and a pot of beer for a stolen bundle of wooden laths that year. There was suspicion he knew them to be stolen.

1847 - Joseph Pepper. Fined £2 including costs for allowing cards to be played on the premises. Though Joseph and Sally Pepper left the Bear they still lived in Chapple Street later.  

1849 - Charles Haines

1851 - Charles Haines. Fined 10s plus costs for allowing card playing in The Bear in June that year. However it was noted that Charles and the two others convicted of the same offence were all supporters of the opposite political party to the arresting constables and the stings may have been unfairly focused on them. 

1853 - George Finch. Fined £1 for having his beer house open after proper hours. 

1855- Mr Neighbour

1861 - Henry Neighbour (also a cordwainer) Was a publican in "St Peter's Street" 1851. This was the Waterman's Arms on the river front. See a detailed post on Henry and wife Catherine nee Sparkes here 

1864 - had a "dancing room"

1867 - up for sale.  

1871 - Charles Hoare (also lodging house, probably it's principle role by then).  See also The Three Horseshoes and Travellers Friend. 

1872 - Charlotte Hoar. (Hoare) Charlotte's grave can be viewed here

1874 - Charlotte Hoare. 2 Henry Rowe. That year (during Charlotte's tenancy) saw the death in a fight in the bar of one of her lodgers George Frewing. A post about this is here.

1881 - Henry Rowe. Wife Sarah died there in February age 68. Continues as The Black Horse thereafter. 

THE BRICKLAYERS ARMS, Chapel Street

1844 - James Smith [also a bricklayer]. In the same premises 1841 but not obviously a beer seller then. The name of this pub may come from his trade. In 1843 fined for selling short measures at a premises not named but this also indicates that he was already operating a pub on this site then.

1851 - Diana Smith was a beer seller in Chapel Street, premises not stated. Property records however show that she was in the same premises as James above. She was his widow. Sometimes rendered Dina / Dinah. 

1861 - Diana Smith.

1864 - Dina Smith.

1869 - Henry Rowe (see also The Black Horse). Wife Sarah.

1871 - Henry Rowe.

1872 - Henry Rowe.

1874 - Henry Rowe moved to The Bear.

1874 - To be Let, a Fuller and co brewery pub. Henry C Bartlett took over from Henry Rowe.

1875 - Mr Bartlett transferred to John Fenner. Bartlett went to The Green Man, Flackwell Heath. 

1876 - John Fenner transferred to William Lloyd.

1877 - Henry Rowe again (Moved to The Black Horse Marlow by 1881).

1881 - William Lloyd 2. Francis Enever (holdover).

1882 - Frederick James Walker.

1883 - 1. Frederick J Walker transferred licence to  John Windsor. Frederick then went to the Three Tuns, West Street.

1886 - In this year, the Bricklayers nearly lost it's right to be a licensed premises because it fell below the minimum rateable value for a property used as a public house. It was decided to make a neighbouring cottage part of the premises to raise the value of the premises, a common strategy for pubs in this situation. But this cottage was in use as a shop by Mr Savage the baker who wasn't leaving and the authorities naturally felt sceptical that it could truly be considered a proper part of the pub, partial alterations notwithstanding.

However, the owner of the property said that the cottage had been illegally sub let to Savage and they would make Savage leave. So the licence was renewed at last. 

1891 - John Windsor transferred pub to John White.

1896 - John White. Benjamin Barnes was fined 5s for "pulling about" and swearing at John White's daughter Emma who was serving at the bar that year. John came from the back and threw beer in the face of Mr Barnes, then went for the police. 

1897 - John White. Fined this year for selling beer during prohibited hours, but his licence was not endorsed. He nearly didn't get licence renewed due to this but after "much discussion" White did get it. Building was at that time recently purchased by Messrs Weller of Amersham from Brakspears. They promised to stop up back access into Marlow Field to prevent illicit visits after hours.

1906 E F Harvey transferred to James Plumridge.

1907 - James Plumridge. Serial con woman Maisy Light who lived in a caravan here and there about Marlow stole £1 from him.

1909 Albert Ernest Holder. Albert was probably later at the Black Lion 2. Edward James Carter. 

1911-21  - Charles Lloyd  (and greengrocer and grocer in the property next door, possibly accessed through pub. He was still running the shop in 1927).

1928 -Charles Lloyd then RJT Mast seems  to have it for last few months , possibly a holdover. When the Arms are first shortlisted for potential closure (see below) it's revealed Charles sells only one barrel of beer a week, and so the shop he ran provided the majority of his income. He says he'd be willing to close the shop to concentrate on the pub if it would save the licence.  Closure proposed under powers to limit number of licensed premises in an area. Closed December 31st 1928.  Premises still stand. Charles Lloyd and his family returned to live on their former pub. 

PRINCE ALBERT (Spittal Street but also given as Chapel Street given the perpetual historic confusion between the two) There was also a Prince Albert at Moors End, Lane End. 

1838 Prince Albert Beerhouse, "Chapel Street" existed. The future Queen Victoria had not yet become engaged to Prince Albert so this is a curiosity if correct. 

1841 - Robert Rockall. Had a stable which was offered as very budget sleeping accomodation to travellers passing through the town.

1843 - James Cooper. He had come from the Carpenters Arms in its first incarnation. This was next door, part of the same larger building! Wife Sarah. Fined for using short measures this year. 

1846 James Cooper. Fined once again for having unjust measures on the premises.

1851 - James Cooper.

1852 - James Cooper

1858- William Reeves. Fined for keeping illegal hours. He was also a carpenter. Wife Sarah. He was the son of Richard and Jane Reeves masters of the workhouse and later landlords of the Ship, West Street.

1861 - William and Sarah Reeves. Seems then to have been a lodging house. Sarah moved as a widow to the Ship, West Street, taking over from William's widowed mother. See here.

The Prince Albert is not included in the 1872 pub list created by local authorities. So presumably below is a new incarnation. Research ongoing!

1887 - Mrs Rose (See Carpenters Arms above). Records scarce for this "beershop"... could it be a name change for the Carpenters Arms inspired by the Jubilee which didn't stick? The Carpenters Arms and The former Prince Albert were next door premises, part of the same larger building. Once the original Albert closed the name epukd have been up for grabs again. A Mrs Rose was after all the landlady of the the Carpenters Arms in the years running up to this so this scenario seems likely. Mrs Rose had a son William and a servant servant Ellen Line at this new "Albert".

TRAVELLER'S REST 

See also Traveller's Friend, Dean Street. The similarity of name and relatively close location between the two premises has sometimes caused an accidental switching of names. They however existed at the same time, with different land lords and different associated breweries. They were different businesses. This was more of a small beershop which also took in some lodgers. The Traveller's Friend on the other hand was more of common lodging house which also had alcohol licence.

To confuse matters further the Carpenters Arms in Spittal Street was briefly known as the Traveler's Rest too, see above. 

1845 - Charles Finch. Wife Ann. In this year Ann is assaulted by a drinker there, Thomas Windsor. He is fined 20s including costs. 

1846 - Joseph East - fined for allowing extensive card playing on premises, and keeping his beer house open after 11pm. Plead guilty, 40s fine. 

1851- William Chilton

1853 - William Chilton (and marine store dealer).

1861 - William Chilton. Census enumerator calls his pub the Travellers Friend, confusing it with the Dean Street one.

1869 - William Chilton (and marine store dealer)

1872 - William Chilton  

1874 - William transfers premises to John Soley. NB Newspaper report of this calls the premises Travellers Friend, which is incorrect. The Travellers Friend was the Dean Street premised ran by the Price family at this time [Bucks Herald 10 January 1874. The South Bucks Free Press reporting the same transfer did get the premises name correct. ].

A John Soley is at The Rising Sun in 1881. 

RESEARCHED BY CHARLOTTE DAY AND KATHRYN DAY.

 We mainly focus on pre WW1 listings but sometimes list later names if it ties in with research we are helping with.

For similar posts see Pub Related on the menu. For every mention of someone on this blog see the Person Index.

SOURCES INCLUDED:

1833 Parochial Assessment. Original working notebooks held by my family. Transcribed by Charlotte.

1853 Mussons and Cravens Commercial Directory.

Pigots Directory 1844.

Kelly's Post Office Directory  of Bucks etc-1869,1877,1883, 1903, 1915 by Kelly's Directories Limited.

Census - 1861,1871,1881,1891 . Transcription by Charlotte Day.

Robson's Directory 1839

* Windsor and Eton Express, Apr 10 1875, held at British Library Archive and accessed via the BNA. 

Bucks Herald 23 September 1869, 10 Jan, 15 August 1874, 26 December 1874, 18 June 1887, 23 May 1896, 13 June 1928 as above.  

South Bucks Standard July 2 1897

Also

Reading Mercury 25 July, 19 Sept 1874.

Berkshire Chronicle, 21 February 1846, 09 Jan 1847 as above.

Bicester Herald - 18 February 1881. 

1872 list of pubs and the breweries that owned them, held at Buckinghamshire County Council Archives. 

South Bucks Free Press 11th February 1858, July 2nd 1897. Both Bucks Free Press Archives.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are  very welcome to quote from or use this research for family or local history purposes if you credit this blog.