1833 Parochial Assessment Great Marlow Quoiting Square / Oxford Terrace Continued

My family has the original working notebooks written up for this assessment. It was to be used to set the 1834 rates. 

It's age means the material is faded and falling apart so I am transcribing it in parts starting with the house and building information. The notebooks have some corrections and additions added up to circa 1839. If any are present for these entries I will indicate so. I have been adding the different parts to this blog as and when they chime with other bits of research I am doing.

Format I use:

Name

Property

Annual value of property

Any notes of mine added in square brackets

Quoiting Place [Quoiting Square] and Oxford Terrace [in Oxford Road] in book but the assessors made a hash of this section. Many of these properties were actually round the corner in West Street and I have noted this below as appropriate.

Continued [1st part of Oxford Terrace and Quoiting Square is here]

Thomas Davis

House, woodhouse, garden, stables and shed

£11

*****

William Harper [tinplate worker. Apparently actually West Street. Certainly was West Street earlier]

House, two gardens, workshop and yards

£10

*****

George Wyatt

House, woodhouse, stable and lofts

£10 10 shillings

Large garden

£2

*****

Thomas Wyatt 

Cottage and garden

£3

*****

Edward Tyler [a tallow chandler and market gardener who was sent to a debtors prison in London in 1834. Property actually West Street though probably by Quoiting Square turning].

House, storehouse and large garden

£9

A large market garden 

*****

Henry Stallwood [The Marlow parish constable and hayward for Marlow manor. Very good at his constable job! His dad William lived next door see other 1833 assessment posts]

Cottage

£3

*****

Miss Lord [Eleanor Lord. This was a boarding School. See my Schools In Marlow History post published here. Premises actually West Street].

Dwelling house, yard and convenient offices

£23

*****

Widow Clark [Actually West Street]

House and garden

£8

**

Widow Puddifant [Sarah Puddifant. Died 1840. Actually West Street. Post about her here].

House, yard and garden

£12

[Added in pencil after the name of widow Puddifant without crossing her name out is the name James Thomas Lovegrove and added to the annual value column in pencil words "raised to £22". More on James here]

*****

John Musprat [Actually West Street]

Three Tuns [inn] house, yard, stables and garden

£11

[More on John and also the Three Tuns here ]

*****

Samuel Carter

House and garden

£5

*****

George Greenwood

House, garden and shop

£13

Large garden

£2

*****

George Gale [master of the National School in Oxford Road]

House, play ground, stable and gardens

£17

Large Garden

£2

*****

William Windsor [a baker. Also actually West Street. He still there 1844]

House and garden

£5

*****

Richard Musprat [actually West Street]

House, yard and garden

£6

******

William Smith [actually West Street]

Cottage and garden 

£4 10 shillings

*****

James Allum [actually West Street]

House and garden

£6

*****

William Humphrey [West Street]

House and garden

£7 10 shillings

*****

Francis Pearce

House and garden

£7

*****

William Pusey [Surely this too is actually West Street?] [A straw bonnet maker and chair turner. See here for more about him and his family]

House, washhouse, shop, yard and large garden

£11

*****

Robert Sawyer [West Street again]

House, part of yard, stable, sheds, piggery and large garden 

£15

Tolls of the market 

£3

*****

George Westbrook

The Crown [Inn. This was in Market Square though the grounds and back of it could be accessed from Oxford Road], house, pleasure gardens and garden adjoining, large garden at the top of the yard, stable yard, stables, coach houses, skittle ground and other convenient offices

£60

The Town Hall card room [next door to the Crown, again not in Quoiting Place or Oxford Road!], parlour etc belonging to it

£10

*****

Oxford Road

Late Charles Bowerie Esq [probably Bouverie]

House, yard, stable, coach house and garden

£30

*****

Sarah Pimm [nee Hale, widow of Richard Pimm, hurdle maker who had died that year aged 62]

Cottage and garden

£4 10 shillings

*****

Richard Frith

Cottage and garden

£4 10 shillings

*****

Alexander Higginson Esq

House with offices, lawn, garden and green house

£45

To find all mentions of an individual here, use the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. There are thousands of people listed there.

For other posts about Quoiting Place, Oxford Road or West Street see the index here

For a full list of former schools like Miss Lord's school see Schools in the index here

Index to posts about the every day life for Marlow people at the time of the assessment and others see - here

© Marlow Ancestors

Will Summary Thomas Ollis 1808

 Will of Thomas Ollis victualer of Great Marlow. Will written 1807, proved 1808. 

Says he sick and weak of body but of sound mind.

All his stock in trade, chattels, estates and effects whatsoever and wherever they are in trust to Thomas Wethered and Timothy Tregoe. After any debts paid the interest not profit thereof to go to testator's wife Elizabeth and her assigns for the term of her life. 

To Endoria Strange of Pinkneys Green in Berkshire £60.

To John Muspratt £20. Same to Henry Muspratt.

To Hannah Price widow of Great Marlow formerly Hannah Spicer £20.

After the death of Elizabeth testator's estate to be divided jointly between John Ollis, Ellis Ollis, Mary Barrett and John Brothers.

Empowers Thomas Wethered and Timothy Tregoe to periodically take account of his stock in trade and if they consider them to be wasted or diminished to sell them by public auction and invest the money with the interest, dividends and profits resulting going to Elizabeth for life.

Thomas Wethered and Timothy Tregoe made executors.

Witnesses all of Great Marlow: John Allnutt, Thomas Bugg and Ann Allnutt.

Probate was first granted to widow Elizabeth after Thomas Wethered and Timothy Tregoe renounced the job. Then in 1830 administration was granted to John Brother otherwise Brothers who was mentioned in the will.

Notes: Thomas was the landlord of the Three Tuns in West Street. He seems to have been concerned Elizabeth would not be able to manage the business or perhaps that she would marry someone who would not manage the Three Tuns well. Wethered and Tregoe obviously had no such worries giving up their administration without starting it. Elizabeth did indeed successfully run the Three Tuns as a widow.

Timothy Tregoe was the brother of Sarah Puddifant who lived next door to the Three Tuns. He was a watchmaker.

The will of Elizabeth Ollis is on the blog here. Her maiden name was Spicer.

For more on Three Tuns landlords See here

Other pub content can be found on the menu under Pub Related.

All mentions of someone on the blog can be found on the Person Index.

This PCC will was transcribed and then summarized by me from a will held at the National Archives, Kew. ©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to use my summary for family or local history purposes if you credit this blog.

Some West Street and West End Pub Landlord Listings *updated May 2026*

UPDATED BY CHARLOTTE May 2026

For a full list old beer houses, pubs and inns in West Street over time, have a look at at our full pub listing post already published. There is likely to be a few you have never heard of! The Pubs Related option on the top drop down menu will lead to related posts. Use the A-Z person index to find every mention of your ancestor however small. In these listings we stop listing landlords at around the 1920s as this time period is the blog's focus.  However we record any information given to us about later landlords so please feel free to contribute your knowledge. 

THREE TUNS

Note: an earlier Three Tuns is recorded in the High Street. The listings below include both the High Street and West Street premises to give a proper picture.

[1685/6 - 1702 when in High Street- Joan Pomfret initially with husband William then alone as a widow. Her husband died quite soon after the two of them got permission 1685 to create an unnamed new inn. This newly fitted up inn presumed to be the Three Tuns as it was on the West side and the Three Tuns seems to have been subsequently ran by her two sons. Joan and William came from running the King's Head also in Marlow High Street. Son Richard seems to have taken over the King's Head initially when his parent's moved to their new premises. When he took over new inn it seems no one was interested in taking on the King's Head and it became divided and used for residential and other business premises initially. Richard himself may only have used the King's Head as a residence or brewing site rather than an inn. Joan's will is on the blog here]

1708- Richard Pomfrett? Initially at King's Head. Son of William and Joan who converted a house into an unnamed inn on the West side of the High Street in 1685. Richard's premises are also unnamed. He certainly had a brother John in the brewing trade. This is probably the John below who was at the Three Tuns. This leads me to believe that it is probable that the new inn created in 1685 was the Three Tuns held by William and Joan, Richard and then John successively.

1709 - John Pomfret (street location not given) probably brother of Richard Pomfret above.

1717 - John Pomfret (street location not given) He died this year.  "Large inn or tavern with close behind" 

1724 - Richard Aycott (street location not given)

1729- Richard Aycott. 

1733 - Henry Carter. At this point it belongs to the owner of the Marlow Mills John Lofting / Loftin 

1737 - Henry Carter? "Three Tuns New Inn". Why the " New"?  Well in 1740 a building (described as being situated in the High Street directly opposite properties which backed onto Marlow Place gardens) is named as the "old Three Tuns" so the pub seemingly moved to new High Street premises at some point probably in the 1730s. This is before the move to West Street. A Henry Carter was an ale house keeper and maltster a decade before. 

1752 - Widow Aycott - location not given

1753 - Widow Aycott (as above) Also offering cock fighting this year.

1788 - When Thomas Wethered leases the Brewery site in this year, the title deeds are said to say it is former site of the Three Tuns Tavern. 

1798 - Thomas Ollis (Premises owned by brewer Ralph Rose who also earlier leased The Dukes Head in West Street, among others).

1807- Thomas Ollis

1808 - Elizabeth Ollis, his widow (See here for a summary of Elizabeth's will) Elizabeth's sister married a Muspratt.

1830 -1. Mrs Ollis 2. Muspratt "High Street"

1831 - John Muspratt (address not stated)    

1832 - John Muspratt "High Street" 

1833 - John Musprat - "Quoiting Square" (Definitely an error in location by parish assessor who made a hash of West Street records!)

1839 - John Muspratt 

1843 - Levi White (A Levy White is listed as boot and shoe maker in "Oxford Street" in 1839 Robson's Directory and is present in 1833 parish Assessment in Quoiting Place/Oxford Terrace). A Levi White was a beer seller in Hurley in 1840. Levi received a heavy £2 fine 1843 for allowing card playing on his premises during Christmas week.  A blind eye had previously been turned to the practice. In the same year Levi was fined for selling short measures.

1844 - Levi White, who hosted a Conservatives dinner.

1853 - Levi White. West Street.

1854 - Mrs Mary White. West Street.

1858 - William Goldswain, died 1859. 

1859 - Stephen Goldswain. West Street. (And gardener) The death notice from this year of Mrs Goldswain age 65 describes her as the landlady of the Three Tuns. 

1861 - Edward August (and gardener). A twice weekly chess club was established at the club in this year. Strictly no gambling allowed on the games.

1863 - Edward August (also seedsman) [see also George and Dragon].West Street.

1865 - William Bowles.

1869 - William Bowles (and fruiterer). West Street. Formerly of the Jolly Maltsters / Malsters, Dean Street  - see here.

1871 - William Bowles. West Street.

1872 - William Bowles to William Smith. 

1873 - Joseph Smith to Charles Munday.

1875 - 1. Charles Robert Munday. 2. William Maisey "Three Tons"

1880 - William Maisey. West Street. In this year the premises has every window broken by the election rioters - for more see here Later the same year William's wife Martha Eliza dies at the inn age just 44. 

1883 - James Arlett. West Street. Dominoes and Bagatelle offered.  George Barnes of Oxford Road was employed as an extra pair of hands at the bar every Saturday night at this point.

1887 - 1. James Arlett (2nd source Thomas Arlett) 2.William Slater "of Walton on Thames" 

1890 - Frederick Walker. West Street. Frederick is warned after several complaints about the conduct of his premises in this year. The magistrates said that if he is bought before them again, they will endorse his licence (a second endorsement would mean Frederick would be stopped from acting as a publican)

1895 - "The Three Tuns Hotel" 

1903 - Frederick Walker - also a job master. 

1908 - Frederick Walker forced to offer a public apology to fellow publican Charles Henry Porter of the Railway Hotel after spreading rumours that Porter was going bankrupt. Porter instigated a suit for slander against him.

1909- Frederick Walker also wine and spirit merchants, job master, post master. Promises good stabling. (Post master as in horses for hire, he does not run a post office!)

1915 - F .Walker. West Street.

1923 - 1934 F Walker.

1934 +  Reg Speller. He had worked at Fred Walkers garage / motor hire business since 1919. Reg was active in protecting Marlow during the second world war through various roles. Perhaps least known is the fact an aircraft component factory was located at the spacious rear of the Tuns and Reg was to oversee it. 

Closed 1964 on Reg's retirement. 

SADLERS ARMS /SADDLERS ARMS (with one d is most common spelling) Had yard and outbuildings at rear.

1853 James Allum (Also marine store dealer) Wife Ann 

1854 - James Allum (also saddler) 2. Francis Allum, also saddler. 

1871 - James Allum (also saddler).

1876 -James Allum dies. Frank Joshua Hudson takes over (also butcher). 

1881 - Frank Hudson (also a butcher) Wife Elizabeth.

1883 - Joseph Wilcox (and dining rooms) 2. Frederick  Coleshill.

1884 - Frederick Coleshill (Summoned for allowing gambling on his premises)

1888 - Frederick Coleshill to Charles Coleshill. Fred looks to have moved to the Jolly Cricketers/Cricketers Arms Bovingdon Green. See here

1891 - Charles Coleshill.

1892 - Charles Coleshill transfers premises to John Adams.

1903 - John Adams transfers to William(?) Turner.

1904 - Henry (?)(possibly William) Turner transfers premises to William Root. 

1909 - Closed by authorities under powers to limit number of licensed property in an area. Last landlord - William Root. It's relatively small size counts against it at the hearings which decide it's fate. William was evicted from the pub after it closed.  He enters into a dispute with the brewery Wellers about how long he should be given to vacate them premises but gains no added time. 

More info here

THE VOLUNTEER (more Henley Road really). Next door but one to the Hand and Flowers, adjoining Town Farm.

1861 - Edward Hatton. He moved into the premises that year.

1864 - Edward Hatton. Biographical post on him has been published on the blog previously and is available here

Pub gone by 1872. Wethereds brewery retained ownership and attempted to revive the beerhouse in 1888 and 1889 but a new license was refused.

THE BONNET O' BLUE / BLUE BONNET(S)/  BONNET SO BLUE. Named after the blue bonnet uniform of the little girls of the close by charity school.

1833 - William Stratford "Bonnet So Blue"

1839 - William Stratford

1843 - William Stratford dies and son Robert Stratford takes over. ("Blue Bonnets"). William's will is included within the post here which includes more info about the Bonnets. 

1851 - Robert Piggott. Fined for allowing card playing on the premises. However it was noted that Robert and the two others convicted of the same offence were all supporters of the opposite political party to the arresting constables and the police stings may have been unfairly focused on them. 

1855 - James Pattison. Suspected of running  a disorderly house that "encouraged music and dancing" but the magistrates dismissed the case as unproven. 

Royal Standard - (in the sub divided Albion House) Existed 1856. Good chance this was a new name for the Bonnet O'Blue which appears to have been in virtually the same spot, if not the exact one.

1869 - John Jefferys/Jeffries

1871 - John Jefferies (also gardener)

1872 - "Standard of England" John Jeffrey. 

1881 - John Jefferys  (also gardener) /Jefferies

1883- John Jeffries.

Licence ended 1890 with the premises taken into use by "Mr Grove in connection with his school". This was Borlase. And for Grove read Graves. 

HAND AND FLOWERS

(Occasionally known as Hand With Flowers / Hand Of Flowers in early records), probable literal interpretations of the pub sign.

Building dates from 1700s.

1853 - George Johnson "Henley End"

1864 - Sarah Johnson "West Street" Widow of George Johnson. She was the daughter of William Stratford of the Bonnet O'Blue.

1871 - Sarah Johnson

1877 - Sarah Johnson dies age 60, and licence was transferred to Mrs Stratford. 

1881  Keziah Stratford (Sister in law of Sarah Johnson above).

1882 - Mrs Stratford 2. Henry Carter (we now go into period of proposed, rejected, temporary etc licencees that gets confusing but all here are as listed in contemporary records)

1883 - Keziah Stratford, 2. Ann Carter.

1884 - Ann Carter 2. James Young (proposed transfer, dealt with early following year)

1885 - Ann Carter, but managed until October by her daughter in law Mrs Mary Ann Carter wife of Henry. Mary wanted to give up months earlier but was continually pressed by the brewery to stay there. The date they wanted her to stay until kept being pushed back, even when Mary said she had agreed to rent a cottage and really needed to leave as she would otherwise be paying rent on a cottage she couldn't live in (it was a legal requirement to have a residential publican- so Mary would have to live at the Hand and Flowers if the brewery wanted the licence for the premises renewed that year). In June 1885 it was agreed that a James Young would take over the licence but he wasn't immediately free to move in and take over so Fullers got Mary to continue until the end of September. This came and went without Young being ready. She eventually locked the pub up and left regardless, her patience worn thin.  In November Fullers brewery suddenly took possession of the premises and changed all the locks so Mary could not get to the fixtures and fittings belonging to her family which were supposed to remain in situ and be bought by the new landlord but had not yet been paid for. Frederick William Simpole was sent to manage the pub temporarily for the brewery, James Young apparently still not being ready. Mary Ann Carter tried to get past Simpole so nothing could happen to her unpaid for fixtures and fittings. A scuffle ensued and Mary Ann summoned Simpole for assaulting her. The court said any assault was minimal and gave him a nominal fine. A counter summons from Simpole against Henry Carter, Mary's husband, also for assault was not proceeded with. In December the licence finally transferred to 2.) James Young. 

1891 - 1907 James Young. In 1897 the pub was sold at auction to a Mr Canning for £1,070.

1907 - James Young had died. Eliza Swadling took over, his married daughter.

1920 - Mrs Eliza Swadling "No. 128 West Street"

1939 - Albert Swadling, son of the above. He was born in the Hand & Flowers itself and was 30 years the landlord.

1950 Albert Swadling, applied for the right to sell alcohol for off the premises consumption as well.

WHITE LION (FORMERLY THE FOX)

Premises believed to have started in 1830. Named The Fox by 1833 when Henry John Franklyn was landlord. He was followed in the premises by William Sayer but whether it was known as the Fox or the White Lion under then is uncertain.

1852 - unknown Stephenson. Probably John below.

1861 - John Stephenson. Born in Lancashire. John was a brewer living in Hayes Place behind the White Lion on the 1851 census and ran the Coach and Horses on the other side of West Street in 1852.

1871 - John Stephenson. 

1872 - John Stephenson

1880 -1. John Stephenson who died that year 2. Catherine Stephenson (born Westmoreland, wife of above).

1883 - 1. Mrs Catherine Stephenson 2. Mary Probert, widow. She was the daughter of the landlords of the Carpenter's Arms Joseph and Charlotte Rose.

1887 -Mary Probert.

1888 - Phillip K Harman (Married Mary Probert above, who transferred the premise's licence to him)

1891 - Phillip Harman (also a painter) Household included stepson Thomas Probert, age 10 who would grow up to be a Carpenters Arms landlord.

1897- pub became the new club headquarters for the Marlow Victoria football team. This was a "junior" team, typically this meant players 15-20 years old.

1901-1903  Robert Harman. Also a painter.

1903 - Phillip Harman- the previous one back?

1905 - P Harman license transfer to Thomas Henry Verlin.

1905-7- Thomas Henry Verlin transferred license to David Bedwell.

1911 - license transferred from David Bedwell to John Copley.

1912 - licence transferred from John Copley to Richard Evans.

1913 - licence transferred from Richard Evans to Henry Green and then to Edward William Walker.

1914 - Edward William Walker to Joseph Gilby.

1914-16 Joseph Gilby "White Lion Inn". Early in 1916 licence was transferred to William Henry Morris who had come from the Red Lion Great Milton, Oxon.

1916-19 William Henry Morris as above.

1919 - Closed. 

DUKES HEAD 

1761 - Elizabeth Wright. North side of West Street.  The White Horse  (first reference 1755 under Mr Crocket) appears to be very close. Further research to follow. .

WHITE HORSE

Appears to have been very close to the Duke's Head. North side of West Street. 

1755,56= Mr Crockett. A place to register horses for the Marlow Races.

1786 - Mr Goldswain. 

1792- the records of the Robert Boothby charity tell us that in 1792 it was funded out of the rent generated by a building near the Market Place "formerly the sign of the White Horse". In 1832 this Boothby charity house was described as on the North side of West Street and was in residential use. 

The last mention of a pub of this name in Marlow as a going concern  is in the 1810s well after the West Street White Horse closed. This is because a Spittal Street premises began using the name (probably by 1803). This became the Greyhound in 1819. In other words there were two pubs called the White Horse which were not necessarily related businesses. 

The Harrow

Mr Bennell. 1849. This looks to be Samuel Bennell who was also a wheelwright. The beer shop was broken into by burglars who knocked a hole in the back of the pub in 1849. This pub seems to have been far up the road, in what we would call Henley Road today. That it is an earlier name for the Hand Of Flowers can't be ruled out. Later mentions of The Harrow have been ascertained to refer to The Plough in Little Marlow Road, due to misinterpretation of the pub's pictorial sign, and not this pub.

Researched by Charlotte Day and Kathryn Day, post written by both.

Related Posts:

To find a mentions of an individual here, use the A-Z person index in the top drop down. 

List of 100+ Matlow beer sellers, pubs, ale houses etc here

Index of pub related posts here

Other West Street related content: here

Index of posts related to everyday life in old Marlow: here

 

Sources include:

1853 Mussons and Cravens Commercial Directory. 

 Kelly's Post Office Directory 1847,1863,1864,1869,1877, 1881,1883,1903,1907,1911, 1915,1923,1939. Published by Kelly's Directories Limited.

1833 Parish Assessment. Original notebooks held by my family and transcribed by Charlotte Day.

 Historic newspapers from the British Library Archives accessed by me via the BNA: South Bucks Standard 23 December 1876, 14 Oct 1892, 21 June 1907, Oxford Journal September 1753, Bucks Herald 23rd June 1877, 7 November 1885, 4 June 1887, 30 July 1892. 

Piggots Directory 1830,1844

Robson's Directory 1839

Will of Elizabeth Ollis, held at National Archives, Kew and transcribed by Charlotte Day. 

Will of John Pomfret, proved 1717, held at National Archives Kew, as above

Will of Richard Pomfret, proved 1702, as above. 

Property records research by Charlotte Day.

Census 1861,1871,1881,1891

Clayton Family Archive papers at Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies

The Book of Marlow, Cairns, A J, 1976, Barracuda Books.

Will of John Lofting, written 1733, proved 1742. 

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to use this research for family or local history purposes with credit to this blog and a link here so that my sources do not lose credit for information provided. Thanks.

Will Of Joan Pomfret and Family Research

Joan Pomfret widow. Will written 1700. Proved 1702.

Says she sick and weak. Commends soul to God.

Asks to be decently buried at the discretion of her executor.

Son Henry: 5 shillings only. She considers this a full and fair portion as he has received plenty from her in the past.

Her second son John, vintner of London: £10.

Rest of goods and chattels after debts and funeral expenses paid to beloved son Richard. He the executor.

Witnessed by John Gibbons, Elizabeth ...... and Margaret ....

Notes:

Joan and her husband William, who were already innkeepers at the Kings Head in Marlow High Street, got permission to convert a property they had just leased into a new inn of unknown name on the West side of the High Street in 1685. Almost certainly this was the Three Tuns.

Joan does not describe herself as a victualer or innkeeper in her will so she may have retired before death. She was still in business in 1697 though when she supplied beer to the Marlow bellringers.

Joan's son Richard died almost immediately after her. He was an inn keeper too, probably at the Three Tuns.

The son John in the will above was probably the John who was a innkeeper in Marlow by 1709 and was definitely running the Three Tuns in Marlow High Street at the time of his death in 1717. It is virtually certain that the building which William and Joan converted to an inn became the Three Tuns and their sons inherited that business.

Richard left his mother's clothes to his serving maid Margaret.

A Henry Pomfret innkeeper died in Marlow in 1671. Likely a relative of these. A second Henry Pomfrett, innkeeper was around in 1701 when his wife Barbara was fined for assaulting Thomas Elliott the butcher (3s 4d)

Note: the Three Tuns relocated later to West Street. It looks also to have moved premises within the High Street before that relocation.

The PCC of Joan will is held at the National Archives. Transcribed by me and summarised here. 

Search the Will Index for all wills available on the blog 

Post by Charlotte Day.

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

Will Summary Elizabeth Ollis 1830

 Elizabeth Ollis. Will proved 1830. 

Note: Elizabeth was landlady of the Three Tuns Inn in West Street, having taken over from her deceased husband who died in 1808. She was nee Spicer. James Crease of Marlow left her £50 in his will proved 1804. Their relationship is unknown.

Elizabeth says she on good health and has a sound mind.

Confirms will of her husband Thomas, asking her executors to follow the instructions therein as to what should happen after her decease to property left to her for the term of her life.

After that has happened and her debts and funeral expenses have been paid all her property is to be sold off. The money raised to go to her 3 sisters: Ann Beaver the wife of Thomas, Susan Muspratt who is a widow and Dinah Spicer who is single. If any sister dies before they get their legacy their children to get their share. If sister Dinah marries only children born to her, not stepchildren already belonging to the man she marries are to be included in this.

Executors Mr John Morris of Great Marlow, draper [High Street premises, more on him and his family here] and Mr John Muspratt of Great Marlow.

Elizabeth made a mark rather than sign the will.

Witnessed by John Allnutt and Joseph Tyler of Great Marlow [Joseph was a fellow West Street resident].

Will of Thomas Ollis here

Historic list of Three Tuns landlords here

To find other wills see under Will Transcriptions on the menu. Use the Person Index for all mentions of someone on this blog and Pub Related for more posts related to that industry in Marlow history.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to reuse my will transcription  summary and notes if you credit this blog.

The will is at the National Archives Kew if you want to read it .

The Unhappy Marriage of Richard and Sarah Bye

In 1833 a 38 year old widow, Mary Hawkins, married publican Richard Bye. Mary had a daughter Sarah from her first, 14 year marriage to John Hawkins who had also been a publican. She was née Hewitt.

Richard was (approximately) nearly 20 years older than his bride. He ran the Two Brewers in St Peter's Street right by the River Thames. He perhaps hadn't been there long as only the year before he had been running Abbey Farm in Little Marlow but gave it up and sold all his stock and equipment by auction. Mary's first husband was the previous licensee of the Two Brewers. It may be that Richard married Mary to take over the business. I do not mean that the marriage was especially selfish or mercenary on his part. Marriage was very often in those days more of a financial practicality than a romantic adventure. Help running the pub would have been just as important to her. At the time of the marriage she hadn't yet been to prove her first husband's will.

In John Hawkin's will Mary inherited all his possessions for life while she remained his widow. As soon as she remarried all those goods went to their daughter Sarah. This was a necessary precaution as marriage robbed women of property rights. Mary's goods if left absolutely to her would have become any new husband's goods instead and could be sold by him, used up, given away or left to someone unrelated to John Hawkins or the daughter he wanted to be his eventual heir and there would be no legal remedy for that.

In the Spring of 1835 Mary, in position of his executor, sold many of these possessions including luxury mahogany furniture, feather beds and a pony and trap. Whether this was legal or not I am unsure. It is my understanding she could sell the property with the next heir's consent but Sarah was not legally yet an adult able to give it.

Did Sarah receive the money raised? It's doubtful for reasons given below, however her mother may have been acting in desperation if there were already problems in her home and she felt the need to leave. Certainly the goods had already been removed from Mary's home to Platt's farm where her mother was living "for convenience". Mary perhaps had in effect already left her second husband.

Certainly by July Mary had permanently removed herself from Richard Bye.

Richard reacted by taking out notices in the local press calling her departure illegal and warning tradesman that he would not pay any bills she accrued for food, shelter or other necessities so they shouldn't give her any such. As her husband he was legally obliged to settle any bills she contracted. In cases of separation it was believed by some that such a newspaper warning could get around that obligation though this seems to have been seen as legally debatable, and not in any case honourable regardless of the circumstances behind it.

Later in the 1800s a form of separation though of course not divorce could be agreed upon. A husband would agree to pay a set amount of weekly support to his wife and she in turn formally agreed not to claim her legal right to live under his roof and under his protection. Judicial records covering Marlow show such cases being agreed in the courts multiple times, but the period of Mary's unhappiness was too early a one in date for this solution even if her husband would have been amenable.

The way Richard expresses himself in the press suggests that he thought she might be trying to organise things for herself but she did have family locally.

The year after Mary left Richard her mother Ann Hewett of Marlow left her half her clothes and an annuity of £10. This legacy was no more or less than Mary's sister received so feels like no sign of disapproval. Mary's daughter Sarah is also remembered in the will.

By 1841 census (if not actually before) Mary was living with her brother William, his wife Susan and other brother John at Marlow Mills.

Richard had left the Two Brewers and was staying at the Three Tuns Inn in West Street Marlow with the Muspratt family.

Sarah Hawkins was working as a servant at the house of Wadham Wyndham of Beech Lodge. This makes me think she did not have the benefit of the money from the sale of her father's possessions. Sad to see she was not also taken in by her Hewett uncles. Theirs was a crowded household it must be admitted, and perhaps Sarah preferred financial independence.

Mary cannot be found by me on the 1851 census. Richard Bye was lodging then at Chapel Street Marlow. He defiantly described himself as married and a retired victualler. He died 1860.

Mary's brothers had moved together to nearby Hambledon, where William was farming. 

Sarah Hawkins worked as a servant away from Marlow in another household. That is the last time I see her in records.

Post researched and written by Charlotte Day.

Sources:

My transcriptions of the wills of Ann Hewett and John Hawkins, copies at National Archives, Kew.

Census my transcription from microfilm except 1851 Hambledon which was from Familysearch. Intellectual Reserve Inc. Ran by the LDS church. Accessed online November 2020. 

Great Marlow Parish Registers, my old transcriptions.

Reading Mercury 3rd August 1835. Copy at British Library, accessed via the BNA online November 2020.

GRO death registration index, online. 

Property records held by my family.

©Marlow Ancestors. 

Related Posts:

To find every mention of someone on the blog use the Person Index option on the menu. There is also a Pub Related option for more pub history content. 

Landlords listing for the Two Brewers: here

History of Abbey Farm: here

General Great Marlow history posts: here

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people from or associated with Marlow.