Not to be confused with the briefly in existence Prince Albert in Marlow. Both came under Marlow for licensing requirements.
Gaps in dates represent gaps in our knowledge. For full historic lists of pub landlords many with pub histories attached in the Marlow district see the Pub Related Index.
1851-63 Joseph Jones. Wife Mary. Joseph also worked as a butcher.
1868- unknown landlord. Two customers found to have stolen pheasants upon their person in the tap room. They'd been poaching of course.
1869-72 Edmund Shervall / Shurville / Shervill / Shervel / Shurvell. Says on census that he was born in Great Marlow. May be the baptism 1836 Medmenham to unmarried mother Elizabeth. Wife was Eliza. Edmund was an agricultural labourer for most of his life including while the landlord of the Prince Albert. Eliza would have ran the pub on a daily basis while Edmund got another wage. This was a common set up in smaller pubs which could not get enough trade to function as the family's only income source. Edmund, Eliza and their children left for West Wickham, Kent.
1872 -86 Richard Ayres who was also a woodman. The J.ps granting Ayres the licence express the wish that he will live up to his prior good character and will not run the premises "in accordance with the very bad traditions" of the place! In 1885 John Wakefield who lived at the pub was accused of sheep stealing from Barmoor farm Marlow. He worked at Greenlands, Hambledon. Sent to quarter sessions for trial. He seems to have been a relative of the Ayres.
1886 - 97 Alfred Webb. Wife Sarah. Note: Alfred had a niece with the last name Ayres. This is a very common local last name but may mean Alfred was related to previous landlord Richard Ayres. Alfred's wife Sarah was assaulted by a customer who she had asked to leave in 1894 . [could richard have gone to ship inn cadmore end and died age 58 in 1895]. Alfred was charged with selling liquor at 11.20 pm when the pub should have closed at 10pm. He argued that those in the pub drinking were friends and relatives whom he had invited to have supper and a drink with him after they went to a sale together. They had arrived back at 10.50 pm, the pub had closed on time. Sat in tap room as it was the only room still with a fire burning and it was a cold night. Bench believed him and case dismissed.
1897- 1902 James Frederick Plumridge. In 1901 used for inquest when a woman Emma Tibbs drowned herself and her 6 month old baby daughter Winifred in the water tank of their new home in Moor Common. Her husband said that his wife had known better times and was depressed at living in small cottage especially when she found the cottage had fleas. She had been up all night dealing with them and was exhausted.
1902 - J Grover or Grove briefly before James Frederick Plumridge again, also briefly. The pub enters a period of instability with frequent landlord changes, suggesting a difficulty in making the business a going concern.
1903 - Henry Talbot landlord. Customer jailed for assaulting him. Grabbed throat and tried to push him into the fire. Customer was disorderly and had been asked to leave premises.
1905 - Frederick Ward
1908 - Charles Read transferred to George Ambrose
1910 Frank Edwin Wallace who transferred licence to Thomas Plowman.
1910-1914 Thomas Plowman. He was on the census as a widower (wife had been Emily originally from Bisham Berkshire). Thomas was originally from Sussex and had worked as a carpenter in the years before he took on the pub. He lived with his daughter Elizabeth and little grandson at the Prince Albert.
We generally list landlords up to around the time of the first world war. The pub is still there today.
Researched by Charlotte Day.
Selected sources -
England and Wales Censuses transcribed by me from microfilm except 1911=
"England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7KQ-2JV : 22 July 2019), Thomas Plowman, Hambledon House, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
and 1881 West Wickham "England and Wales Census, 1881", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q27W-92K7 ), Entry for Edmund Shervell and Eliza Shervell, 1881.
Windsor and Eton Express 12th September 1868. British Newspaper Archive, via the BNA. South Bucks Standard 26th October 1894 and 19th March 1897 both British library archives, via the BNA. Maidenhead Advertiser May 8th 1901 as above.
South Bucks Free Press 28 December 1872
Duttons directory 1863.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N6DJ-X8R
©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use this information with credit to the blog.
