Will Summary John Shaw of Great Marlow 1823

 John Shaw, surgeon. Will proved 1823.

All just debts, funeral expenses to be paid.

All personal estate and effects whatsoever to beloved wife Georgina who is sole executor.

Witnessed by Margaret Waldrop, Nathaniel Grant M.D and Charles Bradley, clerk.

That didn't take long did it?

John's grave in All Saints Parish Church, Great Marlow. d Oct 9th 1823 Age 31 

Will transcribed and summarized by me, Charlotte Day, from a will at the National Archives, Kew and then summarized.

Related Posts:

Call the Apothecary here

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©Marlow Ancestors. Use this summary for family or local history purposes if you like with credit to this blog.

Will Summary for John Tackle of Great Marlow 1825

 To beloved wife Anne £1000 for her own sole use. Also in trust £100 of which she can have the interest during her life, then it is to be paid to William Marsh Esq of Norfolk Street, testator's agent, to liquidate a debt testators late son Charles Solomon Tackle owed [it looks like it says the debt was owed by the son to Ann but I am not sure this makes sense. The next line has testator solemnly swearing to Marsh that he will be paid the money. This seems more like Marsh is the one owed. If not why is he the one who needs reassuring that the money will come and why if Ann is owed and her husband is willing to pay it would she not just be left it directly? Why does the money end up with Marsh?!?]

Daughters Anne, Jane, ?Sarah and Frances each recieve money to be given out half yearly for their maintenance and support until they marry. If any of them marry their portion is £2000 each.

All household furniture, linen, plate and books to wife Ann while she lives then to be sold in order to generate £100 for son John.

Will executors -  friends Henry Bateman Esq of Lincoln's Inn [London] and Samuel F...t of Tottenham Court Road [now London] who get £5 as a token of esteem.

Anything else equally to all the children testator has living at time of his death.

Although John signed the will it was not witnessed. In order for it to be proved witnesses who could swear that they knew his handwriting and signature and that the will matched them were required. This testimony was supplied by William Stevens gent of Leicester Square [London] and William Pellet of Kensington Oval in Surrey [now London]. When this information is given John Tackle was said to have been of Marlow but afterwards of Bury near Gosport and late of Porchester both in the County of Southampton, which we now call Hampshire.

© Marlow Ancestors. You can quote from or reproduce this summary if you give a link to this blog.

You can find the will at the National Archives, Kew.

Medmenham Pub / Hotel Landlord Listings and History

 Updated April 2026

Every time we see a landlord listed in a court case, advert, will, property deed or the like we note name and premises. Lots of listings for other pubs that would have been in the Great Marlow wider parish have already been published here, and lots more are in production.

We focus on pre 1940 landlords. Dates next to names are when we have evidence of the person there. They may have been in occupation longer without us finding evidence for any named landlord thus far.

Ferry Boat / Ferry Hotel originally also sometimes called The Ferry House Inn / The Ferry and later the Abbey Hotel.

1829- Pub exists - "The Ferry Public House"

1839-48 John Johnson. Always gave a big dinner for his friends at the pub on Christmas Day. Also hosted an annual Eel Feast. In 1835 its thatched stable burnt down. John left 1848. He died 1849 aged 77. John ran the actual Ferry across the Thames too by 1831.

1859-63 Henry Bitmead and his German wife Marie. She drowned in the river in 1881, in what was suspected as suicide. She was then aged around 70 it was said. The inquest was held in her former pub. Henry was fined in 1861 for selling short measures (a very common offence, and not necessarily deliberate as publicans struggled to buy measures that could be proved to be correct).

1871 Thomas Street, who had married the Bitmeads's daughter Marie. Left that year to go to the Black Boy, Hurley. See here.

1871-72 Thomas Hudson Holbrook. He died very soon after he got the license.

1872-84 Henry John Todd.  "Ferry Hotel".

1885 "Ferry Hotel". Barmaid then was Annie Marie Bryant.

1891 Ferry Hotel - "A very popular popular riverside inn, presided over by Mr Fred Johnson who is well known to most up river men."(Marlow Directory and Guide to the Thames, 1891) It's noted the ruins of the Medmenham Abbey which now form part of the hotel are a distinctive feature.  (See below) 

Abbey Hotel (see above) 

1911 Fred. Johnson. 

Dog and Badger

Building believed to be 14th century. We are told that the main Marlow to Henley road next to the pub dates only to the days of the turnpikes in the 1700s. Various dates are suggested for the start of the premises being used as a pub, from the 1400s to the 1700s. Originally it was the Church House for Medmenham - banns for marriage still being formerly read out there apparently in the late 1800s! Nell Gwynne was rumoured to have enjoyed sitting by the fire there on her visits to Medmenham. A cannonball was found lodged in one of the walls during 20th century restoration work. Probably this was from the civil war. There was certainly fighting in the area at Hambledon and Fawley during that war.

1831-32 Johnathan Osborn.

1833 James Sawyer, wife Mary. 

1845 New brick facing put onto the pub.

1847 T Sawyer [Thomas]  

1858-63 James Sawyer as above. Fined 1861 for having a short pint measure.

1866 Mrs Sawyer.

1872 Mary Sawyer.

1873- an illegal lock-in was discovered at the pub. The sound of customers singing and a concertina being played were just something of a giveaway to a passing constable!

1877-82 Alfred Edmund Neighbour (See also the post here). In 1877 Alfred married Emma Sawyer, daughter of James above. (Alfred's first wife was Hannah nee Hoare)  Alfred was previously at the Red Lion, Marlow. In 1881 he described 15 year old son Charles as his ostler and 13 year old daughter Hannah as his barmaid! (Emma Sawyer had been described as a bar maid at around the same age by father James above in 1851.) Other son Edward, a scholar, age 10 would in the future run Neighbours licenced grocery and general stores in Quoting Square with wife Catherine nee White. Alfred Edmund Neighbour was the son of Victorian head gardener John Neighbour of Potland's and Remnantz. To read more about John see here

1882-85 William Grant.

1885-1901 Frederick Wright. In 1895 the pub was bought by Wethered's Brewery of Marlow. Wright was of course the tenant not owner.

1907 Henry ? Wright. 2. Frederick Wright 3. Frank Richard Searle. This rapid turnover of landlords suggests some difficulties at the pub.

1911- William Alfred Jarvis.

1917 - Licence transferred from Reuben Peacock to F.W Denison.

1933 -1940 (at least) John Nye.

C1959-1983 Sonny Kirby assisted by his two daughters. He retired to Dorset in 1983.

For similar posts about pubs in Great Marlow, Little Marlow and Hurley see Pub Related on the menu here.

List of 100+ Great Marlow beershops, alehouses, pubs, inns etc see here

For more Medmenham related posts see this index

 All mentions of someone on this blog can be found in the A-Z Person Index which can be found on the top drop down menu. Thousands of people get a mention.

Researched by Charlotte and Kathryn Day.

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