FIRE AT MALTINGS "Tuesday se'nnight, the malt and dwelling houses of Mr Nind, of Aston-on-Carron, near Tewkesbury, were consumed by fire, with 250 bushels of malt. Mr Nind has a wife and 12 children, and saved but very little of his property." Derby Mercury 25th March 1802 TOLLGATE ROBBERY "On the night of Thursday se'nnight, between ten and eleven o'clock, three men entered the turnpike gate-house at Tewkesbury, [on the road leading from thence towards Gloucester,] when one of them immediately run and pushed a handful of snuff into the mouth and nostrils of the gate-keeper, and with great violence threw him upon his back, in which position he detained him while the others broke open his desk, and stole therefrom Bank notes and silver to the amount of upwards of 50 shillings. With this booty, and an old horse pistol and great coat, they got clear off. A reward of 100 guineas has been offered for the apprehension of the offenders; but they have hitherto eluded the most spirited and diligent search." Jackson's Oxford Journal 14th December 1811

Located between the Cotswolds and the Malvern Hills, Tewkesbury is an attractive medieval town that developed around the confluence of the Avon and Severn. Indeed, the local topography has determined the town's growth, prosperity and its impact on the local economy over the centuries. Today, the town is noted for its rich collection of timber-framed buildings. However, Tewkesbury was not spared the 1960's madness of 'so-called' regeneration and many ancient structures were lost. The fact that tourism plays such an important role within the local economy only exacerbates the impact of such vandalism - the town would be much richer if preservation had prevailed. Not that life in the old days was pretty for the working class townsfolk who had to endure miserable living conditions in the courtyards and alleyways for which the town is also famous. Poor families were crowded into slum dwellings where sanitation conditions were appalling. Tewkesbury's population expanded during the 18th century with the textile trade; the town was once an important centre for the production of stockings. Hand weaving was utilised in the early days but this method was replaced by stocking machines in the 18th century. The mills were also important employers in Tewksbury along with factories engaged in shoe production or, in earlier times, the manufacture of mustard. There were two significant breweries in Tewkesbury which, coupled with the maltings, were large employers at one time. The public houses were mainly clustered in the town's three main streets that converge on The Cross. The good news is that, although many of the pubs have long since closed, some of the buildings remain and have been converted to other uses. Brian Linnell produced an excellent booklet on the "Public Houses of Tewkesbury Borough" in 1972. This was my introduction to the pubs of Tewkesbury and I have tried to add or expand on the information contained therein.
© Copyright. Image supplied by Digital Photographic Images.

DEATH OF PUBLICAN'S WIFE "Benjamin Baldwin was indicted for the manslaughter of Hannah Cooke, at the borough of Tewkesbury. On Christmas day the deceased and her husband, who kept a public house called the Severn Trow, at Tewkesbury, were sitting at home with several other persons in the house. About eight o'clock Baldwin, with three of his companions, came in. Baldwin and one of his companions were tipsy. After they had been in the Severn Trow some time they began quarrelling. The deceased endeavoured to stop the quarrelling, and remonstrated with Baldwin, who, upon being spoken to, struck her with his fist on the head. The blow had not force enough to knock deceased down; she reeled, and saved herself from going against the screen by her hands. Before this occurrence the deceased had been in ill health, and as lately as two days before she had complained to one of the medical witnesses of headache. The blow was not thought to be very severe - much less fatal - on the night when it was given. The prisoner said he would make deceased recompense; and on the following day the prisoner, with some of his friends, went again to the Severn Trow, when all differences were made up, and the husband of the deceased treated the prisoner and his party with some ale. The deceased continued to complain of her head, and the medical attendant of the family was sent for. At first she went about her household affairs much as usual; but gradually became less and less disposed to "move about," until the day week after she had been struck, when she sunk into a state of partial stupor, from which she never rallied. She died on the 10th of January. Upon opening the head a suffusion of blood was found between the brain and the skull, immediately below the place where the witnesses described the blow to have been struck, and where there had been an external swelling which remained after death. The jury found the prisoner guilty, strongly recommending him to mercy. Sentence: one month's imprisonment, with hard labour." Bristol Mercury 15th March 1851

Located next to the River Avon on Quayside, Brian Linnell wrote that this tavern once traded as the Mermaid in the 17th century and may have been called the Welsh Harp at a later date. His book on the public houses of Tewkesbury also states that the house was known as the Severn Trow in the early 19th century and changed to the Admiral Benbow at a later date. However, I have found a reference to the Severn Trow in 1851 so perhaps these were two different buildings - all very confusing, but that's pubs for you!  I have found a reference to a will of 1836 in which it was stated that the building known as the Star Inn near the quay was formerly called the Mermaid. I have found no reference to the Admiral Benbow Inn within the census, licensing records or trade directories. And yet the aforementioned author states that a "stone carving of Benbow remained high up on the end of the building for many years after the final closure of the house." The building was apparently demolished in 1935 when Healings Mill was extended. I am not that sure if the pub was on the other side of the of the River Avon. A map of Tewkesbury drawn by Robert Dawson and published in 1831 does not show any development where the pub is thought to have been located. The census of 1841 does however record the pub at "West Quay Bridge" so perhaps the map is not as detailed as one would wish. In any case, in 1841 the enumerator was recording a pub known by the sign of the Severn Trow. A location next to the old quay makes perfect sense. A trow is a flat-bottomed boat, an important vessel for transporting a range of merchandise and commodities in the days before infrastructural improvements to the landscape. With vessels capable of carrying loads of up to forty tons, the rivers were the only practical route for the transportation of heavy goods such as coal and large quantities of grain. The men who worked such boats were tough and enjoyed their ale when docked at inland ports such as Tewkesbury. The bow haulers, who tended to work in gangs, were even tougher. Most of the vessels working the River Severn employed a gang of around four to six bow haulers or watermen as they were sometimes called. Sailing downstream to Gloucester or Bristol was easy enough with the use of the current. However, although a sail could help if the weather conditions were right, boats returning with a heavy cargo would rely on bow haulers to pull the vessel upstream. The work of the bow hauler was tough and gruelling. Lightweights did not need to apply. In the 1770s Richard Reynolds described bow hauling as "degrading and unseemly, the means of harbouring and collecting persons of bad character and facilitating a system of plunder injurious to trade and destructive of the morals of the people engaged in it." Eventually tow paths were created in order for horses to haul the vessels. However, the census returns show that watermen or bow haulers were still employed at Tewksbury during the mid-19th century. In the census of 1841 Joseph Glover was recorded as the licensee of the Severn Trow. He kept the pub with his wife Sarah. The couple's children, John and Hannah, lived on the premises. John Glover went on to become a waterman himself. I am not sure if Hannah Glover is the same woman who featured in a news story of 1851 in which Hannah Cooke died following a blow from a customer called Benjamin Baldwin. Incredibly, he only received one month's imprisonment [see newspaper article to the left]. Perhaps this incident signalled the end of the Severn Trow as a public house. Or indeed, a new name was applied to the building in order to expunge any dire reputation the house may have developed. Now, here's where things get really confusing. In the same year [1851] the census enumerator recorded William Clayton as the publican on the Quay, making a clear demarcation between the Quay and Quay Street. In a trade directory for 1852-3, William Clayton is listed as the licensee of the Star Inn at Quay Street. This pub is thought to have occupied the corner of Quay Street and Back of Avon but, once again, I'm not sure that this is the case. Is it possible that William Clayton was trading across the water before moving to the Star Inn? Or, is this a case of an error in the collecting of data? And where the heck are the references to the Admiral Benbow? Certainly, it was a popular pub name in former times and a tavern located next to the River Severn would be an appropriate place for such a moniker as it is believed that John Benbow started off as a boatman on the river, though this was further north in Shropshire close to his birthplace of Shrewsbury. Benbow had a colourful career in the Royal Navy and spent much of his active service fighting the French. It was during an engagement against the French that Benbow was badly injured; he later died from his wounds in Jamaica. However, not before he ordered that three of his captains be tried for cowardice. Following their trial, two were shot aboard HMS Bristol in 1703. Benbow became something of a legendary figure, helped no doubt by Robert Louis Stevenson who named the tavern in "Treasure Island" as the Admiral Benbow.
© Copyright. Image supplied by Digital Photographic Images.

Licensees:

The Britannia Inn is located at No.30 High Street, on the south corner of Smith's Lane. The bricked-up windows on the upper floors suggest that savings were made on the window tax first introduced during the reign of King William III. Although the building dates from the 18th century, it was not licensed until after the 1830 Beerhouse Act. Brian Linnell has suggested however that the property was occupied by wine and spirit merchants before this date though this was a wholesale operation and not a retail outlet. The Britannia Inn did not receive a full licence for the retail sales of wine and spirits until 1866. Before this date the corner boozer traded as a beer house. William Brooking was recorded as the publican in 1841. The Worcestershire-born licensee was born around 1802 and kept the Britannia Inn with his wife Catherine who hailed from the village of Kempsey. The couple's children Sarah, Catherine and Letitia lived on the premises. In the 1840's there was another beer house just along Smith's Lane. This was kept by Sarah Bishop in 1841. Young Letitia Brooking died in Tewkesbury in 1847 and the family later moved to Worcester where William and Catherine kept the Duke of Wellington. They were probably succeeded at the Britannia Inn by Surrey-born Henry Sheppard; he was recorded as a beer seller in the census of 1851. A widower at an early age, he had previously worked as a lacemaker in the town. At the Britannia Inn, he was helped by his daughters Isabella, Rosetta and Elizabeth. Henry also engaged Ann Bray as a housekeeper; she lived on the premises with her two daughters Martha and Elizabeth. The property next door was occupied by printer and bookseller John Garrison. By 1871 the pub was trading as the Britannia Wine Vaults and was managed by Charles and Sarah Dyer. The Britannia Inn had been acquired by the Cheltenham-based firm of John Dobell & Co. This company operated a modest estate of public houses though, being wine merchants, they purchased the beer sold in their houses rather than establishing a brewery to supply the outlets. The Dobell family were Quakers and, accordingly, the Britannia Inn was closed on Sundays. Charles and Sarah Dyer were almost certainly recruited in Charlton Kings by the Dobell's. Charles was born there and had previously worked as a plasterer. His wife Sarah hailed from the village of Uley. The couple's daughter Ellen was born shortly after their arrival in Tewkesbury. Two barmaids were employed by the company and they lived on the premises. Apparently, the dress code for the company's female employees was very strict and they were supposedly teetotal in order that the pub could be run efficiently and with very strict conduct rules to be observed by the patrons. The Dyer family later moved to the Fleece Inn along the High Street where they continued to manage a wine and spirits business for the Dobell family. Elizabeth Roper was appointed manageress of the Britannia Wine and Spirits Vaults - the company tended to employ female managers for their public houses. Elizabeth Roper originated from Shipham in Somerset and was assisted by Gloucester-born Mary Ann Workman. The female team running the Britannia Inn during the early 1890's was Elizabeth Bettridge and Mary Johnson. Trade may have increased somewhat during the late Victorian period because a decade later there were four women working at the pub. The manageress was Ann Maria Roberts. A widow, she had been married to George Roberts and lived at a farm at Gubs Hill [Gupshill] from where he worked as a bailiff for Charles Wilkes. At the Britannia Inn, she was assisted by three barmaids: Rosa Hogg, Alice Pulham and Mary Dobbs. The shop next door at this time was a greengrocery store run by the Chelsea Pensioner Thomas Raynsford. During the early 20th century the Britannia Inn sold Bass ales. In 1978 the property was acquired by Davenport's of Birmingham who were later acquired by Greenall's of Warrington. The Britannia was later operated by Scottish and Newcastle.
© Copyright. Image supplied by Digital Photographic Images.

The Duke of Wellington stood on the north side of Quay Street between the Royal Oak Inn and the White Hart Inn. You can see from the map below that the thoroughfare had no shortage of taverns on this side of the road. It was in 1843, when it was known as Quay Lane, that the properties on the opposite side were demolished to facilitate a road widening scheme so that the railway could be taken onto the quay and flour mills. It was around this time that the name of the thoroughfare became known as Quay Street.
© Copyright. Image supplied by Digital Photographic Images.

“Life is a stranger's sojourn, a night at an inn.”
Marcus Aurelius
Pub Quotations

History and Information on the Public Houses of Gloucestershire with Licensees and Newspaper Articles PLUS Genealogy Connections