Public Houses in Elmswell
The following data are extracted from the censuses and directories, etc., on this site, showing the named publican and any other description of his/her business, the name or location as given, and the source. I have included here Des Herring’s entries post-1800 – his complete tables being shown below.
| Year | Name | Type | Location | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crown Mill previously 'Carriers Arms') | ||||
| 1871 | Robert Adams | Publican | Carriers Arms, Station Road | census |
| 1881 | Robert Adams | Publican & Carrier | Station Road Crown Inn | census |
| 1901 | Richard Harris | Publican & Hay Dealer (i) | Street | census |
| 1908 | Harris, Richard | Beer retailer | directories | |
| The Fox | ||||
| 1851 | William Wright | Beer house keeper {Not specific - might have been another inn; he was a coal porter in 1861!} | census | |
| 1855 | Corner, Edward | Beer seller, coal agent | directories | |
| 1861 | Jemima Corner | Victualler | Fox Inn | census |
| 1864 | Corner, Jemima | (lets a horse & fly) | Fox Inn | directories |
| 1865 | Corner, Edward | Beer retailer, & licensed to let horses | directories | |
| 1865 | Corner, Jemima | Beer retailer | directories | |
| 1871 | Jemima Corner | Inn keeper | -120 | census |
| 1874 | Corner, Mrs Jemima | Fox | Whites | |
| 1881 | Jemima Corner | Publican | Station Road Fox Inn | census |
| 1884 | Corner, Mrs Jemima | Fox | Whites | |
| 1891 | Robert Lewis | Inn Keeper | Fox Inn | census |
| 1891 | Jemima Corner | Retired Publican | 21 Hawk End | census |
| 1901 | Horace Last | Licensed Victualler - Pub (i) | Fox Hotel | census |
| 1908 | Last, Horace | Fox family & com. hotel | directories | |
| 1911 | Frederick Bishop | Publican | census | |
| 1925 | Keen, Charles | Fox Hotel | directories | |
| 1933 | Keen, Charles | Proprietor | Fox Hotel | directories |
| 1935 | Mr Blaker | Kept the inn from 1935-1950 (info. from his son) | Fox Hotel | miscellaneous |
| 1951 | Fox Hotel | POdir | ||
| Lion, Red Lion, The Swan Inn until about 1770 | ||||
| 1814 | Red Lion | Enclosure Map Q\R1 | ||
| 1814 | Seaton, Sam | Red Lion | O\S Acc | |
| 1816 | Seaton, Sam | Red Lion | O\S Acc | |
| 1817 | Seadon, Miss marr | Red Lion | IJ | |
| 1831 | Bridges, Dennis | Red Lion | Suf Chr | |
| 1834 | Smith, Mr | Red Lion | 0\S Acc | |
| 1841 | William Smith | Innkeeper | Lion Inn | census |
| 1844 | Smith, William | Victualler | Red Lion | directories |
| 1844 | Smith, William | Redlion | Whites | |
| 1846 | Smith, William | Red Lion | directories | |
| 1851 | W Smith | Inn Keeper | census | |
| 1855 | Smith, William | Victualler | Red Lion (postg.) | directories |
| 1856 | Robinson, E | Red Lion | PO Dir | |
| 1861 | Thomas G Bennett | Victualler | Red Lion Inn | census |
| 1864 | Bennett, T | Red Lion | PO Dir | |
| 1865 | Bennett, Thomas Green | Red Lion | directories | |
| 1871 | Elizabeth Mulley | Publican | Red Lion Inn | census |
| 1874 | Smith, Sam | Red Lion | Whites | |
| 1881 | Robert H. Bloom | Innkeeper | Station Road Lion Inn | census |
| 1884 | Bloom, Rb | Red Lion | Whites | |
| 1891 | Henry Nunn | Innkeeper | Lion Inn | census |
| 1901 | Robert Snare? | Publican (i) | Street Lion Inn | census |
| 1908 | Hawes, Walter Wakelin | Lion P.H | directories | |
| 1911 | Kate Hawes | Licensed victualler | Lion Inn | census |
| 1916 | Russell, Frederick | Lion P.H | directories | |
| 1920 | Balls, Mr | Lion P.H | football club | |
| 1925 | Balls, William George | Lion P.H | directories | |
| The Oak (probably) | ||||
| 1881 | William Manning | Wheelwright & Publican Emp 3 Men 1 Boy | Buttenhaugh Rd Beerhouse | census |
| 1901 | Frederick Manning | Publican (i) | Buttenhaugh Green | census |
| 1908 | Manning, Frederick | Beer retailer & seedsman | directories | |
| 1911 | Frederick Manning | Publican (i) | The Oak - Public House | census |
| Railway Tavern | ||||
| 1844 | Baker, George Randall | Beer seller | directories | |
| 1851 | George R Baker | Innkeeper & Beermaker employing 1 man | census | |
| 1856 | Baker, George Randall | Railway Tavern | PO Dir | |
| 1861 | George Randall Baker | Victualler | Railway Tavern | census |
| 1864 | Baker, George Randall | Seed merchant, birch broom mfr & farmer | Railway Tavern | directories |
| 1864 | Baker, G R | Railway | PO Dir | |
| 1865 | Baker, George Randall | Seed merchant, birch broom maker | Railway Tavern | directories |
| 1871 | Elenor Baker | Inn keeper | Railway Tavern Inn | census |
| 1874 | Baker, Miss E | Railway Hotel | Whites | |
| 1881 | Eleanor BAKER | Farmer & Innkeeper | Church Rd Railway Tavern | census |
| 1891 | Henry E Gunn | Victualler & Baker | Woolpit Road, Railway Tavern | census |
| 1901 | John Henry Laver | Licensed Victualler (i) | Railway Tavern | census |
| 1908 | Laver, John Henry | Railway tavrn.&bkr | directories | |
| 1911 | Frank Clarke | Hotel Manager | Tavern P.H. | census |
| 1922 | Russell, Frederick | "In 1922 I was 8 years old and my parents took over the Railway Tavern..." | Railway tavern | oral, George Russell |
| 1925 | Russell, Frederick | Railway tavern | directories | |
| 1933 | Russell, Frederick | Railway tavern | directories |
Pubs in Elmswell
The following data was kindly provided by Desmond Herring, of Needham Market, who gave us a talk on 10th January 2002 entitled “Suffolk Pubs before 1844”. (Reproduced with his permission)
1850 – 1900
| Date | Pub name | Source | Other details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | FOX | WHITES | * Corner Mrs Jemima |
| 1874 | FOX | WHITES | * Corner Mrs Jemima |
| 1874 | RAILWAY HOTEL | WHITES | * Baker Miss E |
| 1864 | RAILWAY | PO Dir | * Baker G R |
| 1856 | RAILWAY TAVERN | PO Dir | * Baker George Randall |
| 1884 | RED LION | WHITES | * Bloom Rb |
| 1874 | RED LION | WHITES | * Smith Sam |
| 1864 | RED LION | PO Dir | * Bennett T |
| 1856 | RED LION | PO Dir | * Robinson E |
Before 1850
| Date | Pub name | Source | Other details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1674 | BUCKS HEAD | TAX | 4hearths location ?? BUCKS HEAD* Fiske Ro |
| 1662 | BUCKS HEAD | TAX | 6hearths loc 4 ?? BUCKS HEAD* Feiske Th |
| 1620 | BUCKS HEAD | INN REN MOM\B | l0s* Fist Eliz |
| 1619 | BUCKS HEAD | INN LIC MOM\B | £5* Fist Eliz |
| 1564 | BUCKS HORNS | HD1538\25 | Tax Blackbourn H; £10.10s Harte Rbt |
| 1642 | HISTORY | . | * Webb Gabrial; Royalist during the Civil War |
| 1600 | HISTORY | . | & 1760 * Roman Catholic Recusant |
| 1844 | REDLION | WHITES | * Smith Wm oc* Smyth Sir GH ow |
| 1834 | RED LION | 0\S ACC | Bill for wine 18s10d ?RED LION* Smith Mr |
| 1831 | RED LION | SUF CHR | Furniture sale &, 1832*:Bridges Dennis |
| 1817 | RED LION | IJ | Called LION* Seadon Miss marr |
| 1816 | RED LION | O\S ACC | Ringers Beer £l.6s7d ?RL* Seaton Sam |
| 1814 | RED LION | ENCLOSURE MAP Q\R1 | location (see Oak 1904) LION |
| 1814 | RED LION | O\S ACC | Beer allowance: Workman £1.6s7d Seaton Sam |
| 1799 | RED LION | B & N POST | . |
| 1792 | RED LION | IJ | Estate sale |
| 1790 | RED LION | POOR RATE | Ass £6; ??RED LION* Seaton Sam |
| 1786 | RED LION | IJ | house sale & 1791 called LION |
| 1783 | RED LION | IJ | sale catalogues; furniture sale; called LION |
| 1776 | RED LION | DEEDS BURY RO | . |
| 1774 | RED LION | IJ | Estate sale |
| 1771 | RED LION | IJ | * Gower Jh inhld* Marsh Wm ow Lord of Manor .. was SWAN . . . . . |
| 1774 | SWAN | IJ | called OLD SWAN became the RED LION |
| 1763 | SWAN | O\S ACC | Pd 8s4d which included lqt beer ** SWAN* Betts Th |
| 1722 | SWAN | SUF MER | Horse race* Brown Frances |
| 1686 | SWAN ?? | WAR OFFICE LIST | 2beds 4stables |
| 1674 | SWAN ?? | TAX | 5 hearths* Heyrard Wd |
| 1662 | SWAN ?? | TAX | 5 hearths* Hayward Susan |
| 1661 | SWAN ?? | B105\2\5 | SESS To sell beer out side Gannik* Hayward Sus |
| 1619 | SWAN ?? | LENT RECOGNIZANCE inkp or but | * Buckle Jh {1607} |
| 1350 | CHURCH | . | Bells 1533 1582 1616 1670 1677; Or El3N * John St |
Desmond Herring writes:
As a local history project I have compiled a data bank of references to public houses, inns and innkeepers in Suffolk . In the 1844 Whites Directory is a comprehensive survey of the named pubs in Suffolk and my researches are concentrated before this date. In addition I have used data only from the directories from 1850 till 1900. The data base before 1844 has been collected from many sources. The list has been edited to avoid too much repetition; however it still runs to 300,000 lines.
There are less than 20 names that represent the majarity of traditional pub sign names. Why so few compared with the many thousands of personal names? As with personal names there are fashions in sign names, and these fashions may well represent significant social-historical events.
Ale is the drink of the peasant, and the sign-name might reflect on village social history not found in other documents. It may well be possible to use a sign name to date a pub site or even the pub building.