Berkshire Pubs

Arthur Basil FROUD [1730] son of John [1666] married, in 1911. His bride was Nellie POINTER nee GREY who was the landlady of The Hatchet, Childrey. He then became the landlord. This photograph of the Hatchet was taken by Wendy Baldock in 2006. Wendy and Stu, who took the photographs of The Dun Cow, are both members of Roots Chat.

William Henry FROUD [1707] was the son of Thomas and Ellen. After leaving the army he married Fanny SIMS nee VINE, the widowed landlady of The Leather Bottle, Challow and became the landlord in 1902 but sadly he died in 1908. This pretty thatched inn is still open, a photograph can be seen on the geograph website. It was twice badly damaged by fire.

We are very grateful to members of Rootschat for their invaluable help with information about the various Inns and would welcome any additional facts.

The IBEX, Chaddleworth

Joseph FROUD [1359] lived in a large farm in Chaddleworth, Berkshire. Revd. Edward Harding wrote of the farm house in his “Short Historical Notes of Chaddleworth” 1861, “Part of this house was pulled down and added to, in 1838 and 1839, and was first opened as an Inn, now The Ibex, on April 22nd 1839."

One of Joseph’s great grand son’s was Thomas MESSENGER [13008]. In 1841 Thomas was a baker in Chaddleworth, there was a bake house attached to the inn so possibly Thomas used yeast to brew beer to sell alongside the bread from the house. We know that the Beer act of 1830 made it possible to use ordinary houses for the sale of beer. Did Thomas converted the house for use as a pub? Several of our publicans considered the pub to be their secondary occupation in the early days so although he listed “Baker” as his occupation in 1841 he was quite likely to have been the innkeeper. The wives were probably the principal Inn keepers. Thomas was definitely listed at the Ibex in 1848 in Kelly’s Directory, on the 1851 census and in the 1854 Post Office Directory.

In 1861 Thomas was a farmer and a Henry LOVELL was at the Inn. Thomas died in 1864. The Inn was sold by auction on May 2nd 1876 on behalf of Thomas’s estate.

Photograph 1 of the Inn and that of the sign by kind permission of Kevin Poile.

Photograph 2 of the Inn and that of the Auction poster are shown here by kind permission of the present landlord Andy Jones.

The Blackbird, Bagnor, Speen.

The Inn is seventeenth century and is still trading today it has lovely gardens and a playground for children.

Moses BELCHER [14807] was the landlord at least between 1839 and 1868. He is mentioned in several directories. Robinson's Directory of the Western Counties for 1839 Belcher Moses, Bagnor Beer Retailer, Combined Post Office directory 1847 Belcher Moses, beer retlr Wood Speen, Billings Directory 1854 Moses BELCHER Beer retailer,Kelly’s 1869 Belcher Moses, beer retailer, Bagnor none of which name the house, Moses died December quarter 1868 but the directory information was collected well before publication so the Kelly’s entry is not contradictory.

The 1841 census shows him as a wheelwright, the 1851 as a victualler and farmer of 6 acres, in 1861 at last the house is named as the Black Bird and Moses is said to be a beer house and groce’rs shop keeper.

Moses was the brother of James [13022] another wheelwright who married Caroline FROUD.

The Harrow, West Isley

George DORE [16517] was landlord of the Harrow from 1851-1853 he is listed in the post office Directory of 1854 as Dore George “Arrow” and Bailiff however it is thought he died in 1853 information was gathered for Directories well in advance. It is thought that his widow Esther nee BELCHER continued as landlady until 1869. She is listed at the Inn with a niece Elizabeth BELCHER in the 1861 census. Both George and Esther are mentioned in a book about the pubs and breweries of East and West Ilsley called "Time Gentlemen Please"

The Inn is still trading and is set alongside the village cricket pitch.

The Hinksey Inn, New Hinksey.

This was being kept by John GIBBS [1030] about 1876 -1881. John married Sarah GILES daughter of Thomas and Mary GILES of the Bell, Hampton Poyle. In 1881 he was a mason's labourer and publican but in 1891 he was a bricklayer neither employer or employee living with his wife in Kidlington.

Berkshire publicans.

The FROUD publicans of Harwell, Northmoor, Childrey, Charney Bassett, Blewbury and Challow

James FROUD [1661] was a nephew of William FROUD [1293] who is on our direct line. In 1844 he was working as a shoemaker from Ivy Cottage in Childrey his wife’s family home. They moved to The Crown, Main Street, Childrey where he was a shoemaker and beer retailer in 1871, a shoemaker and publican in 1881 and was a bootmaker and barhouse keeper in 1891. James is listed among the landlords of The Crown which opened in 1709 and closed in 1966. Sylvia Lay said that he also had 2 cows and sold milk to the villagers and taught all his sons to make shoes.

James’ youngest daughter Kate [1675] was a bar maid with her father in 1891.

James’ eldest son John FROUD [1666] started as a shoemaker but in 1891 was keeping The Sawyer’s Arms in Blewbury when he was a publican and general dealer. A description of Blewbury can be seen at www.blewbury.co.uk where it is said The Sawyer’s Arms become a pub before 1864 it was demolished a long time ago and replaced with a house. The name was from the nearby saw pit. It was little more than a Beer House where people stood drinking in the single small room where the beer was sold.

James’ daughter Mary FROUD [1669] married Thomas BOUCHER in 1873. He was described as an Innkeeper and Bootmaker in 1881 and a shoemaker and Publican in 1891 when they are at The Chequers, Charney Bassett. Charney Bassett is a small village with a church standing next to a Manor House suggesting it was an estate village or hamlet and perhaps the pub was named after a feature on the manorial arms

His second son Thomas FROUD [1677] was a shoemaker on the 1871 census then ten years later he was the publican of the Crispin, Burr St, Harwell, an appropriately named pub as St Crispin is the patron saint of shoemakers. His son Frederick was with him. He remained as landlord only for three years before returning to farming in Childrey.

The Crispin is still in use and a photographs of the sign and interior can be seen on the web where there is a very short history of the pub during WW2.

Thomas’s wife Ellen FROUD nee SMITH [1702] was the head of her household, an innkeeper’s wife with 4 of their children at the Dun Cow, Northmoor in 1881. As a daughter was born in 1882 in Harwell it looks as if the family were in the process of moving from this pub to The Crispin. Possibly the Dun Cow was proving too small for their growing family and for Thomas to conduct his shoe making business from there.

The name The Dun Cow was first used for the establishment in 1793, although it was a beer house. It was owned by a victualler and briefly licensed between 1677-1689. It was a very small house and never offered accommodation. It consisted of two public rooms neither fitted with a bar, the beer was served straight from the barrel which was kept in the kitchen. By 1861 groceries were also sold at the pub. It finally closed in 1990.