Basingstoke 1851 Census - Inns, Beerhouses, and Associated Businesses
Compiled from the VCH transcript of the Basingstoke 1851 census, Trade directories and Barbara Applin’s database of properties in Church St and Wote St[1], with additional information from Bob Clarke.
There were 32 inns and public houses (including The Goat in Eastrop parish, but part of Basingstoke), 2 were not in Basingstoke Town itself (The Golden Lion on the road to Cliddesden, and The White Hart at Worting Town End). There were 21 people described as ‘Beer Retailers/Sellers’, 3 were not in the Town as such. The licensee of the Stag and Hounds on the Winchester Road near Down Grange was described as a Retailer of Beer, as was the landlord of the Self Deffence (Defence), these were counted as Beerhouses rather than public houses. How many of these Beer Sellers ran Beerhouses where beer was sold for consumption on the premises is not clear.
The premises, the landlords, reference to where they are mentioned and what is on the site in 2011 are tabulated below. The inns and public houses are listed in street order and sequentially within the street. The beer retailers and other businesses are listed alphabetically
Assuming all 18 of the Town Beer Retailer/Sellers were Beerhouses there were 48 premises in the Town area where drink could be consumed on the premises. With the population of just over 2800 over the age of 14 this equates to one drinking place to every 58 people. That is the unqualified statistic. When allowance is made for the fact that not all people drank and that women were very much less likely to go to public houses the figure would have been considerably lower.
The following notice from St Michael’s Parish Magazine of September 1865 gives an interesting insight into the standards and thinking of the time (albeit 15 years later).
BEER CLUB[2]
Payments may be made by any body at the Church Cottage, every Monday at 12 a.m. The aim of the Club is to make it easy for a man to have a 4½ gallon cask of brewer's beer always in his house.
Many men and many men's wives, would, we believe, gladly buy at the brewers instead of at the public house the beer that they drink at home. It would be cheaper, once in the house it would be at hand, and it would moreover keep some who are weak out of temptation. For however a visit to the public house may often mean a quiet or merry hour with pleasant companions - it means on the other hand to very many the great curse and plague spot of their life - remorse, home wretchedness, poverty, and ruin.
But a man can't buy his beer of the brewer because a 4½ gallon cask is the smallest quantity sent out, and that at 1s a gallon, costs 4s.6d., and 4s.6d. is for many, a large sum to find ready at hand. Now this club is formed to enable him to lay the money by. When the sum paid in amounts to 4s. 6 ½d. an order upon a Brewer will be given for a 4½ gallon cask of 1s beer, which will be delivered to his door. This beer is 1s.4d. at the public house. As a cask would be emptied in about 12 days at three pints a day, a man would need to pay in about 2s.6d. weekly if he wished to have beer always in the house.
From The Parish Magazine September 1865.
Two shillings and six pence would have been a large proportion (20-25%) of a working man’s wage.
Name / Age / Occupation[3] / Address / Name of Premises[4]*Indicates it existed until Town redevelopment / Census or Directory Reference[5] / Comment / Modern Site[6] /
Wheeler
John / 35 / Innkeeper / Winchester St / Wheatsheaf Inn / 1851, 158v, 9, 41 / One of the old coaching inns / Still exists /
Adams
Edward / 61 / Common brewer / Winchester St / The Shades, later the Victoria
and Victoria brewery / 1851, 135r, 8, 28 / Father of Edward Senhouse Adams / Lamb Brooks Solicitors /
Adams
Edward Senhouse / 20 / Common brewer / Winchester St / The Shades, later the Victoria
and Victoria brewery / 1851, 135r, 8,28 / Son, father of the leaders of the Massagainian rioters in 1881.[7] / These two entries are counted as one for the analysis /
Billimore
David / 57 / Publican / Winchester St / The Three Tuns / 1851, 139v, 17, 70 / Hunt[8] 1852. One of the old coaching inns / Note 1 /
Goodall
Thomas / 37 / Innkeeper / Winchester St / Crown Inn / 1851, 161r, 14, 60 / One of the old coaching inns / Basingstoke Service Centre and Joices’ Yard /
Leavey
John / 41 / Sawyer / Cattle Market (Bounty Rd/Victoria St) / Cattle Market / 1851, 138v, 15, 63 / 1849 Post Office Directory lists John Leavey as Beer Retailer, Cattle Market / Still exists as The Bounty, Bounty Rd /
Loader
William / 50 / Innkeeper / Market Place / Angel Inn / 1851, 141v, 21, 85 / The most important of the old coaching inns / Barclays Bank /
Dudman
Sarah / 61 / Innkeeper / London St / Fleur de Lys / 1851, 143v, 25, 94 / Hunt 1852, Slater[9] 1852 / Post Office or next door to the east /
Hoare
James / 35 / Innkeeper / London St / Bell Inn / 1851, 162r, 16, 71 / RSPCA shop /
Brazier
John / 63 / Innkeeper / London St / Red Lion Inn / 1851, 164r, 20, 82 / One of the old coaching inns.
Also Inland Revenue Officer / Still exists /
Sims
George / 52 / Innkeeper / London St / Anchor Inn* / 1851, 164r, 20, 83 / Anchor Court /
Cripps
Mary / 54 / Licensed victualler / London St (Road) / White Hart Inn / 1851, 167r, 26, 105 / Still Exists /
Dixon
William / 52 / Builder employing 3 men and innkeeper / Hackwood Rd / Horse and Groom* / 1851, 169r, 30, 122 / Hunt 1852 has Horse and Jockey*– the 20th century name / Harold Jackson Terrace /
Bone
James / 37 / Victualler / Church St / Ship Inn / 1851, 177, 1, 1 / Opposite the Willis Museum /
Klitz
William / 38 / Victualler and Organist / Church St / Black Boy Tavern / 1851, 178, 3, 9 / Slater 1852 has it Untenanted / Now Censo restaurant /
Name / Age / Occupation / Address / Name of Premises
*Indicates it existed until Town redevelopment / Census or Directory Reference / Comment / Modern Site /
Lodder
Elizabeth / 26 / Landlord’s daughter / Church St / Rose and Crown* / 1851, 184, 15, 63 / Hunt, 1852, has Thomas Flower as landlord / Under Festival Place near Discovery Centre /
Benham
George / 41 / Carrier and publican / Church St / The Harrow Inn / 1851, 181, 9, 37 / Hunt 1852 has James Fisher as landlord / Near Chute House (Rectory) /
Melicant
Francis / 46 / Victualler / Chapel St / Rose Inn* / 1851, 191, 29, 130 / Under Festival Place near Argos /
Wither
Walter / 64 / Publican / Chapel St / Half Moon / 1851, 188, 22, 97 / Just north of railway bridge on the right /
Eames
Thomas / 51 / Victualler / Chapel St / Rising Sun / 1851, 188, 22, 98 / Still exists as The Way Inn /
Castle
Thomas / 29 / Publican / Wote St / Fox and Hounds Public House / 1851, 211, 32, 127 / Slater 1852 has Sarah Kent as Landlady / Opposite the Willis Museum /
Griffin
Edward / 34 / Innkeeper / Wote St / Feathers Inn / 1851, 210, 31, 125 / Still exists as Laarsens /
Witen(Whiten)
Mary / 66 / Victualler / Wote St / Cross Keys / 1851, 199, 9, 33 / Became The Angel* / Under Festival Place /
Watts
Henry / 62 / Victualler / Wote St / The Barge* / 1851, 203, 16, 62 / Slater 1852 has William Page as landlord / Under Festival Place. /
Baker
Jonathan / Innkeeper / Goat Lane / The Goat / Hunt 1852 / Under Festival Place /
Bare
John / 53 / Publican / Brook St / 1851, 216r, 2, 7 / Possibly what became The Victory* Hunt 1852 has him as beer retailer / Victory Roundabout /
Matthews
Joseph / 42 / Victualler / Reading Rd / The Castle / 1851, 221r, 12, 59 / Hunt 1852 / Still exists as Poison /
Leavey
Thomas / 51 / Victualler / Reading Rd / 1851, 222r, 14, 71 / Possibly The Horse & Groom /
Allen
Michael / 49 / Innkeeper / Bunnian Place / Queen’s Head / 1851, 232v, 35, 149 / Hunt 1852 has him as beer retailer at the Queen’s Arms. Slater 1852 has Queen’s Head / Queen’s Arms still exists /
Name / Age / Occupation / Address / Name of Premises
*Indicates it existed until Town redevelopment / Census or Directory Reference / Comment / Modern Site /
Barret
Edward / 64 / Brewer / Flaxpool (Flaxfield Rd) / 1851, 243v, 11, 41 / Slater 1852 also list them as Coal merchants / These two entries are counted as one for the analysis /
Barret
Robert / 48 / Brewer / Flaxpool / 1851, 243v, 11, 41 / Possibly the Pear Tree* /
Moth
Francis / 42 / Brewer and Lodging house keeper / Flaxpool / 1851, 244, 12, 47 /
Watson
Charles / 64 / Licensed victualler / Golden Lion Inn / 1851, 256v, 1, 4 / Still exists /
Smith
George / 54 / Licensed victualler / Salisbury Rd (Worting Town End) / The White Hart / 1851, 262,58 / Hunt1852 has this as The White Hart, Slater 1852 has it as The White Horse / Still exists /
/ Beer Retailers /
Arford (Orford)
John / 54 / Beer seller / Chapel St / Crown and Anchor / 1851, 190, 26, 116 / On right hand side before the railway bridge /
Armstrong
David / 40 / Beer Retailer / Winton St / 1851, 133v, 5, 20 / Winchester Rd near Winton Square /
Basing
Thomas / Beer retailer / Railway Station / 1851, 233r, 36, 154
Slater 1852 / Census address – near the Station /
Cranstone
William / 47 / Beer retailer / Wote St / Hunt 1852 / Slater has Cranston.
1851,202, 15, 57 has William Cranston, Wote St, 47, master bricklayer /
Croxon
William / 33 / Beer retailer / Bunnian Place / Hunt 1852 / 1851, 34, 232, 146 has William Croxon, Bunnian Place, Shoemaker /
Etheridge
George / Beer retailer / Bunnian Place / 1851, 226v, 23, 105
Slater1852 / Census occupation -Carman /
Name / Age / Occupation / Address / Name of Premises
*Indicates it existed until Town redevelopment / Census or Directory Reference / Comment / Modern Site /
Flower
Henry / Beer retailer / Church St / Slater 1852 / Not in 1851 census /
Flower
Thomas / Beer retailer / Hackwood Lane
Census – Hackwood Rd - 7th schedule entry from London Rd / 1851, 168r, 28, 115
Slater1852 / Census occupation - Merchant’s porter. Hunt 1852 has him at the Rose & Crown, Church St /
Franklin
William / 53 / Retailer of beer / Winchester Rd / 1851, 258, 20 / Slater 1852 has this as The Stag and Hounds / Still exists /
Gilly
William / Beer retailer / Church St / Slater 1852 / William not in census, but Hannah Gilley, married, 39, midwife is, 1851, 181, 8, 31 /
Hacker
John / Beer retailer / Hackwood Lane / Hunt 1852 / Town Crier.
1851, 35, 150 has John Hacker, Hackwood lane, 71 gardener /
Hallett
Thomas / Beer retailer / Alresford Rd / Hunt 1852 / Possibly Cliddesden Rd in what is now Jay’s Close /
Hawkins
Benjamin / Beer retailer / Chapel St / Slater 1852 / Not in 1851 census /
Henwood
William / 57 / Retailer of beer / Flaxpool / 1851, 248, 20, 72 /
Hewett
Thomas / 52 / Beer retailer / Cliddesden Rd / Near the Golden Lion (next entry in census which continues to Viables Farm ) / 1851, 257r, 2, 5 /
Ifould
Job / Beer retailer / Pear Tree Corner (Flaxpool) / Hunt 1852
Not in 1851 census / Possibly The Pear Tree, see above --- Barrett /
Knight
George / 60 / Baker and retailer of beer / Church St / Self Deffence (Defence)*
Possibly should be counted as a public house. / 1851, 182, 10, 42 / 4 lodgers / Under Festival Place opposite Box Hairdressing /
Name / Age / Occupation / Address / Name of Premises
*Indicates it existed until Town redevelopment / Census or Directory Reference / Comment / Modern Site /
Readwin
Thomas / Beer retailer / Bunnian Place / Slater 1852 / Not in 1851 census, but Ann Redwin, 53, Plasterer’s wife is living in Narrow Lane (Bedford Place) 1851, 202,14, 54 /
Smith
David / 29 / Cordwainer and retailer of beer / Hackwood Rd / Plough beer shop / 1851, 172v, 37, 156 / Unidentified probably near the current Park entrance /
Smith
James / Beer retailer / Hackwood Lane / Slater 1852 / Not in 1851 census /
Thorne
Benjamin / Beer retailer / Bunnian Place / Slater 1852 / Not in 1851 census /
Palmer
William / 59 / Beer retailer and chair maker / Church St / 1851, 184, 14, 57 / Possibly sold for consumption off the premises / Unidentified /
Benham
Elizabeth / 54 / Beer retailer and shop keeper / Church St / 1851, 184, 14, 60 / Possibly sold for consumption off the premises / Unidentified /
/ Other Businesses /
Barton
John / Wine & Spirit merchant / Wote St / Slater 1852 / 1851 Burton, John, 31, Brewer & Spirit merchant 1851, 207, 25, 103 /
Blunden
Fredrick / Wine & Spirit merchant / Wote St / Slater 1852 / Not in 1851 census /
Blunden James / Wine& spirit merchant / London St / Premises became The George (Hole in the Wall) / Not in 1851 census but Elizabeth Blunden, wife, 31, is, 1851 142v, 2 3, 89 / Now Zizzi’s restaurant /
Brooks
Thomas Dove / 58 / Professed brewer / Church St / Manor House Farm / 1851, 182, 10, 41 / No information of what a professed brewer is. /
Burton
John / 31 / Brewer and Spirit Merchant / Wote St / 1851, 207, 25, 103 / Became The Grapes* / Under Festival Place /
Name / Age / Occupation / Address / Name of Premises
*Indicates it existed until Town redevelopment / Census or Directory Reference / Comment / Modern Site /
Cullam
Francis / 62 / Brewer / Hackwood Lane / 1851, 148v, 35, 147 / Could be an employee of one of the brewers /
May / Brewery / Brook St / Not noted in the 1851 census / Roughly where the Anvil is built /
Page
Richard / 50 / Brewer / Brook St / 1851, 216v, 3, 10 / Possibly an employee of the Mays /
Note 1 The Three Tuns was demolished when the widened and re-aligned Victoria St was constructed in the later 19th century (now New Rd). A replacement Three Tuns was built adjacent to the site on the corner of Victoria St and Winchester St and still exists as an Estate Agent’s office.