Wendy Barrett (wendy.barrett2 @t ntlworld.com) of Sandy, Beds, writes: I have a copy of a will of 1840 of George Pearman, farmer and publican of Bennington. Can you find out what was the name of the pub please and is it still a pub. He was a relation of mine.

Tracking down the names of early beer houses can be difficult, especially as many were carried out in conjunction with another business - and the beer selling was a secondary activity. However, later in the century things get easier.

As you may have already noticed, the Benington page contains the text of the 1850/1 Post Office Directory for the village and shows John Armstrong, baker & beer seller, Mrs Catherine Pearman, beer seller, and James Taylor of the Bell (which would have been an Inn rather than a beer house).

The George & Dragon circa 1910 (for more detail see Benington page)

The 1851 census shows the following family at "The George"

Hertfordshire Inns & Public Houses reports that the Bell and the Lordship Arms (formerly Cricketers) were still open when it was published, and that the George & Dragon (J. Armstrong), the Red Lion (F. Parkins) and the White Horse (J. Pearman) were in existence in 1862. The George & Dragon and the Red Lion closed in the 1920's. The White Horse did not close until 1955. 

It looks as if the pub you are interested in was the George & Dragon - which looks like a farm in the above picture - but that one of the family may have later moved to the White Horse. You may be able to fill in details from other census returns and trade directory entries. It is always worth checking HALS to see if they have anything directly relating to the pub.

April, 2005

Wendy Barrett (wendy.barrett2 @t ntlworld.com) replied: Thanks for your answer to my question re Pub that George Pearman had. He was also a farmer, so your comment that the picture seems to show a farm was correct. I can now add the photo to my family tree.One of his sons John had a daughter called Hannah Selina Pearman, she went to Hastings (would love to know why and when) and married my Great Grandfather Charles Ralph. Perhaps this information will add to somebody else's research.

There is a web page for Benington

If you can add to the information given above tell me.

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