In 1841 a 65 year
old Jane Meager ran a beer shop in
Frithsden, and is almost certainly the 71
year old Jane Meager who died at
Tring, and was buried at
Nettleden on March 6,
1844.
Beer shops were
quite common and while they often had names, like full public houses, they were
often no more than the parlour in a house where the host worked during the day,
and served beer in the evening. The problem when doing research is that the name
is not fully recorded.
Mr
Newman was
landlord in 1850 when:
Sly and Murderous Assault with the Knife, and Inadequate
Punishment. Henry Ing was charged by
W. Blacknell,
with assaulting him on the 16th
[October 1850]. The evidence of the complainant was to the following effect:
In the evening of the 16th, I was with
George Rance at
a beer-house at Frithsden, when our conversation turned to the subject of old
Mr. Ing 'going a courting.' I said his intended was a fool for going with such
an old man! Ing said his father might have been married before if he had
liked. I replied I thought the girl would not have him. No more was said
respecting the matter then; but in about ten minutes, young
Ing wanted to drink
out of my pot of beer, I refused to let him, and he then pushed against me. I
said I would not suffer him to set against me, and moved to the other side of
the table; he followed me and pushed against me there also: he pushed me in the
ribs, one of which was hurt, and I thought broken by their violence. I
immediately threw him on the settle, and Mr. Newman came in and parted us. I
then discovered that blood was flowing from my head and neck.
Rance, who was
present, said he thought Ing dit it with a nail. Ing then went to get a rag to
stop the blood. The next morning when I went to wash myself, I found a wound in
my side just in the place where Ing pushed against me, and on examining it,
discovered a cut which appeared to have been made with a knife, and which passed
through all my clothes in the very place where I felt the hurt on the ribs. My
shirt was covered with blood (producing it), I also produce my hat which has two
cuts through it. Mr. Whatley has examined the wounds, and I have been under
medical treatment ever sence. Two young men named Bedford and
Rance,
corroborated the evidence of prosecutor. Ing in defence, said he was struck
first. The Bench said they considered the assault a most brutal one, and had no
doubt the weapon used by the prisoner was a knife, although no one saw it. They
fined the prisoner £2 with 29s. 6d. Costs. In default he was committed for six
weeks. [ Why not committed for trial?]
Hertford
Mercury, October
26, 1850
The
1851 census shows that Henry Ing to be a 29
year old agricultural laboures, born Frithsden,
who was living in Nettledon with with wife
and young family. The victim/prosecutor was probably
William Blackwell, a 46 year old Gardner living (not very far away)
at Crouchfield, Hemel Hempstead.
George Rance was almost certainly the 23
year old agricultural labourer who was living at
Frithsden with his family.
The
Tyrant's Arms is listed by name in the 1851 census when it was occupied by
William Newman a 39 year old farmer who farmed 29 acres and employed 2
labourers. He is listed as being born in Cuddington, Bucks, and his 47 year old
wife, Margaret, had been born in
Ivinghoe. There was also an 11 year old
servant, Ellen Holloway.
William is also listed as a Beer House Keeper.
The
change in name may have followed the death of
John Egerton, Viscount Alford (1812-1851), eldest son
John Cust, 1st
Earl Brownlow. Clearly it is derived from the courtesy name for the
eldest son of Earl Brownlow.
The
1861 census records the Alford Arms but the publican was absent at the time of
the census, although his daughter, 28 year old Charlotte Catherall was present,
together with a servant Phebe Redding and three Lodgers,
James Nash (a
blacksmith), his wife and infant daughter.
An inquest was held by H. Day, Esq., coroner, at the
Alford
Arms, Frithsden, on Saturday last the 6th
[September, 1862] on the body of Henry Wells, aged 62 tears.
George
Smith said the deceased had been engaged the day previously taking fern
[bracken] in a cart from Berkhamstead Common to
Frithsden gardens, for
Lord Brownlow. Between three and four o'clock he saw
the deceased walking by the side of the cart when the horse suddenly jumped
forward and ran away. The deceased who appeared to have hold of the horses
head, ran a few yards, fell, and the wheel of the cart passed over his body.
The deceased was assisted home and attended by Mr Whatley, surgeon, who
found several of his ribs and breast bone broken, besides other internal
injuries which were the cause of death. Verdict Accidental Death.
[Hertford
Mercury, September 13, 1862]
The
1861 census shows that Henry Wells had been
born in Frithsden, worked as a gardener, and
lived with his wife and (step?)son at Frithsden.
There were a number of people called George Smith
living in the Berkhamsted area so his identity is uncertain.
It
is appropriate to note that the arrangement for inquests at the time was to hold
them as soon as possible after the death (no refrigerated morgues in those
days). This often meant a nearby public house - which would have had a room big
enough for the coroner, the jury, the witnesses - and of coursed the deceased
laid out on a table for all to see!
It
should be possible to follow the occupants of the
Alford Arms in the 1871-1911
censuses and
HALS will have licensing records from
1873 - and they may also have something before 1830 - but there is a gap in the
records between 1830 and 1873. It should be possible to find some records in
trade directories.
HALS may also be able to help with
other sources, such as old manuscript maps from the early 19th century (which
may show the building in enough detail to compare with the currant ground plan).
A query to The Gazette
can sometimes provide some useful information.
While there could be something in the local newspapers at the time of the fire
those giving the best coverage of the Hemel/Berkhamsted
area are not yet indexed online. However some papers in the
British Newspaper
Archive (which is being continually extended) have occasional references
- and in addition to the two quotations above I found the following
DRUNK - George Goodage,
of Market Street [Markyate],
was charged by Thomas Cox, of
Frithsden, with being drunk and refusing
to quit the Alford Arms, on Sept 12.
P/C. Gotobed confirmed the charge. -
Goodage was fined 19s 5d, which he paid.
