The Crown and Sceptre Public House, Ampthill

The Crown & Sceptre: Morris & Company Brewery Site, Bedford Street

This public house stood in Bedford Street, its rear facing onto the yard of Morris & Company's brewery.  Interestingly, at the time the 1841 census was carried out three men were staying at the Crown & Sceptre who had the profession of well borer – clearly deepening or otherwise improving the well at the Brewery. The first mention of the public house, then called the Sceptre & Crown, in any document held by Bedfordshire Archives, is in 1754 in the Ampthill churchwardens’ accounts. An inventory of properties of John and Joseph Morris of 1827 lists the public house as in their ownership. It stayed in the ownership of Morris & Company until that firm was bought out by J.W. Green Limited of Luton in 1927. Green subsequently merged with Flowers Breweries in 1954, taking the latter company’s name. The public house is last mentioned, in any document held by Bedfordshire Archives in 1957. It was demolished in 1971 to make way for the new Budgens supermarket, itself demolished in 2006 and replaced by a Waitrose store.

List of Licensees: note that this is not a complete list. Italics indicate licensees whose beginning and/or end dates are not known:

• 1754: Samuel Wright [as Sceptre & Crown];
• Before 1822 John Green;
• 1822: Ann Green;
• 1827-1831: Daniel Wilshire;
• 1839 -1851: John Smith;
• 1854: Ann Smith;
• 1861: Harriet Wiltshire or Wilshaw;
• 1864-1881: Richard Brinkler;
• 1881-1885: Henry Whitbread;
• 1885-1901: Philip Cole;
• 1901-1907: Arthur Charles Gardener;
• 1907-1916: Sidney Thomas Pearce [d.1924];
• 1916-1927: Leonard William Aspin;
• 1927-1946: William James Holdsworth;
• 1946-1957: Arthur White;
• 1957: Edward Arthur White

List of sources at Bedfordshire Archives: 

• BS818: Ampthill churchwarden’s accounts: 1754
• Z1043/1: Inventory of John and Joseph Morris: 1827
• X21/629: Conveyance from Joseph Morris to devisees under the will of John Morris, deceased: 1828
• WB/M/4/1/VP1: Morris family mortgage: 1831
• WE142: Conveyed in Morris family marriage settlement: 1833
• CC398: Probate of Richard Brinkler: 1882
• SF1/380/1: Inventory of goods of Richard Brinkler: c.1882
• WB/M/4/1/VP2: Mortgaged by John Thomas Green: 1882
• R6/1/13/3/2: Landlord selling 16 poles on Park Hill: 1885
• WB/M/4/1/VP8: Abstract of title - Morris & Co (Ampthill) Limited: 1900 – 1928
• WB/Green4/5/Am/CS1: Photograph: c.1900
• SF1/376/1: Inventory of public house: 1900
• X291/77/402a-b: Photograph of landlord Leonard Aspin: c.1905-1920
• CCE5304/1: Conveyed with others to Morris & Co (Ampthill) Limited: 1907
• WB/M/4/2/1: List of Morris & Co Limited properties: c.1926
• WB/M/4/2/2: List of Morris & Co Limited properties: 1926
• WB/M/4/1/VP12: Conveyance from Morris & Company Limited to J.W.Green Limited: 1926
• WB/Green4/2/4: Certificate of title of J.W.Green Limited: 1935 – 1952
• WB/Green4/2/5: List of houses of J.W.Green Limited: c.1936
• WB/Green6/4/1: J.W.Green trade analysis: 1936 – 1947
• WB/Green4/2/16: Letter as to title of J.W.Green Limited: 1952
• WB/Green4/2/17: Trust deed of J.W.Green Limited: 1952 – 1972
• WB/Green4/2/19: List of properties of J.W.Green Limited: 1954
• Z1105/1: Liquor Licence Traders Survey Form: 1957
• WB/Flow4/5/Am/CS1-2: Photographs: 1960s
• AU10/66/1: Letter to American whose grandparents lived at public house with grandmother's family (Pearces): 1999
• AU10/66/2: Letter from American who had photograph of grandparents standing outside public house: 1999
• AU10/66/3: Letter to American noting period of Sidney Thomas Pearce's licenseeship at public house: 1999
• AU10/66/4: Letter from American enclosing photographs of public house: 1999