The George Public House, Ampthill

The George Public House: 23 Woburn Street, Ampthill [also The Old George]

The Department of Environment schedule of listed buildings describes 23 Woburn Street as being late 17th century or early 18th century but the first mention of it as a public house in any document deposited at Bedfordshire Archives is in 1831, when Mary Ann, Jane and Catherine Morris leant £30,000 to John Morris on security of Morris’ brewery and public houses. The public house stayed in the ownership of Morris & Company (Morris & Company (Ampthill) Limited following incorporation in 1907) until that company was sold to J.W.Green of Luton in 1926. It closed in 1959.

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

• 1831: Evan Jones
• 1839 - 1871: William Abbis
• 1876-1877: Caroline Abbis
• 1880-1881: Emma Line
• 1881-1885: Henry Whitbread
• 1885-1891: Joseph Hartop
• 1891-1894: Charles William Goff
• 1894-1903: William Deller
• 1903-1908: Emma Deller
• 1908-1916: Leonard William Aspin
• 1916-1921: Harry Percival Hastings
• 1921-1924: Samuel Hardwick
• 1924-1959: Louis Pinny
• 1959: Richard James Gooch

Public house closed 4 May 1959. 

List of sources at Bedfordshire Archives: 

• WB/M/4/1/VP1: George in occupation of Evan Jones mortgaged: 1831
• SF1/210/1: Inventory: 1880
• WB/M/4/1/VP2: Mortgaged as two cottages by John Thomas Green: 1882
• 130 BED: "Life at the Old George, Bedford 1897-1919": 1897-1919
• AU10/65/7: Copy drawing: C20
• WB/M/4/1/VP8: abstract of title - Morris & Co (Ampthill) Limited: 1900 - 1928
• X291/77/402a-b: Photographs of landlord Leonard Aspin: c.1905 - 1920
• X291/77/257: Photograph of inn and Leonard Aspin: c.1905 - 1920
• CCE5304/1: Conveyed to Morris & Co (Ampthill) Limited: 1907
• HN10/372/Morris10: Landlord Leonard Aspin also leases Old Sun Yard: 1914
• Z50/80/8: Old George photograph: 1920s
• Z50/80/18: Old George photograph: 1920s
• WB/M/4/2/1: List of Morris & Co (Ampthill) Limited properties: c.1926
• WB/M/4/2/2: List of Morris & Co (Ampthill) Limited properties: 1926
• CCE5304/3: Conveyed to J.W.Green Limited: 1926
• WB/Green4/2/4: Certificate of title of J.W.Green Limited: 1935 - 1952
• WB/Green6/4/1: J.W.Green trade analysis: 1936 - 1947
• WB/Green4/2/5: List of houses of J.W.Green Limited: c.1936
• UDA14/324: Proposed alterations: 1945
• WB/Green4/2/10: Schedule of deeds of J.W.Green Limited: c.1949
• 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
• WB/Flow4/5/Am/OG1-2: Photographs: 1960s
• Z777/8 no. 11: Photograph: c.1988
• AU10/54/2: Letter from man who knew landlord Louis Pinny in 1930s: 1994
• AU10/65/3: Mentioned in connection with Abbis family: 1998
• AU10/65/4: Information about Alfred Abbis: 1999