The Albion Public House, Bedford

The Albion Public House: 20 Harpur Street, Bedford

The Albion was a public house located at 20 Harpur Street, Bedford. It is first referred to as a beerhouse in 1860 in occupation of George Ridge, owned by George Langley and leased to Piggott & Wells [ref: DC/NB/E161/32]. The pub was sold by George Langley to Charles Wells Limited in 1879 for £825 [ref: DC/NB/E161/34].

In the assessment book of licensed houses which was done by J R Eve & Son between 1910 and 1911 [ref: Z720/214/2] it states the following about the building:

• Occupier: Rupert Reginald Waghorn
• Owner: Charles Wells
• Beer House
• License: £3.10.0
• Years: 1½
• Parish: St Paul
• Sign: Albion
• Situation: 20 Harpur Street
• Old Rent: ‘saw Mr.Hoddesdon’
• New Rent: £25 tied
• Tenancy: Quarterly
• Old Trade: Was shut up all day when came in. Objecting’
• New Trade: 3½ barrels a week. 3 dozen pint bottles a week. Takings £11 odd, including tobacco etc
• Old Valuation: £55 worked trade up – last tenant let them do what they like’
• New Valuation: £45
• New Rateable Value: £36 ‘agreed’
• Two entrances, bar, 4 beer pulls, tap room, jug room part of bar, sitting room, kitchen, scullery, pantry, cellar, 5 first floor bedrooms, 2 attics. Outside: washhouse
• Further notes: ‘Barrelage includes mild, bitter & porter. Bottle trade very variable, has sold 8 dozen a week. ‘if object get trade to date’.

The pub is last mentioned in a Bedford directory in 1930. It appears to be unoccupied from then until it is rebuilt and becomes part of Canvin’s, a butcher, which had previously occupied 16-18 Harpur Street. Canvin's was rebuilt c.1936 and absorbed the pub site; the site was demolished in 1974 and was replaced by Mothercare and Clark's shoes.

List of Licensees: note that this is not a complete list; entries in italics refer to licensees where either beginning or end, or both, dates are not known:

• 1860-1877: George Ridge
• 1879-1887: Joseph Lowe
• 1890: Margaret Lowe
• 1893-1901: William Ridge
• 1904: William Hill
• 1907: Robert Henry Broughton
• 1908: William H. Cole
• 1910 – 1921: Rupert Reginald Waghorn
• 1922-1926: Harry Francis
• 1928-1930: Jack Cannon

List of sources at Bedfordshire Archives:

• DC/NB/E161: Deeds and documents relating to The Albion, 1648-1931
• WL73: Sale catalogue including The Albion, 1875
• BorBP2805: Building plans for rebuilding The Albion, 1894
• Z720/214/2: Assessment of Licensed Houses in Bedford Town, 1910-1911
• Z50/13/294-295: Photographs of The Albion house yard, 1923
• CRT130BED/317/1: Bedford pubs - album A-E compiled by Frank Farmer, c.1990s