The Buckingham Arms Linslade

Buckingham Arms May 2008

The Buckingham Arms Public House: 84 Old Road, Linslade [previously Buckinghamshire Arms and Railway Tavern]

The Buckinghamshire Arms was built as the Railway Tavern, presumably around the time the railway reached Linslade in 1838. The establishment was renamed the Buckinghamshire Arms in late 1840s. Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service is not rich with information on Linslade licensed premises; owing to the fact that Linslade was in Buckinghamshire until 1965, no licensing records before that date are held by the service.

The Buckinghamshire Arms was owned by Proctor's Brewery which stood behind the High Street in Leighton Buzzard on the site later developed as a shopping centre. On the death of Joseph Procter in 1865, the public house, along with the other brewery property was conveyed by his executors to Percy Proctor for £6,354/16/6 [Z1118/1/21/39]. The establishment was described in the will as: "a messuage in Linslade [Buckinghamshire] in occupation of George Bonham, then Sarah Smith, widow, then Daniel Hands, now William Fossey Pettit previously called the Railway Tavern, now the Buckingham Arms, erected some years since by Austin Horwood on a garden bought from John Cobb; the remainder of the garden of John Cobb, now of William Arnold west; the road from Leighton Buzzard to Soulbury [Buckinghamshire] north; the road branching off to Soulbury and the London & North Western Railway Company station east and the road to the station south." This reference clearly establishes the genesis of the property.

Also in 1864 it was noted [Z1118/1/21/41] that the lease of the Buckingham Arms was worth £30 per annum. In 1882 Percy Porter leased the brewery and its licensed premises to brewers Levi and George Gibson Ashdown for twenty one years at £558 per annum [Z1118/1/21/43]. Percy Procter died two years later and his will instructed his executors to sell the business. This duly took place, to Hugh, Harold, John Goldsmith and Jane Proctor for £10,000 later that year [Z1118/1/21/45]. In 1897 the brewery and its licensed premises was sold to Kingsbury (St.Albans) Brewery Company Limited for £13,000 [Z1118/1/21/51].

By the 1950s the Buckingham Arms was owned by Benskins Watford Brewery which was acquired by Ind Coope in 1957. This firm merged with competitors to form Allied Breweries in 1959.

References:

• Z1185/1: précis of diary of Joseph Procter including information on Buckingham Arms: 1853-1865;
• Z1118/1/21/41: lease to be £30 per annum: 1864;
• Z1118/1/21/39: brewery and licensed houses conveyed by executors of Joseph Procter to James Procter: 1866;
• Z1118/1/21/43: lease of brewery and licensed premises by Percy Procter to Levi and Richard Gibson Ashdown: 1882;
• Z1118/1/21/45: brewery and licensed premises conveyed by executors of Percy Procter to Hugh Procter, Harold Procter, John Goldsmith Procter and Jane Procter: 1884;
• Z1118/1/21/51: brewery and licensed houses conveyed by Hugh Procter, Harold Procter, John Goldsmith Procter and Jane Procter to Kingsbury (St.Albans) Brewery Company Limited: 1897;
• Z1105/1: Liquor Licence Traders Survey form: 1963;

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: 

1841-1851: Austin Horwood;
1861: Charles Jones;
1864: Daniel Hands;
1865: William Fossey Pettit;
1869: Mrs.A.Sloan;
1871-1879: Henry Crawley, licensed victualler
1883: William Faulkner;
1891-1895: John Blundell;
1899-1903: Ezra Halsey, publican;
1907-1915: Harry Warrillow;
1920-1928: George Whitlock;
1931-1935: Peter Carr;
1939: Samuel Peter Collings;
1967: Henry Desmond Augustus Marriott;
1972: Roy Edward Gates;
1981: Alan Reginald Clark;
1986: Roy Edward Gates.