The Globe Public House Luton

The Globe Public House c.1960 [WB/Flow4/5/Lu/Globe1]

The Globe Public House: 26 Union Street, Luton

The site of the Globe was purchased by brothers Thomas and Robert Sworder from Thomas Barrett in 1852, with Thomas Sworder buying out his brother’s share in 1855. The public house itself is said by Stuart Smith in his book on Luton public houses and breweries, Pubs and Pints, to have been built in 1862. In 1882 a case was taken to the Quarter Sessions at Bedford in which Thomas Eaton was accused of stealing a ladies Geneva watch from George Wilson, a straw hat manufacturer who lived at the Globe Inn in Union Street. Wilson gave evidence that he had known the prisoner for about twelve months. On August 4th Eaton had called on him; they had supper together and he got him bed and breakfast. The next morning Eaton returned and at about noon Wilson left him in the blockhouse, where his watch was hanging on the window. He later met Eaton in the street, where the suspect told him he was feeling unwell. When Wilson went to the blockhouse his watch was missing. The next day Eaton pawned the watch in Dunstable for eight shillings and sixpence, claiming his name was George Wilson. In his statement Eaton told the court “I wish to return back to the Asylum”.

In 1897 the Thomas Sworder brewery was sold to J.W.Green Ltd. The sale catalogue describes The Globe as a fully licensed public house situate at the corner of Langley Road and Union Street. It was a brick-built, slated building containing:

• Inside: Bar; bar parlour; sitting room; kitchen with range; scullery with sink and copper; coal place; cellar with cask entrance; four bedrooms.
• Outside: Yard with gates from Langley Road; coach house and two-stall stable with loft used as workshops; dust bin; two w.c’s and urinal.
• The tenant of the Globe was Mrs. Wilson at a rent £14 per annum.

Group outside The Globe, c.1914 [Z50/75/246]

The pub was held by J. W. Green Limited until 1954 when the company merged with Midlands brewers Flowers and took the Flowers name. Flowers was in turn taken over by Whitbread in 1962. The Globe is still operating as a public house at the time of writing [2016].

The Globe Public House 2010

References:

• Z210/81: in draft agreement between Thomas Sworder of Luton and Thomas Sworder of Hertford: 1873;
• QSR1882/4/5/1: Depositions in case of Thomas Eaton, 1882;
• X95/299: schedules of deeds relating to Luton Brewery, 1897;
• X95/333: abstract of title: 1897;
• X95/301: schedule of deeds, 1897;
• X95/313-314 and Z210/84: sale catalogue: 1897;
• WB/Green5/5/1: register of successive tenants of J.W.Green Limited licensed houses: 1887-1926;
• Z50/75/246a-246b: group in wagonette outside public house: c.1914;
• WB/Green6/4/1: J.W.Green Limited trade analysis ledger for individual licensed premises: 1936-1947;
• WB/Green4/2/5: list of licensed houses of J.W.Green Limited: c.1952;
• WB/Green4/2/10: schedule of J.W.Green Limited deeds and documents: c.1949?;
• WB/Flow4/5/Lu/Globe1-3: Black and white photographs of Globe c.1960

Licensees: Note that this is not a complete list; italics indicate licensees whose beginning and/or end dates are not known 

1862: G. Chamberlain
1869: William Harris;
1882: George Wilson
1885: Eliza Graves
1897-1899: Mrs.Wilson;
1899-1906: Thomas Impey;
1906-1924: Frederick Taylor
1924-1933: Harry R.Frost;
1933-1936: Mary Frost;
1936-1940: John Henry White;
1940-1944: Basil Arthur Every;
1944: Austin Walker;
1965: Rosa Walker;
1969: Kenneth Herbert Moore;
1969: Leslie Millbrook;
1971: George Walker;
1992: Bryan John Bluett;
1992: Bryan John Bluett and Patrick Bradley Thompson;
1993: Bryan John Bluett.