The Burton Arms Public House Luton

Looking toward the site of the Burton Arms August 2011

The Burton Arms Public House: 29 Cobden Street, Luton.

The countywide licensing register of 1876 states that the Burton Arms was then owned by John Dear of Baldock [Hertfordshire] and was first licensed in 1862. By 1897 the public house was in the ownership of Luton brewer John William Green, who made his firm a limited company in that year as J. W. Green Limited.

The Burton Arms remained in the ownership of J. W. Green Limited until it merged with Flowers Breweries in 1954, the new firm taking the Flowers name. Flowers was taken over by multinational brewers Whitbread in 1962 and closed in the early 1970s before being demolished as part of the redevelopment of HighTown.

Sources:

• PSL6/1: Register of Alehouse Licences - Luton Petty Sessional Division: 1872-1876;
• WB/Green1/1/1: record of articles of association and licensed houses owned by J.W.Green Limited: 1897-1936;
• WBGreen5/5/1: register of successive tenants to J.W.Green Limited licensed premises: 1887-1926;
• WB/Green6/4/1: trade analysis ledger of J.W.Green Limited licensed premises: 1936-1947;
• WB/Green4/2/4: certificate of title to licensed properties of J.W.Green Limited: 1936-1952;
• WB/Green4/2/5: list of licensed properties of J.W.Green Limited: c.1936;
• WB/Green4/2/10: schedule of deeds to J.W.Green Limited licensed premises: c.1949;
• WB/Green4/2/11: schedule of deeds to J.W.Green Limited licensed premises: c.1949;
• WB/Green4/2/16: letter from J.W.Green to solicitors Lawrance, Messer & Company asking which licensed properties had been in continuous occupation: 24 Jul 1952;
• WB/Green4/2/17: Trust Deed of J.W.Green Limited with list of licensed premises: 1952-1972;
• WB/Green4/2/19: Various loose schedules of deeds and documents: c.1954.

Licencees: note that this is not a complete list and that dates in italics are not necessarily beginning or end dates, merely the first/last date which can be confirmed from sources such as directories and deeds:

1864: Frederick Cook;
1872-1877: Reuben Thompson;
1885-1890: James Adcock;
1894-1899: Harry Worboys;
1899: Symons;
1899-1909: William Taylor;
1909-1911: James Henry Hicks;
1911-1914: Burgess;
1914: Mrs. Edith Lawson;
1920-1924: Mrs. Edith Fensome;
1928-1938: Cyril Fensome;
1938-1954: Edith Fensome;
1954: Walter Charles Richardson;
1966: William Charles Clark;
Public house closed 1968