The Green Man Public House Luton

The Green Man about 1925 [WL800/3]

The Green Man Public House: 52 Duke Street, Luton.

The first certain mention of this public house is in a directory of 1869 when William Warboys was licensee, although there was a beer seller in Duke Street in 1864 called James Hyde who may or may not have run a beerhouse at the premises before it became a fully licensed public house. The countywide licensing register of 1876 states that the owner was George Sole of Stopsley.

In 1899 the Green Man was one of the properties put up for sale by the executors of Charles Inwards, deceased [WL1000/1/LUT3/1]. He was George Sole’s son-in-law. The Victoria beerhouse and the Britannia Public House were also in the sale. The particulars for the Green Man read as follows:

LOT 6
COMPRISES
The Old established and Fully Licensed Public House
KNOWN AS
“THE GREEN MAN”
WHICH OCCUPIES A MOST ADVANTAGEOUS POSITION
AT THE CORNER OF DUKE STREET AND BACK STREET, LUTON.Having a Frontage to Duke Street of 21 feet 6 inches, and a Return Frontage to Back Street of 69 feet 6 inches.

It is brick-built and slated, and has

On the GROUND FLOOR – Bar, Bar Parlour, Tap Room and Kitchen;
On the FIRST FLOOR – Club Room (34 feet by 10 feet 6 inches), Sitting Room, and one Bedroom;
On the SECOND FLOOR – Two Bedrooms.

There is an excellent underground Cellar, and in the rear of the House is a large Yard (with entrance from Back Street) with Stable and Loft over, Coachhouse, Washhouse and 2 W. C’s and Urinal.

The House is fitted with Grates, Copper, Sink &c. The Trade Fixtures and Fittings belong to the Tenant

GAS AND WATER ARE LAID ON

After a description of the Victoria comes the sentance: This House [The Victoria] together with the “Green Man”, is let to Messrs. Simpson & Co,, of Baldock, upon a Lease of 7 years from 24th June 1895, with the option of a second term of 6 years, and the option of a third term of 7 years, at an Annual

Rental of £125 the two,

PAYABLE HALF-YEARLY.

The purchaser of the public house is not named but it seems likely that it was Bedford brewer Charles Wells. Certainly this company was the owner in the 1920s and just before the Second World War drew up plans for a complete rebuilding of the premises [Z839/15]. The photographs at the head and foot of this page show just how complete the rebuilding was. The public house remained open into the 1990s but at the time of writing [2011] is no longer a licensed premises.

The former Green Man, June 2010

Sources:

• PSL6/1: Register of Alehouse Licences - Luton Petty Sessional Division: 1872-1876;
• WL1000/1/LUT3/1: sale particulars: 1899;
• WL1000/1/LUT/3/4: requisitions on title: 1899;
• WL800/3 and WL801/43: photograph: c.1925;
• Z839/15: contract papers for rebuilding public house: 1938-1940;
• WL722/31: Photograph of The Green Man, Luton Sep 1981

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:

1869-1877: William Warboys;
1885-1890: John Payne;
1894-1898: Mrs. Mary Payne;
1903-1910: Ambrose Barrick;
1914-1920: Alfred Thomas Tarry;
1924-1928: Charles Baker;
1929: Horace George Cook;
1929-1938: William James Mair;
1938-1951: Jesse William Hannell;
1951-1953: Hubert Crowlsey;
1953-1954: John James Andrew Scott;
1954: Fred Angus Hetherington;
1983: Leo James Farrell;
1992: David Pedder and Richard William Turner;
1992-1993: Carol Calvano and Richard William Turner;
1993: Carol Calvano and Peter Grazier;
1993: Thomas Robert Fairnie Storrie and Christopher William Goodwin.

The former Green Man from Duke Street June 2010