The Green Man Public House Potton

The Green Man Public House: 6 Bull Street, Potton

The Green Man about 1920 [X758/1/8/118]

Most of the deeds to this public house are at Hertfordshire Archives Service in the collection of archives of Simpson's Brewery of Baldock, they extend from 1707 to 1785. The countywide licensing register of 1876 stated that the Green Man had been licensed for over a hundred years. It was then owned by Hertfordshire brewers Simpson and Company of Baldock. The firm was established in 1853 by Thomas George and Joseph Simpson and was floated as a private company in 1935 as Simpson's Brewery Limited. In 1954 it was taken over by Suffolk brewers Greene King.

The countywide register of 1903 stated that the premises required repairing, adjoined another licensed premises (the King’s Head) and had one front and three side doors. In 1906 the landlord, Alfred Hutchinson was convicted of selling adulterated rum on 17th January and was fined five shillings £1/1/4 costs. He remained the licensee for at least another eight years.

The Rating and Valuation Act 1925 specified that every building and piece of land in the country was to be assessed to determine its rateable value. Potton, like much of the county, was assessed in 1927. the valuer visiting the Green Man [DV1/C11/112] noted that the tenant was not forthcoming ("refused information"). It contained five bedrooms and a boxroom upstairs, with a bar, parlour, living room and kitchen downstairs; outside were a cart shed, two barns and wood store as well as a garden. The business sold two and a half barrels per week "now…say 3 barrels fair average". It also sold about a dozen bottles of spirits and half a gallon of bulk spirits in a week.

The Green Man closed in the 1990s. It is now a private house.

References:

• CRT110/102: deeds held at Hertfordshire Archives as part of the Simpson’s of Baldock collection: 1707-1785;
• CLP13: Register of Alehouse Licenses: 1822-1828;
• P64/5/3/435: bill for beer for the ringers: 1844
• HF143/1: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1872-1873;
• HF143/2: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1874-1877;
• HF143/3: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1878-1881;
• HF143/4: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1882-1890;
• HF143/5: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1891-1900;
• Z1039/34/2a: copy conveyance from Wells and Company to Wells and Winch: 1899;
• HF143/6: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1900-1914;
• PSBW8/1: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1903-1915;
• X758/1/8/118-119: photographs: c.1920s;
• PSBW8/2: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1956-1972;
• PSBW8/3: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade and North Bedfordshire Petty Sessional Divisions: 1976-1980

List of Licensees: note that this is not a complete list. Italics indicate licensees whose beginning and/or end dates are not known:

1822-1830: William Meeks;
1844: Greenman;
1850: George Munns;
1853-1869: Thomas Norman;
1872-1874: Susan Norman;
1874-1878: Charles Peacock;
1878-1882: Thomas Parkin;
1882-1891: William Sharp;
1891-1893: William Ward;
1893-1896: Hannah Ward;
1896-1900: Thomas Paine;
1900-1901: Sarah Jane Paine;
1901-1914: Alfred Hutchinson;
1920-1940: George Lenton;
1957-1965: Edwin Horace Lightly;
1965-1968: Robert Desmond Priest;
1968-1969: George Sidney Russell;
1969-1973: Michael Gravestock;
1973-1974: Jeffrey Davies;
1974-1975: Victor Leonard Pratt;
1975-1976: John Michael Martin;
1976-1977: Raymond Tolson;
1977-1982: Alan Thomas Britton;
1982-1990: John Gilbert;
1990-1992: Nicholas James Proudman;
1992-1993: Richard A.B.Cox;
1993: Colin John Abram and Geoffrey John Reece;
1993-1994: William Thomas Morris;
1994-1995: Ronald George Cook;
1995: Raymond Alfred Beard;
1995: Robert Victor Fairey and James Robert Halliday;
1995: Kevin Frank le Page;
1995: Reginald Alfred Beard.