The Swan Public House Radwell

The Swan about 1925 [ref: WL802/4]

The Swan Public House, Radwell

The Swan at Radwell was listed by the former Department of Environment in August 1987 as Grade II, of special interest. The department dated the building to the late 17th or early 18th century in origin, noting that it was extended in the 20th century. The main building is constructed of coursed limestone rubble with a thatched roof and brick buttresses. It comprises one storey and attics.

The earliest surviving records for the Swan at Radwell date from the late 17^th Century. It was just a cottage at this time, deeds in the Charles Wells archive held at Bedfordshire Archives show it was conveyed in 1685 by John Bletsoe of Harrold, yeoman, to Robert Norman of Carlton, tailor [ref: WL576]. The property was described as a cottage abutting south-west on the common street and east on Radwell Green. Norman clearly bought the cottage as a residence rather than as an investment because after his marriage to his wife Elizabeth, he enacted a settlement in which he is described as of Radwell and still a tailor [ref: WL577]

Robert Norman died in 1731, leaving a will [ref: ABP/W1731/87] in which he described himself as a victualler. This suggests that the property was already a beerhouse or public house, though no name is given. He bequeathed to his son Humphrey one shilling, and to his other sons Robert & William £5 each. The rest of his estate he left to his wife Elizabeth and after her decease any remainder to his daughters Ann, Alice and Dorothy.  Despite this apparent snub to Humphrey it was likely the business had already been transferred to him.

Humphrey died in 1769, leaving an extensive will [ref: ABP/W1769/1], in which he gives his occupation as ‘shopkeeper & victualler’. He gave his real estate to  his brother Robert Norman and his ‘trusty & beloved friend’ Thomas Pierson, and his household goods and furniture to Elizabeth Pain, his niece, the daughter of Dorothy Pain (née Norman). He specified the furniture in his house to be given to her; the bed, bedstead, bedding & curtains & furniture in the chamber over the kitchen, also two pairs of sheets such as she shall choose, one oval table, two pewter dishes, three pewter plates and one chest of drawers.’ Dorothy and her brother Thomas Pain also received £50 each when they reached the age of 21, and he gave £10 to his brother in law John.  He goes on to give a loaf of bread ‘to each poor family in Radwell who will accept it’  on the day of his funeral.

Robert Norman, shopkeeper, carpenter & victualler,  died only two years later, in 1771 [ref: ABP/W1771/39] and left his property and stock in trade to his wife Jane. The probate of his will [ref: Z793/23] specifies some of his stock: ‘ stock in trade and business of shopkeeper andvictualler to have use of household goods, furniture and implements of household, counters, drawers, shelves and other things used in shopkeeping business, coppers, tubs, barrels, forms, brewing vessels and other things used in the victualling business’. On 17 August 1771 the same day as probate was granted to Jane,  she transferred the property and goods to her son Humphrey Norman.

Thomas Pain, ‘cousin and heir’  of Humphrey Norman then inherited the property, known as ‘The White Swan’ in 1779 [ref: X106/25]. The same year he mortgaged the property to Thomas Hipwell for £100 [ref: X106/27]. He died in 1783 [ref: X106/29] and the property passed to his wife Sarah. Sarah Pain conveyed the White Swan to Thomas Hipwell of Radwell, cordwainer (boot maker) on 9th December that year

Thomas Hipwell died in 1802, leaving the messuage called The Swan, Radwell, Felmersham, occupied by Sarah Neale, widow, to his brother Daniel Hipwell [ref: AL520]. Daniel sold it to Kempston brewer William Long in 1804. The previous year in 1803 Long, a partner in Whittingstall & Longhad bought out his surviving partner, taking over the associated sixteen public houses. He had bought the Saint Paul’s Square Brewery from William Belshamin 1800. He was mayor of Bedford four times and was knighted in 1814. By 1830 he was in partnership with William Pestell trading as Long & Pestell. At his death he left twenty eight public houses and his son-in-law Robert Newlandcontinued the business. By 1861 his son Bingham had taken over the business. On Bingham Newland's death in 1873 the brewery and its licensed houses, including the Swan at Radwell, were auctioned and bought by rival Bedford brewer Thomas Jarvis. The particulars [ref: GA487] note that the property included a stable, barn, wheeler's shop and yard and was leased to Abraham Tysoe at £12 per annum.

In 1917 Thomas Jarvis was bought out by rival Bedford brewer Charles Wells. 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. Radwell was assessed in 1927 and the valuer visiting The Swan [ref: DV1/C/31] commented: "Very old fashioned place, low pitched rooms, very clean". The property comprised a tap room, bar parlour, small bar ("no pulls"), cellar, private living room  and scullery with three bedrooms above. Outside stood a brick and tile stable, barn, open shed, garage, earth closet and coal house. The valuer noted: "Trade very bad, 1 barrel & 2 dozen bottles per week. Poor house, badly lighted".

The Swan remained in the hands of Charles Wells throughout the 20th century. At the time of writing [2010] it is closed and for sale.

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:

1731: Humphrey Norman
1731-1769: Humphrey Norman;
1769-1771: Robert Norman;
1779: Thomas Pain;
1801: Sarah Neale
1804: Sarah Sale;
1822 - 1823: William Joice
1824-1854: John Farrer, carpenter and farmer;
1861 -1862 Chapman Marriot
1869-1891: Abraham Tysoe;
1894: William Tysoe;
1898-1903:Edgar Knighton;
1904 - 1911: John Desborough;
1913-1918: Horace Bowyer;
1918: Mary Ann Hilton;
1918: Ernest Charles Baxter;
1925-1929: William Allen;
1929-1940: Thomas Allen;
1965-1966: Edward Charles Egan;
1966-1968: Michael Frank Wright;
1968-1970: William McKay Brodie;
1970-1981: Barry Leslie Beever;
1981-1985: Clyde James Hall;
1985-1994: Terence Ian Naysmith;
1994-1996: Alan Clarke;
1996: John Rosenberg Hartvig Olsen

 
The former Swan at Radwell, January 2010

List of sources at Bedfordshire Archives: 

• WL576: Conveyance: 1685
• WL577: Post nuptial settlement: 1693
• ABP/W1731/87: Will of Robert Norman: 1731
• ABP/W1769/1: Will of Humphrey Norman: 1769
• Z793/23 and ABP/W1771/39: Wwill of Robert Norman: 1771
• X106/25: Deed to lead to the uses of a fine: 1779
• X106/27: Mortgage: 1779
• X106/29: Will of Thomas Pain: 1780, proved 1783
• X106/25-26, 28: Conveyance, fine etc. by Thomas and Sarah Pain to assure title: 1779
• X106/27: Mortgage from Thomas and Sarah Pain to Thomas Hipwell: 1779
• X106/29: Devised by Thomas Pain to his wife Sarah: 1780, proved 1783
• X106/30: Assignment of mortgage from Thomas to Daniel Hipwell: 1783
• X106/31: Conveyed by Sarah Pain to Thomas Hipwell: 1783
• X106/579e and AL520: Will (copy) of Thomas Hipwell: 1801, proved 1802
• WL579: Conveyance: 1804
• CL/P13: Register of Alehouse Recognizances: 1822-1828
• GA487: Auction sale of Bingham Newland's brewery: 1873
• WL647: Report on brewery/public houses owned by Jarvis of Bedford: 1874
• Bedfordshire Mercury: Inquest at the Swan: 4th April 1874
• PSS3/1: Register of Alehouse Licences: c.1901;
• PSS3/2: Register of Alehouse Licences: c.1903;
• PSS3/3: Register of Alehouse Licences: 1904-1930
• WL801/1: Negative: c.1925
• WL802/4: Photograph: c. 1925
• PSBW8/3: Register of Alehouse Licences: 1976-1980.
• WL722/18: Photographs in Charles Wells magazine "Pint Pot": 1976
• PCFelmersham9/8: Transfers of licence: 1980-1983
• WL722/39: Article on thatching in Charles Wells magazine "Pint Pot": 1983
• PCFelmersham9/8: Letter regarding official reopening after alterations: 1984
• WL722/100: Article on customers winning money in National Lottery in Charles Wells in-house magazine "Pint Pot": 1999/2000