The White Horse Public House Riseley

The White Horse Public House: 11High Street, Riseley

The White Horse is first mentioned in the historical record in the countywide licensing register of 1822 [CLP13]. The publican at that date was John Ekins and in 1836 he made his will, leaving the White Horse to his son William. The will was proved in 1845 [WG2954]. By the time of the countywide licensing register of 1876 the owner and occupier was Samuel Ekins who is last listed in a directory in 1910, the next directory, 1914 listing Herbert Beeby as licensee. It seems likely that the pub was sold by the Ekins family between 1910 and 1914.

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. The valuer visiting the White Horse [DV1/C215/62] found that the tenant, Mrs Agnes Louisa Beeby paid rent of £20 per annum to the owner, London brewer S C Fuller & Son. The building comprised a tap room, a bar parlour, a living room, a kitchen and four bedrooms. A coal shed, WC, washhouse and brick and tiled store house and garage stood outside. There were also farm buildings ("not fully used") comprising a small cart house or cycle shed, a stable with a loft over and a garage, a stable for three horses, a cowshed ("now root house"), a loose box, a barn, a three bay open hovel, three pigsties and a cattle hovel and yard.

Summer trade was about eighteen gallons of beer per week, winter trade twelve gallons. Four dozen bottles of beer were sold each week, spirits sales were "negligible". The valuer commented: "Newish. Well built. Best in village". The last reference to the pub held by Bedfordshire and Luton Archive and Record Service is a sale of household belongings by Mrs Beeby in 1943 [PK2/3/1/73].

Sources:

• CLP13: Register of Alehouse Recognizances: 1822-1828;
• WG2954: will of John Ekins: 1836
• PSS3/1: Register of Alehouse Licences - Sharnbrook Petty Sessional Division: c.1901;
• PSS3/2: Register of Alehouse Licences - Sharnbrook Petty Sessional Division: c.1903;
• PSS3/3: Register of Alehouse Licences - Sharnbrook Petty Sessional Division: 1904-1930;
• PK2/3/1/73: sale catalogue of furnishings: 1943. 

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:

1822-1845: John Ekins (will proved 1845);
1845-1869: William Ekins;
1876-1910: Samuel Ekins;
1914-1924: Herbert Beeby;
1928-1943: Agnes Louisa Beeby