The Edward VII Beerhouse Shillington

The Edward VII about 1910 [Z1229/32]

The Edward VII Beerhouse: 79 Bury End, Shillington

The countywide licensing register of 1876 states that the beerhouse later known as the Edward VII was first licensed in 1861. Edward VII reigned from 1901 to 1910. Bedfordshire and Luton Archive and Record Service has very little information on the property other than a conveyance of 1876 to Hertfordshire brewers E K and H Fordham of Ashwell [WB/Fordham4/1/Shill1]. It is a little difficult to work out precisely where it was. Census returns seem to indicate that it was 77 Bury Road but photographs seem to show an end of terrace property which would fit better with next door 79 Bury Road.

The schedule to the conveyance gives a skeleton history of the property. In 1817 James Grundon was allotted the land on which the property was later built. He made his will in 1853 and in 1859 his grandson William was admitted to the property which was then copyhold of the Manor of Shillington. That same year William Grundon borrowed £140 from farmer William Brown of Langford. In 1865 Grundon enfranchised the property, that is, he paid a fine to the Lord of the Manor of Shillington to convert it into freehold. In 1866 he took out a new mortgage with James and William Low and in 1867 another with George Austin. In 1868 the mortgage with James and William Low was transferred to Simeon Brown, a farmer from Eyeworth.

The conveyance of 1876 describes the property conveyed as comprising five elements: first was two tenements, formerly one cottage (today's 81 and 83 Bury Road), formerly in the occupation of James Covington, then William Grundon and James Carter "the part called The Dairy being also used as a dwelling". There was also a pightle of one rood of land, four dwellings William Grundon had had built on part of the rood of land, occupied by Charles Grundon, Leonard Simons and two of them by William Grundon himself (73 to 79 Bury Road and so including the Edward VII, 75 being the two cottages now one and in occupation of William Grundon). The fourth element of the conveyance was two cottages newly built by Grundon on part of the one rood of land and occupied by Peck and Fossey (69 and 71 Bury Road). The fifth element was two cottages then being built at the south-west end of the rood of land (65 and 67 Bury Road) – a total of ten dwellings in all.

The beerhouse closed in December 1913.

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 terrace in Bury Road found that the houses comprised a living room, a kitchen and two bedrooms as well as a barn outside [DV1/C63].  

77 and 79 Bury Road July 2015

Sources:

• WB/Fordham4/1/Shill1: allotment to James Grundon: 1817;
• WB/Fordham4/1/Shill1: will of James Grundon: 1853 
• WB/Fordham4/1/Shill1: admission: 1859
• WB/Fordham4/1/Shill1: mortgage: 1859;
• WB/Fordham4/1/Shill1: further advance: 1862;
• WB/Fordham4/1/Shill1: enfranchisement: 1865;
• WB/Fordham4/1/Shill1: mortgage: 1866;
• WB/Fordham4/1/Shill1: transfer of mortgage: 1868;
• PSA5/1: Register of Alehouse Licences - Ampthill Petty Sessional Division: 1872-1927;
• Z1229/32-36: photographs taken outside the beerhouse: 1905.

Licensees: Note that this is not a complete list; italics indicate licensees whose beginning and/or end dates are not known

1869-1878: William Grundon;
1878-1887: William West;
1887-1898: Albert Jepps;
1898-1899: ... Churchyard;
1899-1900: Elizabeth Churchyard;
1900-1904: Josiah Hare;
1904-1912: Joseph Stevens;
1912-1913: Alfred Stanwell Oxley

Beerhouse closed 27th December 1913