The Greyhound Beerhouse Toddington

28 High Street March 2016

The Greyhound Beerhouse, 28 High Street, Toddington 

The Greyhound stood at 28 High Street. It only appears in the records for a short time during the 19th century and closed sometime during the 1870s. Although referred to in documents as a public house it was not listed as such in directories and was technically a beerhouse.

The Greyhound is not listed in the countywide licensing registers of 1822 to 1828 [CLP13]. In 1852 the Greyhound was purchased by Frederick Burr of the Burr brewing family of Luton the subject of an indenture between John Freeman and his wife Mary, Ann Osborn and Frederick Burr, a member of the Burr brewing family of Luton [X95/300]. The Greyhound was one of a number of licensed premises sold to Thomas Sworder & Company in 1860 [Z660/D/1/4]. The property is described at this time as the "messuage or public house called The Greyhound, with the yard, ground out buildings (including a bakehouse) thereto belonging". At this time the public house was occupied by Joseph Brewer and the bakehouse by Henry Lines. In 1862 a number of public houses owned by Thomas Sworder including the Greyhound were mortgaged as a block to William Anstee, John Cook and Benjamin Bennett. The schedule of properties included in the deed gives the annual yearly rent for the Greyhound as £28 and the valuation for insurance purposes at £250 [BS2234].

In 1859 Mary Ann Brewer, wife of Joseph Brewer "keeper of a retail beer shop in Toddington" gave evidence at the Quarter Sessions against David Temple who was accused of stealing two bottles containing patent knotting and gold size, and two paint pots containing paint and varnish which belonged to Temple's former employer, William Shaw, a plumber, glazier and innkeeper of Toddington. Mrs. Brewer stated that Temple had lodged at the Greyhound for about a month. He had asked if he could leave the bottles and pots with her husband who had placed them on a shelf in the back kitchen. Soon after Temple left taking all his things except the paint pots which were later identified by William Shaw as his. Temple insisted he was innocent and claimed that the Brewers had "spite" against him because he had not paid what he owed; they had also charged him 3s 6d more for drinks that they should have done. The jury found Temple guilty of theft and he was sentenced to six months imprisonment with hard labour [QSR1859/4/5/7].

The Greyhound had closed by 1878 when a second conveyance and related discharge of a mortgage described the property as a dwellinghouse, formerly the Greyhound public house, in the occupation of Joseph Brewer, with a yard, ground and outbuildings including a bakehouse and adjoining cottage, with right of way over the property reserved to the adjoining owners [Z660/D/1/6].

References:

• QSR1859/4/5/7: Depositions in the case of David Temple, 1859
• Z660/D/1/4: Conveyance by Burr trustees to Thomas Sworder, 1860
• BS2234: Lease of public houses including the Greyhound, 1862
• X95/283: Account of rents received by Thomas Sworder, 1867
• X95/304: Rent in barrels of public houses belonging to Luton Brewery, 1867
• Z660/D/1/5: Conveyance to Thomas Sworder, 1878
• X95/270: Copy of mortgage relating to property in Z660/D/1/5, 1878
• X95/300: Schedule of deeds relating to Luton Brewery, 1889
• X95/309: mortgage: 1889

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: