The Gun and Cannon Public House Wyboston

The former Gun and Cannon, March 2007

The Gun & Cannon Public House [also The Old Cannon]: 66-68 Great North Road, Wyboston 

This public house abutted the Queens Head, which lay south. The first mention of it in any record held by Bedfordshire Archives is in 1669 when a soldier who had stolen a pewter dish was arrested just leaving the inn [ref: HSA1669/S/62]. This date ties in well with the 17th century date accorded the property by Department of Environment when they listed it in 1983. The house is constructed of colourwashed roughcast over a timber frame, though the ground floor of the north wing is of colourwashed brick. The property has an old clay tiled roof. It is built in an L-plan comprising a single storey and attics.

The Gun and Cannon is mentioned in the accounts of the constable of Wyboston in 1695 and 1704. The inn, noted as 'The Gunn' was leased to Thomas Rogers from Weyman Lee in 1738 for 21 years [ref: X38/67]. An abstract of title prepared in 1898 recites a conveyance dated 17th and 18th November 1809 [ref: HF40/1/2/1] which states: 

'Messuage sometime an Inn formerly called “The Gun Inn” afterwards “The Sun Inn”, and since then used as private house and then again converted into a Public House and called “The Cannon”, Wyboston, Eaton Socon (2 acres) and large barn rear adjoining to messuage above sometime called “Gun Barn” and that close adjoining commonly then and sometime called “Gun Close” (4 acres) consideration £525 paid by Samuel Wells to Susan Rugeley.'

In 1814 it was conveyed to Bedford brewer John Day, with the brewery and other licensed houses of Saint Neots [Huntingdonshire] brewer William Fowler, deceased.

It is next mentioned twenty years later being conveyed to Frederick Hogg and William Lindsell, partners in the Biggleswade brewing firm of Wells & Company. The last directory to mention the public house is 1854. The next directory held by Bedfordshire Archives , 1861 does not mention it and it seems reasonable to assume that the business closed some time between those two dates. The final mention of it is in 1899 when it is conveyed by Wells & Company to the new firm of Wells & Winch (Wells & Company had been bought by Kent businessman George Winch for his son Edward Bluett Winch in that year). In the conveyance the place is described as two cottages (presumably 66 and 68 Great North Road) which had previously been one and known as the Gun & Cannon.

The Building, now two brick, render and tile cottages, semi-detached, was valued in 1927 under the 1925 Rating Valuation Act, at which time Wells & Winch were still the owners, the valuer recorded for the northernmost of the two cottages that the occupier was an F. Smith who leased a living room and one bedrooms "both big", there was also a barn. The valuer noted "This and next must have been a Pub". The attached cottage was occupied by J. Manning and contained a living room, kitchen, cellar and two bedrooms as well as a barn. The valuer noted that the bedrooms were in the roof and that he must "deduct for sloping roof".

Entry in the Eaton Socon Constable's account book for 1704 [ref: P5/9]

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

1822: William Gardner;
1828-1834: Thomas Gardner;
1834: Elizabeth Gardner;
1847-1854: Isaac Harradine.

66 and 68 High Street, March 2010

List of sources at Bedfordshire Archives:

• HSA1669/S/62: Soldier who had stolen a pewter dish confronted on leaving inn: 1669
• J276: Quitrents due out of manor of Bletsoe. includes 'the gunne', 1680
• P5/9: Entry in the Wyboston Constable's account book, 1695 & 1704
• J281: Quit Rents for Bletsoe Manor includes 'the Gun', 1715
• SJ2319/1: Court leet for manor of Bletsoe includes 'the Gun', 1715
• X38/67: Lease for 21 years, 1738
• WG331-332: Conveyance of brewery and licensed houses from trustees of will of William Fowler to John Day of Bedford: 1814
• CLP13: Register of alehouse recognizances: 1822-1828
• GK0/1: Conveyance of brewery and licensed properties of Samuel Wells of Biggleswade, brewer, deceased to Frederick Hogg and William Lindsell: 1834
• HF40/1/2/1: Abstract of title prepared, 1898
• Z1039/34/2a: Conveyance of licensed properties, including two cottages, formerly one cottage used as Gun & Cannon, from Frederick Archdale, Charles Samuel Lindsell, Henry Martin Lindsell and Arthur Knox Lindsell to Wells & Winch: 1899.