1829
James Maggs, Grocer and Schoolmaster,
aged 32 (later to become Southwold's famous archivist
and diarist) moves in with his family. He bought this
cottage the previous year for £105 and has had
extensive work done on it, including the provision
of a schoolroom. Up until now, he has been renting
No 25 (the
smaller cottage and grocer's shop next door) from
his former employer and High Steward of Southwold,
James Jermyn of Reydon. He stays here until
1833. More about Maggs here.
1836
John Crowford - Alehouse keeper.
An alehouse licence (one of eight permitted in the
town at any one time) has been granted to the owner
of the premises. This is now the Revd Edward
Jermyn (brother of James) who appoints Crowford
(peviously from the Two
Brewers) as manager. The alehouse is signed 'The
King's Head' (M)
1838
John Crowford - Alehouse keeper. The proprietor of the King's Head is now William Crisp of the Sole Bay Brewery
who has taken it over
from the Jermyns.
1845
William Goldsmith - originally from Beccles, succeeds
John Crowford as Keeper of the Kings Head. William, who is now 27, is married to Mary Ann (22) and this year they have a daughter whom they name after her mother. Their son James Aldred, is 10.
In spite of his family responsibilities, William apparently keeps a rather rough house. Maggs records
that he is fined a shilling in 1855 for breaking one
of the pub's windows, 5 shillings for getting drunk plus expenses of 6 shillings and sixpence. (M, W1855)
Note: A regular guest at the inn during the 1860s is Charles Blythe, a game dealer and fishmonger from Coventry. It is his practice to purchase quantities of fish at Southwold and despatch them back to Coventry. On one occasion, in 1868, he returns home with more than his usual consignment - a wife, William's 23-year-old daughter Mary Ann jnr.
Owner of the King's Head, William Crisp of the Sole Bay Brewery dies in 1872 and the brewery
and all its tied houses are auctioned. The brewery
is bought by the Adnams brothers, Ernest and George.
The King's Head changes hands for £330. (M) However, not many years later, ownership appears to have reverted to the landlord, William Goldsmith.
1874
Mary Ann Goldsmith (Snr)- By now, William Goldsmith has died and his widow
takes over proprietorship of the inn this year.
(W, BSD)
1877
Mary Ann Goldsmith (Snr) dies this year aged
59 and ownership of the inn passes to her married daughter, Mary Ann Blythe who still lives in Coventry.
1879
Noah Cobb
- is appointed landlord by Mary Ann Blythe this year. (POD) Mr Cobb
will later (1895) be found at
No 88 High Street where he seems to have undergone
a career change - running a shoe shop.
1890
On Noah Cobb's departure, Mary Ann Blythe appoints John Marshall, a native of Halesworth but, most recently, a coachbuilder iin London's East End, as landlord of the 'King's Head Inn and Foresters' Dining Room'. He advertises its virtues as a venue for 'Beanfeasts
etc' and offers 'good accommodation'. John Marshall also owns a restaurant / tearoom at the harbour end of Ferry Road.
To read an account of John Marshall by his grandson, the late George Bumstead, click here.
Six years later, in 1896, Mary Ann dies at her home in Coventry and ownership of the King's Head passes to her son, William John Blythe.
John Marshall
and his wife Emma have been married for the past 22 years and they have seven children. (six of them girls). Their eldest, Lily Elizabeth marries the inn's new owner William John Blythe in 1897. Like his father before him, William has continued to make regular fish-buying trips to Southwold from Coventry which is, no doubt, how the romance with Lily has developed.
1899
William & Lily Blythe
decide to settle in Southwold. In addition to the King's Head (No 23), William's inheritance includes the adjacent properties at No 25, No 27 and No 29. As luck would have it, the one remaining property in the block, Anchor Villa (No 31) comes up for auction this year and they buy it as their home. William suffers from TB and it is hoped the sea air will benefit him.
|
