Nos
98 and 100
constitute one Grade II Listed architectural entity
which was built in about 1835. James Maggs records
that a public house, 'The Two Brewers', previously
stood on this site and its landlord from 1814 was
James Martin who moved to the Red
Lion on South Green in 1820.
James was succeeded at the 'Two Brewers' by Robert
Barber and, ten years later, in 1830, by
John Crowford. Crowford moved to
take over the King's
Head in 1834 and the pub was promptly demolished
by one James Robinson. It is not
clear whether JR was already the freeholder or purchased
it at the time. Either way, he proceeded to build
himself the present building on the site. He died
in 1836 and, three years later his widow had a plan
to turn the house back into a pub and applied for
an Excise Licence. There was a public outcry; 180
householders presented magistrates with a petition
of opposition and the application was turned down.
James Robinson whose home was the building which is
now Lloyds Bank, (No
17 Market Place) was one of Southwold's leading
public figures with a reputation for ostentatious
altruism and hosting lavish public fetes. However,
he was by no means universally liked and there was
a bitter political feud between him and Robert May
of No 65 High
Street (The Manor House).
By the 1871 Census this was the home of the owner of the Sole Bay Brewery, Samuel Haiden Fitch, his wife, Mary and daughters, Fanny and Margaret.(C1871).
By the end of 1872, however the lease on the property had been transferred to brothers George and Ernest Adnams of Witham who had just taken over the Sole Bay Brewery from Samuel Fitch who had been attempting to divest himself of it for more than a decade.. The Fitches moved to No 2 Queen Street where Samuel, then in his 60s, ran a wine and spirit business. (C1881)
We are grateful to forum contributor 'robtlb' for sharing his research. See comment below.
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