1670-1991 The Complete History of The Queen's Head Public House 62 Willsbridge Hill, Willsbridge, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, BS30 6EU England UK by Paul Townsend local historian. My grandfather ran The Willsbridge Milling Company for many years 1922-1968. My father Reginald Townsend and his brothers were locals in the Queen's Head during the war years (a good old sing-song round the pub piano with Bristol born Russ Conway) My family lived in the Tanyard Willsbridge from 1958-1980. The Queens Head certainly is a pub with history Until now it was not documented. Built in the 17th century it began life as a private house whose occupier brewd ale. It soon opened up it's kitchen and by 1719 The Queen's Head was a licenced house. Being in a prime location the pub was often used as a poor man's court (the Court Leet) in the eighteenth century. Each court had a jury of twelve local men and cases were small offences, with the usual punishment of a fine such as petty theft and breaking the peace. From then until now there has been a great amount of history made in The Queens Head. Locals are often talking of the fact the Pub is haunted. The Queens Head has always been renowned for the quality of pint served. The Queens Head is a Grade II Listed Building of 'Architectural or Historical Interest'. The Queen's Head and its History Part One (Queen's Head 2008 Status Closed Down no longer trading) At the bottom of Willsbridge and Brockham hills, on a busy Bath to Bristol road A431, stands an unassuming little building called The Queen's Head public house. Unlike other pubs in the vicinity, The Queen's Head has never been wrapped up in all the usual alehouse folklore of highwaymen, cut-throats, and kings, and very little, by way of fact, or fiction, has ever been written about it. What follows is fact, and research reveals a fascinating history that tells the story of an establishment that not only served up ale, but which performed a whole variety of other hamlet, and old Bitton Parish functions. Earliest Days - Willsbridge hamlet before The Queen's Head - The name 'Willsbridge' means 'the spring, (or well), by the bridge', and is Anglo Saxon in origin. In those days it was known as 'Wylsbrugge'. Now much extended, the original settlement was a hamlet at the Mill Clack Brook (now called Siston Brook) bridge - in other words the little bridge and immediate surrounding area where The Queen's Head is situated. Roman remains have been found nearby at Oldland Bottom and Stout's Hill. It may be that the section of the A431 on which the original Wylsbrugge hamlet is situated is part of the Roman road, the Via Julia. It is possible that a house of refreshment has stood near, or on, the site of the present Queen's Head since Roman times. The Goldwell was an important Anglo Saxon public well formerly situated at the roadside (near present day Oldbury Chase and Willsbridge Mill on the A431). It was still operating when in c.1779 the historian Rudder wrote of the water being 'reckoned very fine and pure. There is a pump erected, and a tin cup chained to it, for the use of travellers, to drink as they go along'. The Rev. H.T. Ellacombe of Bitton Church called the well 'a place lying on the south of Stout's Hill, near which place was a gate entering the forest. By the mid nineteenth century, however, this public well was no more. Mrs. Master's House - Our story now begins: The present pub is certainly a c.1660 to 1670 building with eighteenth century, and later, additions. Its seventeenth century appearance was that of a simple three bay house with a central door and porch, made from locally quarried stone. A substantial building when compared with former neighbouring cottages. It began its life as a private house whose occupier brewed using water from Mill Clack Brook or a nearby well. Then it opened up its kitchen and fireside to drinkers and became an alehouse. It is not clear at what date exactly this change occured but by 1719 The Queen's Head was a licensed house. It was built upon the Common Field within the Manor of West Hanham. This was the field shared by the hamlet inhabitants for their animals, for crop growing, and for recreation. It seems inevitable that the most important house built on that field should acquire a communal function also. The Creswicks of Hanham Court were Lords of the Manor, and West Hanham Manor was served by St. George's Chapel of Ease. In 1685 Francis Creswick described his West Hanham lands, making mention of 'divers common fields, common meeds and other fields which the owners have, know their own distinct lands.. .wastes, fields or inclosures.. .cottages, with gardens and Barn's and appurtenances'. One of these dwellings was the more substantial house owned by Mrs. Masters on the West Hanhan Manor side of Willsbridge hamlet. Built for Mrs. Masters in c.1660 at about the same time as nearby Londonderry Farm, this house stood on half an acre of pasture and also boasted an orchard. Mrs. Masters also owned other small parcels of land in the vicinity including' shooting over Keynsham way near Doverley' and some arable land on Whaddon acquired from Richard Jones of Londonderry Farm. This house belonging to Mrs. Masters was very probably what would become The Queen's Head. The pub is shown on a map of West Hanham Manor drawn by, or for, Francis Creswick in 'about 1670'. It is interesting that The Queen's Head seems to be the only alehouse noted on the map. This is not because there were no other alehouses within the large area of West Hanham but because it had the most important role to play in Manor life, and because members of the Creswick family knew the owners and attended meetings there. And what of the queen of the name? At present a portrait of Victoria dangles in error from the pub. 'No queens who have far greater claim to a picture are Charles II's consort, Catherine of Braganza, who stayed at Sir Henry Creswick's Bristol residence, or, Anne, who came to the throne in 1702. Pub Court House and Country Kitchen - Farming was carried out at all levels down to the poorest form of pig and allotment husbandry. Much stone was quarried in the Southern-wood (flow called Willsbridge) Valley, and in West Hanham Manor. Coal mining, though not actually a Willsbridge activity, had long been an important industry in all the surrounding hamlets. Pearsall Family - In 1716 Mr. and Mrs. John Pearsall, who were Quakers, settled in a thatched cottage by Mill Clack Brook in the area opposite The Queen's Head which, by all accounts, was largely un-reclaimed forest land. It was here, in about 1730, that John Pearsall built his mills for the rolling and slitting of hoop iron, so extending Willsbridge and increasing its importance. Much of this iron was used for roofing buildings. A carpentry shop, smithy, and workers cottages were also part of this small industrial centre. It was the Pearsalls who built Willsbridge House on Willsbridge Hill, the forerunner of today's 'castle'. Their business would flourish until 1816. In 1727 the River Avon was officially opened to water cargo between Hanham and Bath. Stone, coal and foodstuffs such as brewing ingredients could now be transported in this way. Another communications improvement was brought about at the same time with the setting up of a turnpike road with a tollhouse at Brockham Hill. This became known as the Willsbridge Turnpike and the superior quality of the turnpike road made travelling much easier for horse drawn carts, carriages, and coaches. Queeen's Head - The Local Court House - From its earliest days as an alehouse The Queen's Head became a venue for both Hanham and Oldland Vestry meetings. The Vestry members were parish administrators' ecclesiastical parish councillors. Usually the two Vestries met at their own chapels of St. Anne's (Oldland), and St. George (Hanham), but occasionally the chapel-wardens, overseers, and way-wardens who made up their number met at The Queen's Head. Here they discussed accounts, poor relief, and obstructions on the highway. The Queen's Head was also the venue for the poor man's court, the Court Leet. These courts would probably have assembled in the larger first floor room upstairs, away from the drinkers gathered about the kitchen fire downstairs. Each court had a jury of about twelve local men and the whole was presided over by a steward. Only minor offences, with the usual punishment of a fine, were dealt with. Cases that came up concerned unlawful pit digging; petty theft; the blocking up of roads; breaking of the peace and general trouble-making; the sale of bad ale or food; and unruly alehouses. No one party, or manor, held Court Leets at The Queen's Head, but several. On 22nd April, 1719, for example, six held sessions. These were: Dennis Rogers, tythingman, of 'Hanham, the second meadow.' William Bush, tythingman, of Sir John Newton's Court. The tythingmen of Upton Cheyney. The return of the petty constables of Bitton. The return of the tythingmen of Oldland. The return of Roger Harding. Another function of the Court Leet was the yearly appointment of constables and tythingmen, and also the way-wards who helped to look after animal pounds and common pasture lands. It was traditional for a feast, and general merry making, with a song or two, to take place at the close of business. The Queen's Head Court House would have been filled with noise and baccy smoke whilst a child servant brought round bacon, and tankards overflowing with beer from the brewhouse. 'Revels' and more 'Revels' - Until the close of the eighteenth century the 'revel' (ie. the hamlet or village fair accompanied by feasting, dancing, games and riotous drinking) was commonplace within the old ecclesiastical Parish of Bitton, of which Willsbridge, Oldland, and Hanham were a part. Many of these festivities were encouraged by alehouse keepers. At the front of the Bitton Parish Poor Book (1693 - 1739) are written the words: 'Not only wakes and revels (continue), but also other disorderly meetings, for wrestling and cudgel playing for hats or other prizes, which are promoted and encouraged by alehouse keepers.' The report continues, saying that this leads to dissent, and to drunkenness 'in the common sort of people', and that guilty alehouse keepers must be punished. It is unlikely that 'revels' associated with The Queen's Head degenerated into wild brawls and orgies, not only because of its Court House character, but also because its landlords, as we shall see, were, at this time, members of the local chapel Vestries, and were not supposed to be supportive of such activities (in public, at least). However, The Queen's Head played host to celebrations such as Leet and Parish feasts, harvest suppers, and customs associated with the common meadows. West Hanham Manor farming folk venerated Ceres, goddess of the harvest, and it has been suggested that a Ceres effigy known as 'Sally' was paraded around the filled Hanham Court Farm barn at harvest time. A 'Sally' is still affixed to the Hanham Court Farm barn today. 'Revels' held in West Hanham and vicinity were often relics from the days, up until the dissolution, when these lands were owned by the abbots of Keynsham Abbey. The most famous of these relics was the yearly 'shooting' of the meadows custom when the four Bitton Parish common meadows were opened up for common pasture. The ritual involved a white bull, or a horse with a white sheet over it, and the creation of a King, or Queen, of the Meadows, to last the duration of the festival. This is a well documented custom but is mentioned briefly here as The Queen's Read would have contributed in some way to the merry making. By 1846 the Rev. H.T. Ellacombe was able to write: 'the revelling, as in olden times.. .has happily, with the march of intellect subsided'. Mr. Samuel Fox was owner and landlord of The Queen's Head from the mid eighteenth century to about 1770. Prior to this the pub had belonged to the Betterton family who had also owned, or rented, other lands in West Hanham Manor. In 1729 the Brewster Sessions were begun that granted licences to publicans once a year only in September. At these Sessions publicans deposited 10 as a 'recognisance of good behaviour' plus a further 'recognisance' of 10 from someone else who was called a 'suretie'. Thus by 1755 Samuel Fox was owner and licensee of The Queen's Head, and William Dark, a fellow publican, and George Collins, a shoemaker, were his sureties. 'Good behaviour' largely meant not opening up the house before 1.00 p.m. on the Lords Day, and observing other holy days. The Fox family had been established in West Hanham Manor and at Longwell Green since the fifteenth century at least. They were owners of small parcels of land, and of property, of yeoman class. Samuel not only owned The Queen's Head, but land, and property at Longwell Green. He was a member of the Hanham Vestry at St. George's Chapel, and his signature is seen beside that of Henry Creswick, and Charles Whittuck as part of Vestry accounts proceedings of April, 1764. Occasionally these meetings were held at his alehouse. Only persons considered 'fit' (which usually meant owners or occupiers of substantial property) could become wardens or overseers. In 1762 he paid 2 shillings, and in 1770, 7d, on behalf of The Queen's Head, for a St. George's Chapel rate made 'towards defraying the expence and disbarments that have been laid out and expended in and about the chapel'. Samuel and Mary Fox's Queen's Head would largely have had the atmosphere of a kitchen, with a better room set aside for Vestry cronies, as well as the function come Court room upstairs. They had their orchard to the rear, enough land for pasture, and outbuildings. The adjoining cottages we see today had not yet been built. Beer was home brewed in the brewhouse to the rear. This part of the pub, with its own chimney and its old fireplace/oven markings visible on the outside wall survives and is now the cellar. Formerly, however, the scene was set with pots, pans, shovels, mashing sticks and sacks of malt. Bread ovens have been removed from this part of the building in more recent years, suggesting that it was also the bakehouse. There was no bar as such. Drinks were carried through to customers from the brewhouse, or from a serving room. Samuel and Mary Fox appear to have given up The Queen's Head at some stage after 1770. In his will, made in 1773, it is not mentioned. Instead he gives Mary, and a married daughter, Hester Malpost, all that the house wherein I now live with the stables, shops, orchard gardens, and appurtenances thereunto belonging situate at Longs Green in the said Hamlet of Oldland'. To these two ladies he also gives his 'two half acres of land, one of them called the well half acre and the other.... in Hanhams West Field.' After his death the will was contested and Mary and Hester swore on oath to it being the 'true last will and testament of Samuel Fox.. .yeoman, deceased'. The oath ended with the words 'so help you God - kiss the Book', and the will was validated in 1782. There is an interesting letter in the possession of Bristol Record Office written in 1915 by 83 year old Aaron Short. In confused and poor English he pleads for information on the history of the Longwell Green Foxes on behalf of 'friends' in South Africa. He explains that his mother's name was Angel Fox, and that she had been married to a hatter. An aunt Fox had married a master hatter, and his uncle, Job Fox, had lived at Longwell Green 'next to the old manor house' and had paid no rent for his house as it was in the family. He claimed to be 'the last' of the Longwell Green Foxes. George Burgess the elder, of Willsbridge, was a well known local character who played an important part in the development of The Queen's Head. The exact date that George and Rebbecca Burgess became its owners and landlords is not known as licensing records for the period 1770 - 1826 have not survived. They were certainly its occupants in 1812, and, as they were then elderly, it is likely that they had already been there for some time. William Burgess, a Stout's Hill butcher, was their suretie. George Burgess seems to have been quite an enterprising gentleman with several small business concerns. He not only owned The Queen's Head alehouse but the industrial cottages adjoining it. It is probable that it was he who had them built as a hat factory. Hat Factory - his son, George Burgess Junior, was originally a hatter by trade, and though the elder was termed a 'licensed victualler' in 1827, it is possible that he had been, or still was, a hatter also, and that hats were made in the alehouse rooms. The whole rank was known as George Burgess's Queen's Head, and was more of a complete unit than the separate dwellings of today. He also hosted The Queen's Head Friendly Society, and started up the Willsbridge Post Receiving House from The Queen's Head. During George and Rebecca's term (which lasted until 1832) the alehouse continued to be used as a venue for Oldland and Hanham Vestries, and for auctions, mining inquests, and important Parish meetings. George Burgess was himself a member of the Hanham Vestry. In 1819 he paid his usual 7 shillings 6d on behalf of The Queen's Head for the St. George's Chapel rate. There were other contributors, such as immediate neighbours, and the Willsbridge Mill owners, who paid small amounts on behalf of The Queen's Head. This indicates that The Queen's Head lands, which were then more substantial than today, were shared by others. That same year he also contributed 5 shillings 3d to the same fund for a Willsbridge house called 'Dimmocks', which the family then rented. When the adjoining industrial cottages were built in c.1790, The Queen's Head alehouse was extended, gaining its front projection, into which the original porch with seats was incorporated. Drinks could be passed through to those sitting outside via the porch window. This window is still visible though now bricked up. Inside were huge blazing fires and flagstone floors. It is likely that barrels and bottles of beers from Bath and Bristol breweries were delivered from Burgess's day onwards. Porter was by far the most popular drink, which, together with pale ale, was produced at The George and Co. Porter and Beer Brewery at Bath Street, Bristol. West India Porter; Old Strong Beer; Brown Stout; Small Ale; X Beer; and locally produced or home made cider and perry were some of the brews Burgess would have served. The Queen's Head Friendly Society - Friendly Societies were clubs for working men, and sometimes women, that provided financial support and companionship to their members. Each member paid a monthly contribution, and monies from the Society's pooled funds would be used to help a member who had fallen on hard times, or to pay for a burial. Amongst the written Resolves of Oldland Vestry, references are made to some poor seeking aid who were also in 'the club'. The Oldland overseers were anxious to keep individuals in 'the club' as their own poor relief funds were inadequate. It was the role of the Society's stewards to investigate claims for financial assistance, and none would be given if a member's circumstances were considered to be self induced, through fighting, gambling, drunkenness or venereal disease, for example. The rules binding each Friendly Society also influenced members' conduct at meetings and Feast Days. They were expected to behave reasonably and not get drunk on such occasions. In spite of this, however, it was the pub that usually became the Friendly Society's headquarters. The Queen's Head Friendly Society was founded in 1797 and its membership included hatters, end possibly cordwainers and miners. Burgess, the landlord, had much to gain from the arrangement as the club always purchased a certain amount of drink, and bread and cheese, at its monthly meetings, and brought a measure of prestige and publicity to the house. But Burgess also had his responsibilities. It was he who presided over the Society's box of funds, keeping it securely locked in his office, and it was he who had to ensure that the alehouse club room was kept well warmed by a good fire on club nights. The Queen's Head Friendly Society had its own brass emblem, which was carried amidst much pomp and ceremony at the annual Feast Day procession. The brass depicts a woman, presumably a queen, with a ribbon in her hair, and who wears a head dress more akin to a hat than a crown. The Queen's Head Friendly Society disbanded well before the end of the nineteenth century. The oldest local residents have no recollection of it, and it is not known where the members held their Feast, or what the Feast Day procession route was. Mining Inquests - killed down a pit - Mining accidents and deaths were common, and boys as young as nine were killed in the local pits. The Queen's Head was one of a few old Bitton Parish alehouses used as a mining inquest venue. On February 18th, 1796, an inquest was held there for Isaac Stanley who was 'buried under coal at Hurd's Pit, belonging to Whittuck'. On March 11th, 1804, one was held for James Haskins who had fallen 'down the pit belonging to Samuel Whittuck'. Post Receiving House for the Bristol Mail Coach - These were the days before the Penny Black postage stamp and post offices. To send a letter it had to be taken to the nearest Receiving House between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. where it was stamped by the Receiver of mail, and then despatched by mail coach, cart, or post boy. The post boys (who were not often boys but old men), could be robbed, or become carried away at the alehouses en route. Willsbridge was one of the very first places outside the City of Bristol to have an official Receiving House, and this was set up by Burgess at The Queen's Head in August, 1814. The Pearsalls would have relied on this service for their business. In 1814 the only other official Receiving House in the area was at Warmley. By 1825 there was one at Bitton also. Prior to 1828 Willsbridge mail was transported on foot by a post boy. The name of one such was William Delves, a Bitton man. As an official Receiver, Burgess was responsible for stamping deposited letters with a number stamp, and for keeping the letters secure at all times. The special mixture for stamping was a concoction of lamp black, culinary oil, and ink, all stirred up together over a slow fire. This was contained by pieces of hat, or cloth. Burgess set up an office within The Queen's Head to deal with the post and other affairs. In c.1930 an unusual post box (since lost or destroyed) was removed from the fireplace wall in the rear room where darts is now played. The top half of the device was made of crown glass, and the bottom was wooden with a posting slit. Letters and heavy coins (also sadly lost), which had become caught up in the box's lining were also discovered at that time. Prior to c.1954 this back room was in fact two very small rooms, and it may be that one of these was the office. The room was also used for general commercial affairs, and for securing other valuables, such as the Friendly Society box. In June 1814, (two months prior to Burgess becoming an official Receiver of mail), one could apply to The Queens Head for particulars of the Barr's Court Estate sale. From 1828, the year of Burgess's death, mail was delivered and despatched by horse drawn mail coach. This service ran from Bristol to Bath via Hanham, Willsbridge, Bitton, and Kelston. The Queen's Head was never a coaching inn. In fact the coachmen did not even stop during delivery but dropped off and received mail bags whilst on the move. At The Queen's Head, Willsbridge, Rebbecca Burgess would have been waiting. The New 'Waterloo' - After the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo, the British government set up its Million Fund for the building of new parish churches. In Bitton Parish the Rev. H.T. Ellacombe saw to this work with great vigour. On January 28th, 1819, an historic meeting was held at The Queen's Head to appoint an organising committee to launch the building of the first of these 'New Churches', which was Holy Trinity, Kingswood Hill. John Bowes, a former vicar of St. Anne's, Oldland, states in his short history of Oldland, that this meeting was chaired by Captain Stratton. It was Stratton who would later buy Willsbridge House from the Pearsalls and give it the appearance of a 'castle'. - Holy Trinity was consecrated in September, 1821. The ordeals of Oldland Vestry - During George and Rebbecca Burgess's period at The Queen's Head, the chapelwardens, overseers, and way-wardens of St. Anne's Chapel, Oldland, held meetings and auctions there. From their surviving minuted meetings - 'The Orders and Resolves of the Hamlet of Oldland 1807-1832' it is clear that much of their time was spent looking into cases of poverty, and deciding to whom aid should be given: 'We.. .appoint Tuesday the 17th (May, 1814) for the purpose of examining into the state of the poor.. .to be holden at The Queen's Head, Willsbridge', they record. And again they write on May 11th that same year: 'and we do lastly adjourn the meeting for examining into the state of the poor to Tuesday the 24th instant at the Queen's Head, Willsbridge, at ten o'clock in the forenoon.' The level of poverty in Oldland hamlet was appalling and the problems created by bastardy and infirmity a constant drain on Parish funds. A letter of 1817 in which the Vestry pleads for more funds explains: 'Our hamlet is chiefly composed of colliers, quarriers, and the lowest class of husbandmen.' A living was barely to be made from such occupations and it was a struggle to survive. Oldland Vestry members gathered at The Queen's Head for a meeting on February 1st, 1813, included Robert Henderson (chapelwarden), Christopher Williams (overseer), Ambrose Lewton, Humphrey Creswick, William Fry, and James Gully, amongst others. At it they discussed payments for the wives and families of soldiers; weekly poor relief settlements; and overdue payment of taxes amongst Oldland inhabitants. On April 26th, 1813, Robert Henderson, Humphrey Creswick, Thomas Pearsall of Willsbridge Mill, and others, met at the alehouse to elect overseers and a chapelwarden for the forthcoming year, and to discuss Vestry members' accounts. Notification of 'a sale of the properties of Gully and Williams by Public Auction at The Queen's Head (Willsbridge)' was given at a meeting in September 1818. Insanitary living conditions in the district bred cholera, and one of many outbreaks ensued from 1831/1832. From then on Vestry time was taken up with attempting to combat the spread of the disease. Each fatality and recovery from Cholera Morbus was carefully registered and medicine delivery stations were set up. A Mr. Barker was in charge of the Willsbridge station. In 1832, the year Rebbecca Burgess died, the Oldland minute book closes, and we have no surviving volume to follow on. Land Enclosure - Prior to the Land Enclosure Acts which chiefly affected Bitton Parish in the first half of the nineteenth century, acres of that Parish were open common grounds of marsh, moor, heath, scrub, allotments, and pasture. The process of 'enclosure' sought to better control and get the most out of these lands by dividing them up, fencing, or hedging them in, and bringing them under individual management: 'Fence meeting fence in owner's little bounds of field and meadow, large as garden grounds' (John Clare, poet and farmer, 1793 - 1864) George Burgess was very keen to secure his Willsbridge lands for pasture, and prior to his death many enclosure meetings for local inhabitants claiming their own patches and parcels of ground were held at The Queen's Head. On January 28th, 1819, one such was held at the alehouse to discuss applying to parliament for land enclosure locally. Later that year the first Enclosure Act was passed and the following places (with names which aptly described their states) were enclosed: Oldland Common, North Common, Cadbury Heath, Longwell Green, Hanham Common, Westfield, and Redfield. On March 31st, 1827, at 10 a.m., a 'Special General Meeting' was held 'at the House of George Burgess, victualer, commonly called the Queen's Head situate at Willsbridge...' for 'proprietors' interested in enclosure. Another like it was held later that year in September. The enclosure awards of 1859, when the four Bitton common meadows of Edensfield, Micklemead, Holmead and Sydenham were enclosed by Act of parliament, saw the fruits of those 1827 meetings. By the year 1859 George Burgess Junior was probably also dead. Even so, at that date, the Right of Common Pasture was finally awarded to the Burgess family at The Queen's Head (five acres more or less), and at 'Dimmocks' (two acres, more or less). Burgess Junior - The son, George Burgess Junior, was a hatter and a publican, and by 1826 was living with his wife Sarah, and increasingly large family, at The White Hart, Keynsham Bridge, (now called The Lock Keeper and still trading today), which he rented. He played a major role in Hanham Vestry life at both St. George's Chapel, and, after 1843, at the 'New Church' of Christchurch, Hanham. As a 'fit and substantial' householder he was elected various times as an overseer, and warden, and acted as chairman of proceedings working closely with members of the Shellard and Olds families (whom we will meet again), married Henry Creswick, the Queen's Head son thus becoming the Rev. William Fry, the Messrs. Whittuck, and Mr. Couch. He achieved local fame when his daughter, Sarah Anne, father-in-law to a son whose family had been Lords of the Manor of West Hanham, and owners of Hanham Court, since 1638. By c.1833 when the two married, however, the Creswicks had sunk from Lord Mayor of Bristol status to one of destitution, and it is reputed that Henry lived in the gamekeepers lodge of the old family home. In fact it is very likely that the Burgesses were now considerably better off than the Creswicks. Henry and Sarah Anne emigrated to Barrie, Canada, where he became a successful land surveyor. They had a distinguished family whose descendants still live in Canada. George Burgess Junior left The White Hart in 1850, returning to the Willsbridge of his childhood to live by The Queen's Head. He was now a widower. The census of 1851 tells us that he was then 65, a 'landed proprietor', and that he lived with his 45 year old 'housekeeper', Eliza Green. Years of great change - During the 1820's after the collapse of the Pearsall's business, Willsbridge Mill became a corn mill. By 1833 the Willsbridge section of the mineral railway, the 'dramway', was operational. The dram carried coal from the Kingswood East Bristol pits to the river Avon at Londonderry Wharf - Keynsham from where it was transported, by barge, to the cities of Bath and Bristol. At Willsbridge it ran through the Willsbridge Valley tunnel, then cut right across the road at Brockham Hill (where the mini roundabout now is), before going on to Keynsham and the river, it remained active at Willsbridge until c.1850, thereafter receiving a second lease of life when the California Colliery re-opened from 1876 to 1904. The dramway may have brought new custom to The Queen Head, but it also paved the way for new development, businesses, and therefore competition. Brockham Hill Terrace, the rank of cottages where today's post office stands, and other buildings along that part of the Bath Road developed alongside the dramway. Here, as well as shops, farriers, wheelwrights, and blacksmiths, there were beer retailers whose licenses only permitted outdoor consumption of the grog bought from them. The most famous of these was the now demolished Railway Inn, which started off its life in this way. (The Railway Inn once stood where the modern-day mini roundabout now stands - it was pulled down in the early 1960's) In 1835 the industrial cottages adjoining The Queen's Head, which were still owned by the late George Burgess, the elder, were occupied by a variety of craftsmen. John Barlow ran his small hat factory from two of them, and, by 1841, they were joined by Silas Nurse, a shoemaker, and his family. The hat factory closed in 1849. The Shellards - Members of this important local family were licensees and tenants of The Queens Head from 1837 to 1855, and lived and worked in the pub rank for many years after that. We will begin their saga in Longwell Green. Daniel and Judith Shellard lived in a house (built by Daniel) in, or near Dod Lane, Longwell Green. They certainly occupied land, including an old quarry, at Dod Lane. This long and narrow track, then consisting of only three or four cottages, was the forerunner of the busy California and Shellard Roads, the latter being named after this family. Daniel was a carpenter, like a brother, Cornelius, and the surviving accounts for Hanham and Oldland Chapels are full of entries for payments made to Daniel and family for lock mending and furniture building, etc. Daniel was also a member of the Oldland Vestry, being repeatedly elected as overseer, chapelwarden, waywarden, and 'surveyor for the highway'. His parents, Joseph and Hannah, had owned, or rented, lands in nearby West Hanhan Manor. Daniel and Judith had a large family. The first born was George, who was christened in 1809, followed by Joseph, Daniel Junior, Henry and Thomas. Then, in around 1833, Daniel and family appear to have moved to Londonderry Farm, near Willsbridge, which they rented from the Avon and Gloucester Railway Company (ie. the dramway). The Shellards occupied many of the lands and buildings along the dramway route from Willsbridge to Keynsham. In 1835 another relative, William Shellard, owned Clack Mill by the dramway. Londonderry became a beerhouse run by Daniel's eldest son, George, and his family. And in 1837 another son, Joseph, and his wife, Susanna, both aged 26, became tenants of The Queen's Head, taking over from Benjamin Hassell. Elizabeth, the first of many children, was born in 1840. The census records of 1841 make no mention of other individuals staying at The Queen's Head. There is nothing to say that it was ever an inn, in the true sense of the word, that is that accommodation was provided as part of the hospitality. The Queen's Head, then, as now, was an alehouse, and as such did not regularly accommodate travellers, though a bed, or a piece of floor in front of the fire may have been made available if necessary. Like other Queen's Head landlords before him, Joseph Shellard was a member of the Hanham Vestry. In fact most of Daniel Shellard's sons seem to have attended their meetings, and in 1841 Joseph was nominated as overseer. In 1847 he (and George Burgess Junior) were re-elected for that office. It is not surprising that their meetings were occasionally held at The Queen's Head during the course of his tenancy. On September 5th, 1848, at 10 a.m., the Rev. William Fry, the Messrs. Whittuck, Mr. Couch, George Burgess Junior, and others, met there to 're-assess the poor rate'. Auctions continued to be held in the big first floor room. On April 5th, 1845, the sale took place of four acres of arable land, known as Whaddon Moor, near the Willsbridge Turnpike on Brockham Hill. Then, in 1850, Joseph and Susanna left The Queen's Head, to become tenants of The White Hart, Keynsham Bridge, taking over from Joseph's Hanham Vestry colleague, George Burgess Junior, who, as we know, returned to Willsbridge. This is a move which demonstrates that Vestry membership was also a provider of useful social and business contacts. It is also possible that the Burgesses and the Shellards were in some way related. But the Shellards had not yet finished with The Queen's Head. In 1850 Daniel's younger son, Henry, 26 year old wife, Anne Maria, 6 year old daughter, Mary, sister-in-law Mary Webley, and Harriet Harrison, a 16 year old house servant, all moved in. And Daniel and Judith themselves settled in the cottage rank next door. For whatever reason Henry then departed from the family home for five years at least, leaving Anne as head of the household and publican, in which capacities she was no doubt assisted by her parents-in-law. It seems that Daniel was licensee during the years of Henry's absence. In 1851, at 73, Daniel was also still farming 30 acres of land near the dramway. At about this time a bar was set up in the alehouse which was situated in the public room where it is today, but at the opposite end, up by the front windows and entrance porch. That was its position until the turn of the century. Cider, perry, and bottled or draught porters and stouts were served up in tankards, and in the glasses which were now replacing them. Anne Maria gave up The Queen's Head in 1855. It was about then that Daniel Shellard died, leaving his widow, Judith, 'a landed proprietor' in the rank. Anne moved in with her mother-in-law and took up dress making. Henry returned in c.1861, finding work as an agricultural labourer. Also in 1861 Sarah Barlow, John Barlow the hatter's widow, became Willsbridge's postmistress. The rank cottage immediately adjoining the pub, called 'Speedwell' served as the hamlet's first post office until the turn of the century, when it moved to its present Brockham Terrace site. Henry and Anne Shellard followed Mrs. Barlow as sub postmasters at 'Speedwell'. In 1881, when they were both aged 57, they were still there. The census of that date describes Anne as 'postmistress'. and Henry as a 'carter'. And what of Joseph and Susanna, the first Shellard tenants of The Queen's Head? In 1873 they were owners of The White Hart, Keynsham Bridge. During their lifetimes they amassed a considerable estate, which included lands in Keynsham, Saltford, Bitton, and Hanham Parishes. They also owned the property called 'Roseneath' opposite Londonderry Farm (and therefore another Shellard property in the dramway vicinity). 'Good Behaviour' - The keeping of 'good behaviour' required of licensees as part of their agreements was generally somewhat lax in the vicinities of Bitton, Hanham, and Oldland in the mid nineteenth century. In 1828 an important act designed to combat disorderly public houses, was passed. This was the Alehouse Act, under which terms it was possible for a pub to attain the full publican's licence, known as an Alehouse Licence. Landlords at such houses were allowed to sell any excisable liquor (using only legal and properly stamped measures). The landlord also had to ensure against drunkenness, disorderly conduct, unlawful games, and 'the gathering of bad characters' on the premises. The house was not to open during the Divine Service on Sundays, Christmas Day, or Good Friday. All this was supposed to create a better class of publican and pub. Pubs without an Alehouse Licence, and which sold only beer, ale, cider, perry, and porter, were known as 'beerhouses', or 'Tom and Jerry's'. These houses tended to receive mare visits from the Justices of the Peace, and were often fined. The majority of pubs in the Hanham, Oldland, and Bitton vicinities were in this category. The Queen's Head, however, soon gained its Alehouse Licence. It is not clear at what date, exactly, this was granted, but it was in the 'Alehouse' category by the 1860's, and was therefore amongst the first few in the area to be so classed. The jottings of local Justices of the Peace, who wandered about the district on Sundays trying to catch out publicans serving pints before 1.00 p.m. make interesting reading: Sunday May 31st, 1840. William Caple's House, Bitton. Men seen drinking outside pub before 1.00 p.m. On seeing the J.P. they attempted to hide their glasses under their hats:one lying on his hat. Took up the hat and found a pint of beer under it'. Sunday July 25th, 1847. Samuel Nurse's House, Hanham. Sold beer before 1.00 p.m. J.P. saw five men drinking who immediately 'tipped it on the ground'. Good Friday, 1847. Henry Crew's House, Bitton. The publican's wife defends herself: 'I had not drawn a drop of beer that day before 1 o' clock'. Boxing Day, 1863. William Parson's House, The White Hart, Bitton. Gathering together of bad characters including well known criminals. Even the fiddle player is slated. And so on. Sometimes the constable or J.P. was distracted from the course of his duties by himself being offered a pleasant drink. Sometimes this pleasant drink was so designed to make him totally inebriated. On other occasions drinkers were less subtle, and he was punched instead. Nothing of this kind appears to have been recorded for The Queen's Head, and there are various reasons for this. In the first place The Queen's Head of the 1840's probably really was a better run and better 'behaved' establishment than others in the locality. The three main licensees of the pub to date - Fox, Burgess, and Joseph Shellard, were Vestry men. As the Vestry overseers could be held responsible for ensuring that public houses were kept orderly, Fox, Burgess, and Shellard would have strived for an outward show of this, at least. Who is to say, however, that the good gentlemen of the Hanham Select Vestry were not closeted within a small, dark room at The Queen's Head at fifteen minutes before 1 o'clock on Sunday, savouring their pipes and porter? (And this they may have termed 're-assessing the poor rate'). Until 1855 The Queen's Head had been managed largely by these three families. Each knew the other very well (possibly inter-marrying), and belonged to the same 'landed proprietor' class and well known local establishment circle of the Hanham Vestry. These families had lived in Willsbridge, West Hanham, and Longwell Green for generations. After 1855, however, this pattern changes, and the next fifty years see a quick succession of tenants who came not only from the next village, but from all parts of Somerset, from Bristol city, and from London. (This being a direct consequence of improved road and rail communications). And it was also during those next fifty years that the first recordings of 'bad behaviour' were made for The Queen's Head. In 1870 the pub was fined for gambling. (Laws against gaming in public houses were passed in the 1860's). Though the gambling has long since stopped, card games, such as cribbage, have always remained, and are ever popular at The Queen's Head. The Queen's Head Yard from 1855 to 1901 - The Caple family from Somerset took over from the Shellards as tenants of The Queen's Head. The owner of the premises was now Daniel Harris of Fieldgrove Farm, a local farmer of some 240 acres. In 1861 William Caple's seventeen year old son, George, was a butcher by trade. When, in 1863, the Caples moved on to take up a small farm in Longwell Green, the interestingly named Sumption Thompson became tenant. Thompson had previously lived and worked in Micklemead meadow between Bitton village and Swineford, where he had owned, or rented, a house, butchers shop, and corn mill. These Queen's Head links with farmers and butchers are a reminder of the former animal pound role of the pub yard - that is the area now used as the pub car park. Here were kept horses, cattle, and sheep. Sumption Thompson was tenant for just three years. After him came the Harveys from Banwell and Bristol with their seven children, and fourteen year old servant from South Wales whose name was Sarah Rees. These were years of transport changes and increased activity on road and rail. In 1869 the Midland Railway Opened its Bath-Bitton-Bristol service. Bitton Station is actually at Willsbridge. On the road, horse drawn passenger omnibuses, and carriers and hauliers of goods, all vied with one another for business between Bitton and Bristol. All these Bitton to Bristol services collected, and dropped off passengers, and goods, at Willsbridge. Many vehicles, in any case, would be forced to stop by The Queen's Head at Willsbridge Bottom, before negotiating the very steep Willsbridge Hill. Not surprisingly, then, during this period Willsbridge Bottom was home and workplace to carters and hauliers such as Henry Shellard, who kept their carts and horses at the pub yard, and who were Queen's Head customers. In 1872 The Queen's Head came under the ownership of William Russell of Baptist Mills. Four tenants 'John Way, John Joyce, William Turner (from London), and Thomas Gay - resided at the pub until his death in 1901. Between 1890 and 1900 The Queen's Head yard also became the site for the main slaughterhouse at Willsbridge. The long stone building adjoined the pub rank. At the turn of the century the owner was Tom, or 'Roly' Bence, the Brockham Terrace butcher. Slaughtering methods in those days were barbaric and Willsbridge meat was butt of many a joke it was not always 'decent'. Opposite the slaughterhouse, on the other side of the road, was a yard with cottages where tanning was carried out. Today this area is still known as 'The Tanyard' and still is today. Together the two industries sent their waste and stench spilling into Siston Brook and the surrounding area. It must have been delightful having a drink on a hot summers day.?. freehouse days over - The area called 'Willsbridge' at this date was a considerable extension of the original Anglo Saxon hamlet, and the bridge/brook Willsbridge Bottom area was no longer the focus of the community. Places in the immediate vicinity which for generations had been commonly known as 'Brockham', 'Doverley' (or 'Snoggy'), 'Whaddon', 'Londonderry', 'Goldwell', 'Stout's Hill' (and beyond Stout's Hill, to the end of Court Farm Road), were generally accepted as being part of 'Willsbridge'. It was quite a self sufficient hamlet during this period, with its own shops, industries, and clubs. Two lime works operated in Court Farm Road. The Nethercotts at Clack Mill, and the Mills family at Willsbridge Mill were farmers and millers, and apples were pressed for cider at the latter for local consumption. William Clapp farmed at 'Londonderry'. Market gardening was becoming increasingly important, and the slaughtering and tanning at Willsbridge Bottom continued until c.1915. There were coal merchants at Bitton Railway Station, wheelwrights, a 'dame school' for young children, and a private boarding school at the Willsbridge house called 'The Querns' (opposite today's post office). The post office come grocery store was now removed from 'Speedwell Cottage' to its present site, with Bence the butcher's nearby. There were sweet and ice cream shops, beer retailers, and the dearly loved Railway Inn off licence and general store, at which 'everything' was sold. The latter was demolished in 1962 to make way for the mini roundabout at the Keynsham Road/Brockham Hill junctions. There were several large 'gentlemen's residences' at Willsbridge, most of which still remain, which then all had their maids, cooks, and rival gardeners, as well as tennis courts, kitchen gardens, and exotic fruit trees. Many small cottages, now demolished, also stood in the hamlet. Children played amongst pigs and chickens on the then unfrenetic Bath to Bristol road, and watched otters swimming in the Brook. Or they could support the Willsbridge Amateurs football team as they thrashed the Brazil Strakers at home, and boosted their position in the Gloucestershire Minor Cup League. Shops and the many hamlet wells were social centres and haunts for gossip mongering. After the Willsbridge Bottom tanning and slaughtering, and prior to motor car domination, the hamlet passed through one of its 'picturesque' phases. It was described as such in 1919 by a Miss Ellen Willmott, a friend of the Ellacombes. She wrote also of the 'old world atmosphere' of Willsbridge, Bitton, and Oldland, continuing: 'Anything more typical of rural England as it was a century ago could scarcely be found. The steep wooded banks, the various flowery chines, and the little thatched cottages. . .all make that remote part of the country one of the most romantic I have ever seen'. (One wonders if she had also looked inside those 'little' cottages). But these were indeed lush, leafy years of lanes overhung with branches and tangled with dark ivy. Clear running spring water fed wayside herbs. The Queen's Head, with its shutters, pretty window boxes, and exterior walls that were as yet untouched by fumes from ridiculous levels of motor traffic, had a rather more quaint appearance than it does today. Parish meetings, Leets, and inquests were no longer held there, though clubs of all kinds used it as their headquarters. The Saturday lunch-time card game accompanied by 'a drop of the good stuff ' was a favourite ritual for the Queen's Head men. The Grindells - The new owner of the pub in 1901 was William S. Grindell, esq. of Bristol, and relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Grindell took over as tenants. The Grindells were, at this time, a wealthy land owning family who traded in horses. Grindell Road, Redfield, which is near to a former field of theirs, is a reminder of those days. Frederick Grindell, who was married to a one time actress, Miss Lily Toms, traded from Lydiard's Farm, Memorial Road, Hanham. (This ancient building was unfortunately demolished in the 1960's). Mention the name 'Grindell' to our oldest local residents and they immediately talk of horses: 'Oh yes, I remember young Dibbie Grindell, she was always wandering about with a horse. The Queen's Head yard was used by the Grindells for their horses and carts, and it may have been that the old slaughterhouse was sometimes used for stabling after c.1915. The colourful Grindells were not untouched by scandal in those days. One incident related to Mrs. Alfred Grindell of The Queen's Head, who was supposed to have made a damaging accusation against a local woman whose husband had been away fighting in the war. In spite of Mrs. Grindell's denial of having made any such slanderous statement, in February 1919, his Lordship, the Bristol Assize Judge, ordered her to pay 15 to the woman 'to show people that they must not indulge in this kind of slander'. Joseph Harry Olds, landlord, 1918 - 1929 - 'Invalid Stout', 'Home Brewed', 'India Pale Ale', 'Mild', and 'Bitter' were the Bristol United Brewery cask and bottled beers that Joe Olds, as the peace-time licensee of The Queen's Head served up. For from 1918 onwards the pub's freehouse days were over, and it became tied to Bristol United Breweries Limited. Mr. Olds was a butcher by trade as well as a publican, working for the firm of Taylors in Hanham High Street whilst at The Queen's Head. His was a long established and important Hanham family, and he is remembered as being a 'very smart man...' On leaving The Queen's Head he would take over the butcher's shop at 102 High Street, Hanham, once occupied by Charles Taylor, and remained there for many years. Nearby, at 103, Wilfred Gladstone Burgess presided over the post office. These Burgesses were descendents of George and George Junior, The Queen's Head crowd. In fact the arrival of Joe Olds as landlord of the pub was something of an echo from the past as the Olds and Burgesses were thus related: James Olds had been a member of the Hanham Vestry alongside the aged George Burgess Junior in 1849. Like Joseph Harry, James had also been a butcher and a publican (of The Blue Bowl, Hanham). He was also Hanham's first postmaster. When his daughter married Samuel Burgess, Samuel took over from his father-in-law at the post office, and for a second time Burgesses became local postmasters. The Brockham Hill Rangers - From c.1918 to c.1923 The Rangers were Willsbridge's own football team, and The Queen's Head served as their headquarters. The Brockham Hill Rangers washed and changed in the disused slaughterhouse and played on the field, (the old Common Field), behind the pub. After the game they met back at base for a few pints. fun and games on the road - dawn of the motor car - The Willsbridge Hill of the 1920s was steeper, narrower, and more dangerous than it is today, but even then the first motorists sped down it as if it were a racing track. Inevitably there were accidents. One such concerned Messrs. Cottle and Harris, out for the day in their 'De Dion Boutong' six cylinder motor car named 'Sylvia'. Journeying down Willsbridge Hill 'Sylvia' became over excited, and went out of control. The brakes failed, and she collided into the side of The Queen's Head, sending her radiator crashing into a window and through to the bar. Mercifully neither drivers, nor astonished drinkers, were injured. Pre War Years Randolph Ricketts 1929 - 1948 - The mid 1930's saw a momentous and long awaited arrival at Willsbridge - electricity. Prior to that time oil lamps were used at The Queen's Head, and the pub's lights and cheer must have been a welcoming sight for travellers struggling down Willsbridge Hill on a moonless night in Bristol smog. For a picture of those times, I quote a former resident: 'The row of houses adjoining The Queen's Head... always full of people, very poor, but very friendly, no money, no pretence, but plenty of goodwill. Opposite, a house (might have been a barn), stood high up and had access by outside steps to three small rooms for a family of two adults with three or four children crowded in, dreadfully poor, but happy and content...' The Blitz - The War Years - They walked in from the city and outskirts in droves to get away from the bombing, some pushing prams, and then walked back again in the morning. The pub brought them warmth, companionship, food, drink, and fun, in those frightening times. Favourite songs were sung to the accompaniment of the back room piano, and local folklore has it that Russ Conway, in his pre-stardom days, was one of those pianists. A war time event creating a great deal of excitement locally was the crash landing of a Spitfire on land just behind The Queen's Head rank. This was the only Spitfire in the Kingswood area to do so. According to those who remember, the incident boosted Queen's Head trade, and the drinkers were not just curious onlookers. R.A.F. staff involved were delighted to find a pub so close to hand. Post War - The Tuckers - From 1948 to 1954 the Sheppards were tenants of The Queen's Head. And then in 1954 Stanley and Gwen Tucker took over. After the death of her husband Stanley in the 1960s - Gwen carried on as landlady, assisted by a family friend Paul Hawkins, and the pub was known as 'Gwen's' to all regulars for many years. On their arrival the Tuckers created the back family/darts room out of the former two (one of which had latterly been used as a kitchen scullery) and changed furniture fittings. (Tram seats and a settle had previously been employed in the public bar). In 1956, when Georges and Co. Bristol Brewery Ltd. acquired Bristol United Brewery, The Queen's Head became a George's pub. 'Bitter Ale', 'Dark Mild', 'India Pale', 'Bristol Stout', and 'XXX Old Vatted Beer' were draught favourites, and bottled varieties included 'Bitter Ale', 'Home Brewed', 'Bristol Stout', and 'Milk Stout'. Audiences for darts were large, and the excellent Queen's Head team built up a strong reputation. Today the team is in Division I of the North Bristol League, playing against other traditional pubs. 'The Great Storm of July 1968' - Willsbridge Mill suffered a tremendous battering as the, by now unrecognisable, Warmley Brook roared through it. Several tons of animal feed disappeared when the store and outbuildings were washed away. A massive tree trunk was swept into the dam walls which were unable to withstand the force of the impact and gave way. The resulting 'tidal wave' which descended into the valley below demolished the walls on both sides of the main road near the Queen's Head public house and washed cars out of the car-park. The public house, adjacent cottages and houses and bungalows at The Tanyard opposite were all flooded to a depth of several feet. The publican's wife, Mrs Gwen Tucker said that they had to stop serving drinks at about 8.00pm as water was pouring down the hill and entering the bar. The main flood following the mill dam bursting, happened in the early hours when they heard a series of loud bangs and the force of the water burst open their doors. As the water receded during Thursday morning, it revealed the main road littered with cars, blocked by a tree trunk and covered in a thick layer of mud and rubble. In 1962, when Georges was swallowed up by Courage, it began its long term as a Courage house. A few years later the Tuckers bars were flooded under several feet of water. The floods of the night of Wednesday July 10th, 1968, and the following morning, had a devastating effect on Willsbridge, Bitton, and surrounding districts. At Willsbridge the problem was made worse by the breaking up of the dam at Willsbridge Mill (then used by The Willsbridge Milling Company who produced animal feed) owned by the Bull family and run by the Townsend family, which released the Mill pond. By Thursday morning all was chaos: 'At Willsbridge, the scene was heartbreaking. Eighteen inches of thick slime filled downstairs rooms at Willsbridge Hill and The Tanyards.... At The Queens Head, Licensee Mr. Stanley Tucker and his wife Gwen were knee deep in water. Only hours earlier their bars had been under five feet of murky water.. .Mrs. Tucker said: 'we are in a terrible mess. We have had to close down for the first time in the history of the pub until pumps arrive. . .The dam burst at 2.15 a.m. and the three cars in our car park were washed downstream'.(Extract from the Observer) 'Good Beer Guide' - The Queens Head is renowned for the quality of pint served. The beer is cool, beautifully clear, and always in tip top condition. Not surprisingly it has been listed in every edition of CAMRA's 'Good Beer Guide' since 1981. A rare achievement indeed. In 1991 it became an Ushers of Trowbridge plc pub. Listed Building Status - The Queens Head, and The Queens Head rank are Grade II Listed Buildings 'of Architectural or Historic Interest'. As such the special character of the buildings must be preserved inside and out, and it is illegal to carry Out works (such as any demolition, alterations, or extensions) without prior Listed Building Consent. In spite of being some three hundred years old, the pub has remarkably retained its original country alehouse personality both inside and out, changing very little over the years. Some of the features of the building which combine to make it unique are as follows: * The Bristol United Brewery pennant forecourt. * The high roof. * The Gloucestershire entrance porch with its built in seats and window. * The former kitchen/brewhouse to the rear. * The central passageway. * The three small individual rooms downstairs leading off the passageway which serve as public bar, more private lounge, and games/family room. * The splendid first floor (former meetings/auctions) room. * Many original beams. * Some original Georgian windows. * Some huge fireplaces (currently concealed). * Old internal doors, their hinges and latches. The older entrances are markedly low. * Some of the Victorian/Edwardian glass and wood panellings. Licensee dates and owner dates 1670 - 1991 Known Licensees and Owners of The Queens Head Public House, Willsbridge. Licensee Dates Owner Dates (private house) 1670 - ? Mrs. Masters 1670 -? Mr. Betterton ? - 1740 Mr. Betterton ? - 1740 Samuel Fox 1740 - 1770 Samuel Fox 1740-1770 George Burgess 1770-1832 George Burgess 1770-1855 Benjamin Hassell 1832-1837 Joseph Shellard 1837-1850 Henry Shellard 1850-1852 Daniel Shellard 1852-1855 William Caple 1855-1863 Daniel Harris 1855 - ? Sumption Thompson 1863-1866 William Harvey 1866-1873 William Russell 1872-1901 John Way 1873-1875 John Joyce 1875- ? Charles Turner ? - 1881 Thomas Gay 1881-1901 Alfred Grindell 1901-1918 William Grindell 1901-1918 Joseph Olds 1918-1929 Bristol Utd. Brewers. 1918-1956 Randolph Ricketts 1929-1948 Bristol Utd. Brewers. Ernest Sheppard 1948-1954 Stanley Tucker 1954 - Georges 1956-1962 Gwen Tucker 1954 - Courage 1962-1991 Ushers 1991- Manager name not known. Many of the pubs now owned by Pubfolio Ltd originally belonged to Ushers of Trowbridge. In 1824 Thomas Usher established a small brewery in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, where he brewed a locally renowned ale which was sold by his wife, Hannah from ‘The Tap’ at their family home. Over the years the brewery flourished as a family business until 1941 when Thomas Usher, the founder’s grandson retired. During the next 20 years Ushers continued to grow operating in an area from London to Bournemouth. They brewed an array of fine ales including Best Bitter, Oatmeal Stout and East India Pale Ale. In 1960 Ushers was bought by Watney Mann increasing its interests across the West Country. In 1972 Watney Mann was bought by Grand Metropolitan and the brewery and pubs were managed by separate divisions. Following an MMC report in 1991 restricting the number of pubs a brewery could own, Grand Metropolitan and Courage did a pubs-for-breweries swap, with Grand Metropolitan concentrating on pubs and Courage on brewing. With Courage concentrating on high volume production in large breweries. However in November 1991 the brewery was saved by a management buy-in which included the brewery and 433 pubs. Ushers of Trowbridge was once again an independent brewery with a tied estate, which continued to invest in developing their beer brands and the pub estate which grew year on year. Post Script - 'Last Orders - the end of the village pub in England and the future is looking grim' Willsbridge has changed in character considerably since those days of 1992. Today it is neither hamlet, nor village, but a largely dormitory sprawl which has seen its life blood of shops and industries for the most part fade. The Post office closed down - The local Butchers shop gone forever. But we still have our good old Queen's Head but for how much longer no one knows.?? Since Gwen Tucker the Queen's Head as had a succession of six or seven Mangers who have each stayed a very short time. The truth is many pubs have simply closed down, while others eke out a marginal existence until a manager with entrepreneurial flair and the necessary capital comes along. The situation is the village pub, once the hub of social life, is dying. In England and Wales six rural pubs close every week. Away from the free spenders of the urban centres the option of moving upmarket is simply not on. A shift away from the heavy-drinking habits of the past, increasing social pressure on men to spend more time at home and a shift to wine drinking have all contributed to the pub's decline. Smarter and bigger homes allow many to invite friends over for a drink, rather than 'go down the pub' for their evening pint and chat. Once everyone went to the pub every night because that was where everything happened, even community meetings. 'Britain's pubs are the linchpin of its society. But corporate power is killing them'. In France, a threat like this would have people taking to the streets. In Britain, we just shrug our shoulders and head to the nearest All Bar One. Perhaps we should pay closer attention to the warning which Orwell's contemporary, the French poet Hilaire Belloc, issued to his adopted countryfolk in the 1930s: 'When you have lost your inns, drown your empty selves. For you will have lost the last of England'. The first pubs arrived in this country with the Romans. Britain's unique pub signs date back to at least the 9th century and probably before. The measure of beer known as the pint was defined in Magna Carta, and hasn't changed since. In an age which everything local, idiosyncratic or otherwise real is being steamrollered by a plastic tide of globalised nothingness, the traditional pub is one of our last bastions - 'but for how much longer'..?. At the time of this publication in 2008 - The Queen's Head is no longer trading, this must be the first time in its long history that its doors have been closed for business. 
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