Rose Beerhouse

Auction sale particulars of the Rose and adjoining land [GK18/3]
Rose Beerhouse: Blunham Road, Chalton
This beerhouse| in Chalton seems to have been built in the mid 1860s as the deeds begin with conveyance of a piece of land, on which two cottages had stood until they were burned down, in 1862 from John Powers and William Peppercorn to Elizabeth Burton who, in her will which was proved in 1869 devises the Rose to a trustee for sale. This sale took place in 1870 when the premises was leased to Emily Anne Day, brewer of St.Neots and it was purchased by brewers Frederick Hogge, Robert Henry Lindsell and Charles Samuel Lindsell who ran the firm of Wells & Company (unrelated to Charles Wells). This firm was bought out by George Winch in 1899 becoming Wells & Winch. In 1961 it merged with the Suffolk firm of Greene King, adopting the name in 1963.
The photograph shows the sale particulars for 1870 when the beerhouse is described as having a parlour, sitting room, tap room, kitchen, cellar and three bedrooms. Outside it had stables, a cow house, piggeries, hovels, a double mowed thrashing barn, dairy and yard. It also contained two and a half acres of garden land.
In 1927 Bedfordshire was valued under the terms of the Rating Valuation Act 1925; every piece of land and building was valued to determine the rates to be paid on it. The valuer visiting the Rose noted that it was a roughcast, brick and slate property with accommodation comprising: a tap room; sitting room; kitchen and cellar ("down steps") downstairs; upstairs were three bedrooms; outside was a washhouse, coal house and garden ("a few Fruit Trees"). Weekly trade was a barrel and a quarter and four dozen bottles of beer. The Ordnance Survey 25 inches to the mile map of 1901 below was the one used for the 1927 valuation survey and the Rose may be seen at the bottom of the map.
References
- GK18/2 and Z1039/34/1: conveyance by John Powers and William Peppercorn to Elizabeth Burton of site of two recently burned down cottages at Chalton: 1862;
- GK18/4: recited will of Elizabeth Burton devising all real estate including site of cottages and of land on Blunham to Mogerhanger Road as well as Rose and land in Chalton to George Winters in trust for sale: proved 1869;
- GK18/3: auction sale particulars of Rose and land and note of sale to agent for Wells, Hogge & Lindsell, brewers for £730: 1870;
- GK18/4 and Z1039/34/1: conveyance by George Winters to Frederick Archdale & R.H. and C.S.Lindsell of real estate late of Elizabeth Burton: 1870;
- GK1/36: three sales catalogues bound together: Wells & Company of Biggleswade 1898; Henlow Brewery 1899; Baldock Brewery Limited 1903;
- Z1039/34/2: conveyance, with other properties, by Frederick Archdale, Charles Samuel Lindsell, Henry Martin Lindsell and Arthur Knox Lindsell all of Biggleswade, brewers, maltsters and spirit merchants under the name of Wells & Company to Wells & Winch Limited: 1899;
- DV1/C/219: rating valuation: 1927;
- Z1039/32/1:Statement of Settlement by W.G.Walls to G.A.Rice: 1937
List of Licensees: note that this is not a complete list. Italics indicate licensees whose beginning and/or end dates are not known:1870-1892: James Mardlin;
1892-1893: Jane Sarah Mardlin;
1893-1904: Thomas Sabey Mardlin [convicted of permitting drunkenness on 13 Apr 1904 - fined £3 with £1/1/- costs];
1904-1913: John William Cann;
1927: W.J.Watts;
1913: George Odell Truin;
1940-1961: George Arthur Rice
Beerhouse closed 31 Dec 1961