The White Horse in the 1960s [WB/Flow4/5/HuC/WH1]

White Horse: corner of School Lane and Mill Road, Husborne Crawley 

The earliest mention of the White Horse public house |in archives held by Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service is in 1826 when it was owned by Joseph Morris, the Ampthill brewer who also owned the Bull in Turnpike Road.

In 1926 Morris & Company (Ampthill) Limited was bought out by J.W.Green Limited, the Luton brewer.

In 1927 the premises were valued for rates, they consisted of, downstairs: 1 private lounge, kitchen and scullery with a public bar and public smokeroom, with an underground cellar; upstairs four bedrooms; outside were an unlicensed slaughterhouse a barn, coachhouse, store, shed and stable for one horse. The takings averaged £11 per week and about 65 barrels of beer were consumed per year, with about nine gallons of spirits. The licence cost £11 per annum. The house conducted a small trade in tobacco and confectionary and it was noted "Landlord complains of bad trade. He has a considerable superfluity of bedrooms and building which he does not use" A shop adjoined the pub but was vacant and disused. This was, presumably, the butcher's shop occupied by the ARP during World War Two.

J.W.Green acquired various breweries thereafter including Flowers in 1954 and, although Greens were the principal partners, the Flowers name was that chosen to describe the new merged companies. Flowers were, in turn, bought out by Whitbread in 1962. Whitbread sold its brewing concerns and public houses in 2001. The White Horse, at the time of writing [2006] remains a public house, owned by Enterprise Inns.

The White Horse in March 2007

References of Documents held by Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service
- X21/629: conveyance of properties from Joseph Morris to devisees under the will of John Morris, deceased: 24 Jun 1828;
- WB/M/4/1/VP1: Mortgage for £30,000 from John Morris to Mary and Catherine Morris of various properties including White Horse with three closes of meadow totalling 12 acres in occupation of John Henry Roote: 28 Dec 1831;
- WB/M/4/1/VP2: Mortgage from John Thomas Green to Susanna, Mary Jane and Sophia Morris of a number of properties including White Horse and a number of nearby cottages purchased by John Morris from Ebenezer Clarke on 3 Apr 1840: 16 Jun 1882;
- HN10/271/Turney2: auction sale of property in Aspley Guise held at White Horse: 18 Mar 1887;
- SF32/11: valuation for probate - will of William Bunker: 15 Jun 1893;
- CCE5034/1: conveyed, with other properties, to Morris & Company (Ampthill) Limited: 1907;
- CCE5304/3: conveyed, with other properties, to J.W.Green Limited: 1926;
- abstract of title of Morris & Company (Ampthill) Limited to various properties including White Horse from 1900-1926: 1926;
- WB/M/4/2/1: mentioned on list of properties of Morris & Company (Ampthill) Limited: c.1926;
- WB/M/4/2/2: mentioned on list of properties of Morris & Company (Ampthill) Limited (licensee H.Muller): Jun 1926;
- WB/Green4/2/2: payments by J.W.Green Limited to landlords of various properties for premises, wayleaves etc.: 1927-1953
- WB/Green/6/4/1: J.W.Green Limited trade analysis ledger for various properties: 1936-1947;
- WB/Green4/2/4: Certificate of title of J.W.Green Limited to various properties: 1936-1952;
- WB/Green4/2/5: list of properties of J.W.Green Limited, tenant: N.A.J.C.Burley: c.1936;
- WW2/AR/C/2/234: Warden's Post in adjoining butcher's shop: 10 May 1944;
- WW2/AR/C/2/240: warden's Post in adjoining butcher's shop: 16 Aug 1944;
- WB/Green4/2/10: schedule of deeds to various properties owned by J.W.Green Limited: c.1949;
- Z1105/1: Liquor Licence Traders Survey Form: 1951;
- WB/Green4/2/16: list pf properties owned by J.W.Green Limited: 24 Jul 1952;
- WB/Green4/2/17: Second schedule of trust deed showing properties owned by J.W.Green Limited: 1952;
- WB/Green4/2/19: lists of properties owned by J.W.Green Limited: 1954;
- WB/Flow4/5/HuC/WH1-3: Photographs taken for Flowers Breweries Limited: 1960s;
- PCHusborneCrawley30/1: transfer of licensees: 1995 

Licencees: note that this is not a complete list and that dates in italics are not necessarily beginning or end dates, merely the first/last date which can be confirmed from sources such as directories and deeds:
1822 - 1828: Josiah Denny Roote;
1847: James Beaumont;
1850: George Negus;
1853-1878: Thomas Payne;
1878-1881: John Thomas Bateman;
1881-1893: William Bunker (also cattle dealer - d.1893);
1893-1905: Mrs.Lizzie Bunker (also cattle dealer);
1905-1910: Frederic Denton;
1910-1913: Herbert Watson;
1913-1915: Mrs.Rose Watson;
1915-1923: Thomas Dilly;
1923-1938: Henry Muller;
1938-1941: John Ralph Gilbert;
1941-1949: Albert Edward Cooper;
1949-1975: Norman Alexander James Cordeaux Burley;
1975-1976: Doris Annie Burley;
1976-1978: George Frederick Greener;
1978-1981: Barrie Irving Boult;
1981-1983: Graham Charles Wickert;
1983-1992: Christopher Kenneth Woodward;
1992: Simon Richard Marshall-Jones
1992-1993: Simon Richard Marshall-Jones and Patrick B.Thompson;
1993-1994: Simon Richard Marshall-Jones;
1994-1995: Robert Thomas Berry;
1995-1996: John Patrick Curry and Angela Maria Lamb