Black Horse Beerhouse

Site of Black Horse beerhouse October 2007

Black Horse beerhouse: 80 Bunyan Road, Kempston

Recitals in a mortgage taken out on adjoining properties in 1867 suggest that this beerhouse| was built by John Walker in 1820, licensing records indicate that it was first licensed in 1830. It was mortgaged by John Walker in 1837 and sold by him to its tenant, George Hart, in 1846, he immediately mortgaged it to Bedford brewers William Jones Johnstone and Frederick Redden. Hart died in 1850 and left the beerhouse to his wife Mary Ann, with the stipulation that after her death it was to pass to their son William. William Hart had it in 1875 when he mortgaged it to Bedford auctioneer Robert Barry Stafford. In the meantime Johnstone had died and his share of the business had been sold to Frederick Redden and, after Redden's death in 1851, his widow had sold it to other Bedford brewers Joseph Allen Piggot and Henry Collings Wells. Piggot bought out his partner Wells in 1862 and then he was himself bought out by Bedford brewer Charles Wells in 1875.

William Hart was declared bankrupt in 1876 but seems to have continued to occupy the Black Horse until at least 1885 as directories indicate. No records exist at Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service for the fate of the beerhouse over the next twenty years but it seems reasonable to assume that Hart's trustee in bankruptcy sold the beerhouse to the new brewery tenants Charles Wells because in 1898 they gave the Black Horse to Bedford rivals Newland & Nash in exchange for the Smith's Arms| beerhouse in Margetts Road. The beerhouse closed in 1921 and was later demolished, the site now being occupied by a petrol filling station. The property number, 80 Bunyan Road, is rather confusing because the later 80 Bunyan Road was the large building, formerly a children's home, on the corner of Elstow Road and Bunyan Road whereas a plan in the exchange of 1898 [CCE2838/12] shows quite clearly that the premises lay at the junction of Bunyan Road and Woburn Road.

Sources:

- GK132/7: recital of enclosure of site by John Walker and erection of a house thereon: 1820;
- CCE2838/1: recited mortgage of Black Horse by John Walker to James Burr: 1837;
- CCE2838/1: recited further advance: 1842;
- CCE2838/1: conveyance by John Walker to George Hart, beer seller and dealer: 1846;
- CCE2838/2 and WL121: mortgaged by George Hart to William Jones Johnstone and Frederick Redden of Bedford, brewers: 1846;
- GK132/7: recital of sale of three houses he had built by John Walker, including one now used as public house called Black Horse to George Hart on land abutting High Road from Bedford to Marston Moretaine W and SW (previously awarded to King Taylor): 1847;
- CCE2838/4: conveyance of half business by William Johnstone to Frederick Redden: 1849;
- CCE2838/3: probate of will of George Hart devising real estate to his widow Mary Ann remainder to their son William: 1850;
- CCE2838/5: conveyance of business by Penelope Corrie Redden, widow to Joseph Allen Piggot and Henry Collings Wells of Bedford, brewers: 1851;
- CCE2838/6: mortgage of Black Horse by Mary Ann Hart to Joseph Allen Piggott and Henry Collings Wells: 1859;
- CCE2838/8: mortgage of Black Horse by William Hart to Robert Barry Stafford: 1875;
- CCE2838/10: bankruptcy of William Hart: 1876;
- CCE2838/11: reconveyance of Black Horse by Robert Barry Stafford to trustee for William Hart's bankruptcy: 1877;
- CCE2838/12: Black Horse exchanged by Charles Wells for Smiths Arms of Newland & Nash: 1898 

List of Licensees: note that this is not a complete list. Italics indicate licensees whose beginning and/or end dates are not known:

1846-1850: George Hart;
1850-1859: Mary Ann Hart;
1875-1885: William Hart;
1891: Richard Seal;
1898: Joseph Davenport;
1903-1921: William Bichener
Beerhouse closed 31 Dec 1921