Cross Keys Public House
Cross Keys and Tre Fratelli October 2007
Cross Keys Public House: corner of Wood End Road and Wood End Lane, Wood End, Kempston Rural
Licensing registers state that the Cross Keys beerhouse| was first licensed in 1836. It was sold by William Boyce to the oddly-named West Lilley in 1840, who mortgaged it to Ebenezer Burr in 1859. The mortgage was redeemed in 1874 when Lilly sold the premises to Bedford brewer Frederick Thomas Young. The Cross keys had been leased to Kempston brewer Sir William Long and his company, taken over by his son-in-law Robert Newland on his death in 1846 was sold to Bedford brewer Thomas Jarvis in 1873. Young, in partnership with William Pritzler Newland, grandson of Robert, also owned the Shoulder of Mutton in Green End and the Smith's Arms in what is now Margetts Road, in Up End. He mortgaged them to Charles Mitchell in 1874 and to William George Carter Mitchell in 1875.
Young must have sold out to Newland in 1877 as in that year Newland mortgaged various licensed properties including the Cross Keys to Charles William Powell. He redeemed the mortgage with Charles Mitchell in 1883 and re-mortgaged with Henry Raynes and George Race, that mortgage being transferred to Susan Milburn Mitchell in 1889. In 1890 Newland merged his business with that of Bedford brewer William Joseph Nash's widow Susan to form Newland & Nash, which became a public limited company in 1897. Newland & Nash was taken over by Biggleswade brewers Wells & Winch in 1924, who were themselves taken over by Suffolk brewers Greene King in 1961. The Cross Keys had become a fully licensed public house just before this on 10 Mar 1960.
In 1927 Bedfordshire was valued under the Rating Valuation Act 1925; each piece of land and building was valued to determine the rates to be paid on it. The valuer at the Cross Keys found a brick and slate building with accommodation comprising a tap room ["fair"], cellar, kitchen, living room and front room downstairs with three bedrooms above; outside were three small barns and an earth closet. Overall he found a: "Nice little house but trade poor". This weekly trade consisted of 1½ barrels and 3½ dozen bottles of beer - the problem was that there was: "No one to Buy Beer". However, the establishment survived and at the time of writing remains a public house though now with a restaurant - Tre Fratelli Ristorante Italiano - attached.
Sources:
- GK132/18: recited conveyance from William Boyce to West Lilley: 1840;
- GK132/18: recited mortgage by West Lilley to Ebenezer Burr: 1859, redeemed 1874;
- GA487: sale catalogue of brewery and licensed premises formerly belonging to Sir William Long: 1873;
- GK132/17: valuation of Shoulder of Mutton, Cross Keys and Smiths Arms by Robert Barry Stafford: 1874;
- GK132/18: conveyed by West Lilley of Kempston, builder to Frederick Thomas Young of Bedford, brewer and maltster: 1874;
- GK132/20: mortgage of Shoulder of Mutton, Cross Keys and Smiths Arms by Frederick Thomas Young to Charles Mitchell: 1874;
- GK160/1: mortgage of Cross Keys, Shoulder of Mutton and Smith's Arms by Frederick Thomas Young to William George Carter Mitchell: 1875;
- GK160/4: mortgage of various licensed premises and brewery by William Pritzler Newland to Charles William Powell: 1877;
- GK132/20: Shoulder of Mutton, Cross Keys and Smiths Arms reconveyed by Charles Mitchell to William Pritzler Newland: 1883;
- GK132/21: mortgage of Shoulder of Mutton, Cross Keys and Smiths Arms by William Pritzler Newland to Henry Raynes and George Race: 1883;
- GK132/22: transfer of mortgage of Shoulder of Mutton, Cross Keys and Smiths Arms from George Race to Susan Milburn Mitchell: 1889;
- GK132/23: Shoulder of Mutton, Cross Keys and Smiths Arms reconveyed by Susan Milburn Mitchell to William Pritzler Newland: 1897;
- GK3/1a: conveyance from William Pritzler Newland, Emily Cressy Nash, Florence Mary Nash, Rosa Gertrude Nash and Constance Eveline Nash to Newland & Nash Limited of all properties: 1897;
- GK3/1b: trust deed to secure debenture stock for Newland & Nash Limited listing all properties: 1897.
List of Licensees: note that this is not a complete list. Italics indicate licensees whose beginning and/or end dates are not known:
1861: Joseph Benson;
1873: James Allen;
1876-1891: William Farrer;
1891-1901 George Hebbs;
1901: George J.Hebbes;
1903-1922: Thomas John Tory;
1922-1929: Mary Tory;
1929-1946: Jonathan R. Allen;
1947: Alfred Smith;
1960-1961: Kenneth Walter Field;
1965-1967: Horace Frederick Dawson;
1967-1971: Kenneth Jackson;
1971-1976: Geoffrey Charles Davis;
1976-1983: Sidney Wilfred Hounsell;
1983-1984: Matilda Ann Hounsell;
1984-1989: Barry Anthony Carter;
1989-1990: Dennis Mitchell;
1990-1992: James Adam Kerr;
1992-1994: David Owen Hallworth;
1994-1996: Kevin Frank le Page and Jacqueline Ann le Page;
1996: Sarah Louise Bosley and Anthony Farrer Cooper