The Woolpack Beerhouse Potton

Woolpack Beerhouse: 8 Chapel Street, Potton

Former Woolpack Mar 2007

8 Chapel Street was Grade II Listed by Department of Environment who considered it an 18th century building. The first mention of the beerhouse| in any record held by Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service is in 1843 when Thomas Seamer devised it to his brother James. On James Seamer's death, his trustees sold his property by auction in 1853 at which time the property was described as:

 'All those well-built and commodious PREMISES, called the Wool Pack, comprising several respectable Houses and Tenements, extensive Work-Shops, Stabling, Barns, Lofts and Out-houses, conveniently and advantageously situated for Business, now in the occupation of Messrs. LEE, KITCHENER, DUFFIN, HEAD and Mrs. BONESS, at £29 17s. Part Freehold and part Copyhold, held of the Manor of "Potton Much Manured" fine certain. Quit Rent 6d.'

Sale particulars of 1853 [Z858/28/9]

It is not recorded who purchased the property - it may have been Francis Bingham who is recorded as proprietor (though not necessarily owner) in the licensing register of 1872. At some point the brewer Thomas Jarvis of Bedford acquired either the property itself or the lease of it and held it until the beerhouse was closed in 1909. At that time the licensee was Walter Duffin and the Duffin continued to operate a market gardening business from the premises for the next thirty years or so.

References:
- Z858/28/8 and GK286/13: will of Thomas Seamer devising to Woolpack to his brother James: 1843 (proved 1845);
- Z858/28/9: sale particulars: 1853;
- HF143/1: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1872-1873;
- HF143/2: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1874-1877;
- HF147/4/724: Occurrence report of Potton police sergeant on failure to close the beerhouse on time: 1875;
- HF143/3: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1878-1881;
- HF143/4: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1882-1890;
- HF143/5: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1891-1900;
- HF143/6: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1900-1914;
- PSBW8/1: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1903-1915;
- Z758: papers of Duffin family, who ran a market gardening business from former Woolpack from about 1910 to 1940 or later: c.1910.

List of Licensees: note that this is not a complete list. Italics indicate licensees whose beginning and/or end dates are not known:
1843: Thomas Seamer;
1843-1853: James Seamer;
1872-1876: Henry Croot; [convicted 14 Jan 1874 for opening during prohibited hours - fined £1 with 8/- costs; convicted on 16 Jun 1875 for opening during prohibited hours on 8 Jun 1875 - fined £1 with 8/- costs]
1876-1882: George Winters;
1890-1891: Eli Bailey;
1891-1892: Thomas Mead;
1892-1894: Thomas Elderbeck;
1894-1899: James Papworth;
1899-1900: Daniel Brown Piggott;
1900-1909: Walter Duffin
Beerhouse closed 22 Dec 1909