The Bell Inn and Public House Woburn
The Bell public house in 1961 [Z50/135/8]
The first Bell (Inn): Woburn
The history of the modern Bell public house| is complicated by the fact that there seem to have been three separate public houses called The Bell in Woburn. Tantalisingly there is a stray mention of a property called "le Belles" in a survey of the former property of the newly dissolved Woburn Abbey in 1539. This may or may not be the Bell inn.
A court roll of the Manor of Woburn Abbotts of 1646 notes that in that year Robert Barnewell sold the inn to Thomas Hawkins and Anne, his wife, who were admitted as chief tenants of the Manor. This makes clear that the inn was copyhold, held of the Manor, this supports the likelihood that the reference in 1539 to a property owned by the Abbey called le Belles is, in fact, an inn
The 16th/17th century inn was clearly copyhold the two later inns were freehold, indicating that they were different establishments. Confusingly these two later Bells were in operation at the same time in the early eighteenth century. Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service hold the deeds to both.
The second Bell (Inn): North End of Woburn
The deeds begin in 1709 when it is described as a messuage in the North End of Woburn known by sign of Bell in occupation of Job Townesend. At this date it was being granted by Simon Taylor to his son of the same name. With the bell he also granted an adjoining close of pasture of two acres and a cottage and pightle of pasture, also of two acres. In 1713 it is conveyed, along with the Red Lion, Woburn, to trustees as part of a marriage settlement between Simon Taylor and his second wife Diana (née Gregory). Diana and Simon's children Simon (son by his first marriage to Mary) and Catherine (daughter of his second marriage to Diana) conveyed the Bell and adjoining cottage and land to Richard Circuit of Woburn, yeoman for £200 in March 1742. In his will of 1743 (proved in 1746) Circuit devised the Bell and adjoining cottage and land to his wife, Sarah, to then go to their son Joseph after her death. This evidently happened because Joseph mortgaged the place in 1748 for £100. Circuit died in 1758 and in his will of that year devised all his property in Woburn to two trustees for sale and division of the proceeds between his three sons Richard, John and Tom when they reached 21 (his wife Sarah had died at the end of the previous year). The trustees did not sell the property of Joseph Circuit until 1777 (by which time Tom had died - in 1760, aged just four), to Gertrude, Duchess of Bedford and Robert Palmer. Interestingly in the deed of 1777 recital is made of the mortgage of 1748 though the property is now (1777) referred to as "then known as the Bell", indicating that at some time between 1748 and 1777 the property had ceased to be a public house.
The third Bell (Public House): 21-22 Bedford Street, Woburn
The current Bell was described by the Department of Environment when they listed the building in 1961, as 17th and 18th century. The first mention of this property in the records held by Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service comes in 1739 when it was conveyed by Edward Wallis of Westminster to Catherine Shefford of Woburn, widow, for £160 where it is described as a "messuage or tenement, barn, stable and orchard adjoining called The Bell, Woburn, now in occupation of Thomas Langford". Catherine, in her will of 1747 (proved 1752) devised The Bell to her granddaughters Ann and Catherine Shefford. Ann later married and her son Rev.Henry Land of Colebrooke [Devon] sold The Bell to Richard Ambrose Reddall, the Woburn solicitor in 1796. Reddall left The Bell, in his will of 1841, to his cousin John Land, an officer in the Royal Marines who, in his will of 1876, devised it to his nephew William John Land of Cobham [Surrey] who sold The Bell to George Higgins, the Bedford brewer in 1879. Higgins & Son sold out to Wells & Winch in 1931 who merged with Greene King in 1961, adopting the Greene King name in 1963. Greene King still owns the public house and hotel at the time of writing [2006].
In 1927 the public house was valued for rates under the 1925 Valuation Act. At that time the rent was £11 per annum and had been since 1910. The valuer noted that the building as an "Old fashioned house up 6 steps". It consisted of a bar parlour ("good"), tap room ("good"), bar ("small 4 pulls"), larder and kitchen downstairs, with a cellar beneath; four bedrooms on the first floor; two attics on the second floor; coachhouse and stable for four horses outside with loft over, public urinal, barn and ladies lavatory outside. The outside buildings are described as "good buildings but practically unused". Trade consisted of one and a half barrels of beer per week, eight bottles of spirits per month and one or two dozen beer bottles per week.
The Bell public house in March 2007
List of Licensees: note that this is not a complete list. Italics indicate licensees whose beginning and/or end dates are not known:
The First Bell
before 1646: Thomas Plater;
before 1685: Joshua Hartwell;
1685: Richard Hartwell
The Second Bell
1709: Job Townsend;
1742: Richard Clark[e]
The Third Bell
1739: Thomas Langford;
1746: Francis Butler;
1746: James Butler;
1785: John Piddington;
1796: Thomas Evans;
after 1796: Francis Moor;
1802: Thomas Cook;
1820: John Chamberlain;
1823: William Chamberlain;
1839: Frances Snooks;
1850: Jesse Lewis;
1853: William Rosson;
1864: James Healey;
1893: Mrs.Emma Weston;
1895: William Westson;
1910: Howard Ross;
1944: Edward Robert Montague Thornett;
1947: William Henry Hall;
1951: Selby Rutherford;
1956: Thomas Levi Coleman;
1970: Gavin Rex Gendall;
1980: Derek Arthur Younghusband;
1982: Trevor Anthony Deacon;
1984: Brice O’Dell;
1985: Timothy John Chilton;
1996: Timothy John Chilton and John Murray Seaton-Reid;
1996: Richard Heathorn.
List of Sources Held at Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service:
The Second Bell
(- CRT100/32: survey of property of newly dissolved Woburn Abbey: 1539);
- RBox 237: Manorial Court Roll: 1646
- HW34: admission of Richard Hartwell on surrender of Joshua Hartwell: 2 Oct 1685;
- R6/63/2/1: grant of Bell by Simon Taylor the elder to Simon Taylor the younger: 1709;
- P118/3/1: parochial dues: 1709-1796;
- R6/63/1/18-19 [also W981-982]: conveyance, with other properties, including Red Lion, as part of a marriage settlement between Simon Taylor and Diana Gregory: 8-9 Jun 1713;
- R6/63/2/3: conveyed by Diana Taylor, Catherine Taylor and Simon Taylor to Richard Circuit: 1742;
- R6/63/2/4: devised in will by Richard Circuit to his wife Sarah, remainder to their son Joseph: 1743;
- R6/63/2/5: mortgaged by Joseph Circuit: 1748;
- R6/63/2/9: devised in will of Joseph Circuit to trustees for sale: 1758;
- R3/169: request to send blank ledgers etc. to Bedford Estates steward staying at inn: 16 Sep 1760;
- R6/63/2/10-11: conveyed by Circuit's trustees to Gertrude, Duchess of Bedford and Robert Palmer: 1777
The Third Bell
- GK89/1: conveyed by Edward Wallis to Catherine Shefford: 1739;
- GK89/2: devised in will by Catherine Shefford to John Shefford: 1747 (proved 1752);
- GK89/3: half of Bell conveyed by Henry Land to Richard Ambrose Reddall: 1796;
- P118/28/2: parochial assessment book: 1802-1833;
- R1/78: Thomas Evans' map accompanying R2/69: 1821;
- R2/69: Detailed survey of Woburn made by Thomas Evans for the Duke of Bedford: 1822;
- R6/29/2/8 and GK89/5: devised in will of Richard Ambrose Reddall to John Land: 6 Jul 1841 (proved 31 May 1842);
- GK89/6: devised to will of John Land to nephew William John Land: 1876;
- GK89/4: conveyed by William John Land to George Higgins: 1879;
- GK4/2: conveyed, with other properties from executors of William Higgins to Laurence Reed Colburne Higgins and Cecil Charles Norman Colburne Higgins: 31 Aug 1884;
- GK4/4: part of agreement to raise shares in Higgins & Sons Limited: 27 Jan 1902;
- Z1169/6/6: file on repairs and redecorations: 1922;
- GK4/6: included in schedule of deeds of Higgins & Sons Limited: 1927;
- GK4/7: agreement for lease of water and sewerage rights: 1927;
- GK4/8: conveyed, with other properties, from Higgins & Sons Limited to Wells & Winch Limited: 1931;
- BTNegOB50/1: negative: c.1931;
- Z1105/1: Liquor Licence Traders Survey Form: 1956;
- Z53/135/8: photograph: 1961;
- PCWburn18/2/9: first floor plan and photograph of front: 1992;
- PCWoburn30/28: transfer of licence: 1996;
- PCWoburn30/31: transfer of licence from: 1996