The Shoulder of Mutton Public House Wootton

Shoulder of Mutton Public House: 6 Leighton Street, Woburn

The only documents held by Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service referring to this inn are licensing records, directories, a survey of the property of the Dukes of Bedford and the registers of dues owed to the Vicar of Woburn for premises in the parish. From these it appears that the inn was operating by at least 1713. A court roll of 1717 records the admission of Simon Taylor the younger as chief tenant to the property.  After 1759 it does not appear in the register of dues, though it is noted in the parochial assessment book beginning in 1802. It is possible that the inn was closed for a time in the late eighteenth century, though it is also possible that it was simply not noted by name in the later entries of the register of dues, with the tenant only being recorded. The last mention in a directory is in 1877 indicating that it closed some time shortly after that date.

The public house| is shown and described by Thomas Evans' 1821 map and survey and seems to be on the site of the modern 6 Leighton Street.  A public house is noted on the first edition 25" Ordnance Survey map of Woburn, surveyed in 1881, again, at the modern 6 Leighton Street confirming this as the Shoulder of Mutton.

The modern photograph above was taken in February 2006; the former Shoulder of Mutton being on the site of the three storey building and the lower building immediately left of it. 

List of Sources Held at Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service:

- P118/3/1: parochial dues: 1709-1796 [1713-1759];
- RBox 237: Manorial court rolls: 1717
- 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

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

before 1717: Edward Moreton;
1713-1736: Richard White;
1743-1746: John Clark;
1748-1759: Widow Clark;

Inn closed 1759? 

1802-1813: John Dell;
1814: William Fenwick;
1815: George Odell;
1818-1847: James Francis - tavern;
1850: Sarah Francis;
1853: George Smith (also tailor);
1854-1862: George Smith;
1864: John Smith;
1869-1877: George Kemp