The Plough Public House Woodside

Plough in March 2007

Plough Public House: 189 Woodside Road, Slip End

The first mention of this property in any document held by Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service is in 1840 when William Thorogood conveyed the beerhouse|, to Luton brewer Frederick Burr. The Plough, along with the rest of the business was, in 1860 conveyed by the trustees of the late William Burr to Thomas Sworder. Sworder sold his business to rival Luton brewer J.W.Green in 1897, the same year in which the Plough burned down and was rebuilt. J.W.Green Limited merged with Flowers Breweries in 1954, taking the Flowers name. In 1962 Flowers were taken over by Whitbread who, in 2001, divested themselves of their brewery and public house business, although the Plough remains a public house| at the time of writing [Mar 2007], having become fully licensed at some point after the Second World War

1917 the beerhouse was visited by a valuer, Arthur Walker Merry of Stafford, Rogers & A.W.Merry of Leighton Buzzard and Bedford, in regards to the renewal of its licence. He found a brick and tile building with a bar and club room, divisable into a tap room and smoke room, there was also a cellar. Private rooms consisted of a living room, kitchen, three bedrooms and upstairs parlour. Outside was a yard and large garden and orchard, there was no stabling but there were both public and private wcs. He noted "This House is about 90 yards only from "The Red Lion" and affords much better accommodation, the immediate neighbourhood includes 13 inhabited houses only which can be well supplied from one house".

In 1927 the Plough was valued under the 1925 Rating Valuation Act and the valuer found that trade was reasonable - three barrels per week with a dozen bottles of beer and four dozen bottles of minerals, in common with all the other licensees in the Caddington area the canny licensee said he did not know the gross takings! The property itself comprised a bar, tap room, parlour, living room and scullery downstairs with a basement and cellar below as well as four bedrooms upstairs; outside were a wc, well house, store room, small public lavatory and a public urinal. 

References:

- X95/299 and 300: schedule of deeds notes conveyance by William Thorogood to Frederick Burr: 1840;
- X173/163: property, described as owned by Frederick and Charles Burr, abutting land conveyed: 1841;
- Z660/D/1/4: conveyance and mortage by trustees of will of William Burr and Elizabeth Burr to Thomas Sworder of Luton, brewer and his uncle Thomas Sworder of Hertford, solicitor: 1860;
- BS2234: ten year lease from Edward Burr, Richard Hatley Crabb and Thomas Sworder to William Anstee, John Cook and Benjamin Bennett: 1862;
- X95/283: account of rents: 1867;
- Z660/D/1/6 and X95/270: conveyance by Edward Burr and Richard Hatley Crabb to Thomas Joseph Sworder of Hertford (son of Thomas Sworder of Hertford) and Thomas Sworder of Luton: 1878;
- WBGreen5/5/1: register of successive tenants to J.W.Green Limited licensed premises: 1887-1926;
- WBGreen5/5/1: register of successive tenants to J.W.Green Limited licensed premises: 1887-1926;
- X95/287: Proposed arrangement of loans of Thomas Sworder & Company - Plough valued at £400: 1889;
- PSL6a/1: Register of Alehouse Licences: c.1890-1922
- WB/S4/1/1/5 and X95/314: Sale particulars for sale, by auction, of Thomas Sworder & Company's brewery etc.: 1897;
- X95/332: abstract of title of Thomas Sworder to various licensed premises: 1897;
- WB/Green4/1/VP1: conveyance of brewery and licensed properties of Thomas Sworder to J.W.Green Limited: 1897;
- WB/Green1/1/1: record of articles of association and licensed houses owned by J.W.Green Limited: 1897-1936;
- BML10/45/10: Luton Licensing Sessions: 1917;
- DV1/C18: rating valuation: 1927;
- PSL6a/2: Register of Alehouse Licences: 1922-1964
- WB/Green6/4/1: trade analysis ledger of J.W.Green Limited licensed premises: 1936-1947;
- WB/Green4/2/4: certificate of title to licensed properties of J.W.Green Limited: 1936-1952;
- WB/Green4/2/5: list of licensed properties of J.W.Green Limited: c.1936;
- WB/Green4/2/10: schedule of deeds to J.W.Green Limited licensed premises: c.1949;
- WB/Green4/2/16: letter from J.W.Green to solicitors Lawrance, Messer & Company asking which licensed properties had been in continuous occupation: 24 Jul 1952;
- WB/Green4/2/17: Trust Deed of J.W.Green Limited with list of licensed premises: 1952-1972;
- WB/Green4/2/19: Various loose schedules of deeds and documents: c.1954;
- WB/Flow4/5/Woods/P1-2: exterior photographs: 1960s 

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

1864: John Page;
1869: Charles Dunham;
1872: Robert Harding;
1872-1877: William Gregson;
1877-1881: Frederick Hoar;
1881: John Clarke;
1881: Dennington Beaver;
1881-1884: Frederick Purkis;
1884: John William Franklin;
1884-1885: George Norris Lee;
1885-1887: Edward Godfrey;
1887: Henry Jackson;
1887: James Perkins;
1887-1889: Henry Howitt;
1889-1890: Charles Frederick Burkeley;
1890: Caroline Burkeley;
1890-1899: Henry William Leggetter;["transferred in same name to temporary building Decr 14th 1896"];
1899-1908: Charles Boutwood;
1908-1919: George Wood;
1919-1921: Arthur Andrews;
1921-1925: Frederick Henry Riddell;
1925-1945: William Strong;
1945-1955: Joseph Walter Blakeman;
1955-1960: Ernest Alfred Edward Earl;
1960-1964: Rupert George Moss;
1977: Brian Joseph Minnigan;
1992: Alistair Bruce Wilson and Patrick Bradley Thompson;
1993: Jean Wendy Middleton;
1993: Jean Wendy Middleton and Donald Norman Middleton.