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Colchester etc.   (1 to 6)

2. Balloon : 3. Staff of Life : 4. Landlords   6. Bakers' Arms

1. : Co-incidence?

The first listing of the Colchester Arms,
Westwick Street, was in 1883.
Only eight years before, the Colchester Brewery
was listed in Golden Ball Street.

There seems to be no connection at all between
these two pubs; apart from the fact that each
involved the re-naming of an existing establishment.

2. : Balloon

The Westwick story begins and ends with this pub,
on the North side of Westwick Street at No. 62.
The Balloon was listed in 1830 and 1836 as a
beerhouse, and as a pub from 1839.

The hot-air ballon ascent in 1783 may have led to
the name; or the name of a famous mail-coach.

The owner prior to Bullard's (by 1873) was
G. H. Jeckells.
As for licensees : Edward Crowe began a long
family dominance from September 1846, and
died in June 1876. His widow, Emily, stayed
in charge for a further 14 years, until January 1890.

3. : Staff of Life

This is a pub whose name never seems to have
appeared in the Trades Directories. It also began as a
beerhouse, being listed in 1875 and 1879 (R. Brundall).

By 1883 it was listed as a pub under its new name of
Colchester Arms. It is shown on the 1883 O. S. Map
(at No. 79) as almost opposite the Balloon; not to
mention the Balloon's neighbour - the Drum.

All three pubs were located around
the bottom of St. Swithin's Alley.

4. : Landlords

Like the Balloon, the Staff of Life had long-serving
landlords : only two, in fact, after the original Brundall.
One I. Burrell was in charge at the start of the
Colchester-era, and was not replaced until
February 1900 - by William Bygrave.

The licence was refused, pending 'Compensation',
in February 1911, which was not long before
William died; as his widow Alice was licensee
from 16th January 1912.

The Authorities wasted no time in kicking her out,
and the closure - under the Compensation Act -
took place on 30th December of the same year.

 

5. : The Swap

On the following 6th May (1913) Alice Bygrave
nipped across the road to take over the Balloon. It may
not have been until 26th January 1914 that the name
Colchester Arms moved across; also including -
for what it was worth - the licence,
i.e. after 13 months delay.

It is not clear how Alice found this handy alternative
billet in less than six months. However, it was only a
further 15 months or so (August 1914) before she
handed over to the Pashley family.

Her immediate predecessor, William Bailey, landlord
since July 1908, turned up again in January 1918 and
stayed until the end.
The pub closed, also under the Compensation Act,
on 20th December 1924.

6. : Bakers' Arms

This is a different pub from the Staff of Life,
being in the neighbouring parish of St. Margaret.
It closed in August 1895, and was later demolished.

However, there is a probable connection :
with David (Daniel?) Brundall spending just
one year (July 1871 to July 1872) in charge there.
It was another Brundall (R.) who launched the
Staff of Life beerhouse prior to 1875. For the bread??

Approval was given in August 1891 for a re-building of
the Bakers' Arms, on the same site, and with extension to
adjoining premises.
But this does not seem to have taken place; and the pub
was closed 4 years later, and demolished in any case.

There is some mystery concerning Bakers' Yard,
which is listed in 1883 as being 'just after' Cowling's Yard.
Later, in 1900, Mary Elise Cowling is listed as a baker
at No. 68 Westwick Street. Mary was never licensee
of the pub, and it may still be the case that Baker's Yard
was not on the same side of the street as the other named Yard.

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