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Maid's Head Hotel   (1 to 5)

2. Webster The First : 3. Interregnum   5. Rye Brothers

1. : Early Days

Richard Bristow's website has a full list of owners from
1287, and many of the early, and more recent, licensees.

We take up the story at the
very start of the 19th Century.

2. : Webster The First

The name William Webster reverberates almost
throughout the century. He was landlord by 1802,
and had been replaced by 1836 - Edward Howell
taking over.

Around 1811 the name George,
rather than William, is recorded.

The relationship between the families
was rather convoluted.
Apparently Howell was the owner up until 1834
i.e. just before he was recorded as running the pub,
as licensee.

From 1834 Mrs. Webster (wife of William?) held the
ownership; which may well have co-incided with
William giving up the licence.
Her son Edward is also mentioned as co-owner.

In other words, there seems to have been
some sort of swap deal.

3. : The Interregnum

By 1845 the Official List showed
the ownership as Wortley.
Just possibly, he was a legal representative
of the Webster family.

However (earlier) by 1842, William Wright
had taken up the licence.
Wright was followed (by 1845) by Charles Gittings,
a wines and spirits merchant as well as a publican.

Gittings was replaced by 1850 or 1851;
and Robert Francis, already some 64 years old,
stayed for even less time.

 

4. : Webster Mk. II

By 1854 another William Webster was landlord.
It is possible to say 'another' in view of his long service
- to October 1889. One is tempted to assume that
ownership was still in his mother's hands at the
start of his reign, and - at some point - ownership
passed to him.

However, by 1867 (at the latest) the owners were
Onley Saville Onley from Essex, presumably
a firm of solicitors.

So it does seem that Webster served for more than 22
years under "foreign" ownership. By 1889 neither
his mother, nor (elder?) brother, was likely to have survived.

5. : The Rye Brothers

Almost as soon as Frank Lewis (Louis) Pomeroy
succeeded the long-serving Webster, the pub attracted
the attention of Walter Rye (see Research).
He arranged to have the ownership registered
with his brother(?) George, a London solicitor.

The Rye era was short-lived, as
Edmund Alfred Saunders became landlord in
March 1894 and immediately purchased the property.
He passed the licence and ownership to
Henry Lewis Clarke with indecent haste
in February of the next year.

See Details for the story of Clarke into the 20th Century.

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