White Hart Inn / The Stag at Stow, The Square, Stow on the Wold

The White Hart has recently changed its name to the Stag at Stow.

The White Hart was established as an inn in 1698. It was once tied to Hitchman & Co of Chipping Norton before the company was taken over by Hunt Edmunds of Banbury. There is a Hunt Edmunds plaque still in situ. The White Hart was purchased by Arkell’s Brewery of Swindon in December 1997.

Gloucestershire Chronicle 15^th April 1843

MONDAY. — Manslaughter. John Pitman, 33, was charged on the coroner’s inquisition, with feloniously killing and slaying William Hodgkins at Stow-on-the-Wold, on the 23rd of August. The prisoner surrendered in court. Mr. Cooke conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Godson the defence. William Clifford, labourer, stated that on the evening in question he was in the While Hart public house. The prisoner, the deceased, who was a sawyer, and a number of other persons were all drinking in the kitchen; the prisoner and the deceased were both drunk, but the prisoner was the worst.

The deceased asked the prisoner to have a “round” or two, and he consented; at the first round both persons fell, Hodgkins undermost lighting on his head; when he got up he complained of having been “served out” by the prisoner and pointed to a bruise on his brow, and swore that if he would do the like again he would blow his brains out. The deceased was extremely anxious to fight with the prisoner, and the persons present were obliged to interpose to prevent them. From the evidence of the other witnesses, it appeared that after this the two men had gone to a close at the back of the public house, and after stripping their clothes renewed the fight. Both fell at the first round and were picked up by their seconds. They began again and at the third round the prisoner got hold of the deceased’s head and holding it under his arm, beat him on the side; they again fell, and the deceased never spoke afterwards. He was conveyed to a hay rick, under the impression that was he asleep, where he lay for four hours when it was discovered he was dying. He died in three hours afterwards. The Judge indicated that it was unnecessary for Mr. Godson to address the Jury and directed a verdict of “not guilty” to be returned. This was accordingly done, and the prisoner left the bar.

(I am grateful to Dr. Martyn Beaufort for the above information)

Stow-on-the-Wold and District Civic Society

“Glimpses of the Past” – a Millenium project in celebration of the year 2000.

The White Hart, 27 The Square – article and research by Veronica Clapham (1978)

This building was a well established hostelry by 1698. It was probably used by carters and drivers of heavy wagons, as teams of horses, renowned for their strength, were kept here. The whole of the present front, which is one room in depth, was added to an earlier structure during the 18th century, with other alterations, such as the re-siting of staircases, etc., were carried out. Further modernisation took place in 1935.

The ancient deeds, some in colloquial Latin, are lodged at the Public Record Office in Gloucester.

On Tuesday, May 11th 1815, the White Hart and the adjoining house (now the Youth Hostel) were put up for auction. Perhaps because of the unsettled times, six weeks before the battle of Waterloo, no sale was made. The White Hart was described in the particulars as having extensive stabling, brew house and other outbuildings together with a spacious yard and garden.

Local farmers used to meet and dine in an upstairs room above the present dining room, but this upper storey became unsafe and was demolished in the early 1900’s. Until the 1830’s a Magistrate’s Court was held here and the premises were also used as a place of oath taking, signing of statements and other rather obscure legal commitments. The Reverend F.E. Witts states in his diary that he attended a Magistrates Court here on 26th July 1834, the day of the Wool Fair, and afterwards dined with other magistrates.

During the hard times of December 1836, a petition was presented here to the magistrates, praying to the Worshipful Bench “To abandon the proposed measure for raising the bread scale.”

An event with tragic consequences took place at the White Hart on 27th February 1865, when a solicitor’s clerk named William Cornbill made a bet that he could drink two quarts of ale within ten minutes. He won the wager, but he collapsed in the Talbot Alley on his way home and died at his house in Sheep Street. Magisterial proceedings were then taken against the landlord, a Mr. Thomas Urwick, for permitting drunkeness to cause Cornbill’s death, but the case against him was eventually dismissed.

Licensing Details:

Owner in 1891: Hitchman & Co., Chipping Norton

Rateable value in 1891: £24.0s.0d.

Type of licence in 1891: Alehouse

Owner in 1903: Hitchman & Co., Chipping Norton

Rateable value in 1903: £28.0s.0d.

Type of licence in 1903: Alehouse

Closing time in 1903: 11pm

Landlords at the White Hart Inn include:

1698 Boon

1847 Mr Morrey

1856 W. Jones

1865 Thomas Urwick

1885 Samuel Upton

1891 James H. Shepherd

1902,1927 John Groves

Rosslyn-Lamberts (until 1963)

1963 Mr and Mrs Bird

1997 Norman Wilson

2001 Alan Paige and Christine Carrington

2008 Paul and Mandy Griffith

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