Star and Garter Beerhouse

Chesham used to be known for the 4 Bs of boots, beer, brushes and Baptists. One former beerhouse operated at 57, Chesham Street for over a hundred years and has a fascinating history. This is the story of the Star and Garter in old Chesham.

Victorian Opening Houses

The Star and Garter operated from the 1830s. In 1937 during some alterations to the building, an old notice was found. It was mounted on wood and on it was written “Hours of opening” with the date August 27 1838, the year after Queen Victoria came to the throne. It stated that between October 10 and April 6 the beerhouse was open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., and then from April 6 to October 10 it opened from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. This was in days before electric light, when people operated according to natural daylight hours. April 6 was the Old Lady Day, and was the first day of the legal year, when new laws and budgets comes into effect.

Source of the Typhoid Epidemic

In 1871 a typhoid epidemic started in Chesham. (See BFP Nostalgia June 21 2020.) Mr William Henry Power was a government health inspector who came to Chesham to report on the epidemic. He interviewed people and looked at medical records to trace its spread across the town. In his report dated November 10 1871 he wrote that he tracked the epidemic to two tramps from Wales who worked as shoemakers, who were lodging at the Star and Garter. He described it as “a low beer-shop, which opening in front into Church Street, and at the back into Hearn’s Yard, is frequented by the inhabitants of those neighbourhoods.”

In the 1871 census there were indeed 2 shoemakers lodging there with Welsh names, called Robert Roberts and William Evans. Power’s report described that one of the Welshmen came down with typhoid, and then in “about ten days his companion… also fell ill, but remained at the beer-house… In a few days more, another man, who had been constantly at the beer-shop, and in communication with both men from their arrival, was taken ill with fever.

A woman, living in Hearn’s Yard, nursed him; just as he began to get well, after a fortnight’s illness, she, too, was seized with fever. From this time fresh cases occurred more frequently, so that by the end of September there had been in Hearn’s Yard, and the adjoining part of Church Street, 38 cases of fever with 5 deaths…; but now cases began to be dotted bout the town.”

Successive Landlords

In 1841 the licensee was William Barnes. The pub came under the Howe brewery. By 1881 the beerhouse license was taken over by a relative of his called Charles Barnes.

In 1886 Robert and Emma Wells moved to 57 Church Street, with their 10 year old daughter Ellen, who later apprenticed as a dressmaker. In 1898 after Joseph Howe died the tenancy of the property was sold to Wellers Brewery of Amersham. In 1902 the Chesham Brewery bought the Star and Garter at auction from Wellers of Amersham. The lot included two adjoining cottages in Church Street and five cottages numbers 11 to 15 Hearn’s Yard. In 1903 Ellen Wells married William Tomlin, and later the same year the license for running the beerhouse transferred from Robert Wells to his son-in-law William Tomlin. The pub was then run by William and Ellen Tomlin, but after William Tomlin died in 1909 the license was solely in Ellen Tomlin’s name. In 1910 Ellen Tomlin married again to Arthur Clark, and they had 4 children, and she also looked after her mother Emma Wells until Emma died in 1920.

Closure of the Beerhouse

In 1936 Sir Alfred Davis, chairman of the Bucks County Licensing Authority praised the Star and Garter as the cleanest house he had ever seen. It was reported that there was a tap-room and the bar-parlour, which was also used as a sitting room by the licensee.

It sold two barrels and about a hundred bottles of beer a week, and there was a slate club of 50 members. Nevertheless the licenses for the Star and Garter, and The Stag in Chesham, were not renewed because it was felt that Chesham had too many small pubs and beerhouses. The case went to appeal. At the hearing it was heard “that the licensee enjoyed a very high reputation, and that the house was regularly used by a small coterie of people.” However there was only one privy, and no separate lavatory for ladies and there was only one entrance at the front, so the license was not renewed.

Antiques Shop

The premises were put up for auction. Arthur and Ellen Clark moved to King Street, Ellen having left after living there for 50 years.

The premises were bought by Mrs Louisa Hearn (previously in business in Germain Street) who turned the beerhouse into an Antiques shop with domestic premises to the rear. Louisa called the property Queen Anne House and ran it with her daughter Kate. The original frame for the old hanging pub sign was kept and instead hung a sign advertising Antiques, Bric-a-Brac and Objets d’Art.

When her mother died in 1961 aged 84, Kate Hearn took over the business and subsequently ran it with her friend and colleague Miss Ann Jackson. Both ladies were well known for their work locally within the Girl Guide Association, each becoming Divisional Commissioner, and Ann Jackson also became a National Guide Adviser. After Miss Kate Hearn died in 1976, Ann Jackson continued running the shop until 2007, following which the premises became solely a private residence. After Miss Jackson’s death in 2015 the property was divided to provide two residences, each sold to its current owners.

Appeal

For this article I would like to thank Eleanor Phillips and Robin Marriott for much of the information. If you have any memories or information about the premises please contact Neil Rees on 01494 258328 or nwrees@gmail.com