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Summary
Earliest information: 1464
Date of current building: 17th century (or earlier)
Listed: Grade II
Thumbnail History
- Hospice associated with adjacent Priory of St John
- Important coaching in on Bath and Bristol
road
- Part of Chilton Foliat / Littlecote estate
- 1464 first written record of The Bear
- 1464-1547 Held by the Crown (and 5 of
Henry
VIII's wives)
- 1547-1589 Owned by Darrell family
- 1589-1893 Owned by Popham and
Leybourne-Popham family
- 1688 William of Orange at
The Bear
The Bear lies in Charnham Street, which formed part of Wiltshire until the boundary changes of 1895. It was always part of the manor of Chilton Foliat and Littlecote until
1893. The manor was in the hands of Henry VII and later Henry VIII, who passed it to five of his six wives (only Anne Boleyn failed to own Chilton Foliat).
Description of property
From Listed Building records: Hotel. C17, 18, 19 and 20 with possibly older core. Tiled, hipped roof. 2 ridge chimneys to main block. Painted brick. 2 storeys and
attic.
Elevation to Charnham Street: 2 storey canted bay with vertical sliding sashes and glazing bars to each end of elevation. 7 vertical sliding sash windows with glazing bars on first floor and 3
small gabled dormers centrally placed. Ground floor has service door to left, 2 sash windows, main door under C20, stucco porch with doric columns and broken pediment, 4 further sash windows to right.
Timeline
The earliest known reference to The Bear was an escheatment which placed the manor of Chilton Foliat and The Bear in the possession of the Crown:
In the Roll of Escaet of 4° Edward IV (1464) of Ph. More, Escheator of the
Counties of Southampton and Wilts. Misc Rolls 463, the Jurors found that:
"De Manerio de Chilton Draycotte et Salley ac de uno messive hospicio in Charleham Strete voc let Bere, cum pertin com
Wilts. Alionora Ducissa Somers defunct fuit seisit in dinco suo ut de feido".
The early Lords of the Manor of Chilton Foliat were:
1300-1327 Henry
Tyegs
1397-1417 Thomas, Lord Berkeley
1432-1439 Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick
1448-1455 Edmund, Duke of Somerset,
son-in-law
to the Earl of Warwick. Killed at
St Albans, 1455.
1455-1464 Eleanor, Duchess of Somerset,
widow
of Edmund and daughter of
Richard Beauchamp
1464 Escheated to The Crown (see
above)
1464-1483 Edward IV
1483 Edward V
1483-1485 Richard III
1485-1509 Henry VII
1509
Henry VIII
1509 Catherine of Aragon, who, in 1523,
ordered
oaks to be cut down in the Manor for
the
repair of the Church at Chilton Foliat
1536 Jane
Seymour
1540 Anne of Cleves
1541 Catherine
Howard
1543 Catherine Parr. Shown in a survey of the
Manor in 1547
1547 Sir Edward Darrell
1549 Sir William Darrell ("Wild"
Darrell)
1589 Sir John (Judge) Popham; then Attorney
General, and later Lord Chief Justice)
The Bear remained in the hands of the Popham and Leyborne-Popham family for over 300 years until it was sold from the Littlecote Estate in 1893.
The origin of the name "The Bear": The name of "The Bear" or "The Black Bear" is thought to derive
from the "Bear and Ragged Staff" - the Crest of the Earls of Warwick, who were Lords of the Manor in the 15th century. According to legend, one ancestor of the family was known as "The Bear"
for having strangled such an animal with his hands, while another ancestor used a young tree as a club with which to slay a giant. The Bear was known as the Black Bear during the 19th century to
distinguish it from the White Bear further along Charnham Street. Follow this link for more on the Origin of Inn Signs.
1537 (VCH, Vol 3) Robert Braybon held the inn when three highwaymen stopped here who were accused of robbing John Flowre, clothier, between Bagshot and Windsor Park:
12 July 1537: ROBBERY of JOHN FLOWRE, Clothier.
Depositions,
taken 12 July, 29 Hen. VIII, before, Rob. Abbot of Malmesbury, John Hamlyn, and Anthony. Styleman, justices of the peace for Wiltshire, of – :
i. Rob. Braybon, otherwise called Keeper, of
Charnelstrete, Wilts, "inn-holder of the ostree of the Beere" (Bear) adjoining to the town of Hungerford, as to the persons suspected of robbing John Flowre, of Worton, clothier, between
Bagshot and Windsor park. That one Thos. Bryght and two others, ''one of whom Bryght called Master Wasshington, came to his house the day before St Nicholas' eve, lodged there that night, and
left at 8 next morning, saying they were servants to Mr. Gryffith, of Staffordshire, knight, and wished to see some land of their master's. They returned at 4 in the evening, saying they had come by
the bp. of Sarum's manor of Rammesbury, about three miles from deponent's house, and departed on St. Nicholas' day. Eight days afterwards he met Bryght and Washington in London at a
tailor's shop in-Fleet Street in far better apparel than before, and they invited him to dine .at the house of one — Whelpeley, in St. Antholin's churchyard; where he met one Master
Huntley, a servant of the King.
ii. Joan Brusse, servant of the said Braybon, says the three persons lodged in the house on Monday before St. Nicholas, and she thought one of them was Mr.
Baymfeld, who had land at Rowde beside the Devizes. –Signed by the justices.
(Letters & Papers, Henry VIII, Vol 12, pt 2, No 247)
1540 (VCH Vol 3): "This inn was attached to the manor of Chilton Foliat, and with that manor was granted in Jan 1540 to Anne of Cleves, and in the following year to Katherine
Parr."
Lady Anne, sister of William duke of Juliers, Gueldres, Cleves and Bergen
.... Grant for life, in consideration of the marriage to be celebrated between the King and her, ... [a very long list of property] ... the lordship or manor of Chilton alias Chilton Folyat with a
hospice called le Bere in Hungerford, Wilts and Berks. (Letters & Papers, Henry VIII, Vol XV, g.144).
... the lordship or manor of Chilton Folyett and the inn called the Bear
in CharnamStrete near Hungerford, Wilts and Berks. (Letters & Papers, Henry VIII, Vol XVI, g.503).
1548-9: The manor of Littlecote, including The Bear, was granted to Sir Edward Darrell.
Whereas Henry VIII for 1,118l 8s. 5½d. intended to grant Edward Darell,
knight, his heirs and assigns, the lands specified below, and Darell then paid in the Augmentations 460l. and has now paid a further 658l 8s 5½d:
Grant to the said Darell of the lordship and manor
of Chilton Folyatt, Wilts, the advowson of the rectory, the park and its liberty, the land called Chilton Park, the inn called le Beeres Inne
within the town of Hungerford, Wilts, the meadow called Lordes Meade in Chilton, the warren of coneys in tenure of Anthony Hungerford, knight, in Chilton Folyatt, and all lands and. liberties (long list) in Chilton Folyatt, Leverton and Hungerford, Wilts and Berks, or elsewhere, pertaining to the said manor; all which premises lately were parcel of the jointure of the late Queen Katharine.
And grant of all other lands in the places aforenamed which were parcel of the said jointure.
Except advowsons other than that of the rectory of Chilton Foliatt.
To hold to the said Edward Darell, knight, his heirs and assigns, of the king in chief by the service of the twentieth part of one knight's fee.
Exoneration. Issues since Annunciation 37 Henry VIII. These letters without fine or fee. By K. [II.893.]
(Pat. 2 Edw VI, pt. 6 m17)
Sir Edward Darrell died two years later, leaving the estate to his son Sir William Darrell - the "Wild" Will Darrell, who was accused of murder of a newly born baby at Littlecote House. Sir William was an unpopular man locally, and following the scandal of the alleged murder, he fled to his friends in
the Royal Court (who included Sir John Popham), managing to live his life in considerable luxury. On leaving Court in July 1589, he returned to Littlecote, where he was killed on 1st October the same
year when he fell from his horse.
^top^
Sir John Popham took
possession of the Littlecote estate, along with the Manor of Chilton Foliat and The Bear. The Popham family were to remain Lords of the Manor for over three hundred years.
Robert Brabon (Brabant) died c1565.
c1565-1576: Henry Edes. He married Brabant's widow Joan, thus acquiring the inn. Henry Edes died in 1576.
1576-1591: William Curteys. When Henry Edes died, his widow Joan married William Curteys, her third husband. Curteys died c1591 and was succeeded by his tenant:
c1591-c1609 John Underwood. It was during John Underwood's time, in 1592, that Queen Elizabeth made one of her many progresses, and passed through Hungerford. It is
quite possible that she did stay at the Bear. Certainly, one of her coachmen on that tour fell ill and died at the Bear, as the following entry in the parish register for 30 Aug 1592 makes clear:
"Buried: Mr Slie, one of the Queen's coachmen who died in the progress at John Underwood's in Charnham Street at the sign of the Bear".
c1609-1615 Edward Woodyore was innholder. He died 8th Dec 1615, and was succeeded by his nephew:
1615 Richard Woodyore
16?? Samuel de Luke
16??-1620 Edward Collynson.
Wiltshire Lenten Recognisances (PRO E180/45 No 194) 8 Mar 1619/20: Edward Collison of Charnham Street, innkeeper. Sureties: John Cooke innkeeper and John Hatte yeoman, both of the same.
1636 Thomas Smith(?). In 1636 John Taylor, writer, traveller and later innkeeper, wrote about his travels, and referred to an inn in
Hungerford, not giving its name, but stating that the county boundary ran through the house.
1668-1691 William Bell. The Constables' Accounts and Churchwardens Accounts contain several references to payments to "
Mr Bell at ye Beare".
It was William Bell who produced token coinage in 1668 (see adjacent photo of his halfpenny token, and the museum section on Token Coinage). William Bell died 1702.
William of Orange at The Bear:
In 1688 a very important part of English history took place in Hungerford. The Catholic King James II had ascended the throne in 1685, but his reign was not to last long. He became increasingly unpopular and by 1688 there were moves afoot to remove him from the throne. In November that year, the Protestant Prince William of Orange, who had married James' own daughter Mary, landed at the head of a strong army at Brixham, Devon, hoping to obtain considerable support for his cause from the West Country landowners. He then headed for London to claim the throne of England, and on 6th December he left Salisbury, and stayed the night at Colingbourne. The next day he came to Hungerford, and it was here, at the Bear Inn, that he met the Commissioners appointed by James II. For more on this meeting, click William of Orange at The Bear.
After a few days the Prince of Orange left Littlecote, and went on his way to Windsor. During 1689 he was crowned, and later that year he passed through Hungerford again, this
time as King William III. No doubt it was a very important day for the town, in view of the role it had played a year previously.
1691 - The Constables' Accounts include many references to The Bear. In 1691 it was the meeting place for the Constable, Thomas Woodroffe, and a few of his "naybors" to discuss the indictment of Robert Osmond, Constable in 1689, for his retention of a deodand. (One of the ancient privileges of the Manor of Hungerford, or indeed of any Manor, was that of Deodand, a deodand being an animal or article which had caused the death of any person. The animal or article became forfeit to the Crown or Lord of the Manor, and it often happened that a dispute arose between Crown and Manor over these perquisites, which were often of some considerable value. It is not stated what the deodand was in this case, but the difficulty arose because the man had received "his mortall Wound" in Sanden Fee, but died in the Manor of Standen Hussey.)
1694 - One of the many Probate Inventories for Hungerford relates
to William Burcombe, "innholder of Charnham Street". He was almost certainly innholder of The Bear, and the detailed inventory is of great interest. It lists 8 rooms
(with 34 beds) including the Kings chamber, the Queens chamber, the Half Moon chamber, the Bear chamber, the Crown chamber, the Mitre chamber, the Green chamber and the Bell chamber.
The Bear continued to be a grand coaching inn through the coaching period:
1702 Daniel Parker: The Poor Rate for Charnham Street 1704 lists Daniel Parker as paying 8s 0d.
1739 Alexander Burton
The Turnpike along Charnham Street to Marlborough. Some major changes to the roads around The Bear came about in the 1740s.
Although a very early road - the "King's Street" ran through Hungerford to Marlborough, it had become more usual for the route to deviate north of Hungerford.
The quality of the roads was terrible in the 17th and early 18th century - rutted and dusty in summer, a mud-bath in winter. Even in 1668 Samuel Pepys lost his way on a
journey from Newbury to Reading, and there was a great need for good quality maps.
John Ogilby made a vast number of road maps in the 1670's, and his edition of the London to Bath road in 1675 (shown above on this page) shows two alternative
routes near Hungerford. The first route left the route taken by the present-day A4 just west of the Kintbury turning, and followed the road along Radley Bottom, Upper Denford, Gipsy
Lane, and. Leverton to Chilton Foliat, Ramsbury and Marlborough. The second route continued through Charnham Street past The Bear to Froxfield, through Savernake Forest to Marlborough.
Follow this link for more on Turnpike Trusts, and on Coaching.
When the Hungerford to Marlborough road through Savernake was finally turnpiked in 1744, most of the trade followed this route - and The Bear, along with all the coaching inns
along Charnham Street, would have enjoyed increased trade.
1756 Edward Smith
1753 William Ryman
1759 John Whale. The Trustees of the Hungerford-Lechford Turnpike Trust first met in 1772 at the Black Bear - the 'house of John Whale'.
1792 Universal Directory: "The Bear"
1796 Elizabeth Whale - the "Black Bear"
1804: The Coat of Arms of the Leybourne-Pophams was placed over the front entrance to the hotel, when the failure of the male line of Pophams required an addition to the name.
1817 (Pew Rent Books). No.9: "To Edward William Leybourne-Popham for his house called the Bear Inn, in occupation of John Harris". [Usual rent 3s or 4s per annum]
1818 Richard Compton
1823 Pigot Directory: Sarah Hincks - Black Bear, posting inn
1830 Pigot Directory: Sarah Hincks - Bear
1836 J Satchell
1840 William Burtt
1844 Pigot Directory: William Burtt
1844 Snare Directory: William Burtt
1847 Kelly Directory: William Burtt - Commercial Inn &
posting house.
Coaches leaving The Bear as follows:
- Star - 2.30pm to White Hart Inn, Bath
- Optimus - 8.45am to Beau Sauvage, Ludgate Hill
- Optimus - 8.30pm to Castlet
& Ball, Marlborough
- Star - 3.30pm to the station at Reading for the 7 o'clock train
1847 Snare Directory: William Burtt - innkeeper
1850 Slater Directory: William
Burtt - inn and posting house
1851 Census: William Burtt (62), Innkeeper; Hester Burtt, wife; David Saunders (69), Waiter; Samuel Pocock (41), Cook; Sophie Drewet (24),
Barmaid; Elizabeth King (22), Chambermaid; Jane Wilkins (19), Kitchenmaid; John New (19), Boots.
1854 Billing Directory: William Burtt (coach times given)
The coming of the Great Western Railway:
The railway opened to Hungerford in December 1847. The line was continued west to Seend and onwards in 1862. (Follow this link for more on the Railway).
The opening of the railway brought to an end the grand coaching era - and The Bear (and other inns on Charnham Street) would have suffered significant reduction in trade. Some were to close, but The Bear
adapted and developed.
1861-1874 John Welch
1861 Census: John Welch (Bear Tap & Inn) - innkeeper and farmer
1863 Dutton & Allen Directory: John Welch
1864 Billing
Directory: William Burtt - family and commercial hotel, and posting house. Excise Office.
1866 (Blacket's Directory): John Welch - Parcel Agent, Bear Hotel.
1867 Melville Directory: John
Welch - "Black Bear". Burtt had moved to Eddington.
1867: John Welch paid an annnual rent (to the Leybourne-Pophams) of £13 5s 0d.
1869 Post office Directory: John Welch -
"Black Bear", Commercial and Family Hotel.
1871 Census: John Welch - hotel keeper and farmer, 115 acres. Bear Tap: Martha Reed.
1877 Kelly Directory: George Herrington - "Bear", commercial and family hotel and posting house.
c1877-1880 John Platt
1881-1893 William Woodmass Rennie
1883 Kelly Directory: William Woodham Rennie (sic!)
1891 Kelly Directory: William Woodman (sic!)
Rennie - family and commercial hotel. Conveyances to meet every train. Loose boxes.
1891: "This old established Commercial Hotel and Posting House is entirely under new management and refurnished.
Visitors will find good accommodation with modern charges. Wines and Spirits of first quality. Posting in all its branches. Flys to and from every train. W.W. Rennie, Proprietor.
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