Hungerford Virtual Museum

Website produced and maintained for the Hungerford Historical Association
by Hugh Pihlens

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You are in [Themes] [Inns & Alehouses] [The Bear]

Summary: Charnham Street. 1464 - now.

The Bear is one of the grand coaching inns of England, with a long and varied history.

It is thought to have developed as an adjunct to the adjacent medieval Hospital of St John which was founded by at least 1232. There is documentary proof of its use as a Hospice in 1464.

The Bear lies in Charnham Street, which formed part of Wiltshire until the boundary changes of 1895. The Bear Inn was always part of the manor of Chilton Foliat 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).

In 1547 the manor, including The Bear was bought by Sir Edward Darrell who 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.
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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.

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.




		The Bear Hotel, June 2007



		The Bear used to be called "The Black Bear"



	The Bear and Riverside, c1910



		The Bear Hotel, c1950

The Bear continued to be a grand coaching inn through the coaching period.

The timeline gives the various licencees:

1753 William Ryman

1792 Universal Directory: "The Bear"

1796 Elizabeth Whale - the "Black Bear"

1818 Richard Compton

1823 Pigot Directory: Sarah Hincks - Black Bear, posting inn
1830 Pigot Directory: Sarah Hincks - Bear

1836 J Satchell

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)

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.
1867 Melville Directory: John Welch - "Black Bear". Burtt had moved to Eddington.
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.

1883 Kelly Directory: William Woodham Rennie
1891 Kelly Directory: William Woodman (sic!) Rennie - family and commercial hotel. Conveyances to meet every train. Loose boxes.

1895 Kelly Directory: Mrs Eliza Jane Rennie

1899 Kelly Directory: Mrs Edith M Osmond
1902 Cosburn Directory: Mrs Edith M Osmond
1903 Kelly Directory: Mrs Edith M Osmond

1907 Telephone Directory: William Jasper

1908 Kelly Directory: J Cleminson

1909 Cosburn Directory: Mrs Sharp

c1910: A public house broker's valuation (Buckinghamshire Records Office) described the Bear as "Exceptionally nice roadside hotel some 70 miles from London in good hunting, fishing and sporting country, on the Bath Road. Comprises: Entrance Hall, Good bar, Coffee, Billiard and Drawing Room, 2 parlours, 10 bedrooms, Kitchen and usual offices, large yard, stables, garden, terrace and lawn etc. Rent £25; Licence £20; Return about £1,600. Price £950.

1911 Kelly Directory: Mrs Lucy M Pratt
1920 Kelly Directory: Mrs Lucy M Pratt
1924 Kelly Directory: Mrs Lucy M Pratt

1928 Kelly Directory: Major Wyndham Knatchbull
1929 Kelly Directory: Major Wyndham Knatchbull
1931 Kelly Directory: Major Wyndham Knatchbull, known as "William"

1934 (30th Oct)-1938 (26th Oct) Horace Arthur Cadd

1939 Kelly Directory: Mrs H A Cadd, Telephone 178
1939 Blackett Directory: Mrs M M (sic!) Cadd

1948 (10th Oct) Cecil Davies, Clerk to the Magistrates

1953 (1st Jul) Reginald Ernest Fitch

1960 (Jun) - 1964 Arthur Donald McIntyre

1968 (10th Sep) Peter Reeves

1978 (23rd April) -1986 (or later?) Roy Tudor-Hughes

1989-92 Resort Hotels (including The Three Swans and Elcot Park)

Part of the Ramada Jarvis group

See also:
- Coaching and Hungerford
- Priory of St John the Baptist
- "The Bear at Hungerford - The Story of an Ancient Inn", E L (Jim) Davis, 1989.

Updated: 17.6.2010