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angel inn

Hendford

 

The Angel Inn once belonged to the Chantry of the Blessed Virgin Mary Without the Church, hence its name and sign.

It stood on the corner of Hendford and Porter's Lane (now Westminster Street) facing High Street and the Borough - the site is now occupied by a bank building.

The 1548 Return of Chantries, recorded that "Alice Evered widow holds by indenture an Inn or tenement called the Angell with a close of pasture containing 2 acres and two pieces of meadow with 3 virgates of arable land also a cottage with a garden and 4 acres and a half of arable land to the same pertaining  and renders per annum 66s 8d".

In 1618 an order was made that only nine licensed premises be allowed in the borough (that is the town, not that part of High Street today called the Borough) and two outside, with the rest being 'suppressed'. The Angel Inn was undoubtedly one of the nine 'allowed' premises.

The Angel Inn was an important coaching inn for both London and Bristol travellers, indeed for several centuries it was the principal coaching inn of Yeovil. It was described as a fine building with an arched entrance with a triple window over, above which stood a lead figure of an angel that now resides in Yeovil's Community Heritage Access Centre, together with the carved panel, both being illustrated below.

Few of the early licensees are known; in 1548 Alice Evered, a widow, is recorded as holding by indenture the inn or tenement called the Angel, with a close of pasture containing two acres and two pieces of meadow with three virgates of arable land, and rendered per annum 66s.8d.

The name of another licensee appears on a farthing trade token from my collection. The token seen here is magnified as the original is only about 12mm in diameter and 0.5mm thick. It is from the Angel and dated 1652, the earliest recorded for Yeovil. It depicts an Angel in the centre of the obverse, together with the licensee's name, 'Nathaniell Carye'. On the reverse is inscribed 'of Yeavell - 1652 - C.N.A.'. Tokens usually had three initials, representing the two Christian names of the issuer and his wife plus their surname.

No copper coinage was minted during the Commonwealth and the resulting paucity of small coinage was met by these independently-produced and completely unauthorised tokens of brass or latten (a copper alloy similar to brass). Most Yeovil trade tokens were issued by tradesmen following the death of Charles I in 1649 in order to overcome the lack of small change in general circulation. From 1672 farthings were minted again, in the reign of Charles II, with the consequent demise of trade tokens.

The Angel Inn was completely destroyed by fire, probably in the Great Fire of Yeovil in 1637, after which it was rebuilt.

In 1654 a petition was made in Yeovil against the vicar, the Reverend William Parsons "...Mr Parsons and his wife, and one Mr Jordan and his wife, of Yeavill, with one that had been a Cavalier trooper continued drinking at the Angell in Yeaville until almost seven o'clock at night and departing from thence went to the house of the said Jo: Jordan where one of them fell downe almost dead with drinkinge. That the sayd Mr Parsons with Mr Windham of Trent, Sir Thomas Mallet's sonnes and ye sonne of ye Ld. Sandys being all great Cavileers went to the Angell in Yeovill and there stayed from nine of the clock in the morning until three or fower in the afternoon drinkinge and had musick with them". (see Documentation below).

In his book of 1724 "A Tour Thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain; From London to Land's End" Daniel Defoe recalled the following tale concerning the Angel Inn "There lived a good substantial family in the town not far from the Angel Inn - a well-known house, which was then, and, I suppose, is still, the chief inn of the town.

This family had a dog which, among his other good qualities for which they kept him (for he was a rare house-dog), had this bad one - that he was a most notorious thief, but withal so cunning a dog, and managed himself so warily, that he preserved a mighty good reputation among the neighbourhood.

As the family was well beloved in the town, so was the dog. He was known to be a very useful servant to them, especially in the night (when he was fierce as a lion; but in the day the gentlest, lovingest creature that could be), and, as they said, all the neighbours had a good word for this dog. It happened that the good wife or mistress at the Angel Inn had frequently missed several pieces of meat out of the pail, as they say - or powdering-tub, as we call it - and that some were very large pieces. It is also to be observed the dog did not stay to eat what he took upon the spot, in which case some pieces or bones or fragments might be left, and so it might be discovered to be a dog; but he made cleaner work, and when he fastened upon a piece of meat he was sure to carry it quite away to such retreats as he knew he could be safe in, and so feast upon it at leisure. It happened at last, as with most thieves it does, that the inn-keeper was too cunning for him, and the poor dog was nabbed, taken in the fact, and could make no defense. Having found the thief and got him in custody, the master of the house, a good-humoured fellow, and loth to disoblige the dog's master by executing the criminal, as the dog law directs, mitigates his sentence, and handled him as follows:- First, taking out his knife, he cut off both his ears; and then, bringing him to the threshold, he chopped off his tail. And having thus effectually dishonoured the poor cur among his neighbours, he tied a string about his neck, and a piece of paper to the string, directed to his master, and with these witty West Country verses on it:-

To my honoured master, - Esq.
Hail master a cham a' com hoam,
So cut as an ape, and tail have I noan,
For stealing of beef and pork out of the pail,
For thease they'v cut my ears, for th' wother my tail;
Nea measter, and us tell thee more nor that
And's come there again, my brains will be flat."

In 1761 gentleman Edward Forbes, proprietor of the Angel Inn, was the proud owner of a celebrated 'museum' in the kitchen of the inn (for full description see Documentation below). Included among Mr Forbes' curiosities was a panel now housed in the Community Heritage Access Centre at Lufton. It is of painted and gilded gesso on oak boards.

The carved and coloured panel, photographed at left, is thought to be 17th century and is possibly attributed to Humphry Beckham (1588-1671). It was once hung up in the kitchen of the Angel Inn as part of Mr Forbes' 'museum'. It depicts Old Testament scenes of Adam and Eve in the top left corner, while the remainder is devoted to the story of Abraham and Isaac. Adam and Eve are depicted holding nine leaves in front of them while a serpent entwines the apple tree under which they stand. Eve offers an apple to Adam, who is about to accept it. On his right are a stag, a unicorn and a lion, while below his bent left knee is an elephant. In the lower part of the panel is the beginning of the Abraham and Isaac story. Abraham's 'two young men' are seen with an ass, the standing figure holds a staff while the seated figure drinks from a flagon. Towards the centre Abraham is seen carrying a fire-pot while Isaac follows carrying a faggot of firewood over his shoulder. In front of them is a small white dog. The right half of the panel shows Abraham about to sacrifice his son, Isaac, but his knife is held back by the angel above. Isaac kneels before an altar of faggots with the fire-pot, issuing flames, in front of it. In the background is seen 'the ram caught in a thicket by his horns'.

The inn was sold in 1791 and the sale details (see gallery below) described the inn as having ten chambers, three parlours, a barn, stabling for 40 horses and standing for 12 carriages plus "every other establishment necessary for the business of an Inn."

The images below, scanned from an old book, show the Borough in a painting of 1810 looking towards Middle Street. The building at right on columns is the old Market House (removed in 1849) the roof supported by columns that covered the butchers' stalls. The Market House also housed the town's stocks whose final occupant was a local man, found to be drunk on a Sunday afternoon and made to sit for hours in the stocks in 1846. (An Act of 1606 imposed a fine of five shillings or six hours in the stocks for drunkenness).

To the immediate left, in the far background at the end of High Street, is seen the Angel Inn with its projecting front bay with arched entrance at ground level and a three-light window over and what appear to be large windows either side of the projecting bay. The lead figure of the angel stood in a niche above the triple window.

The Angel was certainly operating in 1798, but was demolished at the turn of the 19th century when Whitmarsh and White opened a bank on the site in 1808. This was succeeded by Stuckey's bank on the same site in 1835 and the present Westminster bank was opened in today's building in 1919. For more information see the text three photographs down.

 

 

This painting features in my book 'Secret Yeovil'

A painting made in 1810 of the Borough looking towards High Street which runs to the distance at left.  The Angel Inn is clearly seen in the distance with its archway and triple window over. The building at left with the arches was, at the time, the ironmongery and cutlery business of William Edwards, taken over around 1827 by Josiah Hannam followed by James Bazeley Petter and then Hill & Sawtell. This is the only building in the Borough that survives to this day, it is now Superdrug.

 

A colourised enlargement of the previous 1810 image showing the Angel Inn at centre.

 

 

This drawing, by Leslie Brooke based on the above painting, makes clearer the Angel Inn at the far end of High Street, in Hendford, with the figure of the angel at high level.

 

The lead angel photographed in 1910, long before its unfortunate white and gold paint job.

 

This postcard of around 1925, and looking along High Street to Westminster Street, shows three pubs and the site of the Angel - at extreme left is the Fleur-de-Lys with its sign projecting over the pavement. Opposite, at right of photo, is the Mermaid Hotel with its lovely round-arched entrance and fine Venetian window. In the far distance, at the end of Westminster Street, is the tower of Seaton’s Garage (demolished and now Tesco’s car park) and immediately in front and slightly right is the Heart of Oak. Notice, at the centre of the T-junction, the traffic cop with white cuffs waiting for the rush hour traffic and behind him and the parked roadster is the large building, now a bank, that was built on the site of the Angel Inn.

 

 

The following series of five photographs show the excavation in Hendford, in front of the Westminster Bank, during April 2023. Bearing in mind the location and the structural construction (described below), I believe the excavation has revealed the last remaining part of both the Angel Inn and the cellar wall of the later Stuckey's Bank.

The Yeovil branch of Stuckey's Bank operated in the old Whitmash & White bank building next to the old Angel Inn in Hendford. But, to quote Vickery "In a few years the premises became too confined for properly carrying on the increasing business of the establishment; and the company, having previously purchased the adjoining property, including the site of the Old Angel Inn, and thrown back its frontage several feet, after compensation from the Town Commissioners, on the 8th of June 1844."

 

This photograph, with Hendford running off to the left, shows the excavation some six feet away from the front wall of the Westminster Bank, exposing stonework of what I believe to be the front wall of the Angel Inn's cellar and brickwork of the front wall of the cellar of Stuckey's Bank. Photographed in April 2023.

In the gap between the red barriers are seen stonework to the left, brickwork in the middle and the iron gate to the left - all seen in greater detail below.

 

This photograph shows the excavation looking the other way, towards Princes Street, with the excavated walls enlarged below. Photographed in April 2023.

 

An enlargement of the previous photograph, this shows the remains of a stone wall which I believe to be the external cellar wall of the Angel Inn with, to its left, the remains of brickwork which I believe relate to the cellar of the later Stuckey's Bank (not its external wall above ground, which was closer to the line of the present Westminster Bank building). Photographed in April 2023.

 

A close-up of the southern (Hendford) end of the trench showing, at the left, a substantial stone wall with what appear to be a course of thin medieval red bricks - the external wall of the old Angel Inn. At the centre is a wall of relatively modern red bricks, which I believe is part of the cellar wall of Stuckey's Bank.

To the right is the metal gate. This is pure conjecture on my part, but could this be the other end of the tunnel from the cellar of the Mermaid Hotel to the Angel Inn? (see below). Photographed in April 2023.

 

A direct view of the metal gate guarding the now-blocked access to the cellar of the Angel Inn. Photographed in April 2023. 

 

Courtesy of Catrina Southword

This tunnel, seen from the Mermaid's cellar, runs under High Street towards what is now the Westminster Bank. It is blocked further along and presumably originally ran to the old Angel Inn in Hendford, that faced High Street.

 

1548 – Alice Evered, a widow (from indenture)
1564 – Alice Evered, a widow (from indenture)
1587 – William Trunion (Churchwardens Accounts)
1591 – William Forde (Will of William Forde) Forde was a Churchwarden (1573) and played the
            part of Robin Hood (1575). He owned farmlands in Yeovil, Kingston and Pitney.
1652 – Nathaniell Carye (from a dated token)
1694 – Mrs King (Yeovil Poor Rate Book)
1724 – William Forbes - Owner
1761 – Edward Forbes - Owner (see Documentation below). Forbes died in 1770 aged 70.
1774 – George Griffiths - Landlord - declared bankrupt in August 1775.
1775 – Bani John Forbes - Owner (see report below)

Bath Chronicle & Weekly Gazette - 7 September 1775

1784 – Mr Francis - Landlord (see report below)

Bath Chronicle & Weekly Gazette - 12 August 1784

"Friday last, being market-day in Yeovil, an attempt was made upon a farmer by two sharpers who were well mounted on bay horses, and dressed genteely: One was dressed in a black coat, with his hair in curl; and the other in a light-coloured surcoat. Under pretence of having occasion to send a letter to a neighbouring clergyman, they decoyed him into the Angel inn, and succeeded in tricking him out of about £3 which through the assiduity of Mr Francis, master of the said inn, was recovered and returned.

 

 

1548	Alice Evered, widow, holds by indenture, an Inn or tenement called the Angell, with a close of pasture containing ij acres and two pieces of meadow with iij virgates of arable land, also a cottage with a garden and iiij acres and a half of arable land to the same pertaining, and renders per ann lxvj s. viij d. Somerset Chantries - 1548. Yevill. Chantry of the Blessed Virgin Mary within the parish church there... SRS2 p318
1564	Alice Evererd, widow, by indenture an Inn or tenement called the Angel in Hynford, 1 close and 2a. arable at Elston, 1a at Doghill, ½a. at Florelmore, ½a. at Le Newe Meade, 2 plots meadow and curtilages at Fourdbridge with 3 virgates arable at Huish, 3a. arable above Huish at Netherfurlong, 1 cottage, gardens and adjacent cottage , 4a. arable at Northover, ½ acre arable at Anstrak, part of 1a. in Dogwill with all and singular appurtenences demised by Thomas Waterson and heirsd to Thomas Sebright for 40 years on 1 April 1524, £3 6s. 8d. ... Reprises: Earl of Arundell for free rent of Angel Inn, 7s. Memo: ...the house called the Angel in Yeovil is in 'great repair and decay' (p104) Calendar of Somerset Chantry Grants, 1548-1603. SRS77 p103. On 20 July 1564 Reve and Ryvett conveyed the St Mary and Jesus Chantry properties to John Cleves and John Dyrdo, a Kingston yeoman and chantry tenant - PRO c54/667/40.
1587	Sale of Seats - of William Trunion of the Angel for a Sete that was old Wilses of Codd and Edmuind Willes... 2s. 6d. Churchwardens Accounts
1591	Will of William Forde, 23 May 1591
1637-42	Richard Lockett of Yeovil, gent, patron of West Monkton, 1662, was party to a lengthy Chancery suit, 1637-42 in connection with  certain lands, etc., in Yeovil and Henford, Somerset, to which he claimed to be entitled jure uxoris, who inherited the same from her grandfather, William Ford of Marsh, in the parish of Yeovil (will dated 31 May 1591 - see above). The suit principally concerned an inn called the 'Angel' in Yeovil upon which Richard Lockett declared he spent the sum of £500 in repairs and which was totally destroyed by fire. He married Mary, daughter and co-heir of Thomas Ford, the elder, of Yeovil, marriage settlement dated 20 February 1635, Rev Giles Lockett being one of the trustees. She died c1634-5. They had issue John Lockett, who died an infant c.1637.
1652	Trade token: Obverse - NATHANIELL CARYE. An Angel inn centre Reverse - OF YEAVILL. 1652. N.A.C.
1653	For that this Court is informed by the Constables, churchwardens and overseers and major part of the parishioners of the towne of Yeovill that a house built by Mr Cary of the Angell at Yeovill now licensed to sell ale is a most unfitt place both in regard of the inconveniences of the place as also for the resort of men's servants and other idle persons travelling  that way, whereby many of ye neighbours are much prejudiced. This Court doth hereuppon order that the said alehouse, now called the Ship, shalbe actually suppressed, any license formerly graunted to the contrary notwithstanding. General Sessions of the Publique Peace, Taunton Castle, 20 July 1653 - SRS 28
1654	Extracts: That the said Mr William Parsons is a man of scandalous life and behaviour, a frequenter of taverns and alehouses... 10thly. That about one of the clock in an afternoon about a year since, the sayde Mr Parsons and his wife and one Mr Jordan of Yeovill , with one that had beene a cavileere Trooper continued drinking at the Angell in Yeaville until almost seven o'clock at night and departing from thence went to the house of the said Jo: Jordan where one of them fell downe almost dead with drinkinge... 13thly That the said Mr Parsons with Mr Windham of Trent, Sr. Thos. Mallett's sonne, and ye sonne of ye Lord Sands being all grerat Cavilleers, went to the Angell in Yeovill & there stayed from nine of the clock in the morniong untill three or fower in the afternoon drinking and had musick with them... A charge of insufficiency and scandell against Mr William Parsons, Viccar of Yeovill, in the County of Somerset, 1654, Nov. 8th. - Goodden Papers, Compton House, Dorset
1694	HENFORD - Mrs King for the Angel, 1s. Yeovil Poor Rate Book
1738	This is to give Notice - That there is now at the Angel Inn in Yeovil, a thorough bred beautiful young Stone-Horse, begot by a famous Horse of my Lord Godolphin's, bred by Sir William Morgan, at Tredegar in Wales, out of a thorough bred Mare. He is of a Brown Bay Colour, with a black mane and Tail, four Years old, upwards if Fifteen Hands high, and will cover this Season for half a Guinea in Hand for the Stint, and one Shilling the Man that leads him out. N.B. There is good grass and Hay for Mares, at a reasonable Rate, and all possible Care will be taken of them till they are Stinted. Sherborne Mercury, 28 March 1738, advt. p4, col.3
1761	The Angel Inn is celebrated over this County for its Kitchen, a large room originally intended for ye purpose, but by ye present Landlord, Mr (Edward) Forbes, furnish't with the greatest variety of curiosities, rare china, and earthen ware painted with different subjects, many American weapons and Animals, models of ships and ye Holy Sepulchre, various English Fossils and other natural curiosities, Lava from Vesuvius, Lamps from Herculaneum, etc., etc. Against ye Grate which is in ye proper form but extremely neat is fixt ye portait of an old Serjeant, an Acquaintance of Mr F's on horseback. To keep up ye appearance of a Kitchen there is pewter and other parts of Kitchen Furniture about it, and some closets to serve as pantries, but ye work is done in a back Kitchen. Here are also two large tables of a beautiful but coarse yellow marble sprinkled with different coluirs, spots and veins, dug out of a neighbouring field of Mr F's, some coarser blocks of ye same are cut into steps. The Landlord discovers very little appearance of his profession and his whole delight consists in the singular room. The business is principally carried on by his nephew who is to be his heir. Bodleian Library - Gough Nichols MSS Top.Gen. e23 ff 141-2. 'Private Museums' written by Richard Gough, c1761. Note: I found a nice snippet in the Bath Chronicle & Weekly Gazette of 2 August 1770 concerning Edward Forbes - "Sunday fe'ennight died, at Yeovil in this county, in the 70th year of his age, Mr Edward Forbes, who for many years kept the Angel inn in that town; and on Saturday he was buried in a stone coffin, which he had hewn out on purpose, and kept by him for some time before he died."
1777	Letting details of the Angel Inn, from the Bath Chronicle of 18 September 1777
1779	The Angel Inn was advertised as 'famed for its beautiful kitchen and repository of curiosities'. Western Flying Post, 1 January 1779 - advertisement.
1791	Sale details of the Angel Inn, from the Bath Chronicle of 21 April 1791.