the history of yeovil's pubs
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Fleur-de-lys (1)
23 High Street
Originally
built as a small
town house, the
Fleur-de-Lys was
a two-storied
and cellared
brick building
(marked 'B' on
the 1886 map
below) at the
location now
occupied by
Beales in
High Street,
the Fleur-de-Lys
had been a
public house at
least since the
mid-18th century
(see first
image) or
probably much
earlier still.
It was also
known as the
Plume of
Feathers - see
Documentation of
1739 below. The Millennium
Blue Plaque
erected by the
Town Council
shown here is
fixed close to where
the Fleur de Lys
actually stood.
John Martin's map of 1813 depicting the properties owned by the Yeovil Corporation (shown below) demonstrates that at this time the Fleur de Lys building was owned by the Corporation. From an indenture in my collection dated 25 March 1834 it is known that the building, still owned by the Corporation, had become the premises of chemist and druggist Edward Granger (see image below).
However by the 1880’s, as evidenced by the various census records and Trade Directories, it was trading once again as the Fleur-de-Lys and spent the remainder of its existence – more than fifty years - being run by a series of female licensees, being something of a record for Yeovil’s pubs. The records show that many women, especially widows, ran pubs in Yeovil. Many of these assumed the role of licensee after the death of their husband who had been running the pub until his death, but the majority of these widows only lasted a year or two as a licensee before moving on.
In it issue of 12 January 1934 the Western Gazette reported the following "During the extensions to the High Street section of Messrs Denner's drapery establishment and interesting discovery has been made which recalls trading days in Yeovil several hundred years ago. A cellar, which for years had been almost unused, was being cleared, when investigation showed that it was a vaulted chamber with the roof supported on stone pillars of very similar character to those recently discovered when extensions were made to the premises of Mr Percy Windsor, agricultural Engineer, of Vicarage Street. The cellar under Messrs Denner's premises was in some places fashioned out of rock. The original portion consisted of flat but finely constructed vaulting, and the pillars have square cut moulded capitals. The work was of very substantial character, the vaulting especially showing some skill and care in erection. Inside the cellar were found two old barrels, which had apparently contained wine or some other beverage, in addition to wire bottle containers of the same age. The appearance and position of the vault points to its having once been part of the cellars of the Fleur-de-Lys Hotel. In the latter part of the 18th century this hotel was of considerable importance and size."
A photograph of the cellar, complete with barrels and bottles, is shown in the Gallery below.
At the Fleur-de-Lys, however, it was a somewhat different story: firstly, from at least 1889 until 1897, the Fleur-de-Lys was run by a widow, Ellen Sheppard, who took on the role of licensee long after the death of her husband. Ellen was born about 1847 at Lyme Regis, Dorset but her maiden name eludes us. In 1881, as a 35-year old widow, Ellen was a boarding house keeper at 16 South Western Terrace. Living with her were her two daughters; Minnie and Nellie, aged 10 and 7 respectively and both born in Stoford, just south of Yeovil. Listed as 'boarders' were six young ladies aged between 21 and 28 and all six giving their occupations as 'assistant in refreshment rooms'. One was called Jessie Paramour and another was named Effie Thorogood - oh, come on! Now, I'm not casting aspersions (well, actually, I am) but it does seem to me that our Ellen was running a 'house of assignations' as brothels were euphemistically called at the time. In fact, for a young, newly-widowed woman with herself and her children to house, feed and clothe, being the madam of a whorehouse was actually not that uncommon (well, OK, perhaps it was not uncommon in London - granted, it may have been a bit uncommon in Yeovil outside of Park Street). In any event by 1889 'Miss' Ellen Sheppard was listed as licensee of the Fleur-de-Lys in Kelly's Directory and in the 1891 census she was listed there as a licensed victualler with Minnie and Nellie. She was still being listed as the licensee as late as 1897 in Kelly's Directory but disappeared from the records after this.
As a side note, no young ladies were listed at the South Western Terrace address in the 1891 census and all six young ladies listed there in 1881 had left Yeovil by this time.
Ellen was succeeded by another widow, Mrs Emily Dare, who ran the Fleur for at least fifteen years. Emily was born Emily Hicks in 1849 at Clevedon, Somerset, the daughter of carpenter William Hicks and his seamstress wife, Elizabeth. Emily was the youngest of six daughters. In 1871, at the age of 21, she was working as a domestic servant at Westbury on Trym, Bristol, and in Bristol, on 28 July 1873, she married Chew Magna-born Albert Henry Dare. Albert had been working as a waiter in the Stork Hotel in Clifton, Gloucestershire. By the time of the 1881 census they had moved to Melcombe Regis, Weymouth, Dorset. Albert continued to work as a waiter and he and Emily had two young sons, Albert and Harry. By 1891 Albert was the steward of the Melcombe Country Club and he, Emily and the children lived there with two servants of their own. Albert died in the spring of 1900 and Emily moved to Yeovil almost straight away for within a year the 1901 census listed her as inn keeper at the Fleur-de-Lys with her 21-year old son, Leslie, and a servant. They were still there ten years later when the 1911 census listed Emily as a licensed victualler and Leslie as a licensed victualler's assistant. Emily was listed as the licensee in Kelly's Directory of 1914 but had left by 1919.
Finally, for its last twenty years, the Fleur-de-Lys was run by Miss Mollie Thompson from at least 1919 until at least 1939.
map
A section of John Martin's 1813 map of the properties owned by the Yeovil Corporation (shown blacked-in). The property at farthest left was the Fleur de Lys.
gallery
This
drawing
features in my
book "Lost Yeovil"
The earliest known depiction of High Street, this drawing, showing the Fleur-de-Lys next door to Yeovil's first Post Office (replaced in 1836 by what would become Lindsay Denner's shop - see next image), has been dated to between 1766 and 1780 based on notes on its back as to the people depicted - see next image.
The Fleur building itself is constructed in red brick with stone quoins, string course, window surrounds and the fine columned entrance. The windows are of the sash type to the front elevation but a casement window is open on the gable indicating one or more rooms in the roof space. At ground level the two grilled windows at pavement level indicate an extensive cellar.
This is the back of the above coloured drawings with the people numbered and their names appended. It's not too easy to read, so the names are -
|
1.
Corporal
Pope |
8. Mr
Batten |
This notice for all-comers to take part in prize matches of 'Sword and Dagger' appeared in the edition of 4 September 1780 of the Salisbury & Winchester Journal. It should be noted that four guineas at today's value is in the region of £500, but even so....
From my
collection
This lithograph looks down High Street from its junction with Hendford / Princes Street. On the left the Mermaid with its familiar archway and large overhanging sign is clearly seen. On the opposite side of the road, just right of centre, the white three storey building with the two-storey projecting bay is the Kings Head Inn. It is likely that the two storey building next to the Kings Head Inn is the building that held the former George Inn.
This hand-tinted stone lithograph was by Henry Burn (1807-1884) entitled 'Market Place - Yeovil'. There are not many known stone lithographs by Henry Burn because he left for Australia in 1852. It was published by William Porter and Henry Marsh Custard in January 1839 and printed by Charles Joseph Hullmandel (1789-1850) of London, where he maintained a lithographic establishment on Great Marlborough Street from about 1819 until his death.
The two-storey building at right (Edward Granger's druggist shop) was, and part of which at least would become again, the Fleur-de-Lys.
For a more detailed account of the buildings in this 1839 lithograph, click here.
From my
collection
Enlarged from the lithograph above, this is Edward Granger's chemist & druggist premises. Both before and after this lithograph, this building was the Fleur-de-Lys
From my
collection
The indenture, dated 25 March 1834, in which Edward Granger leased the High Street property from Robert Jennings, Portreeve of the Corporation at the time.
High Street photographed in 1897 by Jarratt Beckett. The three-storey building at extreme right with the arch is the shop of Lindsay Denner. The Fleur-de-Lys is the left-hand half of the two storey building with the cart outside. The shop at centre, with all the hats hanging up, would become the premises of pianoforte dealers Swaffield & Foote, called Elgar House.
Courtesy of Jack
Sweet
The Fleur-de-Lys, at centre complete with a Fleur-de-Lys sign, photographed in 1906.
From my
collection
A hand-coloured postcard of High Street, this one postmarked 1910 but I've seen this card used as early as 1906, with the Fleur-de-Lys next to the building in red brick.
From my
collection
An almost identical to the previous by a couple of years later in this hand-coloured postcard as the Town Hall now has its new clock, erected in 1912.
From my
collection
An enlargement from a sepia-toned version of the previous postcard showing that since the 1897 Jarratt Beckett photograph above, Swaffield & Foote occupied half of the premises and that a small shop had been formed between their premises and the Fleur de Lys Hotel - which actually only occupied a quarter of the original town house premises.
The notice of sale of the Fleur de Lys Hotel from the 12 September 1919 edition of the Western Gazette.
This
colourised photograph
features in my
book "Lost Yeovil"
A photograph taken in the old cellars of the Fleur-de-Lys in 1934.
|
VAULT
DISCOVERY
IN HIGH
STREET During extensions to the High Street section of Messrs Denner's drapery establishment and interesting discovery has been made which recalls trading days in Yeovil's several hundred years ago. A seller, which for years has been almost on used, was being cleared, when the investigation showed that it was a vaulted chamber with the roof supported on stone pillars of very similar character to those recently discovered when extensions were made to the premises of Mr Percy Winsor, agricultural engineer, of Vicarage Street. The cellar under Messrs Denner's premises was in some places fashioned out of rock. The original portion consisted of flat but finely constructed vaulting, and the pillars have square cut moulded capitals. The work was of a very substantial character, the vaulting especially showing some skill and care in erection. Inside the seller were found to old barrels, which had apparently contained wine or some other beverage, in addition to wire bottle containers of the same age. The appearance and position of the vault points to its having once been part of the cellars of the Fleur-de-Lys Hotel. In the latter half of the 18th century this hotel was of considerable importance and size, and there is at the present time in Yeovil Museum watercolour drawing, the work of an ancestor of Major John Goodford, of Charlton Cantello, showing the Fleur-de-Lys of that period, with the original Yeovil Post Office adjoining. Practically two thirds of the original Hotel, and the whole of the Post Office, apparently a stone and tiled building with a penthouse front, is now covered by Messrs Denner's modern shop. The date of the watercolour in the museum is fixed by the fact that it contains the figure of the Rev F Crane Parsons, then vicar of Yeovil, who died in 1798. Western Gazette, 12 January 1934
|
The scene of a previous image, but seen in 2012. The Mermaid is unchanged but the position of the Fleur-de-Lys is now occupied by the Denner's, now Beales', store extension with its additional floor. This photograph was taken on 02 May 2012 - the day the Queen visited Yeovil as part of her Jubilee Tour. Notice the string of patriotic bunting slung across the road - don't us Yeovilians just know how to celebrate in style!
This postcard, photographed around 1925 and looking along High Street to Westminster Street, shows three pubs – 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. 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.
At the time of this colourised photograph, in the early 1960's Clements store was closed and awaiting demolition. It, and the smaller building next to it, was replaced with a Pricerite supermarket and is now occupied by Argos. The two-storey white building to the right of centre was the Fleur-de-Lys building - by this time part of Denner's store (now Beales) which was made three-storey in the 1970's (see colour photograph above).
owners / tenants / licensees
1760 – Jos.
Byles (Poor Rate
Book) 2½d. Poor
Rate
c1770 - Mr
Boobier (from
annotated sketch
above)
Certainly by 1813 the property was owned by the Yeovil Corporation.
1822 – Thomas
Lintern (Pigot’s
1822 Directory)
1824 – Thomas
Lintern (Pigot's
1824 Directory -
Inns & Hotels)
1827 – Thomas
Lintern (1827
Jurors List)
1829 – Robert
Tucker, owner -
Thomas Lintern,
occupier (Land
Tax Returns)
1830 – Thomas
Lintern (Pigot’s
1830 Directory)
From 1834 until he retired around 1850 the building was the chemist shop of Edward Granger.
1881 – census
noted “Occupied
but no-one
sleeps there”
(1881 census)
listed as Fleur
de Lys
1889 – Miss
Ellen Sheppard
(Kelly’s 1889
Directory)
listed as
Fleur-de-Lys
1891 – Ellen
Shephard (widow
age 44) –
Licensed
Victualler (1891
census) pub not
named
1895 – Ellen
Sheppard
(Kelly’s 1895
Directory)
listed as
Fleur-de-Lys
1897 – Mrs Ellen
Sheppard
(Kelly’s 1897
Directory)
listed as
Fleur-de-Lys
1901 – Emily
Dare (widow age
50) – Inn Keeper
(1901 census)
listed as
Fleur-de-Lys
1902 – Mrs Emily
Dare (Kelly’s
1902 Directory)
listed as
Fleur-de-Lys
1911 – Emily
Dare (1911
census) listed
as 23 High
Street,
Fleur-de-Lys
Hotel
1914 – Emily
Dare (Kelly’s
1914 Directory)
listed as
Fleur-de-Lys PH
1919 – Miss M
Thompson
(Kelly’s 1919
Directory)
listed as
Fleur-de-Lys
1923 – Miss
Millie Thompson
(Kelly’s 1923
Directory)
listed as
Fleur-de-Lys PH
1936 – MM
Thompson (1936
Yeovil
Directory)
listed as Fleur
de Lys
1938 – MM
Thompson (1938
Yeovil
Directory)
listed as
Fleur-de-Lys
1939 – Millie
Thompson
(Kelly’s 1939
Directory)
listed as
Fleur-de-Lys PH
Documentation
|
1739 |
This
is to
give
notice
THAT Mr
James
Downe,
sworn
Chirurgeon
(archaic
=
Surgeon),
late of
Marnhull
in the
County
of
Dorset,
is come
to
Sherborne
and
settled
near the
Angell
in Long
Street,
he
having
practis'd
in and
about
Marnhull
near 16
Years to
the
great
Benefit
and Good
of his
Country:
His
Learning
proceeded
from his
Father,
a
Gentleman
of
Exceeding
Knowledge
in the
art of
Bone-Setting,
Surgery,
etc.,
and
after
belong'd
to St
Thomas'
Hospital,
London,
and
formerly
recommended
in his
Art of
Chirurgery
by
William
Watson,
M.D.,
Richard
Wright,
M.D.,
Ed.
Bingham,
M.d.,
etc.
N.B. He
is to be
spoke
with at
Flanders
Inn, in
Marnhull,
every
Monday,
and on
Friday
at
Yeovil
at the
Plume of
Feathers. |
