c1906 The Salutation, with The Horseshoes beneath the Church
The Salutation in 2003
By Bill Exley
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c1906 The Salutation, with The Horseshoes beneath the Church
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The Salutation in 2003
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| The Salutation is a large building situated in the High Street and the centre of Blunham , and one time 8 High Street. This would then mean, the entrance to Wells Fields area plus the Horseshoes' car park is where 6,4 and 2 High St. would have occupied.? The pub name outside is one of the oldest in England, its origin dating back to horsemen taking a 'Stirrup Cup' or 'Salutary' drink in the days of Hunting etc. ( L. Salus, health or Salutare, to wish health to ) During my researches it was found that the original name was The Ragged Staff, changing to The Salutation during 1768 for reasons unknown. Here follows a listing of Occupiers to date, from records researched at Bedford Archives and information kindly supplied by Greene King, Brewers of Biggleswade, it later closes in 1997, demolitshed and now a Supermarket. | |
LIST of TENANTS BEHIND THE BAR & over 300 yrs of History |
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| Edmund Turner, 1st recorded tenant | Date unknown |
| Samuel and Anne Osbourne | 16th Oct 1646 |
| Anne Osbourne, widow - Records , dates not clear | Date unknown |
| Richard Orlebar | 1759 |
| Henry Dennis, now The Salutation | 20th July 1768 |
| Thom and Rachel. Bassett | 13th April 1802 |
| Rachel Bassett | 1822 |
| Thom. Clarkson | 1827 |
| Geo. Thomas Scruby | 22nd Sept 1836 |
| Thom. Nicholls | 15th Aug. 1844 |
| Joseph Lovell | 25th June 1845 |
| Wm. Scruby, later he sells by Public Auction on the - | 22nd Feb. 1849 |
| Wm. Joseph & Susan Nash : Brewers - also as Landlords | |
| Sam. Mardlin | 1854 |
| James, John Baker | 1869 |
| Jane James | 1872 |
| Wm. Jeffries | 1873 |
| Chas. and Wm. Howard | 1874 |
Free House now, owner Countess Cowper, Wrest Park in Silsoe |
1876 |
| Wm. Howard - 1st Lic granted | 1877 |
| Chas. Penwright | 05/08/81 |
| Chas. Henry Clarke | 1888 |
| Susan Nash (Widow and 79yrs of age) now joins Newland Brewers | 5th Aug 1890 |
| Wm. Fuller | 1896 |
| Fredrick Geo. Howe | 1898 |
| Newland & Nash, still in control. | 1902 |
| Wm Hill | 1906 |
| Now a Blunham populatio of 603 - Served by Eight Pubs in - | 1909 |
| Wm. Thom. Davey | 1910 |
| Wells & Winch - of Biggleswade, now as Brewers | 1922 |
| Mrs Davey, widow | 1933 |
| Wm. (Bill) Hawkins, moves down from the White Horse | 13th June 1934 |
| Wells and Winch, take over as Owners | 1938 |
| Harry Hawkins (son) | 29th Mar 1950 |
| Frank Payne | 11th May 1955 |
| Alec Taylor | 16th July 1958 |
| Later moves up to the new White Horse, on The Hill | 11th Jan 1961 |
| Arthur Cammack | 27th Jan 1961 |
| Dora, Beatrice Edwards | 17th Aug 1961 |
| Tom and Margaret Curzon | 5th Sept 1962 |
Greene King : Suffolk, merge with Wells & Winch |
1963 |
| Barry, Magella Thompson | 4th April 1965 |
| Eddie and Mavis Randall | 1st Feb 1967 |
| Jim and Pat Collier | 1st Nov 1972 |
| Brian and Pauline Fox | 6th Jan. 1982 |
| Robin and Beryl Cowley | 27th Mar1985 |
| Roy and Susan Walsh, move down from 'The White Horse ' | 11th Sept 1986 |
| 350 years of History, presented to Roy and Susan on | 2nd Oct 1996 |
| - [The Greene King site - Demolished - 1997] - Geo Mc Arthur | 11th June 1998 |
| Mike & Lyn Jupp, (Later in 2004 move to Cyprus) | 27th July 1999 |
| Bill & Andrea Smith | 26th Feb 2004 |
| Keith Graham & Louise Jackson | 10th Aug 2005 |
| Paul & Jamie Mead | 19th June 2007 |
| Brendan Clifford, (A Brewery temp manager) A nice chap ! | 20th Jan. 2008 |
| Michael and Victoria Crooks | 20th Mar 2008 |
| Donna and David Wisbey | 26th July 2010 |
| John and Lesley Hunt | 4th Feb 2011 |
The Salutation now Closes down, after a 351 yr History |
11th Dec 2011 |
Sadly empty for 13 months |
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| Malcolm Vardy, moves in and converts it to a Private Dwelling | 10th Jan 2013 |
O * O * O |
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THE SALUTATION DEBATING SOCIETY A Motley band of drinkers who came to the 'Sally' for a pint (or two) on a Friday evening around 8pm for conversation, banter, a laugh with enlightenment. It was made up of the following characters, Ted Jeffries a Land Worker for a Mr John Quince, Jim Goodwin and his best mate Cliff Payne (or Paynie) who had his own farming business, Jim was always the one with a deadpan face, always observing, yet full of dry humour, a twinkle in his eye, and soon spot any chance for a quick joke, yet always non personal. Jim always remarked on the amount of holidays local teachers had, or a character who wore smart jackets and he would say, "is your Coach round the back? " |
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Cliff Payne and Jim Goodwin |
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Joe Norman a quiet man, astute and always a smile, with his daughter Mary a nurse, who was also as sharp as a razor within the male company. He was a very good dart player and made his own flites of huge proportions. On a 'Bull Start' game we often played, I saw him place 3 darts in the Bullseye, so the flites were no barrier. I saw this only twice in my life time (Andrew Brown and Lawrence Charteress) I once had 2 bulls and and a 25 on a lucky night, also many 180's in my playing days. |
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| Joe and Mary Norman, Rex Clarke, Ted Jeffries .and Tom Maries (R.h.s.) |
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Tom Maries, a quiet and mild man, ex Landlord of The Horseshoes - 1957-1974, with his wife Ivy. An accomplished Dart player, Rex Clarke who I often partnered in Darts matches, we won The Eric Folbigg Trophy twice (1985-86 and 1986-87) and always held our own in the league. We all enjoyed putting the Country and politics to rights, plus a joke or two with our Pint. |
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Last revision - 3rd Oct, 2021 - by Bill Exley |
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