Mount
Bures Community Web Site
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Who sold Beer first in the village ? Before the 1900`s there
were very few licensed Public Houses in villages and towns. They were
instead called Beerhouses or Brewhouses. (a) Original site of
the Thatchers Arms:
(c) Records indicate that in 1601, Mary Wood was licensed to keep a Beerhouse in Mount Bures. The "Woods" family owned land somewhere in the region of Peartree Lane. So there we have it, the first Beerhouse was in 1601 ! (ref Mt Bures Its Lands and People, page 107) In 1863 it is recorded that James
Deal incorporated a shop and it was occupied by William Birch (labourer)
and Samuel Grimwood a school teacher. Whether the shop was ever a Beerhouse,
is unknown. However we know for certain
in 1869, the the building (we now
know as the Thatchers) was sold at auction at the Three Cups Hotel in
Colchester as the "Thatchers Public House" with Charles Eley
as the Licensee. This was the time it obtained its first full licence. 1878/Jeremiah
Pettitts (Licensee) Until 1884,
the premises was actually located in the Parish of Bures Hamlet. In
those days, Hamlet owned parcels of land all around Mount Bures including
the site the Thatchers stands on and the field behind. The change came
about on 24th March 1884, when the land was transferred into the parish
of Mount Bures. 1891:-
January 20th Newspaper report:-
Richard Cook the innkeeper of the Thatchers Arms at Mount Bures was
charged with unlawfully selling whisky without a licence. The landlords,
Steward and Pattisson of Colchester and Norwich were negotiating a licence.
To apologise and pay the costs 1892/
it`s
presence in the village was assured, when Mrs Ann Downes (now widow)
the current owner, conveyed the property over to Greene King, Brewers
of Bury St Edmunds. The conveyance also included the two fields known
as the "Rumps" (5 acres) and "Backhouse" (5 acres) 1933/Cyril
Cook (Licensee) 1960/Cyril
Cook died and
the Licensee passed to
his daughter Corrie
(and husband Gerald Lock) Ida McMaster local Historian recorded in 1967:- An outstanding festive occasion was arranged by the present landlord and his wife, Mr and Mrs Gerald Lock. A whole ox was roasted in the traditional manner on a large mechanical home made spit outdoors and tended by relays of willing helpers from early morning until the first revelers arrived in the evening. Dancing was provided in the nearby marquee with a specially prepared floor with refreshments of all choices. Cars the bugbear of the twentieth century, stretched each side of the road for an amazing distance in spite of the fact the "Rumps" field had been hurriedly baled to provide parking space. Two fatherly policemen eventually arrived to speed up the parting throng. 1977
Corrie and
Gerald Lock
purchased the Thatchers from Greene King Brewery. Stangely enough the
beer on sale continued to be IPA and GK Abbott. The Thatchers was very popular
it even had its own helicopter pad for visitors. A restaurant extension was
built and named "Garners Tye" after the field of the same
name to the rear of the pub.(see map above) 1986 Gerald Lock died 1992 Corrie
Lock retired. 1992
After
a short closedown period, Terry & Frances
Martin (Licensee) of The Swan at Chappel, re-opened
the pub in time for the 9th April, General Election. They were the ninth
Full Licensees of the Thatchers since 1869. October 2006:-
Enquiries made with Greene King Brewery Museum at Bury St Edmunds to
see if they held any surviving records on the property. Unfortunately
they disposed of this portfolio many years go (1961) and all the records
were subsequently lost. 2014 - New Owners take over the Thatchers Decades after it was first
opened as a Brewhouse, the "Thatchers" is still thriving and
well supported. |