Hilsea has been home to three different pubs named the Coach and Horses.
The first of the name is marked on a map of the area in 1807. In 1870, it mysteriously burned down in the middle of the night, a few months after the London-Portsmouth road was diverted away from it. Luckily, the landlord had removed all his belongings first.
Nobody could figure out how the fire started.
The second was demolished in 1931 due to a road-widening project. The third was designed in the Scottish Baronial style by AE Cogswell, and is still with us.
At first glance you’d expect an inn called the “Coach and Horses”, on the London-Portsmouth road, to be a coaching inn. But I’m not so sure that’s the case. The London stages changed teams at Petersfield, and the pub was south of Portsbridge, just three miles from Portsmouth. If a traveller was caught outside Portsbridge at night the Coach and Horses was no good to them, and if they’ve already reached it by evening, wouldn’t they press on that last three miles to Portsmouth?
Ownership
Landlord
| Date | Landlord |
|---|---|
| 1841-1855 | Samuel Neat |
| 1855-1862 | Lucy Neat |
| 1868-1869 | John Lovelock (license held by Edwin/Edmund Webb) (Hyde Brewery, Winchester) |
| 1869-1870 | George Middleton (Hyde Brewery, Winchester) |
| 1870-1870 | John Hailstone (Hyde Brewery, Winchester) |
| 1870-1872 | George Knight (Hyde Brewery, Winchester) |
| 1872-1872 | Edwin/Edmund Webb |
| 1872-1873 | Thomas Nicholson |
| 1873-1878 | Charles Martin |
| 1878-1880 | Mrs. Frances Eliza Martin |
| 1881-1882 | Charles Henry Newton |
| 1882-1891 | Frank Jones/Frederick Bull |
Timeline
First pub (?-1870)
I would sell somebody else’s grandmother for a picture of this building. It’s not impossible - the collodion process was invented nearly twenty years before it burned down, and John Lovelock built a viewing platform on top of it in 1868 - but I’m not holding my breath.
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1813 Purchase for Works at Hilsea Act
The Coach and Horses, a public house west of the London-Portsmouth road with a stable and a garden, the property of the Devisees in Trust of Sir John Carter, is bought into government ownership with the intention of tearing it down.
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1834-02 Found Drowned in Hilsea Pond
A coroner’s inquest is held at the Coach and Horses in Hilsea after an elderly beggar woman, Elizabeth Bassel, is found drowned in Hilsea Pond. She had been drinking heavily the night before and likely entered the pond without realizing it. The verdict is “found drowned.”
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1835-10 A Hundred Lots of Good Oak and Fir
Timber from the recently dismantled gun-brig Hardy, including oak and fir beams, is auctioned at a field behind the Coach and Horses in Hilsea. Builders and merchants are invited to bid on about 100 lots of wood and firewood, sourced from the ship, which was decommissioned and sold to John Levy of Rochester earlier that year.
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1839-07 Found Dead in a Field of Standing Oats
In 1839, an inquest is held at the Coach and Horses in Hilsea after Jonas Over is found dead in a field of oats. His body had been lying there for over a week. Over had recently worked on local building projects, but the exact cause of death remains unknown, leading to a verdict of “Found Dead.” His body is buried at Wymering churchyard.
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1841-06 Census, Coach and Horses
The census for the night of June 6, 1841 records Samuel Neat as a 45-year-old publican living with his wife Lucy, daughter Salley, and young son Samuel.
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Furnished apartments are advertised for rent for the summer season, just a ten-minute walk from the newly-built Cosham Station. The ad appeared in the Hampshire Telegraph in May of that year.
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1851-02 Shocking Waggon Accident near Hilsea
A waggoner working for a Bedhampton miller suffers a severe accident near Hilsea when a horse begins kicking violently. The waggoner is kicked, breaking one leg and injuring the other. He is taken to the nearby Coach and Horses pub for medical attention. The horse is eventually freed from its harness with minimal injury.
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1851-03 Census, Coach and Horses
The census for the night of March 30 1851 records Samuel Neat, a licensed victualler, along with his wife Lucy, three children of school age, and a servant named Arthur Smith.
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1852-08 We Think His Drinking With Him a Highly Imprudent Act
Alexander Stewart accuses a man of stealing his watch at the Cosham railway station during Portsdown Fair. After chasing the suspect to the Coach and Horses in Hilsea, Stewart drinks with him briefly before handing him over to police. The thief is committed for trial.
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1853-10 Found, King Charles Spaniel
The owner can reclaim the dog by paying incurred expenses and contacting Samuel Neat at the Coach and Horses Inn in Hilsea.
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1855-10 Much Respected by All Who Knew Him
Samuel Neat, the well-respected landlord of the Coach and Horses Inn in Hilsea, passes away at the age of 53.
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1856-11 Public House Available for Lease
In November the “Coach and Horses” public house, about three miles from Portsmouth, is offered for rent. The property includes good stabling, a skittle ground, a large garden, and necessary outbuildings. Interested parties can obtain further details from the Superintendent of Government Property in Hilsea.
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1857-01 They Even Sold The Dog
The contents of the Coach and Horses, including furniture, household items, and even some livestock, are put up for auction after Mrs. Neat, the widow of the previous landlord, decides to leave the premises. Despite the sale announcement, records suggest that Mrs. Neat continued running the inn until at least 1864.
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1861-04 Census, Coach and Horses
The census for the night of Sunday 07 April, 1861 lists Lucy Neat, now a widow, as the head of the household, living with her children, grandchildren, a servant and several lodgers. The large number of labourers lodging at the inn may reflect increased infrastructure work in the area, such as on the Hilsea Lines.
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1862-01 Thirteen Pounds Weight of Bacon
John Smith, known as “Cockney Jack,” is charged with stealing 13 pounds of bacon, the property of Lucy Neat, from the Coach and Horses. After being spotted with the bacon, he is pursued and apprehended following a violent struggle. Smith claims he was mistreated during the chase, but the magistrates dismiss his complaints, sentencing him to two months of hard labor.
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1862-05 Murder, the gipsies are killing my husband
A violent confrontation leads to arrests when a group of Romani people attack several soldiers and a constable with sticks. The incident leads to serious injuries, and the attackers are committed for trial at the next Winchester sessions. The trial at Winchester concludes with an acquittal.
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George Goodwin is charged with assaulting Mrs. Lucy Neat, landlady. He pleads guilty and is fined 15 shillings plus costs. If he fails to pay, he faces fourteen days of hard labor.
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Ensign Alexander Jackson Clark of the 55th Regiment dies from apoplexy after participating in a hunt near Hilsea. Witnesses see him resting during the hunt, and later a surgeon finds him in a deteriorating condition at the Coach and Horses. Despite medical efforts, Clark passes away in the evening. An inquest concludes that his death, at the young age of 23, was unexpected due to his prior good health.
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George Reed, a labourer, is charged with stealing a shawl and money from his landlord, Robert Wilson, after lodging with him in Buckland. Reed is apprehended while trying to sell the stolen shawl to a woman who suspects it was stolen. When arrested, Reed is found wearing Wilson’s boots. He is committed for trial on a charge of housebreaking at the Quarter Sessions.
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1863-12 Mysterious Death After Fall from Waggon
In December 1863, William Balchin, a 21-year-old carter, dies under suspicious circumstances after falling from a waggon. He is found injured on the road near Cosham, with cuts and bruises, and is taken to hospital before dying at his brother’s home over a week later. Two men who were riding in the waggon with him claim Balchin fell, and they went to get help. A post-mortem reveals a fatal skull fracture, likely from the fall. The jury concludes that Balchin died from brain inflammation caused by the fall, but cannot determine whether it was an accident or something more suspicious.
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1864-03 Stamped on the Iron Part With His Initials
In March, Thomas Martin, a 42-year-old labourer, is charged with stealing two pickaxes from Edward Custance, a subcontractor at the Government Works in Hilsea. Custance reports losing over 80 pickaxes in the previous six weeks, and after receiving information, authorities find Martin at the Coach and Horses pub selling two stolen picks. The picks, stamped with Custance’s initials, are identified as his property. During Martin’s trial, it is revealed he had a history of theft, including a prior felony for stealing fowls. Martin is found guilty and sentenced to one year of hard labor.
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1866-05 Tenders Invited for War Department Property
In May, the Royal Engineer Office in Portsmouth invites tenders for renting the War Department property, “The Coach and Horses” at Hilsea, located on the London Road three miles from Portsmouth. The property includes stabling, a skittle-ground, a large garden, and necessary outbuildings.
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1866-09 The Daring Cash-Box Robbery at Portsmouth
A man on a world-class bender drops in at the Coach and Horses.
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James Clarke and William Walker, navvies, are accused of stealing £1 0s 6d from Abraham Clarke, a labourer from Cosham. Abraham meets the two men outside the Coach and Horses pub and buys them food and beer. Abraham accuses them of stealing his purse. Both men plead not guilty and are committed for trial.
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1868-01 Magistrates Hear Case of Carpenter Assault
At the Fareham Petty Sessions, William Wingham is charged with assaulting William Hoad, an elderly carpenter working at Hilsea. Wingham, a young man, pleads guilty after hitting Hoad with a large stone, causing a serious head injury and striking him again in the mouth. The magistrates fine him 15 shillings. In a related case, William Page, a railway signalman, is accused of threatening Hoad outside the Coach and Horses the day after the assault. Page admits to using abusive language but denies intending harm. The case is resolved amicably, with Page agreeing to pay costs and promising not to harass Hoad again.
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1868-04 A Most Substantial Platform
John Lovelock erects a viewing platform on the roof of the inn and sells tickets, so the public can observe troop manoeuvres during the volunteer review.
Important
Ok, I think I’ve unpicked the order of events over the next couple of years. It’s confusing, so I’m dropping my interpretation into the timeline:
On 11th Oct 1869, John Lovelock is made bankrupt. It seems likely this leads to him quitting the pub, voluntarily or not.
18th Oct 1869, licence transfer granted to Edwin Webb.
Between 18th Oct 1869 and 5th Sept 1870, it is discovered that Edwin Webb isn’t actually living on the premises. Presumably George Middleton had been brought on as a manager.
5th Sept 1870, a license is granted to John Hailstone.
3rd Oct 1870, George Middleton is packing to leave when a fire breaks out, and the building burns to the ground.
4th Dec 1870, John Hailstone is caught selling beer out of hours.
12th Dec 1870, Simmonds & Co requests a license transfer to an unknown person, and is refused.
20th Dec 1870, John Hailstone is fined and the license is temporarily transferred to George Knight.
8th Feb 1871, Temporary license transfer to George Knight is refreshed[?].
10th Jan 1872, from George Knight back to Edwin Webb.
11th May 1872, another temporary transfer, this time from from E. Webb to Thomas Nicholson.
19th Feb 1873, from Thomas Nicholson to Charles Martin.
(There’s one more item to be added that completely buggers up this timeline.)
Question
How did they get the business up and running so fast? We go from “destroyed the whole of the building, furniture, &c” to “opened his house for the sale of beer” in two months and a day.
Ideas
- One of the outbuildings survived
- They were operating from temporary premises
- The new building was already under construction when the fire broke out
- You really can buy land for and build a pub in a month
Question
Just what the hell is going on there? That’s eight transfers in 41 months.
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The Coach and Horses faces multiple licensing issues in 1869/1870. In October 1869, Mr. Wallis applies for a license for the pub after the previous tenant, John Lovelock, failed to renew it. The magistrates grant a licence to Mr. Edwin Webb as the resident occupier. However in September 1870 a fresh tenant, John Hailstone, is required due to Webb not being the actual occupier, and a new license is granted.
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1869-12 John Lovelock Adjudged Bankrupt
John Lovelock, a licensed victualler, formerly of the “Coach and Horses” Tavern in Hilsea and later of the “New York” Tavern in Bath-square, Portsmouth, is adjudged bankrupt on October 11 but quickly discharged.
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A fire breaks out in the early hours of October 3rd. A fire engine attends from the Hilsea Barracks, but water shortages hinder their efforts. The building and its contents are destroyed, but the building is insured and the landlord, George Middleton, who planned to move out the next day, had already removed most of his belongings. So that’s all right then.
Second pub (1870-1931)
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John Hailstone, landlord, is charged with illegally selling beer after hours on Sunday, December 4th 1870. Police Constable Compton discovers the pub open at 11:40 PM with three men drinking inside. The landlady claims her husband is not at home and she’s been trying to get the patrons to leave, but Compton finds Hailstone asleep on the premises. Hailstone claims he lost track of time after falling asleep. He is fined 10 shillings and costs, and the license of the pub is temporarily transferred to George Knight on behalf of the owners, Messrs. Simonds of Winchester.
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1870-12 License Transfer Refused
Two weeks after John Hailstone’s offence, but before he is fined, the magistrates deny an application to transfer the license of the Coach and Horses.
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In February, the license transfer to George Knight
is made permanent.
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Apply at the Coach and Horses.
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At the end of July, a tragic accident in Portsmouth Harbour results in three deaths. Henry Varndell, his wife Eliza, their infant son George, and Henry’s brother William set out in a small punt from Gosport to attend a funeral at Waterlooville. A gust of wind capsizes the boat near Tipner Point. Eliza’s body washes up near Hilsea and is taken to the Coach and Horses. William is the only survivor. An inquest, held at the King’s Head, concludes the deaths were accidental, citing poor weather conditions.
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New Coach and Horses, Wymering, from Mr. George Knight, to Mr. Edwin Webb.
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1872-03 Theft by an Artilleryman
John Sharp, an artilleryman stationed at Hilsea Barracks, is charged with stealing tobacco from Edmund Webb. He is sentenced to one month of hard labor.
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New Coach and Horses, Wymering, from Mr. E. Webb to Mr. Thomas Nicholson.
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In February, the license of the Coach and Horses is transferred from Mr. Thomas Nicholson to Mr. Charles Martin.
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1874-01 Discovery of Infant Body in Hilsea Pond
An inquest is held at the “Coach and Horses” Inn regarding the discovery of a male infant’s body in Hilsea Pond in January. The coroner’s jury delivers a verdict of “Found drowned.”
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Robert Harfield is fined for recklessly driving a horse, endangering pedestrians, and offering a bribe to a constable.
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1876-04 Sudden Death of a Pensioner
In April, Alexander Ross, a 44-year-old pensioner and labourer at Hilsea Barracks, is found lying by the roadside opposite the Coach and Horses. He dies shortly after being taken into the inn. Dr. Martin of Cosham determines the cause of death as heart disease, and the inquest returns a verdict in line with this diagnosis.
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1878-04 Death of Charles Martin
Charles Martin dies 28th March 1878 at the Coach and Horses.
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After the death of her husband in March, the license of the Coach and Horses is transferred to Frances E. Martin in June.
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The body of a man was found yesterday morning in the Portsbridge Canal near the bridge. It was conveyed to the Coach and Horses, where an inquest will be held.
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1879-01 Fatal Railway Accident
An inquest is held at the Coach and Horses after William Smith, a labourer, is fatally struck by the 6:30 a.m. train. The jury returns a verdict of accidental death and suggests that better accommodations be made for pedestrians crossing the railway at that point.
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1879-10 The Shocking Death of Mr Stratton
Frederick Stratton, the 52-year-old landlord of the Royal Albert Tavern, Southsea, dies after being struck by a train at Hilsea in October. Stratton, who owned Gatecombe Farm, attempted to cross the railway line but stumbled and fell. Despite the line being straight for three-quarters of a mile, no whistle was blown, and the train did not slow. Witnesses note that Stratton suffered from gout, and a head injury from the fall may have left him unable to get up. The inquest concludes with a verdict of accidental death, with no blame attributed to the engine driver.
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Kelly’s Directory lists individuals and establishments in Hilsea, including Frances Eliza Martin, the landlady of the New Coach and Horses pub.
Todo
I assume the data for the Kelly’s entry above must have been gathered between March 1878 and Q3 1879, when Frances Eliza Martin (probably) marries Charles Henry Newton. (Q3 1879, Alverstoke). I still haven’t found the license transfer between Frances Eliza Martin and Charles Henry Newton (he being a licensed victualler on the 1881 census). I’ve got it narrowed down to June 1878-Feb 1881, I guess, with July 1879-Feb 1881 being more likely.
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1881-02 A Discreditable Soldier
A soldier of the Royal Artillery steals two shillings in coppers from the till.
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1881-04 Census, Coach and Horses
The census for the night of April 3, 1881 records Charles Newton, a licensed victualler, along with his wife Francis, three children of school age, two infants and a servant named Elizabeth Griffin at the Coach and Horses.
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In May, three privates in the marines steal cigars from Charles Henry Newton, landlord of the Coach and Horses.
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1881-11 Publican Fined for Sunday Trading Offence
Charles Henry Newton is fined for violating trading laws. Police officers Sergeant Drew and Constable Dedman observe several people entering the premises, including foot passengers and tramway workers, none of whom qualify as bona fide travellers. Newton is fined £5, and his license is endorsed. Four patrons are fined for being on the premises unlawfully, while one case is dismissed.
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In April, the license of the Coach and Horses is transferred from Charles Henry Newton to Frank Jones.
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1888 Drunk in charge of… a stream traction engine?
George Grant is charged with being drunk while operating a steam traction engine near Cosham, causing a collision with a tramcar. The tram driver accuses Grant of recklessness, while witnesses claim he was sober and that the accident was caused by the tram driver’s carelessness. The men operating the engine had stopped at the Coach and Horses before the incident. No conclusive evidence of Grant’s drunkenness is found, and the case is dismissed by the court.
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1891-08 Last Will and Testament of Frederick Bull
Frederick Bull, also known as Frank Jones, signs his last will and testament on August 11, 1891, shortly before his death on August 31, 1891. His will, proven on September 24, 1891, names his daughters, Harriet Cleall and Martha Chatel, as executrixes. Bull bequeaths various personal belongings and real estate to his son Fred Bull, including No. 19 Paradise Street for life, after which it passes to Harriet. Martha receives £500, and Harriet inherits the remaining estate, including the business at “The Coach and Horses Inn.” The will also clarifies Bull’s legal name.
Third pub (1931-to date)
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The Coach and Horses is rebuilt once more, this time to accommodate growing traffic on the London and Copnor Roads. The pub had previously played a role in the 1906 Licensing Bill controversy when it was sold by the government despite a looming bill aimed at confiscating licenses without compensation. The well-known cartoon by Harry Furniss, once painted on the old building, is planned to be incorporated into the new structure.