David Otton

Coach and Horses

21 min read

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

DateOwner
?-1813Devisees in Trust of Sir John Carter
1813-?Government Ownership

Landlord

DateLandlord
1841-1855Samuel Neat
1855-1863Lucy Neat
1868-1869John Lovelock (license held by Edmund Webb) (Hyde Brewery, Winchester)
1869-1870George Middleton (Hyde Brewery, Winchester)
1870-1870John Hailstone (Hyde Brewery, Winchester)
1870-1872George Knight (Hyde Brewery, Winchester)
1872-1872Edmund Webb
1872-1873Thomas Nicholson
1873-1878Charles Martin
1878-1880Mrs. Frances Eliza Martin
1881-1882Charles Henry Newton
1882-1891Frank Jones

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.

  • 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.

  • Feb 1834: 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.”

  • Oct 1835: 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.

  • Jul 1839: 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.

  • Jun 1841: 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.

  • May 1850: The Summer Season

    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.

  • Feb 1851: 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.

  • Mar 1851: 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.

  • Aug 1852: We Think His Drinking With Him a Highly Imprudent Act

    Alexander Stewart accuses Stephen George Francis Rayment 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.

  • Oct 1853: 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.

  • Oct 1855: 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.

  • Nov 1856: 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.

  • Jan 1857: 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.

  • Apr 1861: 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 the infrastructure work occurring in the area.

  • Jan 1862: 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.

  • May 1862: 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.

  • Aug 1862: Assaulting a Landlady

    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.

  • Feb 1863: Death from Apoplexy

    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.

  • Oct 1863: An Ungrateful Lodger

    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.

  • Dec 1863: 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. Lucy Neat, of the Coach and Horses, is one of the witnesses called.

  • Mar 1864: 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.

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 Edmund Webb.

Between 18th Oct 1869 and 5th Sept 1870, it is discovered that Edmund 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. I’m forced to conclude that all the entries between this point and 10th July 1871 occur at a temporary premises, the precise location of which is unknown.

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 Jul 1871, an application “for the removal of the license to a new house now being erected near” is granted. SO WHERE WERE THEY SELLING BEER FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS??

10th Jan 1872, from George Knight back to Edmund 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.

  • Oct 1869: License Transfers

    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.

  • Dec 1869: 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.

  • Oct 1870: Destruction By Fire

    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.

Temporary premises (1870-1871)

There’s no direct evidence for this building, but it’s implied by the business continuing to operate between the fire and the application for the license to be transferred to new premises. I’m leaning towards the theory that they made do with the existing premises.

  • Dec 1870: Grand Reopening?

    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.

  • Dec 1870: 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.

Second pub (1870-1931)

  • Jul 1871: Licensing Transfers

    An application is made for the removal of the license of the Coach and Horses to “a new house now being erected near”. The application is granted.

  • Aug 1871: Three Lives Lost

    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.

Note

Eliza Varndell’s body “was removed to the Coach and Horses public-house” but the inquest happened at the King’s Head. That’s unusual, and I think it might be evidence that the Coach and Horses was not a fit place to hold an inquest at the beginning of August.

  • Aug 1871: License Transfers

    The transfer granted in July is made permanent. From the descriptions (“now being erected” in July and “had been erected” in August) it appears that the second pub was completed between those two dates. Possibly, because of the location of the inquest above, after 1st August.

  • Sept 1871: Public Transport

    A new omnibus, run by Edmund Webb, begins service between Cosham and Landport, stopping at the New Coach and Horses in Hilsea. The service operates six days a week and fares vary based on distance and seating preference.

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.

  • Jan 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.

Third pub (1931-to date)

  • 1931 A New Era

    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.

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