The Black Bull, Deeping Gate

from I'd Rather Be In Deeping June 2020

Profile: Alf Avison

In pride of place at the foot of Deeping St James bridge is The Black Bull. Now a family home, there has been a public house on this site since at least 1770 and probably years before that.

But for Pamela Stevenson (nee Burton) this was also a happy family home, with chickens in the yard, a dog, paddocks and gardens running down to the river, a copper in the scullery and a mangle to dry the washing! There was an aviary with budgies and in the house across the road on the corner, thought to have once been the toll house, was Mrs Sneath whose ducks would swim in the dyke. Pam’s dad William Henry Burton (known as Harry) was the last but one landlord of this local hostelry. One of five Burton siblings (we wrote about his sister Cissy in issue 6 of this magazine) he was born in a cottage in Church Street, Deeping St James, and married the diminutive Minnie Rawlinson from Fletton in 1925 after seeing army service in the First World War where he suffered from the effects of gas. During the Second World War, Harry worked in the munitions factory at Peter Brotherhoods leaving Minnie, assisted by members of the family, to run the pub. Just wet trade then: the only time that Pam can

remember food being served was when piles of bread had to be buttered to make sandwiches when a darts match was being held – they were part of a very active local league.

Local children had a carefree childhood. Pam can remember going with her friends on their bikes to Hannah Smith’s in Bridge Street to buy sweets, and one memorable occasion when they all jumped on their bikes to ride over to Frognall where they heard a plane had crashed during the war.

Harry remained the landlord until his death aged just 58 in 1951. At first the pub had been owned by Soames Brewery but they had sold out to Stewart & Patterson in 1949. Minnie was left at the helm until 1955 when she retired and went with Pam to live with her eldest daughter, Jean Haycox in Eye. The esteem in which the locals held Minnie was reflected in her retirement gifts of an oak linen chest and a clock. Sadly she died just two days into her retirement. then lay empty for a number of years until 1980 when Mike Crowson moved in and spent years recreating an authentic old Victorian pub in the front rooms, replete with pewter mugs and oil lamps.

When Harry and Minnie had moved into the pub in 1937 it had recently been renovated for Soames Brewery by well-known local builders and stonemasons, Horace and Arthur Day of Towngate. It originally had four upper and four ground floor rooms. Now the ground floor became one large room, separated by a partition so the room could be opened up for social functions. The bar and serving area were behind. A half cellar was built on the side and there was a lounge at the rear. The sash window at the back of the original pub became a serving hatch into the

lounge. Toilets for the public house patrons were built with domestic toilets, coal house, kitchen, pantry and dining room with two access hallways. The family accommodation, lounge and bedrooms were upstairs.

Just like the Queen Vic in Eastenders, all human life played out in the local pub. On one happy occasion in September 1924, it was the scene of merriment and dancing when landlord Thomas Lambert’s third daughter, Hetty held her reception at the pub having married Walter Gregory from Uppingham in the Priory Church. On another it was plunged into the depths of despair when in December 1907, William Crowson had gone missing. having left his bicycle after calling at the pub. It was feared he had gone into the river but owing to flooding it had not been possible to search. Three weeks later, when the water had subsided, his body was found by Mr Robinson, the water bailiff, downstream at the bottom of Eastgate.

The pub had been let to Mr and Mrs Ayres from Peterborough in 1902, described as being fully licensed with a stable and large garden, and the young family was happy to move in, but then tragedy struck in 1917 when their son Fred was lost in the First World War.

Just as the Black Bull had a successful darts team in its later years in the early part of the twentieth century, it boasted a very well-established quoits team who very seldom lost a match! In 1913 the team were made up of S.B Lake, W. Henfrey, T. Jibb, F. Johnson, P. Lambert, S. Wright, H. Weldon, J. Smith and W. Sanderson.

The pub as we can see the building now was originally owned by the Revd John Mossop, who put it up for auction with his son Robert, solicitor of Long Sutton in 1829. It was described as having extensive granaries, stables, barn, yard, garden, brew house and outbuildings, extending to one acre situated between the river Welland and the turnpike road to Peterborough. At this time Samuel Banks was the landlord and the pub was freehold but it would have been well suited for a coal or corn merchant,- according to the sale particulars. It was in the end bought by Thomas Sharpe of Sharpe’s Breweries, Market Deeping. Several landlords worked the pub during the time of his ownership; John Bent with his wife and four children were there in 1841, and later Samuel Pawlett, a corn merchant with premises in Stamford Road was the occupier. He left the Black Bull to pursue his other business in 1850 when John Taylor Marston of Marston’s Breweries, Market Deeping, bought the premises

Let out again with an inventory amounting to £15, Richard Rippon was the landlord in 1856. He lived on the premises with his wife Sarah, nee Thompson, and their two boys and three girls. At this time a macabre discovery was made when on 16 January 1866 a body

of a child of about ten days old was found in a water closet on the premises. It had been strangled, the mark of a cord being around its neck, but the circumstances surrounding this tragic event have gone with the child to its grave.

In 1876 the innkeeper, Thomas Dixon, was summoned by Inspector Scotney for unlawfully allowing gaming to be carried out on the premises. Thomas claimed that ringing the bull was played in all the villages around for the prize of some ale. This was an indoor game, the aim of which was to swing a metal ring, dangled from the ceiling on a rope, onto a metal hook on the wall. Originally, the hook was a bull’s horn. Quite often the hook is embedded in the nose of the head of a bull on the wall. The game is claimed to be one of the oldest in the country; legend has it that it was brought back by Crusaders from Jerusalem. However PC Brightwell testified that he had special instructions to watch the goings on in the Black Bull as complaints had been made that residents of Deeping St James had come across the river to play. In spite of producing a testimonial to the orderly conduct of the house from the locals of Deeping Gate, Thomas was found guilty and had to pay fifteen shillings costs and had his licence endorsed.

There continued to be ups and downs in the village in the 1880s. In October 1881, Mr Adams, gardener at the Black Bull, had grown a green marrow which measured 3ft 3.5 inches in circumference, 20 inches in length and weighing in at 37lbs! The first anniversary of the Deeping Pig Club was celebrated here in March 1889. It was held on a Friday with supper for over fifty members and friends. Mr Huffer, the treasurer, presided supported by Mr Clough, the secretary. Mr Shillaker made a humorous speech, several songs were sung and Mr Hardy played some

violin pieces. This was a very worthwhile club as every householder had a pig at the bottom of the garden, which provided a ready supply of meat for a family during the winter months.. Each member paid a regular subscription and then, should their pig need the attention of a vet or even have the misfortune to die, some recompense would be made to its owner from the fund.

Later that same year disaster struck when Mr Frisby and Thomas Atkins, porter at Deeping St James station, went into the Black Bull having carried out some business in Deeping Gate. The pair met several friends in the pub, saluted them in the usual manner, replied to their enquiries as to their health and called for a pint of beer. This was brought over to them, at which point Thomas sat down and took a drink; directly afterwards he was observed to change colour, utter a slight groan and fall to the ground. The company offered every assistance but it is believed that he died within a few minutes. Dr Benson was sent for but it was too late. Thomas had been a porter at that station for 37 years and was thought to be about 67 years of age. He was a trusted and faithful servant and was much respected in consequence of his obliging manner and attention to his duties. His death sent shockwaves through the area.

In 1893 Marston’s sold the Black Bull to Soames brewery. The Faulkners took over the tenancy, but as was the way the actions of the drunk and disorderly made headline news as they do today. In the summer of 1899 labourer Thomas Robinson of Deeping St James was disorderly and refused to leave the premises. Eventually, when he did leave, he broke all the windows on the way out. A summons was issued for his arrest but he absconded. By Christmas that year George Brown had taken over from Faulkner and was summoned by the police for being drunk on his own premises for which he was fined ten shillings with nine shillings costs.

No longer a pub with its highs and lows, the building still retains some of its original features, including the mounting blocks outside the front door and the handsome light above it. But some of its secrets it still holds close.

Research: Joy Baxter, Pam Stevenson Words: Judy Stevens